Mint Chocolate City

Yesterday morning, after taking a taxi, the tube, and the train from London to Cambridge, the three of us had the pleasure of worshipping at Resurrection Lutheran Church. 

My parents got to meet my pastor/tutor, I changed into casual clothes, and we were off to the train station once again. This time… to York!

We had to get off the train at Ely, hop on a bus to Peterborough, and then make the train to York from there, since the tracks from Ely to Peterborough were under construction. On the second train, we had quite a bit of trouble finding our seats. We couldn’t even find our section! So we sat down in three open seats, only to find out five minutes later that they were reserved for someone else! So we got up again in the moving train, fought our way through the aisles (if you can call a passageway that small an aisle), only to find that the next seats we nested in were reserved as well! So after three moves, my dad getting off the train, looking on the outside for our section, and finally finding it, we made it to York.

And boy, was it worth the trouble! I think it’s safe to say that York is my favorite city in the UK so far. We got off the train, made our way past the ancient city walls, York Minster Cathedral, and Monkbar Gate to our hotel. After asking the receptionist where he would recommend we eat, we headed for Cross Keys pub. Here, I got my third and best (so far) order of fish and chips and the best half-pint I’ve had so far. Then we made our way back to the hotel to make our plans for the next day.

This morning, we enjoyed a full hotel breakfast before embarking on the town. Our first stop was a street my girlfriend recommended that we go to while in York. Christa got the opportunity to visit York while in England for the International Piano Competition last September. And now, it’s my turn! The road (called The Shambles) had two buildings on either side of the street, which was so narrow that you could stretch out your hand from the window of one of the buildings and shake your neighbor’s hand in the other.

Our next sight was Clifford Tower, a twelfth century lookout post and military building. Following the York Castle area, we went to Betty’s Tea Café (another must-see from Christa). After enjoying what was the best cup of tea I’ve had so far in England, we walked on the city wall, from which we could see the Cathedral. Speaking of the Cathedral, our next stop was the Cathedral.

York Minster was my third cathedral and my parents’ first. It was, in their words, “unbelievably huge.” And was it ever! While I’d say Canterbury was slightly more beautiful on the inside, York Minster is the most stunning from the outside. It has been a place of worship since 627, but was made into the grand cathedral that it is over a period of 260 years, starting in the thirteenth century. It has always been dedicated to St. Peter, so on the inside, there is a stained glass window of him holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven in one hand and a miniature York Minster Cathedral in the other.

My favorite part of the sight, aside from perhaps its two identical towers at the front entrance, was the statue of Constantine the Great at the side entrance. Constantine was proclaimed Emperor of the Roman Empire in 306 right here in Yorkshire! He was the emperor who ended the persecution of Christians by converting to Christianity and making it the religion of the empire.

I proceeded to stop by a Turkish barber to make myself look a bit more presentable, after which we grabbed some lunch and hopped on another train. This one is taking us to Manchester, then to Cardiff, where we’ll be spending the next 24 hours. Three cheers for York!

Barnes' and Sherlock's Old Stomping Grounds

Around 10:00 this morning, I was greeted with a text from my parents saying they had landed at Heathrow, taken the tube (London’s subway) to King’s Cross train station, ridden the train to central Cambridge, hailed a taxi, and were on their way to Westfield House. Ecstatic, I hustled out to the front of the House to greet them.

After showing them around WH and Luther Hall, meeting many of my new friends along our way, I took them to see the historic colleges of Cambridge University. They were happy to see Trinity, Kings, and Gonville and Caius. But the one place my dad wanted to see more than anything in England was the White Horse Inn. This is the place where English Reformers met in the 1520’s to discuss Luther’s works and ideas. One of the men who led these meetings, Robert Barnes, was the first Lutheran in the British Isles. Since Henry VIII despised Luther and the ideals Barnes stood for, Barnes was burned at the stake in Cambridge. Today, there is a radio podcast entitled the White Horse Inn, in honor of what happened here in Cambridge. Unfortunately, in this very anti-Lutheran land, all that is there to commemorate this historic spot is a small, circular plaque with the name and a description on it. Nonetheless, my dad and I were happy to get a picture beside it.

Since we had already booked a hotel in London for tonight, we took the train back down to King’s Cross, checked in at the hotel, and made our way to my dad’s second and final must-see in England: 221B Baker St. This is where his favorite character in all of literature (and one that’s pretty high on my list as well) resided: Sherlock Holmes. We were able to get our picture taken with a “bouncer” dressed up like Detective Lestrade, each of us wearing either a Sherlock or Dr. Watson hat. The Sherlock Holmes Museum right next door was nice to browse through as well.

Now, as I type this up from our West London hotel close to Hyde Park, I see a magazine resting on the nightstand that says on its cover, “Welcome to the World’s Greatest City.” Eh… I wouldn’t go that far. In the couple of trips I’ve taken to London, I’ve seen a great deal and enjoyed a fair chunk of it. It’s certainly a historic and important city. But it’s not my place. I think it’s a bit more raved about than it should be, even though it’s a fine city. I’ll be coming back here a couple more times for sure: once on our flight back from Ireland in a week, once in passing on my way to Paris, and finally to fly back home. I enjoy London… But there’s a lot more to see on these islands.

The End of Augustine Term

Today marks the end of my first term at Westfield House. I'm here for two uneven terms. The first one that I just finished was called Augustine Term. It ran for 5 weeks, and now we have a 10-day break before Michaelmas Term begins. I've learned and experienced a great deal in these past 5 weeks as my previous blogs can attest. Now, at the close of term one, I'm caught up on my readings for my classes and am currently figuring out what my essay topics for each class will be. My "final" for each of my 5 classes will be a paper (between 8 and 20 pages, depending on the class) about an approved topic of my choosing. I'm sifting through ideas of Creation, Luther's biblical prefaces, Reformation issues, and Henry VIII's Ten Articles of 1536 at the moment. So I guess my workload for Michaelmas is cut out for me.
I know I've only blogged about 2 of my classes thus far. The rest are coming in Michaelmas Term, which is 10 weeks long, after which I'll be headed back home in time for the tail end of Advent. But before the fun of Michaelmas Term begins, I have 10 days of family fun awaiting me! My parents are making their way across the ocean tomorrow to spend the week travelling with their boy. We'll be hitting up Northern England, Wales, and a wide swath of Ireland this coming week. I couldn't be more excited. And rest assured, I'll get around to blogging all about it for you guys as soon as I can find ten spare minutes to type.

Cemeteries of Cambridge

Last week, I took a cab with some friends of mine to the Cambridge American Cemetery.

This is a graveyard and memorial for all the American soldiers, sailors, and airmen who were stationed in England (the Allies' headquarters) during World War II and died.

As we walked in, we saw dozens of rows of white marble crosses, each with the name, battalion, and native state of an American soldier, including the date they fell. After a fair amount of searching, we found one man from Mississippi. His tombstone said his name was Frank W. Furr and he died on October 8, 1944. I never thought I'd find a memorial to a fellow Mississippian across the Atlantic Ocean, but I guess I underestimated the English. Gazing down the columns of crosses (with a handful of stars of David interspersed), I realized just how much people around the world appreciate my country and what we have done in history to make the world safer and make their lives better.

There was a massive wall with thousands of names on it, and large 4 statues along this wall. Each statue was an American from one of the divisions of the military. There was a statue of a soldier from the American army (in 1940's garb), along with Americans from the Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. As I later learned, the wall was filled with the names of American soldiers whose bodies were never recovered, most of them being lost in the Atlantic.

There is an enormous American flag placed in the center of the pavilion, along with a pond similar to the one by the Washington Monument, and a grand memorial building that is currently being made into a church. Inside, there are colored windows with the seal of every state on them; and on the ceiling, there is an intricate mosaic of angels flying beside Allied WWII planes on their way to war, culminating in a mosaic of our Lord behind the altar, giving the soldiers his hand of protection and salvation.

Thinking back on history, the world really does owe a great deal to the United States. It's fantastic to see that some people in Europe recognize this fact and are thankful enough to make this grand cemetery and memorial for those who made the difference. When I hear Europeans say Americans are dumb and closed-minded, now I think, "I wish I could take them to this cemetery."

A Living and Unshakable Confidence

Since I blogged about one of my classes I'm taking at Westfield House last week, I thought today I'd blog about my second class: Readings in Luther. In this class, the two Ft. Wayne seminarians and I read selections of Martin Luther's writings and discuss them in class with Dr. Rosin. He works both here and at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, so every couple weeks he flies back and forth. In order to teach all his classes at both institutions, we use Skype during class sometimes.

I really like this class because it forces me to read entire documents that Luther wrote. I think far too many Lutherans (including myself sometimes) cling to one-liners or "soundbites" from his writings and use them out of context, thinking they know how Luther thought. The most obvious example of this is Luther's quote "Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly." Many Lutherans toss this quote around as a self-justification for their own sins to relieve themselves of their guilt, with no desire to look into the context. So here it is: Luther's good friend and fellow reformer Philip Melanchthon, was in a very difficult situation in his parish. Melanchthon went through every scenario of what he could do in response to it, and every one seemed sinful to him. Luther said these words to him, basically telling him to act, not to intentionally sin, but to take action, and live in continual repentance. Given the context, it's a beautiful quote! Which is one reason why I like this class so much: I get to pour through entire works of Luther.

My favorite quote I have read so far in this class comes from his Preface to Romans (I encourage you to read the entire thing---it's fantastic). He wrote, "Faith is a living and unshakable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake." No one in the past millennium could nail down faith quite like Brother Martin. I'm thankful to be in a class where I can really learn what Luther had to say: both the good (i.e. his Preface to the Romans) and the bad (i.e. his Preface to James). I look forward to reading his other works and sifting through them with my fellow scholars. In this land that's practically depraved of conservative theology, it's nice to have healthy doses of Luther delivered to me through this class.

Good Afternoon, Twelfth Century

Another Saturday, another city. Today I went to Southeastern England (a region called Kent) to the great city of Canterbury. My favorite play is Murder in the Cathedral by TS Eliot. This play is a dramatization of the assassination of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, on December 29, 1170. King Henry II appointed his pal Thomas to the second highest position in the land several years prior, thinking this nepotism might pave the way for his agenda to glide by. Unfortunately for him, the King underestimated Becket’s integrity. So, after years of disagreement between the two, Henry mentioned to four of his knights that it would be nice if Becket was “taken care of.” The rest you can read in Eliot’s masterpiece, which I highly recommend.

Since this is my favorite play, and it occurred in Canterbury Cathedral, I simply had to go. So, like the characters from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, I made a “pilgrimage” of sorts to see this ancient crime scene and acknowledge Becket’s martyrdom for myself.

My friends Dan, Jake, and I started out early for the bus stop to catch our 8:00am coach through London to Canterbury. The rain-soaked walk to the bus stop turned into a frantic run when we got lost with only a few precious minutes left until our bus departed. With 2 minutes left, in desperation, I knocked on a cabby’s window and asked where the bus stop was. He told us it was 5-10 minutes’ walk away. I looked around in my wet glasses, then turned back to him and said, “Can you get us there in 2?” Not only did this fine man get us there right when the bus was about to leave, but he boxed the bus in so it couldn’t leave without us! After giving him a huge thank you along with the reasonable fare, we ran into the bus, which was on the move before we took our seats. The Lord was certainly looking out for us this morning. I would have been down 19 pounds and a day of fun.

When we got to Canterbury (thanks to the wonderful cabby and the safe bus driver), we ate a British meal (I got a lemon dessert!), and headed over to the Cathedral. What a sight! I recognized the Cathedral’s exterior from the cover of my copy of Murder in the Cathedral. I must say—it’s more breathtaking in person. Inside was an absolute marvel. The vaulted nave and the ancient columns adorning the church caught both my eyes and wouldn’t let them go. I perused the Great Cloister, the Crypt, and the open nave, fascinated by every one of them, before making my way into the room in which St. Becket was martyred. I journeyed through a short tunnel into a small space, potent with candles purchased and lit by pilgrims. Now, the great controversy behind this medieval crime was whether or not Becket wanted to be martyred. Legend has it that when the priests whisked Thomas away into the Cathedral to protect him from the murderous knights, he commanded them to unlock the doors, for everyone should be welcome in the Lord’s house. Hence the famous line penned by Eliot: “The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason.” Becket did the right deed… But was it for the right reason? Or was it for his own pride in wanting to become a martyr? I’m undecided. Anyway, the ancient doors that Becket commanded be opened were still there, after which having entered through them, the pilgrim sees the sight where the famous Archbishop was murdered. There is a sculpture of four swords (for the four knights) in front of a kneeler, worn down by countless pilgrims. It was a tremendous experience to be in the place where this historic event took place; and certainly something that will make my next perusal of Murder in the Cathedral more meaningful.

After touring this astounding site, the three of us were fortunate enough to attend Evensong (the Church of England’s equivalent to the Lutheran’s Evening Prayer service). Worshipping in a 1,400 year-old building is something I’ve never had the pleasure of being a part of before. We listened to the Cathedral Choir, prayed, and sang “Lift High the Cross” in honor of Holy Cross day. The clergyman who blessed us with the readings (I think) was the current Archbishop of Canterbury himself. I could be wrong though, as it may have been the Archdeacon.

All in all, my Canterbury excursion was the slightest of notches above my Oxford trip. For while Oxford was an unforgettable journey, I didn’t get to worship in a 1,400 year-old Cathedral in Oxford. Also, having my friends with me was a much-welcomed addition to this weekend’s day trip.

So, after making our bus by the narrowest of margins, eight hours of total bus time, and a full day of sight-seeing, I am feeling very blessed. Not only have I gotten the incredible opportunities to see London, Cambridge, Ely, Oxford, and now Canterbury, but every one of those 5 cities I have enjoyed immensely. In his classic play, TS Eliot wrote, “For good or ill, let the wheel turn.” And for me I can unequivocally say that this rotation of the wheel is for good.

With All Your Heart and Mind

Seeing as this is a blog about my experiences studying abroad, I feel it might be appropriate to write a blog about my studies. I have 6 classes here at Westfield House, plus 2 required field experiences. Let's start with the first class I have every day: Lutheran Dogmatics I with Dr. Mumme. Dogmatics is an underused word for doctrine. So in this class, I learn the doctrines of the Christian faith with an emphasis on the Lutheran tradition. One of the key Bible verses mentioned in this class that's been on my mind lately is Mark 12:30. Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." We focused on two parts of this verse: "with all your heart" and "with all your mind." Jesus calls and commands us to love the Lord with both our hearts and our minds. Most Christians (including myself) tend to favor one over the other. Some Christians are all about the heart, saying "All that matters is my personal relationship with Jesus. I don't need to learn all that theology and doctrine stuff." They desire only to love the Lord with all their heart and not with their mind. Then on the other side of the spectrum, you have academics who get so wrapped up in studying the Scriptures and commentaries and Bible dictionaries and different translations that they miss the both the personal relationship we have individually with Jesus and the corporate relationship we as the Church have with Jesus. They love the Lord with all their mind and not with their heart.
There is a tension between spirituality and scholarship we must live in. The love of learning and the desire for God are united. The importance of both of these cannot be overstated; and we aren't permitted to choose one or the other. To only study or to only worship would be to pick and choose which part(s) of Mark 12:30 we want to follow. But to recognize what is crucial, we must consider both and distinguish between the "monastic" and "scholastic" sides of the Christian life.
This is the most useful concept I have learned so far in Lutheran Dogmatics I. Here at Westfield House and at Resurrection Lutheran Church, I'm pleased to be immersed in both aspects of the Christian life. With chapel every weekday and church every Sunday, I'm saturated with God's Word and Sacraments; and I'm honored to respond to that Word in prayer and praise. And with doctrine classes, reading books by great theologians of the past, and studying church history and the Confessions, I'm active in the scholastic side as well. As Christians, we're all tempted to overemphasize one and downplay the other, especially me. So it's helpful for me to keep the words of Mark's gospel in my thoughts every day: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart...and with all your mind." AND... not or.

The Real Oxford (Sorry, Black Bears)

One cultural aspect that differs between the US and the UK that I find fascinating is transportation. In America, public transportation (not including flight) is almost exclusively for city-dwellers. Here, it’s the norm for any type of traveler. I’ve mentioned it before—I miss driving. But while I miss the roar of my S-10’s engine as I gently press the gas pedal, I must admit that England’s public transportation system is quite efficient. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s smooth.

Today, I took the National Express coach (a bus) to Oxford. So after printing a map with a few sites I plan to see on it, I slung my backpack on my shoulder and hailed a taxi to the bus station. The bus took 3 hours one way. Since I booked my bus ticket in advance, I dodged the high bus fares and managed the entire trip for 14 pounds! Being my 3^rd British city outside Cambridge, I was ecstatic to see the original Oxford.

Oxford University, while currently being slightly less prestigious than Cambridge, is perhaps even more famous globally. As for myself, I think more highly of Oxford, simply because four of my favorite writers attended college there: CS Lewis, TS Eliot, JRR Tolkein, and WH Auden. So I figured if Oxford is good enough for them, it’s good enough for me to spend a Saturday visiting.

And was it ever! My first stop off the coach was the Eagle & Child. This is the historic pub/restaurant where CS Lewis, JRR Tolkein, and several other prominent British writers (a.k.a. “The Inklings”) met regularly. This is the place where worlds like Narnia and Middle Earth were first publicly discussed. Like any good Lewis and Tolkein fan, I had to go.

I showed up a bit before it opened, so I passed the time at the café next door and enjoyed a cup of Americano coffee. But once 12 o’clock struck, I was out the door. I had my first serving of fish and chips since I’ve been here in England, and it was every bit as tasty as its reputation states. There were loads of Narnia and Middle Earth paraphernalia on the walls, including local paintings of the authors and their literary worlds. Dining in the same place that two of the greatest authors of the 20^th century gathered every week for 25 years was quite an experience.

I spent the rest of the afternoon on the University of Oxford campus. I saw the History department faculty building before coming to one of my favorite architectural buildings: Lincoln College. This college didn’t have any historical significance for me, but I really enjoyed looking at it. Next, I saw University College (where CS Lewis attended), Exeter College (where Tolkein attended), and Christ Church College (where WH Auden attended, which is also the biggest of the 39 colleges of Oxford, pictured above).

I then proceeded to tour two different colleges. First, I invested in a self-guided tour of Magdalene College (where CS Lewis taught), and it had a stunning chapel from the inside, along with a pretty view of the river that runs just south of the campus. When I got to Merton College (where TS Eliot got his Masters in Philosophy and where JRR Tolkein was a Professor of English), I chose the guided tour. A Merton College grad student toured me around his campus, giving me some rapid statistics. Merton is arguably the oldest and “nerdiest” college of Oxford, and it has the oldest continuously working library in the world! This library also houses the first bookshelves Britain ever saw. I had the pleasure of going in this library and flipped through original printed books from the 16^th century. It was my first medieval library to my knowledge. I also asked my tour guide about Eliot’s stay here, after which his superior looked up Eliot’s biography on Wikipedia to enlighten me. So there you have it... Even Oxford scholars use Wikipedia.

Oxford is a brilliant town, and certainly one I would recommend stopping by if you’re ever in Central England. Now for the 3-hour bus ride back to Cambridge...

Chapel and Church for Town and Gown

"For town and gown" is a common phrase here in Cambridge and in other English university towns like Oxford and Durham. If something is for town and gown, that means it's for residents of the town as well as students of the town's university. Students at Cambridge University always wear gowns to chapel, and here at Westfield House, we see no reason to cease participation in this custom. So here I am, up early for chapel, dawned with my gown and hymnal.
The building behind me serves as two buildings, depending on the day of the week. Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, it's Resurrection Lutheran Church, one of the 14 churches in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England (800 members). At these times, Dr. Mumme (one of my tutors at Westfield House) ceases to be Tutor Mumme and becomes Pastor Mumme. And on Monday evenings and Tuesday through Friday mornings, this building is the Chapel of St. Titus. On Mondays we pray Vespers, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays we pray Matins, Thursdays is Morning Prayer, and on Fridays we get to use the Australian hymnal! One I'm quite unfamiliar with but is beginning to grow on me.
Being doused with God's Word every day, having my eardrums rattled by the spoken Word, and responding in prayer and praise is not a bad way to live. I'm very thankful for the strong chaplaincy leadership here at Westfield House and the pastoral care I receive at Resurrection. So while I miss a lot of things I can only experience in America (namely, driving), I am not suffering from an absence of Jesus. I receive Jesus here in amble doses, making this place more than sufficient in my book.