An evening of light entertainment with Rev Dr John Bell of the Iona Community.
This event is open to all, especially to anyone who believes that there is no fun in faith. John will share songs and stories from his extensive experience and open up some well-known and more obscure stories from the Bible.
John Bell is an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland, a Member and Resource Worker for the Iona Community, an ecumenical dispersed Christian Community administered from Glasgow, Scotland. He has received a doctorate from Glasgow University where he was Rector in his early years and a fellowship from the Royal College of Music, London. In 2013 he was awarded the Community of Christ’s International Peace Award for his work on justice and peacemaking through worship and music. His most significant contributions have been to music and worship and he has published many collections of music and text resources including his sermons for which he is widely celebrated. Among his compositions sung throughout the world are’ The Summons’, ‘Take O take me as I am’. He has also been greatly responsible for the songs of the developing world finding a place in the worship of the western nations.
I first encountered John when he brought a group of singers down to London for an anniversary celebration of the St Thomas More Resource Centre in Westminster RC Diocese in London. I met him again in 1995 at an ecumenical conference in Derby and we have been great friends ever since. I have worked alongside him on recordings of his music and twice as a guest speaker at the Music & Worship Weeks on Iona. I became a Member of the Iona Community in 2004.
He has a thorough knowledge of the Bible which forms the basis for his musical and literary outpourings. If anyone can find the hidden humor in Holy Scriptures then he can!
There will be two 45-minute sessions and a short film of the activities of TRINITY CAFÉ will be presented
in the interval.
John specifically suggested that this event be an opportunity for fund-raising for a charitable cause. Our chosen charity is TRINITY CAFÉ which was conceived by Jeff Darrey, a parishioner at Christ the King when Fr Mike Muhr was Pastor there, and further supported (amongst others) by the Raphael Trust which was created by Mgr Laurence Higgins whose memory we are keeping alive!
Trinity Cafe is a free restaurant, serving more than 380+ hot and hearty meals daily, at two locations, 365 days a year. Anyone who comes to its doors is welcome and served by volunteers with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect – without question or qualification.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” – Matthew 25:35
You can view the flyer here.
Philip Jakob
Director of Music, St Lawrence Catholic Church
pjakob@stlawrence.org