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The Entrance to Magdalene College, Cambridge University

Day 69

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Cambridge, England

This morning Mary and I boarded the Cambridge City Sight Seeing Bus.  The bus took us on a tour of the city of Cambridge.   I learned that the only American land in the British Isles is in Cambridge.  The City of Cambridge deeded 13 acres of land to our country in gratitude for our American soliders who died during WWII. We did not tour the cemetery grounds but our bus driver allowed us to get out of the bus and take a picture of the monument and the American Flag.  Among those buried in the cemetery is the band leader, Glenn Miller and Joseph Kennedy, JFK’s brother.

The University of Cambridge is made up of 31 colleges.  Each college has its own set of buildings and each is independently run. (i.e. like Baptist Churches.)  There are also many churches within the city.  One of the most famous church is the Round Church. The church was built after the Crusades.  It’s round structure was designed as a reminder of the circle of life,: birth, life, death and resurrection.

After our tour, we visited Madgalene College.  This is the college where C.S. Lewis served as Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature.  We walked around the quad and toured Pepys Library (pronouned PEEPS).  We also spent time in the chapel.  As it happened, the Old Library, was offering a special exhibition of old manscripts.  One of the manuscripts was a letter written to the Chancellor of the University by Lewis accepting the position as Chair.  We were able to see the letter but we were not allowed to take pictures.

From Madgalene College we headed back to King’s College to attend another Evensong.  You simply won’t believe what happened there.  I sat next to an American couple from Northern California. She had just retired as a choral teacher and this was their first time in England.  When I told them them I was from VA, she shared that she was originally was from Falls Church, VA.  He was originally from Wheaton, Maryland.  He attended a rival High School, Springbrook, and graduated one year before me.  We surmised that we probably attended the same football game together somewhere in our past.  He also attended St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Aspen Hill.  This is the church where my uncle and aunt were members.

BUT that’s not all…the couple in front of us overheard us talking.  She turned around and said; “You wouldn’t beleive this but my children went to Montgomery Blair High School.”  It truly is a small world and we are all more connected to one another than we can ever realize or imagine.

I count it all joy,

Pastor Vallerie

King’s College Chapel

Day 68

From Oxford to Cambridge, England

Friday, June 12, 2015

Today Mary and I reluctantly left Oxford and headed to Cambridge via bus.  I fell in love with Oxford.  It was hard to leave all the history and richness we discovered there.  We traveled on a coach bus and its high seats allowed us to enjoyed the scenic countryside of England.  We saw many lush green pastures with sheep grazing.  It was the iconic picture of England.  We also saw windmill farms and pastures with solar panels.  The old and new mixed were together.  Our bus ride was a little under four hours snd we arrived in Cambridge by 1:30 p.m.

After settling into our hotel room, we walked to King’s Parade Street to see King’s College.  We wanted to attend Evensong in the historic chapel and hear the best choir in the world, the Choir of Men and Boys of King’s College Cambridge. They did not disappoint.  The voices of these men and boys blend together in such a perfect way.  Theirs is a rich sound that seems as if ithey are one voice yet each voice is distinctly heard.  What a gift to be in the place they call home and hear them in person.  I have been so greatly blessed!

Please pray for Mary.  She has been a trooper but her life is not easy.   For example, during Evensong, while the choir was singing, I accidentally sent our bulletin sailing across the chapel floor.  It was a full house and we were two yards from the choir.  Oh well, what’s a country preacher to do but smile and go on.

The choir sang two Psalms  They were Psalm 64 and Psalm 65.  The last verse of Psalm 65 is this:

The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with corn: they shout for joy and sing.

I count it all joy,

Pastor Vallerie

Day 67

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Woodstock, England

On Day 44 I mentioned that I expereinced a God-incidence.  The beautician who gave me a lip wax in Damascus, Maryland was from Oxford, England.  She suggested that while we in Oxford we visit Blenheim Palace.  Today we did.  I hate to say it, but Blenheim Palace (first picture) makes Highclere Castle look like a shack. : -)

The palace and grounds are so large we booked several “tours” in order to try to take it all in.  Our first tour was of the palace gardens. ( second picture) Our guide informed us that if we had come two days earlier, we might have seen royalty.  Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall (Prince Charles, wife, Camille) dedicated  a Memorial Garden to Sir Winston Churchill at the palace on Tuesday, June 9.  2015 is the 50th anniversary of his death.  Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace and is buried in the church cemetery near the estate.  The palace is owned by the 12th Duke of Marlborough.  His grandfather was Winston Churchill’s uncle.

Our second  “tour” was of the rooms inside the palace.  The art and furnishings were exquisite.  The long solid oak dinnig table was set for a formal dinner.  (fourth picture)  Each room was filled with beauty and art.

Our third “tour” ws the Churchill tour.  Thi s is the place where he played as a boy and visited as a man.  He proposed to his wife, Clementine, on the grounds of Blenheim at the Temple of Diana.  The room where he was born is kept as it was on that day in 1874.  ((third picture)  Although he never lived at the palace, he visited often.  It is fitting that he has a Memorial Garden next to the place where he prospsed to his wife.  There are several rooms that are dedicated to his memory and contain memorabilia. and on the wall are a few of his famous quotes.  I particularly liked this one: ‘My most brilliant achievement was to persuade my wife to marry me.”

I count it all joy,

Pastor Vallerie

Juilliard School of Music- April 11, 2015                    Merton College Chapel Organ

Day 66-Part II

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Oxford, England

As we have been walking all about the city of Oxford, each day we discovered something wonderful that we would love to do. When we first arrived we saw many brochures advertising an organ concert at Merton College.  The organist is Paul Jacobs.  He is Chair of Julliard’s School of Music orgsn department. This was one event we did not want to miss!  Mary has had the privilege of hearing Mr. Jacobs in concert at SIU in Carbondale, IL. This was my first time.

The concert was glorius,  Mr. Jacobs plays the organ with great precison and depth of feeling.  He has a gift for enhancing the sound of the instrument through registration.  It was a wonderful expereince. New York  City comes to Oxford and we were here to expereince it.  What a day, what a day what a day!

I count it all joy,

Pastor Vallerie

Day 66-Part I

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Oxford, England

Just when you think you have seen it all…Mary and I discovered yet another treasure in the city of Oxford, The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology. (first picture)  This is the official museum of Oxford University.  It is the oldest museum in Britian.  It began in 1683.  It would have been impossible for us to have seen everything that is housed in this building of treasures.  Therefore we decided to follow the guide book and looked at the top ten exhibites and other artifacts that caught our eyes on the way.

Believe it or not, the first item we saw came from Virginia.  It was Chief Powhatan’s mantel dating circa 1638. (second picture)  We also saw Lawrence of Arabia’s robe, a painting by Van Gogh, ancient musical instruments and a human skull that is dated over 1.8 million years ago.

The exhibit I was most facsinated with was the Mummy of Meresamum.  (third picture)  This is dated about 830-715 BC.  Can you imagine looking at the remains of a person that existed 800 years before the birth of Jesus Christ?  I was blown away yet again.  As I keep saying, we could not begin to take it all in.

I count it all joy,

Pastor Vallerie

Holy Trinity Church                                                      The Sanctuary of Holy Trinity

Day 65

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Headington, England

In Sunday’s blog I mis-spoke when I said that C. S. Lewis was a member of St Mary’s Univeristy Church.  He certainly attended the church but his home church was in the village of Headington.

This morning we took a 30 minute taxi ride to Headington Quarry which is a suburb of Oxford.  This is the village where C. S. Lewis and his brother, Warren (Warnie) made their home.  After becoming a Christian, Lewis joined Holy Trinity Church in Headington Quarry.  Holy Trinity is the village church in Headington.

Mary and I attended the 10 a.m. Pram Service.  Pram is the British word for baby carriage.  This service was for babies and preschoolers not yet in school.  The service is designed just for them so that they might understand worship and feel comfort in church,  We sang songs with motions and watched the children run and crawl up and down the aisle. It was delightful to watch the children and join in with them.

At 10:45 a.m. the Verger, Mike Stranks, met us and spent over an hour telling us tales of Lewis and his brother.  We are very grateful for his kindness.  We saw C. S. Lewis, known to his friends as Jack, through the eyes of his church family.  We sat in the pew he sat in.  We gazed through the Narnia Window.  We were taken to his gravesite where he and his brother are buried together.  His wife, Joy was cremated and her remains are in a crematorium in Oxford.

After we left the church, we walked through the neighborhood, crossed a major highway and headed for the Kilns.  This was the place where Lewis made his home.  Unfortunately, we were not able to see the inside.  The house is now used as a residence and tours must be booked in advance.  We called when we arrived at Oxford but there were no dates available.  We walked around the home, respecting the privacy of the new owners.  We also toured the nature reseve next to the home which is the C. S Lewis Nature Reserve.  This is the place where Lewis would walk.  It is a beautiful wooded area with a lake.

Our day ended in the most glorious way.  We attended an Evensong service at Merton College.  This was a choir of women and men made up of Merton students. Their voices were rich and of such high quality.  They sang a lovely setting of Psam 119:1 which says: Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.

I count it all joy,

Pastor Vallerie

Day 64

Monday, June 8, 2015

Oxford, England

Today Mary and I visited the Bodleian Libraries.  These are the official libraries of Oxford University.  The first library is known as the the Old Bodlleian.  It is next to the Sheldonian Theatre. (first picture) The old library was used in the filming of the Harry Potter movies.  When you see Harry Potter in the library looking for a book on spells, he is actually in the Old Bodleian.  This is also the place where C. S. Lewis would come to study, write and I am sorry to say, smoke which was strickly forbidden.

Our tour guide was marvelous and we learned so much about the history of the University and the history of our world.  One of the facts we learned is that the motto for Oxford University is Dominus Illuminatio Mea which is Latin for: The Lord is My Light.  This is taken from Psalm 27:1.

From the Old Bodleian we walked several blocks to the new library which is called the Weston Bodlelan Library or the New Bodleian. Here we saw breath taking treasures which are part of the library collection.  I cannot list everything our eyes feasted on today but here are a FEW of the many treasures we saw: The Magna Carta, The Guttenburg Bible, Sir Walter’s Raliegh’s Map of Virginia, Handel’s original score of the Messiah, first edition of  William Shakespeare’s works, and Albert Einstein’s letter to the Chancellor of the Univeristy accepting an invitation to receive an honory degree. What a day.!

In the late afternoon, we visited the pub, The Eagle and Child.  (second picture) This is the place where C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and others would meet on Tuesday mornings to share and discuss each others’ works.  This group was known as the Inklings.  We had tea in the Rabbit Room where the Inklings met and where pictures of Lewis, Tolkien and the Inkings are still hanging.

We ended our day by walking to Keble College to view the painting by Holman Hunt, The Light of the World.  We had seen a copy of the painting at St. Paul Cathedral.  However, there is nothing quite like seeing an original painting with your own eyes.  The way that Hunt has painted Jesus’ face and lantern to light up is amazing.  I truly felt Christ’s eyes gazing upon me. (third picture)

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

I count it all joy,

Pastor Vallerie

Day 63

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Oxford, England

We began our day by attending worship at St. Mary’s University Church. ( First picture)  This is THE Oxford church.  It is an Anglican Church and like all places in Oxford has a very rich history.  C. S. Lewis joined this church after his conversion to Christianity.  He believed that every Christian should be a member of a local church.

Before worship we were greeted by one of the members of the church who welcomed us warmly,  He told us that most of the congregation would be made up of visitors and the church membership itself was a small faithful core of people but they manage to “get on.”  The music in the service was outstanding and the sermon was deep and thought provking.  The preacher was the Canon Brian Mountford.  He compared Impressionistic art with Jesus and the way our Lord interacted with people.

After the service, everyone was invited to reception.  This is what was written in the bulletin: “After the service everyone is very welcome to come for coffee & sherry in the Adam de Brome chapel.”  We went.  One of us had a sherry.  I will not say who because I wouldn’t want to rat out out my best friend.

After lunch we headed to Magdalen College.  This is the college where C. S.Lewis was a fellow (College Professor).  We walked the stone path around the quad and we strolled through the  beautiful grounds.  We were not allowed to see the room where he tutored his students because it is currently occupied by another fellow.  We saw every inch of the college that we were allowed to see.  We visited in the Chapel where Lewis worshipped every morning.

At 6 p.m. we attended Evensong in the Magdalen College Chapel. (Third picturce) It was a moving expereince to worship in the same place as Lewis once did.  On the chapel wall behind one of the choir stalls is a memorial plague honoring Lewis’ time at the college.  It was a real treat to hear the Choir of Men and Boys… another feast for the ears.

Today I praised God by joining my voice in song with those in worship.  At University Church the opening hymn was Praise the Lord, the King of Heaven.  The closing hymn at Evensong was All Creatures of our God and King.  

Praise him, Praise him!  Praise Him, Praise him.! Praise the everlasting King!  Amen.

I count it all joy

Pastor Vallerie

Day 62

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Oxford, London

Today Mary and I rode the bus into “downtown” Oxford.  Our first stop was the Visitors’s Center.  We wanted to collect enough information to plan our week.  From there we headed to Carfax Tower where we climbed the 99 narrow steps in order to enjoy a magnificent view of the city. (first picture) After our hike, we walked through the  Covered Market and then we headed to University College to see the place where C. S. Lewis was a student.  The college was closed because students were in the process of taking their exams.  However, the porter (the person who guards the college entrance and assists the students) invited us to come in if we promised to be very quiet.  We saw the memorial to the poet, Shelley, who was also a student at the college.  We were allowed to enter the University Chapel.  We gazed at the stain glass windows depicting well known biblical passages.  We were even allowed to enter the Radcliffe Quadrangle.  This is where C. S. Lewis would have walked and talked when he was here.  (second picture)  As we were leaving we thanked the porter for his kindness.  He asked us to wait a moment and came back with a gift for each of us.  It was a postcard and bookmarker from the college.

After lunch, we decided to visit the Botanical Gardens which runs parallel to the river Thames.  We saw the Magdalen Bridge and many on the river punting.  The garden was in full bloom and the weather was wonderful.  We enjoyed God’s beauty and our Creator’s love of variety and color. (third picture).

Whenever you travel to a new place, you somewhat dependent on others to help you navigate your way around.  Today I give thanks for Oxford’s University College porter who showed us kindness and went the second mile by giving us a gift.  May I always be that kind to others.

I count it all joy,

Pastor Vallerie

PS I forgot to mention in yesterday’s blog that SheldonianTheater is the place where C. S. Lewis received two high honors from Oxford and was awarded his degree.

The Sheldonian Theatre

Day 61

June 5, 2015-My 64th birthday

From London to Oxford, England

Today we left London and traveled by train to Oxford.  Our train ride allowed us to see the beautiful English countryside.  We arrived at noon and after checking in to our hotel, we hopped on a tour bus and rode through Oxford.  To see the streets and view the city is like traveling back in time.  It is hard to wrap your mind around the many centuries of history that are represented in this city.  Oxford is known as the city of spires because the sky is lined with many spires from the various colleges that make up the university.

We are in Oxford to trace the steps of the Christian writer, C. S.Lewis.  He was both a student and professor here.  Today, however, we just wanted to get acquainted with city.  During our guided bus tour we noticed a poster advertising a concert at Sheldonian Theatre.  We couldn’t beleive what we were reading.  Vladimir Ashkenazy was conducting the Oxford Philomusica tonight at 7:30 p.m.  I called and amazingly enough, tickets were still available.  We decided we were going.  The concert was a feast for the ears and it couldn’t have been a better birthday gift.

The Sheldonian Theatre is a circular building designed by Christopher Wren.  You may remember that he designed St. Paul’s Cathedral.

In June 1967 the Beatles released the song, When I’m 64.  When I first heard it played, I was 17.  I could not imagine that one day I would reach the age of 64.  Today I celebrated my 64th birthday by enjoying an outstanding concert in Oxford, England. This too is a day I also could have never imagined.   My heart is very  full.

I count it all joy,

Pastor Vallerie

P S Thank you all for the many good birthday wishes.