InSPIREd Sunday ~ St Michael and All Angels’ Church

While we spent a morning in the Cotswold town of Broadway we enjoyed a visit to this church just down the road from the Pub we were going to have lunch at. The present parish church, built in 1840, and dedicated to St. Michael and All Angels, is a building with nave, two aisles and chancel.

Its chief antiquity is the pulpit, which is a fine piece of wood carving, and was transferred from the old church. It was reconstructed and part of it was used to form a chair which had since been stolen from the sanctuary.

We were intrigued with these ornate Eagle lecterns that we saw in most of the churches and cathedrals we visited in England. I researched to see the significance of this design. Here’s one explanation:

THE FLYING eagle is the symbol of John the Evangelist (see Revelation 4:7) who proclaimed Christ as ‘the Word of God’ at the beginning of his Gospel. The flying eagle is thus a suitable emblem from which God’s word is read, reaching (we hope) the ends of the earth. The eagle is also thought of as the bird which flies nearest to heaven. I am not sure such lecterns are confined just to the Anglican church. It was not until the Reformation that the lectern became prominent in ordinary parish churches of the reformed tradition, carrying the open bible.

This is my favorite Stained Glass Window from this church and appropriate for a church named St Michael and All Angels Church.

I love old doors of all kinds and this door into the church is very cool.

InSPIREd Sunday is hosted by Beth and Sally. This is a weekly meme devoted to sharing religious architecture from around the world.

Hope your Sunday is going well.

My Hope is Built ~ Hymn

This song is titled My Hope is Built and sometimes The Solid Rock

My Hope is Built

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ name.

Refrain

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

Words: Edward Mote, circa 1834; first appeared in Mote’s Hymns of Praise, 1836.

Fresh News

Do you need a fresh new sandwich idea? Click over to the Mennonite Girls Can Cook Blog for this sandwich combination.

I still can’t show you our finished bathroom…because it’s not finished. OYE! In fact after they wrap up today and clean everything up they will still need to come back in a couple weeks to finish up because of some boo boos. Part of the flooring needs to be redone and of course it’s on back-order and 2 cabinet fronts need to be replaced. We have come to the conclusion that we are not good candidates for hiring out work. In the meantime, I have found some nice accessories to go in the updated bathroom like that brushed nickel soap dispenser above.

Other news from this old house…apples are falling off the tree.

And these beauties are brightening up the yard and deck.

What’s new at your place?

Good Fences ~ Oxford, England

It’s time for Good Fences #20 at Run*A*Round Ranch Report with TexWisGirl.

This fence with “Head” posts is in Oxford England close to the Bodlein and and next to the Sheldonian Theater and Old Ashmolean. Each post has a different head.

I didn’t have a lot of time to research why there are heads on each of these posts and information about them isn’t an easy click away.

Last night while Dear and I watched an episode of Inspector Morse they drove on the street next to this fence. I enjoy seeing places we have walked when we watch shows like Morse, Inspector Lewis, or Lord Peter Whimsy series from Dorothy Sayers mysteries.

I’ve got to run today and will be around later to see more Good Fences. Hope your day is going well.

D is for Doors!

It’s time for ABC Wednesday and the letter D. Thank you Mrs. Nesbitt and the ABC crew for hosting this weekly meme.

D is for Doors!

‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Our tour guide in Oxford said that there are stories about this door being an inspiration to C.S. Lewis on the writing of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as he was housed behind this door from time to time.

and just to the right of this doorway was this…

…the lamp post that served as the model in the story.

Good story if it’s true and you can see the inspirations are there. The Chronicles of Narnia are a favorite of mine.

There is so much great history to hear about and see in Oxford. We are already talking about spending at least a couple days in this city the next time we visit Jolly Old England.

Hither and Yon…

hither and yon, from here to over there, especially to a farther place; in or to a great many places:

That pretty much sums up the state of affairs with our family right now.

Our oldest, Josh, and our DIL Laura are in Cabo right now with my nephew David and his wife Kristin.

Our middle son, Dan, is working 2500 miles away from his home and his girlfriend is counting the days until he’s back where he belongs.

Our youngest, Katie, and our Son in law, Andrew have started their journey this morning from Jacksonville, North Carolina, to the state of Washington. Andrew has started his terminal leave from the Marine Corps after serving over 4 years with 2 deployments to Afghanistan. They will settle close to us so Andrew can finish his schooling.

I still feel like a fish out of water while the bathroom construction continues into the third week. Thankfully the end is near.

My brother and his wife are making their second trip today to the Ukraine to finish the legal work to bring their new young son home to his forever family.

We had some interesting sky views this past weekend. The Blue Angels were in Seattle for our SeaFair and to put on a air show during the hydroplane races. Along with the Blue Angels we had Fleet Week and the Marines put on some great demonstrations. I was able to capture some of the Osprey as they flew over our house on the way to the air show. Besides the great loud noise from the Blue Angels and the Osprey we had thunder and lightning from these amazing skies.

Couldn’t help but quote part of Psalm 19:

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 goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.

So this is some of what is happening in my world. What’s happening in yours?

University Church of St Mary the Virgin ~ Oxford

St Mary’s stands in the physical centre of the old walled City, and the university grew up around it. In medieval times scholars lived in houses with their teachers and the university had no buildings of its own, so it adopted St Mary’s as its centre. The church continued as a parish church, but by the early 13th century it had become the seat of university government, academic disputation, and the awarding of degrees.

The Oxford Martyrs ~Each of the three anglican bishops, Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer, who were burnt at the stake in Oxford during the reign of the Roman Catholic queen, ‘Bloody Mary’, underwent part of his trial in St Mary’s. Their principal crime was not to believe the doctrine of transsubstantiation, although Cranmer, as Henry VIII’s Archbishop, had also played a crucial role in the downfall of Queen Mary’s mother, Catherine of Aragon.

This bit of history at St Mary’s really was interesting to me to read…

John Wesley, founder of Methodism, often attended the University Sermon in his Oxford days, and subsequently, as a Fellow of Lincoln College, preached some of his most stirring sermons before the University here – notably the famous sermon the ‘Almost Christian’ in 1741. In 1744, again in St Mary’s, he denounced the laxity and sloth of the senior members of the University. He was never asked to preach here again. ‘I have preached, I suppose,’ I wrote, ‘the last time in St Mary’s. Be it so. I am now clear of the blood of these men. I have fully delivered my soul.’

In 1947 a disastrous fire destroyed the original 17th-century ‘Father’ Smith organ. Its replacement, by J W Walker, had become unplayable by 1981. The present organ, the third, was built in 1987 by Metzler Orgelbau of Zurich with the intention of recapturing the spirit of the original ‘Father’ Smith. It is undoubtedly one of the finest instruments of its kind, and incorporates the few of Smith’s decorative pipeshades which survived the fire.

While traveling I never have the time to thoroughly study the history of the places we visit. In preparing my posts for my blog, after the fact, I learn so much more information and history and I find out all the things I missed while visiting these amazing places. That’s why I always am ready for another trip to see the things I missed. There’s only so much my brain can absorb in a short visit.

Since we’ve been home and while watching an episode of Endeavor we noticed that the outdoor patio area of this church was in the segment. It’s fun to see the places we’ve visited on these shows.

I’m linking to InSpired Sunday for the first time this week. This weekly meme is hosted by – Beth and Sally . This is a weekly meme devoted to sharing religious architecture from around the world.

In Memory of the Savior’s Love ~ Hymn

In Memory of the Savior’s Love

In memory of the Savior’s love
We keep the sacred feast,
When every humble, contrite heart
Is made a welcome guest.

Symbolic of His broken flesh,
We take the broken bread,
The cup in token of His blood
That was for sinners shed.

Under His banner now we sing
The wonders of His love
And so anticipate by faith
The heav’nly feast above.

Words: Thomas Cotterill, 1805.

Magdalen College ~ Cloisters

The 15th Century Cloisters construction commenced in 1474 which makes this medieval square of stone among the oldest parts of Magdalen.

Balancing on the buttresses that jut from the Cloister walls are the figures later known as ‘hieroglyphics’, the ‘GARGELS”, Magdalen’s very own gargoyles. Some are biblical, some heraldic, all symbolic. Since they entered the College in 1508-9 they have been keeping their emblematic eyes on the comings and goings in the Cloisters and the quad.

Wanted to let you all see that we did “keep off the grass”.

From the Cloisters we headed out to Addison’s walk and the New Building following the footsteps of Tolkien and Lewis along one of the paths that leads to the famous meetings of the “Inklings”.

As you can tell from my posts from Oxford there is a lot to see in this city. I still haven’t shown you photos from Bodleian and Radcliffe Camera or the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. These places have been seen in many Masterpiece Mystery series and scenes from Harry Potter movies, too. My last post of Oxford will be photo heavy.

Back at this old house the renovations continue. We were hoping for things to be wrapped up today but that’s not happening. Maybe by Tuesday…

We have Fleet week and SeaFair and Hydro races and the Blue Angels in Seattle this weekend. What does the first weekend in August hold for you?

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Monthly Archives: August 2014

InSPIREd Sunday ~ St Michael and All Angels’ Church

My Hope is Built ~ Hymn

My Hope is Built

Fresh News

Good Fences ~ Oxford, England

D is for Doors!

D is for Doors!

Hither and Yon…

University Church of St Mary the Virgin ~ Oxford

In Memory of the Savior’s Love ~ Hymn

In Memory of the Savior’s Love

Magdalen College ~ Cloisters