beautiful service

Today we started out early. Skipped the pricey room service and stopped at a local outdoor cafe for breakfast. Kind of an Italian place, we'd eaten there before. They had a full English breakfast for 7 pounds. I had scrambled eggs and cheese bread. The real food to mention, though, was our late lunch back again near our hotel---Steve got the roast beef and yorkshire pudding. A family favorite. I've given out the recipe to friends. IT WAS FABULOUS! (made me think of mummy and duhdy--my fake English accent there.) It was not as beefy since we add bacon drippings but oh my goodness, the eggy delight. I'm getting that next time. I opted again for cheese toast--2nd time in a day. Garlic, I should add.
The best part of the day is that at breakfast we could hear the church bells ringing. I knew we were near St. Martin's in the Field ( you can google it.) But those bells started at 9:15 or something. Just a tad rude to the folks nearby perhaps? Not that I minded, but I think of those muslim calls to prayer. You know, the faithful only need a bit of a honk and they will get to praying or head to church. Drawing it out only irritates the unbelievers----doesn't likely bring any conviction at all. so what is the point? not that I'm deciding what any one needs to do. I'm not on the bell committtee. But I DO love to worship Jesus and particularly observe a special time on Sunday where I worship with others. Any one who follows Jesus Christ is my buddy so off we went. Steve suggested we go in, I think I was nervous once we approached. I have truly visited so many churches around the USA and the world, but I just felt awkward.
In we went and they handed me the program as we passed by. I scooted as close to the front as Steve allows and moved in below the place where the man preaches. It's those olden days kind where he's stuck out there like Martin Luther or one of the Puritans, I don't know. It'd different than those just at the front. I didn't know if we were in a protestant place, angelican or catholic. No matter to me because I read through the program and it was deeply reverent, filled with scripture, and fully loving Jesus. yay! and they had those super cool prayer benches. (I WANT A PRAYER BENCH!)
it's a service you can easily chime in with locals because it's all played out for you. I sang the songs off key because I didn't know them and it is hard to follow in real time. You know, the go up on the note and I was in mid range following them up on that last syllable but whoops, they were going down just then. a bit comical. especially when they got to the greeting part because I know to say God be with you  and answer "and also with you" and so I turned to the guy on the other side of me. but he did not extend his hand. I said, "Aren't we supposed to shake?" he said, I think in just a bit. OOPS. nervous laugh. and then it was time and he was obviously a real Christian, that warm nice look in his eye and he said it with meaning. and all the people around me did also. Wow, not common to actually land in the middle of a bunch of people who actually MEAN to love you in that moment. so that was pretty cool. I was blessed. because I am one of them, too, reaching out to each person, even that guy I messed up with: "God be with you." from my heart. Be saved, be forgiven, be loved, be changed, love others joyfully and many more things I mean when I say it. They meant it, too, oh I wish I could describe better.
I didn't take communion, although I usually do, because they do the "drink from the same chalice" stuff and that guy was NOT doing a good job of wiping like they did over in Westminster Abbey when we did communion there. THAT time the guy wiped hard and fully inside and out on the lip of the cup. I just figured I'd pass. You could go up if you were in Christ but they also offered a blessing if you wanted to come up and just bow your head and not get communion. Well, i had worn FLIP FLOPS---kind of not church wear. i still could have gone, right? The preaching was really good and I loved all the symbolism since we dont' have that much. Turns out they were Catholic when they prayed for their father in rome. Well, I pray for him, too. God bless him and lead him. He's an influential man.
This church is particularly meaningful because I am descended from a couple who were married there in that church! how awesome is THAT? and there I was in that church.....great great great something rather. have to ask my dad. He found out about how Clark goes back so far in England and then on one of the women's lines we can go back to 1473. 
After that wonderful morning, we got on the underground and headed over to the tower of London and to see the tower bridge. we meant to make it to the Globe Theatre but we had to get there before 12 and we spent so much time trying to find the restrooms after church that we wouldn't have made it. maybe later. We knew from the messsage not to push it. Leave room for silence. Go slow. rest. That's what we are doing now. (uh...i'm not being silent but I am resting.)
Looking at couples and families and clothing and hearing accents and dialects and languages is pretty entertaining. Throngs of tourists. we mingle and weave. The sun was shining brilliantly and the wind was blowing a cool relief and we got to see a great little play just outside of the Tower of London. We went into the National Gallery and found a portrait of the boy who inspired Christopher Robin holding his beloved Pooh bear and i melted and grabbed him close, loving him through his cellophane wrapping. Oh darling pooh. You are a beloved icon! i read it on CNN. I've always loved you, my adventurous bedfellow. All those nights I rescued you from the floor of lava and just barely got you onto the raft (bed) safely. From there we could pick out the mickey mouse and donald duck figures on the sheets together. Silly bear. how I love you.
Perhaps Nicole's little Rayner needs a bed fellow? Or would sarah and I weep at the loss? One favorite sweet quote from little Sarah....."you think I only love pooh bear because you love him???? no. i love him myself." how precious is that? and she said it with the most earnest loving charm and assurance. We still have him and he's lovely. Not like this wild and flamboyant pooh bear of today. Next thing you know, Peter Rabbit will be morphing into Roger Rabbit like Pooh has sort of done. But this sweet old original bear....he even comes before our pooh. We'll decide all together about his future.