Tomorrow I lead my first All-Age service at Railway Town BC.  It is the Church Anniversary weekend, something this church still marks, it is just after All saints and All Souls, it is Guy Fawkes night, and it's just before Remembrance.  In Roman catholic tradition it is the month of the dead.  So tomorrow we are going to create our own 'great Cloud of Witnesses' beginning with Hebrews 11-12 and then using our imaginations.

As a starter, I have listed out the names of the those recorded in Hebrews 11 and 12, added more Biblical characters, and then made a starter list of small-s and larger-S saints from history.

People will be invited to add to a collage...

• Someone from the Bible (but they aren't allowed to add Jesus)
• Someone from history
• Someone(s) they have known personally

It's hardly new, I have done similar before in other places, but I leave you to ponder, dear reader... who would you add from each of these categories?

On the days I commute, I get the train to Manchester Piccadilly.  There are oodles of trains that go that way, and depending on the route and the operating company, there is a threefold price difference (though I haven't seen anything to suggest higher peak rate fares).  I usually opt for the cheapest, but even these vary a little according to the precise route.

Sometimes it seems that all trains lead to the same destination - as this photo from yesterday indicates.

If all roads lead to Rome, maybe all trains lead to the Railway Town?

PS It's an interesting image to ponder when you think about ecumenism, or even interfaith matters... I leave it with you!

This prayer was used in College Chapel yesterday - I found it very helpful.

All over Manchester Piccadilly (and quite possibly other major railway stations) are posters assuring travellers that we are 'heroes' by using trains, that it's greener than road travel.

There are oodles of different posters, may of them quite funny.  I think my favourite was this one...

Last night, I attended Choral Evensong at the Church of St Michael, a very high Anglo-Catholic church.  Outside it's a fairly typical Victorian building, but inside it is incredible ornate, as illustrated in this photo looking towards the altar.

Using the BCP in its most catholic form, complete with 'hail Mary' and King James Bible, in a parish under the special episcopacy of the Bishop of Beverly (it does not recognise women Bishops (hence women priests)) it could have felt unwelcoming, but it was anything but., evening ending with 'Shine, Jesus, Shine' and a priest who was not offended when the solemnity was shattered by clapping from various low church folk.

Ecumenism can be bland, can be boring and can be nominal.  This didn't feel like any of those.  It was good to be with people who understand their faith very differently, yet are committed to working together where and when they can.

I think the next joint service is for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - and I get to preach, something I now look forward to.