Last day in London--more food!

We had a delicious final dinner at the Hyde Park Hilton and good fellowship reprising the whole. This has been a delightful group to spend these ten nights and eleven days with! I'm blessed hat they wanted to follow Mr Pipes (just for the record, I'm not Mr Pipes just his creator) to all of these charming, backwater, and wonderful places.

We went to evensong at St Paul's and heard rich reading of Scripture: Ruth, Good Samaritan account, and all of Ephesians 1. It was a said service as the cathedral choir was on holiday. Afterward I pointed out to the group how Christopher Wren was commissioned by Catholic leaning Charles II who wanted to restore the splendor and authority of the monarchy, and it's supremacy over the church. The place was designed to rival St Peter's in Rome, to humble the masses with the shock and awe of high church monarchism. Ironic that though it was designed with many other priorities in mind, the Word of God was read and heard today.

Stacie wins the prize for winning the most Cadbury bars (Margaret comes in second) and she and Aaron tie for pushup champs (Aaron for most hamburgers consumed). Charissa wins the goofiest food portrait (as you see) and for being the most able navigator and programmer of Francis the sat nav. Machaira wins the prize for the most awed, so much so that she drops farther and farther behind, gazing in wonderment, pausing to jot notes in her journal or take a photo. Craig wins the prize for taking the absolutely most goofy pictures of the tour leader (and for asking really good questions about the economics of things). Margaret wins for having "relatively perfect pitch" and for creating the fun jeopardy game played at The Bear in Hodnet in the shadow of Heber's church. Elizabeth wins a prize for wide-ranging and fascinating stories shared. And Dana wins for running her fingers across her jugular vein when the loquacious tour leader does what he does best: blabs too much, and for coming up with the most creative and effective way to get me to stop for visits to the WC (give the driver another bottle of water or cup(s) of tea). Blessings on you all!

Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices...

Back Roads and Byways to Havergal church

I think that our time at the church where Francis Havergal grew up in Astley will stand out as a favorite pause on this tour for me. We read from Mr Pipes and sang her Take My Life hymn and then talked about gospel consecration that results from grace alone through Christ alone in our lives. Margaret read from a letter of Havergal's where she suggested that 'take' could be substituted with 'keep' in her hymn. Another reminder of how all of Christ's saving work in our lives is kept by God through his grace and Spirirt. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ."

Stacie wanted us to get 'Francis' the sat nav in the group shot and at the real Francis's grave. Lots of rain on drive to Oxford. I'm feeling a bit weary today, but it is certainly not because of the company I'm keeping. These folks have been delightful. Every author and tour leaders dream group!