Cambridge

I said goodbye to the folks from school as they headed to Scotland today. I, in the meantime, travelled to Cambridge. I arrived too late to catch the Christian Heritage walking tour, but walked a very, very long way around the town and outlying areas. I'm disappointed that I didn't make the trip to the Madingley American Cemetery, but it wasn't in my budget.

Cambridge was what I'd hoped England would be: old and beautiful. Last year the university celebrater 800 years (OK, technically some of the colleges are that old). That's nearly 600 years longer than there has been an America. I could feel the seriousness with which these students take their studies, it was a big contrast to London, at least the London I've experienced. In a strange way I can't explain, being here made me want to study harder.

Several of the colleges were open for tours, but I decided against paying to walk around. Instead, I snapped pictures of the massive buildings and beautiful gardens. I even found a hydranga identical to the one transplated from my Mamaw's house in Monterey, KY.

I walked just outside the city proper to meet with Sir Fred and Lady Elizabeth Catherwood this afternoon. Lady Elizabeth is D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' oldest daughter. I spent a lovely hour having a traditional English tea and listening to them recount the Lloyd-Jones' marriage. I left with the desire to be a better husband and father, having learned not only facts about history and a key preacher, but coming to know the heart of a wise man of God.

The Catherwoods drove me back in to town in time for me to go to King's College's Evensong service. Evensong is the evening service of the Anglican Church, the second part of the Church's daily ritual. Now, in a colloquium last fall, I read throught the text of an early edition of the Book of Common Prayer, the church's "script," or order of worship. I must say that the majority of the text is theologically sound and a beautiful expression of biblical Christian doctrine. The chapel was one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside, but I'm sure you can find some on the web. The men's choir sang the service and their voices were simply stunning. It was a great experience, but the fact that we were spectators, hardly participants, left me reminded that this piety, if divorced from personal study and meditation on Scripture is deficient.

Afternoon Adventures

When I returned to London from Northampton, I found that they were working on the brickwork outside of my room, and am impact drill is only so tolerable, so I decided to venture out for the afternoon. I found my way down to the Westminster district and came right out of the tube station to see the impressive gave of Big Ben overlooking the square.

Around the block were the parliament houses and the first visible security I've seen on my trip. Lots of security ramparts to keep would-be car bombers at a distance (I assume). The police man with the H&K MP5 sure got my attention!

One of the most impressive sights was the statue of Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England from 1653-58. If the purpose of a political monument is to inspire confidence in its subject, this one accomplishes its task. It is regal indeed. The lion is a nice touch.

Across the street is the massive and beautiful Westminster Abbey. It was closed for tours for the day by the time I arrived, but I managed to capture a few photos.

I ended my day with a trip to Harrods. It's massive and it's expensive (and they didn't even give me a family discount - what's up with that?). I did wander through the writing room to inspect a few fountain pens. All I did was wander (no worries, dear).

Northampton

This morning the group from Southern headed South to Canterbury and Dover while I headed North to Northampton, the home of Philip and Mercy Doddridge. It was an hour-long train ride that passed very quickly. Coming off the train I spotted Castle Hill church (AKA Doddridge Church) on my left. As I came closer, I heard the discordant wail of a young man sitting on a bench in front of the church chanting in Arabic from the Koran. Something Doddridge never likely had to deal with.

After about ten more minutes I arrived at the Northamptonshire Public Library, found my way to the reading room, and settled in for work. I opened a stiff cardboard box to find two Bibles, an accounting book, and five folders full of 190 letters. And so I began.

Initially I was going to translate the letters on the spot, but a few lines in I realized I could make better use of my time with my camera. So, I snapped a few pictures, uploaded them to the laptop, and voila! Decent quality reproductions at several hundred times the size (which is necessary for readability). Most of these letters were from Mercy Doddridge to her husband Philip. I'm very glad to have these letters as they provide a fuller picture of their marriage. In all I snapped 244 pictures of thirty some letters.

I included a few interesting items like pictures of Philip's inscription in his Grandfather's (John Bauman of Germany) Luther Bible. Bauman was run out of Germany for holding to Protestant beliefs. I also photographed a sermon that Doddridge composed almost entirely in shorthand! It looks like hieroglyphics to me.

I also found a letter from the Doddridge's son, Philip, to his mother from 1753 that is written in beautiful copperplate script.

I headed home after a quick lunch at McDonalds. In all it took about four hours roundtrip but advanced my research significantly. Now to transcribe these letters...

Independence Day

I've only ever celebrated Independence Day outside of America twice. Ten years ago today I was in Ghana. Today I am in England, the country from which we seperated, and it's somewhat of an odd feeling. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm wearing my red, white, and blue dress shirt and am as proud of my country as can be. It's just that not having the trappings of a "normal" July 4th has made me more appreciative for what exactly we commemorate today.

At home it's the "fourth of July," and there will be fireworks (to terrify my oldest son), cookouts, and special sales at car lots, etc. One person quipped the other day that Britans recall this date as the "Day of Great Rebellion," and he is right! All of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were law breakers, but I've never been so proud of a band of criminals as I am today.

I was blessed to be able to study early American religious history this spring. I was reminded over and over again how radical were the concepts of freedom that shape our Declaration. Government by consent and not by right? The responsibility of citizens to rebel when basic, God-given rights are violated? We take these ideas for granted.

Take a few minutes to read the Declaration of Independence today. Be reminded (or discover) the list of reasons why its signers sought to "dissolve the political bands" that had connected our colonies with great Britain. Be thankful for brave men who wielded an ink-dipped quill and be encouraged to do hard things when you know they are the right things to do. Most of all, be thankful for freedom as you gather with other believers without fear of government intervention.

May God bless America.

Wesley Chapel

Directly across the street from Bunhill Fields is the Wesley House and Chapel, the London home and headquarters of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism (although he probably wouldn't have liked that title too well).

I spent a lot more time here than I anticipated, namely because it was so interesting and because of the great respect that I have for Wesley. Although I don't agree with him on several areas, his passion to preach the gospel and model of real Christian piety and compassion are worthy of imitation.

His mother, Susanna, is buried in Bunhill Fields. John, and over 5,000 other Methodists, are buried on only a few acres. The chapel is beautiful, adorned with biblical imagery and beautiful stained glass. I did laugh at the drumkit stashed in the corner (the chapel is a functioning church meeting place). There is a museum in the basement, the crypt, as it is called, filled with lots of well-presented exhibits, letters, sermons, and portraits.

I joined a group from Dallas Baptist University on a tour through the Wesley House. Our tour director, Fred, was probably in his late 70s and a volunteer from a nearby Methodist church. His wife was working in the giftshop. He spoke slowly, deliberately, and knowledgably about the house and its contents. It was much better than the handheld audio players many sites here seem to prefer.

Perhaps the most impressive room to me in the whole house was the prayer room, added on to Wesley's bedroom after the house was completed. Its simplicity is part of its beauty: a chair, a fireplace, a desk with Bible and kneeling bench. I couldn't help thinking that this was perhaps the room that for the last years of his life fueled the spread of Methodism.

I also took a walk to Aldersgate Street, about a half-mile to the south, to see the site commemorating Wesley's conversion to Christianity. I sat for several minutes to rest beneath the shade of old trees and to think about how the course of history (not just church history!) was changed by the reading and hearing of the introduction to a Bible commentary.

Bunhill Fields Burial Ground

Today I visited the Bunhill Fields Burial ground and the Wesley House. Bunhill Fields is the resting place of many Nonconformists (that is, those folks who did not remain in the Anglican Church but were Congregationalists, Presbyterians, and Baptists, etc.). Several of my heros are burried here, but regrettebly on Saturdays they gate off the paths through the markers, so I'll need to go back next week. Among those whose graves I did see are:

• John Bunyan (Baptist minister; author of Pilgrim's Progress)
• Daniel Defoe (Author of numerous books, including Robinson Crusoe)
• John Rippon (Baptist Minister, compiler of a hymnbook used widely for over a century)
• Joseph hart (Hymn writer and preacher)

This cemetary really is a striking contrast to the massive glass and concrete structures that surround it. I saw kids riding their kick scooters, joggers, and folks sitting to have lunch on the benches around the perimeter of the Fields. I kept wondering, "Do they know that just a few yards away lie the remains of some of the most influential English Chrstians who ever lived?"

2 July 2010

It was hard waking up this morning, but good to enjoy breakfast and fellowship with students from Southern. I even met one student who's known my mother in law perhaps longer than I have - small world!

Today we loaded up on trains and headed for Bath and Stonehenge. It took a couple of hours both ways. The ruins at Bath were interesting, as was the large Abbey. Stonehenge was very impressive, but most of us had to laugh at the audio tourguides - who must have said, "Perhaps," "We think," or "Some suppose" a hundred times in trying to relate the history of the site.

A group of us headed to a fish and chips place by the Thames. It was very interesting watching the Worldcup there. Almost as much excitement as a UK fan in early April. =0)