Service at Southwark

To mark our last church service until 11 April (due to weekend travel plans), we wanted the service to be pretty special.  We settled on the 11:00 AM Eucharist at Southwark (suth-er-kk haha) Cathedral in the south bank, right next to the infamous Borough Market.  Considered a place of Christian worship for the last 1000 years, Southwark has been frequented by the likes of William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Chaucer.

By coincidence, Rt Revd Bishop Godfrey Tawonezvi, Bishop of Masvingo, in Zimbabwe, was in attendance.

Southwark is establishing a new partnership with the Anglican Diocese of Masvingo and today was the formal announcement to the congregation.  The announcement took the form of a much-anticipated fundraiser/luncheon to help secure funding for adequate stipends, salaries and other overhead expenses the Diocese is barely able to meet on a monthly basis.

The service was a traditional Anglican Eucharist, but included a special sermon and prayer for Zimbabwe in the Bishop's native tongue.  Such an incredible experience! Also, during "Peace be with you," he walked by and shook my hand! ...I thought it was cool.

After the service, the nave was transformed into a dining hall and we ate lunch while listening to some authentic Zimbabwean music complete with bongo drums and maracas. We heard stories of what it was like to life on the ground, where the money would be going and why it was so desperately needed.

To further the message, Kate Hoey MP (Member of Parliament) and Chair of the All Party Group on Zimbabwe in Parliament gave the keynote address.

Overall, it was a great experience. Totally unexpected, but a perfect way to mark the last day of February.

Looking back on the last six weeks, it is amazing how much we have been able to see and do.  From experiencing my first day of classes at Regent's, to seeing Keira Knightley, to tasting the infamous spotted dick in Stratford, it is already clear (to myself, at least) how much I have grown from this experience.  I knew the London euphoria would be ever-present in the beginning, but six weeks later, it is as strong as ever.

Brilliant quote from the sermon this morning:

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." - Saint Augustine  

This weekend: Pony Trekking in Wales!!

Cheers!