Worship Leader Training Day

All four of us joined with some friends from our old church and took the hour's train journey into Central London for Worship Central's Training Day. It was held at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster which, I discovered, had been the venue for the first ever General Assembly of the United Nations.

I thought that was quite interesting! I told Jack.Jack said, 'What's for lunch?'
I'm going to give up telling him Interesting Historical Facts soon.
Jack says he hopes so.

It was a very good event. We came away encouraged and enthusiastic for wholehearted worship music. It's a hard slog sometimes. Jamie and I felt very old, as most there were early 20 somethings. But we are trying to train up our children in the 'family ministry' so we do have to hang out with youngsters while we do that!

Here's Gracie with Big Ben.

I love Westminster: The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey (site of all coronations since 1066), the River Thames, all so iconic, so full of significance. Later in the evening, during the worship time (2,000 enthusiastic worship leaders all singing God's praises, I can't tell you how good that sounded, a little glimpse into the future?) I popped out into the corridor to get some water.

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There was a window from this top-floor corridor which had a spectacular view out over the city: Houses Of Parliament with Big Ben, the Abbey and the London Eye, all beautifully lit up against the night sky. It was hard not to be reminded of our country's past: its importance in terms of the spread of Christianity throughout the world, the pattern of democracy it exported and the country's current preoccupation with pleasure, all of which seemed summed up in those 3 massive capital city structures. My heart was full. Prayers for this city of 12 million souls overflowed, not just from me, but throughout the whole day, from everyone present.

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No blog entry would not be complete without the Weird Jack Photo, so here it is!

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Continuing our Life At Full Pelt, after having arrived home near midnight, we were out the door again at 8.30 to pick up the drummer and his kit, as we were leading worship at church the next morning. On Sunday evening, we put on a new songs workshop with tea and cake. People from 4 churches came, we taught 12 new songs, and did a whole lot of washing up.

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This is us at the moment. Busy, satisfied, engaged, exhausted, full of longing, full of ideas, feeling old, feeling happy.

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Onward and upward!