Today went very long. We started the day jumping on the tube to the Methodist Chapel here in London. At this site is the museum of the Methodist movement, many gravestones for early influencers and the home that John Wesley lived in during his later years. John himself is buried here. It was the first time of all the sites that I actually cried. John and Charles had become so vibrantly alive for us in the last few days that it was kind of shocking to see his grave marker. It was a humbling site surrounded by other graves and a giant modern building. Across the street, in the non-conformist graveyard, was Suzanna’s grave. It was the only headstone in the cemetery that was clean. Someone must come and care for it regularly because it shown white in a garden full of brown. The other place I cried was at the prayer rail of John Wesley’s off his bedroom. They allowed us to kneel in this room where he had spent so much time on his knees. It was a powerful and holy moment for each of us who participated. I don’t think I will ever forget how it felt.
After lunch in a wonderful local pub called The Angel, we went on a walking tour of London that included the sites where Charles and John had started worshipping in the area and where each of them had their Moravian moment. It was a little disappointing because none of the sites actually still existed so we were looking at plaques. Our tour guide, Rev. Collin did a very nice job but he was lugging around this huge bag filled with his robes for church that afternoon. I offered to carry it and the bag made its way through our whole group as we served him while he served us. It was the right thing to do.
He ended our tour at St. Paul’s Cathedral. We had Evensong worship there and Collin had arranged for us to sit up front in the quire as honored guests. The Cathedral was amazing in every way. It was the most magnificent thing I have ever laid eyes on. It made Methodist Central Hall seem quite plain and unassuming. I regretted my judgment of it. Evensong is a service of music, scripture and prayer. My friend Donnie was overcome by the experience and couldn’t stop the tears. She said she was the daughter of a coal miner and the first in her family to graduate from college and in this moment she realized how blessed she was. To be sitting in this special place where Prince Charles and Lady Diana got married, moved her greatly. Collin was the guest scripture reader and was decked out in all the garb we had lugged around the city. This service was the epitome of high church and the acoustics were amazing. As beautiful as it was, I’m glad I do not worship there. There was very little participation from the people except for standing up and down and reciting the Apostles Creed. It was too much and too big for this girl from Oklahoma.
We ended our time together with a communion service and blessing for each other. There was a time of testimony where each of us shared what this trip meant to them. Lots of crying- with and for- each other happened. I will miss these people who I have made this journey with. I feel like I have known them much longer than 10 days. We have shared our stories and heartaches of ministry and family with each other in a very deep way. I hope that we will see each other again through this wonderful movement called Methodist. As several people said last night “It’s worth fighting for.”
by 
