Washed clean

Somewhere on the premises, most Anglican churches have a font for sprinkling babies with water. We all love to ooh and ahhh, irrespective of whether said baby chooses to smile benignly or scream with the full force of it's lungs. St Bride's too has a font; the pleasingly simple wooden stand, adorned with a flying dove.

But wait! There's something more! Look closely at the carpet in front of the font. I'll give you a clue...When they were very small, my boys liked to bounce on that particular bit of carpet because of the satisfyingly drum-like noise they could create. The 'new' Worship Centre was built complete with baptismal pit! I'm not going to be drawn on the old chestnut of infant v adult baptism, but it's certainly a different experience to watch a baby being dunked!

One thing more. You know how Anglicans so often like to sit at the back? Take a good look at the rows of chairs :)

Patchwork reredos

Collins English Dictionary defines reredos as
a screen or wall decoration at the back of an altar, in the form of a hanging, tapestry, painting, or piece of metalwork or sculpture

This patchwork quilt was stitched specifically as the St Bride's reredos. It was made while we lived in Old Trafford (so sometime during the 90's), by a lass who originated from the Derbyshire town of Wirksworth, but who was, for a while, part of our church family.
http://www.louisemabbs.co.uk/louisemabbs/home.htm

The quilt forms a stunning focal point for the Worship Centre and is particularly special in that it is unique. It was designed to be representative of God's love in Jesus Christ for the area and people of Old Trafford. If you look carefully, the brightness of the cross can be seen shining through, while the small yellow squares along the bottom depict the windows of the terraces and towers of the local area. In the bottom left hand corner is a small picture which is, I am almost sure, our church.

I have always loved the vivid colour and composition and, being something of a non-starter where needles are concerned, admired the skill in being able to design and create something so beautiful.

P.S. The quilt can be seen in situ on yesterdays blog. The cross is far more distinct at distance.

From every tribe and tongue

This is the view looking towards the front of St Bride's Worship Centre. I love the wooden roof and the amount of light which enters the room. The music group lead sung worship from the slightly raised platform, while the main service leader and speaker take the chairs to either side of the communion table.

Notice the languages on the altar cloth. For a while, the local Korean community used our building for their services on a Sunday afternoon. I forget whether the other language is Urdu or Arabic, but it reflects the commitment of the church to working with the local Asian population; predominantly Muslim, and it's not unusual for one or more of the worship songs within a service to be sung in Urdu. As a visitor, it can be interesting trying to get your tongue round some of the trickier pronunciations :), but an English translation is always provided.

A brace of beautiful banners

After a week and a half of feeling flu-like, it is truly wonderful to regain a bit of energy, shake off the aches and pains and get out of the house. So it was doubly delightful, yesterday, to be able to fire up the car and go visit a good friend.

Part of the reason for the visit was study, but, as well as being satisfyingly productive, the day was also thoroughly enjoyable; including a visit to a rather impressive bookshop, my first time of eating chilli and coriander hummuos and a quick look round an art gallery - all in the setting of a beautifully restored textile mill. The day was topped off by calling into church for the evening service (a bit of a surprise for another old friend) followed by a rather tasty pork casserole.

My only disappointment was that I broke the rule which I am learning to be the cardinal commandment of the photo blogger - ALWAYS carry a camera. It wasn't the most photogenic day; dull and grey with a hint of drizzle, but I shouldered my camera all round the streets as we walked out for lunch, tried my luck with one or two inside the mill and even snapped a street sign. It was when we went to church that I made the decision to leave it behind.

What a mistake! My friend's church has a series of beautifully crafted banners and I so longed to be able to photograph them.

So, I have a confession to make. Neither of today's photos are mine.

After I had set off for home, my friend searched the hard drive of his computer and came up with the goods (just until I can return to take some of my own). I remain grateful for thoughtful friends and email technology.

Breedon on the Hill

Breedon Hill is not enormously high but, because it is surrounded by relatively flat countryside, it can be spotted for miles around and is a well known local landmark. The name Breedon on the Hill derives from the Celtic word bre (meaning hill) and the Anglo Saxon word dun (also meaning hill), so I guess you could say it is named 'Hill Hill on the Hill'.

Sad person that I am, I had a low hanging branch of my sycamore tree lopped in order to be able to see this church from my bedroom window. And this is only the last in a long line. There has been a place of worship here since the founding of a monastery in about 676, and before that it was a hermitage! The present church of St Mary and St Hardulph dates back to the Middle Ages and has original Saxon carvings built into its internal walls.

Last October, I walked around the area with a friend and we were delighted to find the church door unlocked. It is beautiful inside and has a tangible air of the sacred.

Definitely worth a return visit.