All Souls

I'm in London for a week of lectures at London Theological Seminary.  Of course, London's a wonderful city to visit, not the least of which reason is the chance to visit places everyone talks about.  So on Sunday morning I made my way to All Souls.  I was struck by many things, a very warm and gracious congregation, a Christ-centered sermon, and great coffee after the service (Yes, Derek, far superior to First Pres Jackson coffee.).  Here's what struck me most, though. During the first round of prayers, the first prayer was for Zimbabwe.  The sermon had a lot to say about justice for the poor, even mentioning that we, on the richer side of things, can actully learn about what it means to be a disciple from the poor. 

It became rather obvious to me that All Souls talks and prays about these things becasue they actually do them.  It also occurred to me that congregations don't cultivate these things overnight.  What I saw just on one visit was the result of a lifetime of ministry aimed at bringing these things to pass.

It also struck me that all of All Souls emphases stem from Christ-centeredness.  When you have a big view of Christ and what he is doing in the world, you can understand how your first prayer is for Zimbabwe, not for yourself.

After a day in the city, I ended up at the other Church of England church that everyone wants to see, attending an organ recital at Westminster Abbey.  The day wouldn't be complete, however, without some blues.  But I'd rather not blog about that.  At least here.