LONDON

From previous meetings:

• London based Companions met on Saturday 5 May. The meeting was very well attended. There were 14 of us! Margaret Munns and Shirley Wilson gave a presentation on their recent Atlantic voyage and brought us some colourful maps so we could see the route they'd taken. Amongst other things we learnt that SAGA stands for 'Send a Granny Abroad'!! They called at Funchal, Santa Cruz , Tenerife, Bridgetown Barbados and onto to many Caribbean islands, including some that had been connected with the slave trade. Shirley was able to visit the grave of a great niece, buried on the island of Tortola . The ship's chaplain was the Revd Canon Michael Bordeaux. He had a time when he was available for conversation every morning and when he found out that Margaret and Shirley were a Reader and a Pastoral Assistant he immediately asked them to assist with Sunday worship. The sea was very rough at times, making the administration of the chalice very challenging, so it was necessary to hang onto a chair with one hand but no consecrated wine was split. Fellow passengers would sometimes begin to talk at meals etc. about their involvement with their local church, perhaps supporting a roof appeal, even if they didn't actually attend! Chaplains are usually only brought onto cruise ships on the longer voyages (this one was five and a half weeks). They are not paid but receive a free cruise, as does their spouse. Perhaps more retired clergy should take up this opportunity? After the presentation there was a lively discussion on the importance of chaplains in all sorts of spheres of life

• London Companions met on 4 February and our speaker was the Rev Roxanne Franklin Hunte. She gave us a very interesting account of her time at the College of the Resurrection. Hers was the third year in which women students were admitted, so this was still quite a new phenomenon. There were various factors which made a theological education at Mirfield distinctive. The presence of the Community gave an added dimension and she had fond memories of going to Sunday afternoon tea with the Brethren. The discipline of attending the Daily Office was of very great value. It was not 'optional' at Mirfield as at some other theological colleges! This discipline is continues in the parish - even when the priest is alone - and the bell is rung so that people know they are being prayed for. The main message of the talk was that we should all find out who or what it is that God is calling us to do and to be and then we should get on with it! A lively discussion followed. Photographs (courtesy of Jean Pailing) below..

• On 5 November 2011 Jean Pailing gave us a fascinating illustrated talk entitled 'Explore Iran' ('Explore' being the name of the travel company who organised her trip). She even brought some of her fellow travellers to the meeting. We learnt about the beauties of Isfahan the 'Paris' of Iran, what one has to wear to visit a shrine on an Islamic pilgrimage day, how Iranians love picnics and enjoy sharing them, the mysteries of Zoroastrian sky burials and many other excitements!

• We were most grateful to Canon Bruce Saunders, Canon Pastor of Southwark Cathedral, for celebrating the Eucharist for us on Saturday 3 September 2011

• Photographs from wine tasting evening 10 June 2011 (plus list of arias and accompanying wines)

• On 4th June 2011 William Cooper-Bailey, one of our regular supporters, gave a fascinating talk on 'Living Life with the Ealry Church Communities'. He gave a history of the way in which Christian Communities had developed from the time of the Early Church through to the present day. We learnt about important figures such as Anthony the Great, Pachomius, John Cassian and Benedict. William supplied his audience with a rich variety of colourful handouts and has given us much material and suggestions for further reading. He even supplied sayings of the Desert Fathers for us to study on our train home! William is happy to speak to other groups interested in similar subjects.

• The speaker at our meeting on 5 February was Mrs. Maggie McNie, who is a Franciscan tertiary and a Master of Wine. She gave a fascinating overview of the history of Franciscans. None of us knew that Christopher Columbus and Robert the Bruce were Franciscan tertiaries! She went on to speak about Anglican Franciscans in particular. Until the last 20 years or so, individual tertiaries were encouraged to keep their calling fairly private but now the thinking on this has changed and they have to meet with others. CR Companions found some interesting parallels, although there are differences too. Maggie has offered to support the CR Church Appeal with a fundraising wine tasting. We hope to be able to advertise this very soon

• London Companions and friends met on Saturday, 4 September 2010  for a celebration of the Eucharist, in the course of which our Chaplain, Fr. Andrew Nunn, led a 'homily with a difference', i.e. a Bible Study on the parable of the Prodigal Son. This was very interesting and we learnt about how this parable links with those which precede it in Luke Chapter 15, the lost sheep and the lost coin, where there are themes concerning being lost in the wilderness and being lost at home

• Update July 2010: Fr Richard Coles has ceased to be the group's chaplain due to the pressure of other commitments. Canon Andrew Nunn has kindly offered to take on this role instead. Unfortunately, Dr. Ken Little was unable to speak to us as planned due to illness, but we hope to be able to re-arrange his talk in the future. Instead of the talk we watched a DVD about the Oberammergau Passion Play and had an impromptu discussion about it. Fortunately this went down well!

• Report of "Heavenly Banquet" concert held on 30 April and CCR London Group meeting held the following day

• Report of meeting 6 February 2010, including a summary of the points arising from discussion of the Draft Companions’ Rule

• Report of meeting 7 November 2009, including Fr Nicolas' resume of how Companions can reflect the Community's characteristics

• Sermon preached by the Rev Canon Andrew Nunn at the September meeting of the CCR London Group. Subject: The Companions' Rule

• Report of meeting 2 May, 2009, including notes on the talk by Geoff Dignum on The Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary

• Text of the talk given by Fr James Lawson at the meeting on 7 March, 2009. Subject: Charles Gore and the founding of the Community of the Resurrection

• A copy of the address given by the Rev Canon Andrew Nunn to the 2008 inaugural meeting of the reformed London CCR local group is available here

• Photographs from the meeting held at Southwark Cathedral on 31 January 2009.