St Andrew’s revisited

candles in St Andrew's

candles in St Andrew's

A few days ago I visited St Andrew’s in the gloom. Candles were lit for my lovely but sadly mad friend Sian, Paulo Coelho as thanks for writing Aleph, and Canon Andrew White who was back in Iraq.

– St Andrew’s in the gloom

Most apt as Andrew White the following day posted that contrary to the misleading Mission Accomplished and Iraq was now stable from Barack Obama Iraq was anything but stable.

US may be leaving us but our war is not over it is getting worse every day but we are now forgotten! We have just spent 2 hours trying to get into the Green Zone. Our badges may be the highest level but they are not working as of today, because they are American. This evening I was to take the British Embassy Carol Service. I arrive an hour and a half late we still did a shortened version. How we do our work now I just do not know, I cannot get to the US Embassy to even do our Chapel Services. We are now in a big crisis please pray for us.

The US may have officially left (with tail between legs), the Iraqi people have been left to pay the price of a US-UK failed foreign adventure. Maybe Obama would care to walk the streets of Baghdad. All that is left is prayer.

– US leaves behind a stable Iraq

A day later a trip to Godalming and three candles were lit in the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul.

Saturday was a pleasant day, lovely and sunny though very cold. I decided I would again pay a trip to Farnham and visit the lovely Parish Church of St Andrew’s.

I was earlier in the afternoon than before and the sky was not covered with dark clouds. Inside St Andrew’s it was neither one nor the other, not lit up but not dark and gloomy either.

The candle in the bowl was not lit. After two attempts I managed to relight. As before three candles were lit. A lady also lit a candle as several of her friends were ill.

I remarked on the lack of matches, lack of a pen to write prayer cards. She said she always came with a lighter and lent me her pen.

Three prayer cards: One for my lovely but sadly mad friend Sian, one for Paulo Coelho, one for Canon Andrew White.

I decided to pop back half an hour later when darker.

As I was leaving the church on lighting my candles a poster in the porch caught my eye. Canon Andrew White was giving a talk in Farnham in the New Year.

I returned later. Five more candles were lit. I seemed to have started a trend. I chatted with a charming female called Colleen (or a similar Celtic name). She had the same mischievous thought as I, let’s light all the candles around the church. I said best not, they may have some religious significance. God would not mind, she said. True I said, but those in the church may.

I told her of the talk Canon Andrew White was giving. I suggested she checked out the poster in the porch and went along.

Synchronicity: I light a candle for Canon Andrew White. As I was leaving the church on lighting my candles a poster in the porch catches my eye. Canon Andrew White is to give a talk in Farnham in the New Year.

St Andrew’s Nine Lessons and Carols by candlelight. 6-30pm Sunday 18 December 2011.

Canon Andrew White at The Vineyard Cente, Church House, Union Road, Farnham. 7-30pm Tuesday 3 January 2012.

Tags: candles, Canon Andrew White, Farnham, Iraq, Paulo Coelho, prayers, St Andrew's, St Andrew's Farnham