When I’m on holiday, I love looking round old churches and chapels. The variety of architectural styles and the history behind these buildings fascinate me. I am well aware that the church is far more than a building, but the splendour of some of these buildings does indeed point to the magnificence of the God we worship in them!

Last week we visited chapels in some of the Oxford colleges.

The Harris Manchester College Chapel is a Pre-Raphaelite jewel. The stained glass windows were all installed by the firm of Morris & Co. of Merton Abbey. The cartoons of the individual lights were designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and made by William Morris.

Keble College Chapel is a large chapel, unusual in its images showing Christ reigning in majesty above the altar, rather than focussing on the crucifixion.

I love how stained glass windows tell Bible stories and also how the light shining through them reminds me of the glory of the Lord:

The side chapel at Keble College houses Holman Hunt’s famous ‘Light of the World’ painting, showing the artist’s interpretation of Revelation 3, where Christ stands at the door knocking:

There are two lights shown in the picture. The lantern is the light of conscience and the light around the head is the light of salvation with the door representing the human soul, which cannot be opened from the outside. There is no handle on the door, and the rusty nails and hinges overgrown with ivy denote that the door has never been opened and that the figure of Christ is asking for permission to enter. The bright light over the figure is the morning star, the dawn of the new day, and the autumn weeds and fallen fruit represent the autumn of life. The writing under the picture, which is rather hard to read, is taken from Revelation 3 ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me.’

As I wandered around churches and chapels this week, I was reminded of the description of the new Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, found in Revelation 21 TNIV. In that chapter, we read of the Holy City shining with the glory of God, ‘its brilliance… like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.’ Charlie Cleverly says of this description “When we look up to God in worship, colour and beauty and delight can and should invade our world. The choice to worship daily is to glimpse eternity, colour, glory, beauty. It is a choice to see heaven open, to be re-envisioned and to be re-energised; to be involved in Jesus’ building of his Church on earth.” (Charlie Cleverly, ‘Epiphanies of the Ordinary’) This vision sparkles with colour: twelve jewels named, all different in hues. Talk about Joseph and his multi-coloured coat, the church is a multicultural, multicoloured community.

Just as in these buildings the stained glass windows allow light to shine through, God is building a bride full of ‘light, openness, purity and harmony.’ (ibid.) It might not yet seem like that to our natural eyes, but that is why we desperately need a vision of God that unites heaven and earth:
“There’s only one desire in the heart of Your redeemed
To step deeper in the place where earth and heaven meet.” (‘Rushing Waters’, Aaron Shust)
‘Rushing Waters’, Aaron Shust

The prayer topic for August is about political influence in our land. Paul says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 TNIV) and reminded the Roman Christians: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1 TNIV) We may feel we know little about politics; many of us may feel we are not interested in the subject or feel powerless to effect any real change in this area in our country. Nonetheless, we have a clear duty of prayer for those in authority and Christians have often been at the vanguard of change over the years.

Pray for Christians working in Parliament, that God will influence their thoughts and cause them to speak out from a Christian viewpoint.

Pray for more Christians to be elected to Parliament.

Pray for God’s protection on Christian MPs against the devil’s attacks on them, their families and homes.

Pray that God will help all MPs to be morally led and to fight against injustice in our land.

Pray for David Cameron, that he and his cabinet will make wise decisions and promote good legislation.

Keep praying against the Gay Marriage bill.

Pray for Christian organisations working in this field (eg CARE (Christian Action Research and Education), a well-established mainstream Christian charity providing resources and helping to bring Christian insight and experience to matters of public policy and practical caring initiatives.)

Friendship can be hard to define, but is wonderful to experience. Sometimes we are friends with people who are similar to ourselves, finding in another a kindred spirit: as C.S. Lewis once commented, “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” ” Sometimes we are friends with people who are completely different to us; as people often say, ‘opposites attract.’ Friendship offers us acceptance, support, unconditional love and a feeling that we are not alone in the world.

Igor discovered some new friends in Oxford:

When I was a child, I had an ‘autograph’ book for people to write in words of wisdom. One person wrote out a poem on friendship:
“Make new friends, but keep the old
Those are silver, these are gold
New made friendships, like new wine
Age will mellow and refine.

Friendships that have stood the test,
Time and change,is surely best.
Brow may wrinkle, hair grow grey
Friendship never knows decay.”

The Bible has much to say about friends:
“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24 TNIV)
“A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” (Proverbs 16:28 TNIV)
“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Proverbs 12:26 TNIV)

Having good friends and being a good friend add to the joys of life. Jesus said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:14 TNIV) Being a friend of God is a privilege indeed!
‘Friend of God’, Israel Houghton

25th July was, apparently, the birthday of Rosalind Elsie Franklin, a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer who made critical contributions to the understanding of the fine molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal, and graphite. This week we visited the Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, where we saw a fantastic model of the molecular structure of DNA:

Every time I see such a model or picture, I am awed. How can all this complex structure possibly exist in every single cell of my body?!
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.” (Ps 139:13-15 TNIV)

Everywhere you go in Oxford there are the historical blue plaques commemorating people’s achievements and showing where they lived. What I love about these plaques is how they commemorate all kinds of different achievements!
This one is for Sarah Cooper, creator of ‘Oxford Marmalade’:

This one commemorates a scientific discovery which means a lot personally to me, since it enables me to check my blood sugar levels easily and quickly:

It’s great to celebrate people’s achievements and to acknowledge all they have done to benefit our understanding of the world, but as I have marvelled at nature and looked at all the different types of plants, fossils and rocks this past week, I am even more impressed at God’s creation and all His achievements!

In my last sermon, I mentioned Christopher Marlowe’s poem ‘The Passionate Shepherd to his love’:
“Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods or steepy mountain yields.

The shepherds’ swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my love.”

This poem is credited with creating the phrase ‘a bed of roses’, a phrase which is now used figuratively to mean any easy or pleasant situation. Life is not usually that simple; we live in a fallen world, tainted by sin.

However, on recent travels we visited the Botanic Gardens in Oxford where we saw lots of flowers and other interesting plants, as well as some beautiful roses in Keble:

View from the Botanic Gardens:

We also saw some amazing flowers in the gardens at Nostell Priory recently:

… and some amazing views:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Ps 19:1-4 TNIV)

Not content with visiting Oxford, Igor decided to venture further afield to the capital (timing his arrival to coincide with the celebration of the birth of the royal baby! – note the elegant bow tie he is wearing in his effort to be suave and respectful!)

Igor near the London Eye:

He also saw Trafalgar Square and Chinatown, but usually was perched in a rucksack for safety reasons when travelling!