London Internet Church

A History and Tour of St Stephen Walbrook with Peter Delaney

2009-04-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

THINK : FAST

2008-08-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

Whilst we are updating our site I though I would pass on to you an important message from the Bishop of London. Do please pass this on!

Martin

THINK : FAST

Be hungry for change for the world's poorest people

Kofi Annan and Gordon Brown spoke to thousands of us in St Paul’s Cathedral 3 years ago about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). You will be aware of these eight targets for eradicating extreme poverty by 2015. Many London churches and others have been involved since in trying to make them a reality. Details of the MDGs can be found at www.un.org/millenniumgoals/.

But earlier this year, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon issued this warning: “We are at the mid-point of a great campaign to end world poverty, set forth in the MDGs. Too many nations have fallen behind. We need fresh ideas and fresh approaches.” He pledged to mobilize national leaders in a drive to meet the MDGs and has convened a summit at United Nations HQ in New York for 25 September. Gordon Brown spoke again in July to a group of us including delegates to the Lambeth Conference. He stressed the need to hold national leaders to the promises thy have made.

Gordon Brown is going to the New York summit. There is a clear need for a co-ordinated high-profile preparation for this meeting. We need to enlarge the room for manoeuvre so that sympathetic politicians can move in the direction they know is just in the spirit of the Micah Challenge - “to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).

We shall all have our own ways of heightening awareness in preparation for the summit on Thursday 25 September. There will be a special Eucharist – A Time for God’s Creation - at St Paul’s Cathedral on Sunday 14 September at 6:00pm to which all are welcome. We propose that the period between then and the summit should be one of special prayer and reflection on the fight against world poverty, including a day’s fast. I myself shall fast on Wednesday 24 September, and would be delighted if others were able to join me. On that day we will issue a public message to the Prime Minister to fortify him as he prepares for the summit the following day.

To inform our observance of this period, we are planning a range of suitable educational material, and I am grateful to the Micah Challenge organisation for taking this on. This will be made available over the coming weeks, and we hope that some helpful wider publicity will be generated.

I am pleased that other Christian leaders in London have agreed to participate in THINK : FAST; and we are extending the call to our colleagues in the wider Church, to those of other faiths, and indeed to all people of goodwill in the community.

Richard Chartres
Bishop of London

COLLECT

Heavenly Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ came to bring good news to the poor,
to heal the broken-hearted, and to set free those who are oppressed:
give grace to Gordon Brown and the leaders of all the nations,
that, being so hungry for justice for your poorest people,
and fired with passion for their raising up,
they may be renewed in their determination to fulfil the promises they have made to them;
that the chains of hunger, disease and inequality may be broken;
and that all humanity may know life in all its fullness;
through him who came that we might have the same, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER FOR CHILDREN

God our Father,

You sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to live on earth, to show us how much you love us. Because you love us, we know that you want all your people to be happy and healthy.
We also know that there are so many very poor people in the world,
and that we live in a rich country.

We pray for our Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and the leaders of other countries, that they will keep the promises they have made to help the poorest people in the world, to make sure they are better fed, better educated and healthier.
We make our prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lyon

2008-06-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

....is a rather impressive town. Fantastic Cathedrals and a real buzz about the place.

ECIC Conference is great. My thoughts though turn to the 'non-institutional' church, the bloggers and sites managed by Christians from home in their own time. It does seem that these sites CAN be much more imaginitive and quick to respond to (and set) trends than us, with all our resources in the 'institutions'.

Those really are 'fresh expressions'. Why not check out www.christianblogawards.com'

Martin

Conference Update

2008-06-13T23:22:00.000-07:00

arrived safely by train - great journey. Unfortunately the Archdeacon travelled by plane with Peter Kerridge, and KLM lost their luggage! (Serves them right for increasing their carbon footprint!)

Breakfast was great - spent the time talking about dual identities (men being women!) -rather surreal - will tell you more next week!

Will update quickly later.

Martin

The European Christian Internet Conference

2008-06-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

Just about to leave for this conference, and i'll try to let you know how it goes. I wonder what the collective noun for 60 Christians from around Europe discussing the internet is?

Martin

The Bishop of London speaking about the Internet Church

2008-06-04T01:43:00.000-07:00

Does C of E mean 'no preference'?

2008-06-03T00:30:00.000-07:00

I normally don't post personal things on this blog but today I'm making an exception. I was at the hospital with my mum yesterday who is badly ill. As my mum was not in a fit state I was answering all the questions for her admission. When it comes to the 'religion' question I answered C of E, as she would if she had been able, to which the response comes 'Do you mean no preference or not really religious'?

Of course I challenged this attitude, but at lots of levels it makes me think, and makes me very angry.

Martin

The Abortion Debate

2008-05-20T00:10:00.000-07:00

I was watching the House of Commons debate on abortion and embryo issues, and I sometimes wish we could engage in a 'national discussion' on these issues. I wish that I knew more, enough to make informed decisions, and whenever I seek to enquire I am barraged by campaigners one way or the other!

I scared that we are going down a 'slippery slope' (what next?) but I also worry that if we don't do the research some people may suffer more when science can help.

Maybe I'm like what many people see as the Church of England - sitting on the fence! But actually right now there is where I need to be.

Anyway I hope my musings on this don't offend - but today more than ever let us pray for our politicians, for each other, and for all those, on the fence, and either side, for wisdom and compassion.

Martin

Social Networking

2008-05-15T02:22:00.000-07:00

I have been talking with lots of people in the last few days about 'social networking'. Although I am keen, I do worry it is making us value the 'impersonal' rather than the physical. As we develop our own website I am sure we must find a way for us to come together occassionally and engage face to face. Do let me know your thoughts!

So my thought for the day is asking all of us to reflect upon the following passage from the Bible:~

'For where two or three are gathered together in my name,

there am I in the midst of them.'

Walking to the office

2008-05-14T00:13:00.000-07:00

Walking to the office this morning I looked up at St Paul's Cathedral bathed in glorious sunlight and found myself once again amazed at how such a beautiful building was built, without cranes and computer aided programmes and the such like. It's even more amazing when the skyline of the City of London is covered with cranes today!

I love this quote on their website - it makes you think of onions rather differently though! -

'Rising like a giant white onion above the streets of the City, St. Paul’s Cathedral not only dominates the skyline, but also fills it with a calm splendour.'

Night Prayer

2008-05-13T04:12:00.001-07:00

We are just about to begin free subscriptions to our Night Prayer podcasts. To sign up go to www.londoninternetchurch.org.uk

A sample of a recent Night prayer service is below - with Christopher Biggins no less!

Early morning thoughts

2008-05-13T02:41:00.000-07:00

As I sit in my office writing this, with the sun streaming through my window, I am watching horrific images from Burma and China of natural disasters on the BBC website.(http://www.bbcnews.com/) More than ever I am reminded of the privilege of being born and living in the UK, and the responsibilty to my neighbour I have as a Christian, and today my neighbours are in China and Burma.

The Disaster emergency Committee (www.dec.org.uk) are co-ordinating a UK appeal. Do visit their website and donate if you are able.

As promised a quote to reflect upon:~

“The race of mankind would perish did they cease to aid each other. We cannot exist without mutual help. All therefore that need aid have a right to ask it from their fellow-men; and no one who has the power of granting can refuse it without guilt.”

(Sir Walter Scott)

My first blog....

2008-05-13T00:34:00.000-07:00

So today I begin my first blog as one of the staff at the London Internet Church. A little bit scary as I worry that I won't have enough to say, or people who visit the website might think I'm just a little boring... but here goes!

Over the last year, I along with Peter Delaney, the Archdeacon of London, have been 'experimenting' with different looks to our website in order to make it more functional and useable for everyone. I won't pretend that's been easy as everyone seems to have a different view - sounds rather like the Church of england doesn't it! - and sometimes our web developers make me feel rather inadequate.

However we hope to come up with our new site in the next month or two, which will be much more 'Web 2.0' with social networks and things. Keep an eye out for it - and for our new night prayer podscasts that you will be able to subscribe to!

I am also going to try (for a while at least) to end each post with a favourite quote (I collect them!) so...

'The idols of today are unmistakeable - self-esteem without effort, fame without achievement, sex without consequences, wealth without responsibility, pleasure without struggle and experience without commitment'

Any guesses who said it?

Martin