'Tending to the Soul': Reading our Lion Sermon Preacher's New Book

In her new book, Fully Alive:Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times, Elizabeth Oldfield draws on ancient wisdom and often searingly honest stories about her life to gently suggest some habits and practices which can nudge us into building what she helpfully calls our 'spiritual core strength'. This is not about esoteric spiritual practices or religious rituals - what a friend of mine calls 'woo-woo religion' - but very ordinary, yet hard to actually do, habits which cultivate honesty, openness to people who are not like me, and a curiosity about the world.

Curiosity is clearly a value which Oldfield holds dear. It is also one which modern life paradoxically suffocates. The ease of finding information out, of a quick google search on a phone or asking Alexa for an answer, tends in many of us to short-circuit the giving of sustained attention which true curiosity requires. Yet if we are to find a way through to the deeper relationships, with each other and perhaps ourselves, which thriving through turbulent times requires, it is sustained attention which is so desperately needed. This is going to take some practice. I am glad Oldfield is here to gently help us find a path.

Elizabeth Oldfield's book is one to pick up and ponder, then perhaps set aside while a chapter percolates, before trying to read any more. Reading it is like sitting down with her for a coffee and chat, her legendary kindness and humour and humanity somehow jostling and ushering us far along a journey to reflecting on how we've become the people we are, and what we might do to become the people we would like to be.

You can come and hear Elizabeth speak as our 375th Lion Sermon preacher in October this year. It is free to come but you need to register to secure a place at this very special Choral Evensong: https://skc.churchsuite.com/events/u03zer4g

Developing Leaders with the Shpresa Programme

This week is volunteering week and we were delighted to host a celebration of volunteers and leaders by the Shpresa Programme. This is a charity that promotes the participation and contribution of Albanian-speaking refugees and migrants in the UK. Through their services and projects, they encourage and support individuals and families to play a positive and active role in British society.

Shpresa was founded by Luljeta Nuzi, who preached our 2023 Lion Sermon and told her story of starting Shpresa as a new migrant from Albania twenty years ago - and the importance of faith in finding the strength to do so, and to continue today against the challenges of her own journey with cancer. You can read her sermon on our website: https://www.stkatharinecree.org/lion-sermon

We are delighted to be supporting Shpresa by hosting events here in the City - and we are looking forward to co-hosting a celebration for Mother Theresa Day in September.

St Joseph the Worker Celebration

At the start of May we held a Eucharist and BBQ in partnership with the IWGB Cleaners and Facilities Branch to celebrate the International Day of the Worker and the Feast of St Joseph the Worker which fall in early May. We had a fantastic time enjoying friendship and music in the garden after a rich celebration of the Eucharist together in Spanish and English.

In her sermon, our Outreach and Mission Coordinator, Kitty, explained the significance of Joseph to our community:

"Joseph worked an honest job as a carpenter; a respectful line of work that by no means deemed him elite in society. His work was honest, and manual, and would have required intense physical work. He dedicated his daily work to the glory of God. He would not have earned much money, but with what he did earn, he supported his young family."

"Joseph was directed by an angel of the Lord in a dream to flee to Egypt. He faced the very real challenges of finding a home, a source of income, and a life of safety. Joseph knew that his family was in danger, and like many migrants and refugees today, he was forced to go out from his native land to increase the likelihood that his family would live in a protected environment. All this while carrying the weight of fathering and protecting the long-awaited Messiah, his young son, Jesus."

"Today, Joseph is universally known as the exemplary patron of dignified work. How do you relate to the life of Joseph? The hidden Saint, the hidden worker."

We continue to remember St Joseph the Worker in our side chapel in which we regularly offer prayers for all the workers in the City of London.

Our next Spanish-language worship is a special event for Pentecost on Saturday 18th May at 12 noon. Our next Eucharist is on Saturday 8th June at 12 noon.