Very cold day in Farnham

Farnham Parish Church

prayer cards for Paulo and Annie

candles for Paulo and Annie

The Alchemist special edition

Unlike last week in Farnham, no snow, but still very cold.

On the way there the sun came out for a brief spell. I thought just like spring, only it’s winter, then I thought no, it is spring, only just like winter.

Around the church, I though it is not that cold, no wind. But I think it must have caught the sun for a while and been out of the wind. As it was very cold when I left the church.

Inside the church, it was not as cold as last week, and much lighter. I tried photographing the Easter paintings they have. I tried last week, but too dark. It is a pity they are not originals, and no information about them.

Two candles lit, one for Paulo Coelho whose new book Manuscript Found in Accra has been released in time for Easter and for my lovely Greek friend Annie. At least, unlike last week, there were other candles to light from, and so I did not end up putting out the flames. Strange, all the candles appeared to have bene lit before. Two prayer cards writ.

On leaving the church, now very cold.

Last week, I picked up Manuscript Found in Accra ahead of publication. I wondered, would they change it for a special limited edition of The Alchemist. I saw it last week, and was thinking it was the special limited edition of The Pilgrimage which I had seen before Christmas. Yes, they would change it. Was The Pilgrimage available. No. Both it seems are rare limited editions, and so very pleased I did go back and change.

Late lunch in The Barn. Very sorry to hear they are moving, as a lovely building, but no one ventures down the alley, even though it is in the centre of town.

On leaving The Barn, even colder. Bus waiting, no long wait at the bus stop.

Farnham in the snow

Farnham Parish Church

Farnham Parish Church in the snow

candles lit for Paulo and Annie

The Alchemist special edition

Manuscript Found in Accra released before publication date

It was snowing all morning, then started to melt, the paths slush, easiest to walk in the road.

Farnham there was very little snow, a little around the church, and that was it.

In the Parish Church, interesting pictures of Easter, a pity not original paintings.

I lit two candles, or I tried, I succeeded in putting out the flames for lighting the candles. I lit a candle from a candle elsewhere, then with difficulty got the two flames alight.

Two candles lit, one for my friend Paulo Coelho as thanks for the wonderful St Joseph’s Day Party he hosted in Athens, the other for my lovely friend Annie who I met at Paulo’s party.

Manuscript Found in Accra published in Spanish, in Greek, would Waterstone’s in Farnham have a copy, or even know what I was talking about? There was only one way to find out.

I walked into Waterstone’s in Lion and Lamb Courtyard. Nothing in the window, nothing on display, nothing with the other Paulo Coelho books. I asked. To my surprise, the lady knew what I was talking about, led me to a display, and there it was on display.

I was surprised they had it, let alone on display, on sale. I asked when they received it. I think she said 21 March and decided to put it on display, on sale, as though not officially due for publication until 28 March 2013, the publisher had set no embargo and they decided to put it on sale.

Makes a pleasant change for Waterstone’s to actually have a book worth reading on display, especially after the fiasco with Aleph and NeverSeconds.

Manuscript Found in Accra is available in Spain, Greece, Cyprus.

It will be published in UK (I think US too) 28 March 2013. Many bookshops in England already have on sale as they have received copies from the publisher, and the publisher neglected to impose an embargo.

Late lunch at The Barn.

Ayios Demetrious Loubardiaris

Ayios Dimitrios Loubardiaris

A church stood at this site, or regarded as a sacred site, to guard the entrance into the city through the gate in the wall.

The church is dedicated to Saint Demetrius and took the name “Loubardiaris” because around 1650 the following peculiar event took place:

On the eve of 26 October, a thunder bolt hit the Turkish garrison commander, Yusuf Aga, who had installed a loubarda (big canon) at the Acropolis Propylaea because he was planning to attack the Christian believers on Saint Demetrius day.

The lightening hit and killed the garrison commander and the faithful were able to honor the Saint in the church.

The church was restored in the 1950ws by a local architect and planner who also laid out the paths.

Located below the Hill of The Nymps, the Hill of the Muses, belwo the Acropolis.

A New Cycle of Mystery Plays

New Testament stories revisited and set in present day pre-Christmas London, introduced by Rev Dr Giles Fraser, former Canon-Chancellor of St Paul’s and now Priest-in-Charge, St Mary, Newington.

In the run up to Christmas, five newly commissioned short plays inspired by the medieval Mystery Plays. Each one is a reworking of a New Testament Story, reset in the contemporary world.

Broadcast on BBC Radio 3, but the BBC once again displays its usual crass stupidity, and these five plays are only being held on-line for seven days.

• A New Cycle of Mystery Plays

Merry Christmas from Christina and Paulo

Aos meus amigos um Feliz Natal!!! — Christina Oiticica

Missa/Mass Feliz Natal! Merry Christmas! — Paulo Coelho

Aos meus amigos um Feliz Natal!!! — Christina Oiticica

Missa/Mass Feliz Natal! Merry Christmas! — Paulo Coelho

Merry Christmas from Christina Oiticica and Paulo Coelho.

Away In A Manger

Away In A Manger as you have never heard it before. This version by The Blind Boys of Alabama.

I first heard this version last weekend at Rock n Roll Christmas performed by Metal Fatigue. Their version was even better, more Hendrix or Rolling Stones.

The Blind Boys of Alabama have been performing for seven decades. That beats the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan by two decades.

• Amazing Grace – The Blind Boys of Alabama

Service of Nine Lessons and Carols

St Nicolas Guildford

St Nicolas Guildford

Last year I was at St Nicolas in Guildford for Nine Lessons and Carols and thought I would attend this year too.

• Nine Lessons and Carols at St Nicolas

I just made it as it started a heavy downpour. For some reason, I was not given a programme as I walked in.

As it was a few minutes before the service started, I lit a candle for the massacre of the innocents.

Service of Nine Lessons and Carols is a community event. People from different walks of life read the lesson.

Afterwards mulled wine.

I had brought along The Pilgrimage to give to a friend. Sadly she was not there, or if she was I did not see her. I gave it to one of the choristers who was a little surprised to receive a gift. I hope she likes it, as she actually knew what the book was about.

Paulo Coelho speaks of some people needing ritual, it is the rhythm that governs their lives. We have rhythm, a clock, the day, the seasons.

I walked to the station lost in thought. In The Witch of Portobello Jesus looks into a church and thinks to himself, even I would not be welcome here. I do not think he would think that looking into St Nicolas, but he would question.

The only time Jesus sanctioned violence, apart from his own violence to the money changers in the temple, was when he condoned violence to those who harm children.

Two days ago we had violence done to children and to those in whose care they were. We had incredible courage shown by the female teachers, some of who laid down their own lives to protect the children during the massacre of the innocents.

There was not a mention. Not a mention. Not a prayer. Not a moment of reflection.

One of those who read the lesson was a head teacher of a nearby primary school, last year her children participated in the service. One of her colleagues also read a lesson.

Why did they not hold up the lesson and tear it to pieces? This was my lesson for today, but instead I am going talk of the massacre of innocents.

One of the lessons was of the massacre of the innocents instigated by Herod. No mention of the massacre of the innocents at a primary school two days ago.

Two thousand years ago, Bethlehem was under the jackboot of military occupation. Today Bethlehem is under the jackboot of military occupation. There was no mention.

• Bethlehem Hidden from View
• Israel blocks Christians going to Bethlehem at Christmas

It is excellent that St Nicolas still keeps alive the traditions that many churches have forgotten. But it also has to operate in the real world, to show that it has some relevance.

Philip Yancey in one of his books, possibly What’s So Amazing about Grace?, refers to a man who swore in church during a sermon. Giles Fraser has recently made reference to the same incident. Shock horror, but what should have been far more shocking was what the man was talking about.

Sometimes we have to jolt people out of their rituals. Rituals have a tendency to degenerate into cosy complacency.

I found it hard to fathom, no prayers said for those children aged six to seven gunned down, their grieving families, no moment of refection, a few minutes of silence.

Maybe I am being too hard. They did have a collection to raise funds for a refuge for the homeless, but if we did not have slash and burn of public services, with a ConDem government hitting the most vulnerable in society, if the rich did not dodge their taxes, we would have no need for the poor to rely upon charity from St Nicolas.

Amazing Grace – The Blind Boys of Alabama

The Blind Boys of Alabama

Amazing Grace as you have probably never heard it before, set to The House of the Rising Sun, performed by The Blind Boys of Alabama.

Amazing Grace is an old Negro song sung by the Black slaves.

Philip Yancey discuses the history of Amazing Grace in his beautifully written book, What’s So Amazing About Grace?.

The Blind Boys of Alabama have been performing for seven decades. That beats the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan by two decades.

I had never heard of The Blind Boys of Alabama, until I heard their version of Away in a Manger performed at rock n roll Christmas.

Rock n Roll Christmas

rock n roll Christmas …

… Metal Fatigue

Last year I went to more Christmas concerts than I had previously managed in lifetime. I never though managed two in a day!

This afternoon I went to a Christmas Concert St Mark’s Primary School, this evening a Rock n Roll Christmas at North Camp Methodist Church.

I had seen a big poster outside the church a few days ago. I was running late. A bus came along, I hopped on, even though it was only two stops.

I have to say I did not like much of what they played. The Christmas pop that I hear every Christmas in every shop.

But they made up for it with one song, Away in a Manger, as you have never heard it before. An amazing blues number, could have been Jimmi Hendrix or the Rolling Stones, and with this one number Metal Fatigue showed they could play. It was worth going for this one number.

I asked later was this their arrangement? They said no, Blind Boys of Alabama. They also suggested I tried their version Amazing Grace to House of the Rising Sun.

If I am at a concert, my mind wonders, what could this venue be used for, who could play here?

I have only once been inside this church before (sadly churches are nearly always closed). What struck me then, and what struck me again this evening, was the amazing roof. It resembles the ribs of an upturned boat.

But what also struck me this evening, was what a marvellous venue for concerts.

I then thought, bass player Steve Lawson is looking for venues for a sacred places tour. An idea that came out of Nothing Can Prepare. I mentioned this to a few people and got a positive response.

St Mark’s is freezing, with a broken boiler and facing a £25,000 bill for a replacement boiler. North Camp Methodist was warm and cozy. Would it not be a good idea were North Camp Methodist to host St Mark’s in the evening? Or an alternative instead of time sharing the building, time sharing the service, alternate weeks led by each church.

Chatting to the bass player I said bandcamp was a good site for music. I also mentioned the Bob Dylan and Ronnie Wood art currently on exhibition in Guildford.

Chatting to the bass player, I was one of the last to leave the church now all locked up.

As I left the church, a bus came along, so I hopped on, even though only two stops.

Sunday, buses are only every half an hour. What are the chances of a bus coming along, not only once, but twice? What was even more amazing, the same driver.

God must have been smiling on me this evening.

A very clear sky. Stars very sharp and bright.

North Camp Methodist Church is a Victorian Church in North Camp, built with money raised through public subscription.

St Mark’s Christmas Concert

Each year, the children of St Mark’s Primary School put on a Christmas Concert.

It would normally take place in St Mark’s Church, but the boiler has failed. Electric heaters have been installed, these overloaded the wring, and the cables burnt out.

Thus the concert took place in the Church Hall.

It was standing room only. I was in a way lucky, I arrived as the concert was due to start. I was stood by the door. Had I been in the hall, it would have been too hot.

The concert was a musical. Told through the eyes of children asking for a bedtime story.

Some quite amusing little ditties. I am not sure if they were meant to be amusing but that is how it came across.

A brilliant foot-tapping jazz number, with Herod as the centre piece as the wicked king.

At the end of the concert, the church was presented with a cheque for over a thousand pounds by the school for a new boiler. Still a very long way to go, an estimated cots of £25,000.

The concert was followed by mulled wine and minced pies.

No photos. A box ticking exercise that does nothing to protect children.

This evening a Rock n Roll Christmas. It will either be rubbish or brilliant. We wait to see.