The day was all planned - I was going to return to a beautiful spot in Essex for a swim - but as I look out of my study window, having got up early to write this blog, the rain is pouring down. Typical! There are so many beautiful summer's days when one is stuck inside working, and then the one I can be outside it starts to rain. I'm still going to risk it, the prize of a swim is worth getting wet, but it does not feel like a day for lingering over a picnic.
It's so easy - in our country it's more or less our national pastime - to get grumpy about the weather. It's always either too hot, too humid, too wet, too cold, not enough rain or too much. Other countries seem to be more reliable in their meteorology - I remember living in Bologna where endlessly hot summers alternated with foggy, cold winters - but here in the UK we know that any outdoor event we might plan risks getting heavily rained off.
At our best this leads to a kind of heroic stoicism. Years ago at a large family barbeque we were caught outside in a rain storm. My small cousins immediately ran inside; the grown-ups sat stiff-backed in our chairs, pretending nothing was wrong, until the rain began to trickle down the backs of our necks and we decided, far too late, that it was best to call it quits and go inside. The kids looked at this incomprehensible adult ritual with utter bemusement through the kitchen window.
And yet the rain is a gift, especially for the garden in the summer. We need our water supplies to be replenished and some of my favourite lines in literature describe it, from Dolly Parton's Jolene - your voice is soft like summer rain - to Shakespeare - The quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath - to Isaiah:
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
One of my favourites is a verse from the beautiful hymn O Worship the King by Robert Grant. The hymn is a paraphrase of Psalm 104, and he captures the imagery of the following verses
You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst. By the streams* the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches. From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
and sets them in the wider context of God's love and mercy, coming up with the following verse:
Your bountiful care,
what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air,
it shines in the light; it streams from the hills,
it descends to the plain, and sweetly distills
in the dew and the rain.
Alas, in some hymn books this is a starred verse, so many priests and music directors, more concerned with haste than beauty, leave it out when the hymn is sung, always to my great annoyance.
The ability to give thanks for the rain rather than bemoan it is all about living in the present moment and praising God for what is, rather than dwell on how we would like things to be. In the midst of all that is happening in the world, it is hard to turn aside to God except in worry and petition, and yet the rain has reminded me that there is still room for praise. So my prayer is today that we can all enjoy the rain, whether listening or watching to it falling outside the window from our desks, or walking through it to complete our journeys, or even in my case swimming through it.
With love and prayers,
Fr Ben
Quiz Tonight!
We will be holding another quiz, via zoom, tonight at 8pm. Do let me know if you would like to join. The link is below. Thanks to
Sara for organising.
Quiz: Crouch End Fun Facts, Sports, 80s music and much more
Topic: Holy Innocent Hornsey Church Quiz
Time: Jun 18, 2020 08:00 PM London
We are moving forward with plans to open our church for private prayer, and we hope to be able to open either next week, or the week after. In order to open we need to get the church cleaned, and then leave it empty for 72 hours, so the opening time depends on when we can get a cleaner to come in.
What opening the church will look like
When we open we are planning to do so for an hour each day, currently from 6pm -7pm each week day, and from 12.00 -1pm on Saturday and Sunday. We want to keep the opening times fairly consistent, but we would welcome feedback on whether these times work for you. There will be a maximum number of people allowed in church, probably about 20, and a one way system, entering down the drive (not up the steps) through the glass porch, and exiting via the wooden door by the tower and down the steps into the street. There will be specific places where you can sit, to maintain social distancing, and, unfortunately, no lighting of candles. The toilets and kitchen will be closed to the public.
We Need Volunteers
In order to facilitate the flow of people, and to clean the church during and after opening, we need two volunteers for each opening time. These volunteers must be under 70 and not shielding or in other ways vulnerable. If you could volunteer for one or two sessions a week we would be extremely grateful. Without enough volunteers, the church will not be able to open.
After the service on Sunday we're holding a zoom coffee time for an hour at the later time of 11.15. Clem has kindly set this up. You'll need to download zoom onto your computer or iPhone. Do contact her or me if you need help accessing zoom.
HI Kids online will continue on Sunday, after the main service at 12.15. Each video will include story telling and a craft activity to do at home with your kids. They will be streamed here
Women in the New Testament: Bible Study
Clem and Lucy are hosting a zoom bible study on women in the New Testament each Wednesday evening. If you would like to join, email Clem on clem.holyinnocents@gmail.com. Each session is stand alone, so don't worry if you can't make them all.
Help keep Holy Innocents going during the lockdown
This has been a difficult time for us financially, losing nearly all the income we would have got through Sunday collections. We realise this is a tough time for everybody, and want to give heartfelt thanks to those who have already given so generously and continue to do so each month. If you could support us, please click on this link to go to our giving page
