dear friends. Just a word of explanation - when I was writing this in the States it was more focused on keeping my family back home aware that I was about and functioning. Now its aim is to keep in touch with all the good friends who were so kind to me over the eight years I lived there. So it is now mainly about how I am finding life back here, and what I am up to. Which at the moment isn't very much, it's too damp and chilly.
I had a lovely Christmas Day. Jeremy drove up from Oxted in Surrey and took me to lunch at a well known restaurant here. I don't know, or remember, if you have had the English detective series, 'Inspector Morse' over there, but the restaurant features in his programme. In the afternoon Tim brought the grand daughters round and we all had a raucous game of PIT.
Just after Christmas I had a very welcome visit from youngest son James' half brother and his partner, who live in north Devon. When they arrived I showed them Summertown, which they liked and we had a meal there. The next morning we set off early and spent the day sightseeing in the City. They were very impressed with all the history and medieval buildings in Oxford. I expect Americans to be impressed at businesses that have been around since 1280, but they were quite awed by them all and seemed to have really enjoyed their visit.
Last night, New Year's Eve, I went to - what I thought was going to be a Midnight Mass - (preceded by wine and nibbles) but I was disappointed. Granted, I wasn't expecting liberal sprinklings of incense, clergy dressed to the nines or young people waving streamers, but it wasn't even a Communion Service, I misread the church notices. We did have the wine and nibbles though, which was quite nice.
Presumably the clergy were all at home with their feet up, tucking into their fruit and nuts and dates, and watching telly, because this midnight Service was conducted by a church member. It was a 'Covenant Service' adapted from John Wesley's Covenant Service.
Each year, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, began the New Year with a Covenant Service, and the heart of the service, focused in the Covenant Prayer, requires persons to commit themselves anew to God.
There wasn't an 8 o'clock service this morning so I will go to the 6 o'clock this evening. Tomorrow, Monday is a Bank (or Public) Holiday because today the 1st January, is a Sunday, so tomorrow's holiday is in lieu.
You wouldn't think we have the fewest, or least, number of holidays in Europe, they just seem to have all come at once. The next will be Good Friday and Easter Monday.
I hope all of you following this have a wonderful 2017.
Good Lord, a "covenant service"? One can't imagine a Christmas service for Anglicans on this side of the pond not being a Mass, especially at night. Today was, of course, a Sunday secular new year's day; so we had a "double header," celebrating the Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ as well as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. As usual, I posted the homily to my blog, now well into its third year. We Yanks need a powerful intro to a year in which we will have to tolerate essentially one-party government at all levels, headed by a minority President.
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