Mike's musings

Jelly and Jerusalem

What we call jam, Americans tend to call jelly. So there's some sort of link with "Jam and Jerusalem" there, if only a weak one. Last time I preached, I preached on jelly (see entries passim): this time, I preached on Jerusalem, the William Blake poem. Today's Vocation Sunday, and I wanted to combine the issue of St George's day, and its misappropriation by the Far Right (the BNP, mostly), football hooligans, etc.) and vocations. I preached about how all vocations should - and must - be rooted in community, and how we're the Church of England. We have the opportunity to reclaim national identity, and Jerusalem is a very aspirational song: we won't be resting until we've brought Jerusalem - and the Kingdom - to England. I find it a very moving hymn, and we sang it at the end of the sermon to cement the message. It went down well.

A back home for another barbecue (though we ate inside as the weather couldn't make up its mind). Our mate Richard came round with Jo's friend Ellie, and the girls played absolutely brilliantly while the grown-ups chatted. A good day.

Labels: barbecue, friends, home, sermon