Thursday, July 14, 2005
Christopher’s Manchester Weblog - Summer 2005 - Days 8,9, and 10 - Tyndale, the Trip Home and Launda
Return to Manchester…
Well, its been a few days, largely because of the lack of email. So here is the catch-up on everything beginning with Tuesday:
Tuesday
You would think that still being under 35 that all the running around on Monday would not have left me in bad shape at all for Tuesday. You would be wrong. Meant to wakeup at 645 so I could pop down to Starbucks to use their internet connection, but 6:45 came and went, and I finally leaned how to use the snooze button on my alarm clock. Finally at 7:30 I figured it was now or never if I was to make breakfast.
One of the many things that I forgot to take with me on this trip was my good razor. So I bought a packet of cheapie razors at Boots. The reason I discovered they were so cheap is that they were single blade razors. All I can is that it’s a good thing my platelet count is up these days, or I would have found out how good the ambulance services are in Cambridge. After much blood and even more cursing, I was shaved, showered, and dressed and on my way to breakfast. I would have worried about the appearance of my scarred and still bleeding face but, this is Tyndale, where the folks with doctorates dress like bums and the grad students look like they are trying to impress someone (which, we are of course). I think the green tie I was wearing took the focus off of bleeding.
Breakfast was a non meat affair! It also was devoid of anything nutritious. I believe I now the derivation of the term “continental breakfast” now. If you come to Cambridge from the Continent, you wont have any money for anything other than a roll and a croissant.
Quickly from there it was time to hike to the Tyndale House. Someone had said, seriously, that it was a 15 minute walk. So we all left at 8:40 thinking that would get us there early to start prayers. At 9:07, we arrived and decided that prayers could be shortened a bit.
The papers given were quite good Tuesday morning. Now remember, in the theological world the idea of an exciting conference is to sit in an uncomfortable chair and listen to someone read their paper. Yes, for this I paid (not received) money. But, the papers were quite good. One on Wesley and the Enlightenment by the professor of English Religious History at U. of Manchester (who after talking to, I am not quite certain is a Christian, but a nice man and someone that Tyndale has been reaching out to in order to “bring into the fold.” Great paper, and really showed that Wesley thought of himself as a man of science (okay, there was that dreadful thing about electricity and his crazy idea of lifting weights with every joint of the body, but, hey, it was the 18th century).
This was followed (after morning tea) by an even better paper on Jonathan Edwards and the Enlightenments (since the common view is that there was no such thing as “an Enlightenment” but rather many different cultural Enlightenments). This was given by Dr. Stephen Holmes, now of St. Andrews, who is one of my favourite people I have met over here. Stephen is younger and very nerdy, but laughs at his and other people’s jokes, and doesn’t take himself too seriously – which is an accomplishment for someone who is probably a 12 point Calvinist. He wrote a book on Edwards in 2000 that I highly recommend, and so he was both very knowledgeable and very interesting. Do you know that Edwards literally was uncrating and reading the first copies of books as they were delivered to America. Quite a man. Did you also know that Edwards wrote a paper on flies that he submitted to the British Royal Society (of Science)? They didn’t accept it, but still, quite an accomplishment for a 17 year old boy in colonial America.
After lunch it was my turn to play tour guide, being as I was now a “Cambridge expert” after all my traipsing around (both planned and unplanned). So I took a few of the Americans with me and we saw the sights. In case your wondering, yes, I told them about my travel troubles, yes they followed me anyways, and yes, we got lost…though only once and for a few minutes.
The afternoon session was Dr. Herbert McGonigcle, late of my own college and now retired. He is the one of the famous, “Wobbly and wonky” and “a bit goooofy” phrases. He presented an amazing paper on Wesley’s Doctrine of Original Sin and how it developed out of his response to this hideous book that Bishop Taylor had written in 1747. Talk about a book (the one he responded to) that did a lot of damage in the UK – out of it many churches became both Unitarian and Palagian (if those words mean nothing to you, don’t worry, they both are very bad and in theological language, are the equivalent of epithets).
Then it was time to hike back to Westminster College for dinner and the evening session. I smelled dinner and realized that I had better fend for myself, so it was back to town and a quick sandwich and the joy of having Starbucks not work with my email (that is when I eventually finally sent both of my previous two weblogs).
The evening session was…well…how to be kind? Very nice older gentleman who clearly was given the opportunity to present because he had been one-time dead of the Tyndale House and because he wanted to present. The room was about 120 degrees, his topic, “Wesley and Missions” could have been interesting…but wasn’t. And still we went on and on until almost 10. If Monday night had been Presbyterian Heaven, then Tuesday nights experience of heat, uncomfortable chairs, with a boring paper presentation until 10 at night had to part of the process of Nazarene Entire Sanctification. Surely such experiences must help us grow in grace.
Before bed took a short walk, which was possible only because I had take so many pain killers all day for my feet and toes that I didn’t feel a thing. Great walk. Cambridge at night is quite beautiful. Unfortunately just as I was closing in on home a real life, Rocky Mountain proud, lightening and thunder storm rolled in. It was cracking left and right. So off I dashed, literally making into the college just as the sheets of rain starting to fall. Went to bed and was greeted by a crack of lightning that woke up Cambridge, London and all part in between. I would not have wanted to be “punting” of the river Cam at that time. I figured I would never get to sleep, what with all the fireworks outside, but the cough medicine I bought here is nothing if not potent. The next thing I knew it was Wednesday.
Wednesday
Started early, only because I had to pack up my things (I was having on of the other NTC students take it back for me, so I only had to carry the one bag). Then back to breakfast (decided against shaving today). Same wonderful teeth rotting fare. Great conversations at the tables though – you know, original sin, colonialism, why Edwards is smarter than anyone ever born in England – the normal stuff. Then we said goodbye to Westminster and took off for Tyndale.
It was still warm despite the rain the night before, but it was also humid and very muddy, as I discovered when I tried to stop and fell right on my backpack. Fortunately not serious damage, other than the pride (which had not yet recovered from the first day, so even it was not really hurt). The first session of the morning was pretty good. Dr. Rainy, who teaches here at NTC and is my model for someone with bad health that keeps going, presented a great paper on how Charles Wesley’s hymns taught real theology to the Methodist. Seems that many of his hymns though John didn’t like, the ones that taught about Jesus loving our soles, etc. He called them, “Namby Pambical.” I will see what the Latin is on that. Charles was in good company though…John didn’t like Isaac Watts hymns for the same reason.
The last paper of the conference was…well…hmm. It was ostensibly on the influence upon Wesley by Jacob Arminius and Richard Hooker. Dr. Bassett, who presented, is one of the elder statesmen of Wesleyan circles, having just retired from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. Dr. Bassett also fell while he was in London, and so had several bandages on his face. I don’t know, maybe its just a theologian thing…
Anyways, after 50 minutes we were still on Arminus. We gave him ten more minutes to talk about Hooker, but we never did get to Wesley. Which was probably good, because the Q&A time was quite fierce, what with have the room being Calvinists, a third being Nazarenes (followers of Wesley) and a few being like me…none of the above. At this point all I wanted to do was go home. To be honest, that was my perception of Dr. Bassett…he just wanted out.
I was supposed to catch a cab with someone of the other folk to the train station, but someone ordered it for too late to make my train, so I had to hoove it – laptop, backpack, dress shoes and clothes (including tie) and all. Off I went. I had 40 minutes to make the approximately 2.5 miles. Made good time too. Probably did it in around 30-35 minutes. And who was standing in the train station when I arrived…yep…the folks I could have ridden with. Seems their taxi arrived early. As I mopped off the sweat, I said as cheery a goodbye as I could must, what with my teeth grinding, and boarded my train for home.
Solid train ride to London. No problems. Then bought an all-day ticket on the Underground, since I had six hours to kill. First stop was Euston station to get my ticket for the train that night and to stow my backpack. This done, I was back on the Tube and headed to downtown.
All seemed well (that is, if you don’t include the entirely way to intimate public-displays-of-affection, that one is treated to on the Tube. I mean, come on people, just keep it a little under control. I was shouting (to myself of course), the famous line from What’s Up Doc, when Madeline Khan’s character Eunice yells at Barbara Streisand, “Don’t you know the meaning of the word propriety?” Unlike Streisand’s character, I don’t think I would have received an answer right our of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Off the tube at Oxford Circus so I could get the kids something. Problem. No ticket. Somehow, somewhere, I lost my tube ticket. Yikes!!! So, I had to go to the information booth, get another ticket (pay that is) and get the forms to request a refund on my other ticket. Feeling very silly, I exited and found my way to Hamley’s, the hideous six story toy store that I visited in January.
It was just as bad this time around. After a very quick stay (made longer only so I could use their restrooms), it was back into the rain and bustle of people in downtown London. Did this for a while until I decided I really wanted a tour. And what should appear? A tour bus. Paid my fare and saw the sights. Along the way took a boat cruise (included in my ticket price) with a tour guide that was unforgettable. You know the kind of sense of humour that really isn’t, but some so natural to certain people that it is? Well, this guy had it, along with the most perfect cockney accent that I figured he had to be from Hollywood and was here trying to break into show business. Despite my best effort, I was almost rolling on the ground as such wonderful lines as…
“Yea, the saddest pridner at the Tower was Lady Jane Seymour. She wa nly 16 when she got married, did n really want to. Must have know somdin was up. Of course she shoud, she cud speak 7 languages. Imagine dat, 7 language and they still plopped her head rid off. I always wanted to know what ouch! Sounds like in six other languages.”
Well…it was funny when he said it. I even laughed at his story about when the moved the Scotland Yard headquarters back a few years to its new location, they went back to the old building and discovered that some chap had nicked all the toilet seats. “The one case dell neber solb I tell you, they got nuthin to go on.” At that I got off the boat and gave him both applause and a tip.
Back on the tour bus for the rest of the evening. Saw lots of famous buildings. Lots of people. Lots of everything.
Then back through the tube system to Euston, where I had to go to the restroom again (I cant believe that I paid 20 pence to just to use the facilities!!!) and then get my stuff out of hock. There must be a work slow down all across the country because everyone, especially the guy at the Left-Luggage stand was taking their own sweat time about everything. As it was I barely made my train, the 20:05 on the brand new super fast Pendolino Trains of the Virgin Train Co. Great trains. Unfortunately I discovered that they have a slight problem with the lock button in their onboard toilets. Yep! And sad to say, I was inside. There I was, and all of sudden the door starts to open up. The doors are wrap around, so it takes a moment for them to open up enough to reveal anything. The more guy on the outside looks at me. I look at him. And we both say, “Um, Sorry Mate.” If you have ever seen Silly Songs with Larry from Veggie Tales, the “Hairbrush Song” you will know the words, “Shocked and slightly embarrassed at the sight of each other.” In my head thereafter that song was going through my mind. As you might well guess, I didn’t use the facilities again the whole trip, though the problem was clearly not mine alone, as the whole train found out when someone else had the door open on them in the middle of their…business… and was so shocked she hit the emergency button, which sends alarms off throughout the train. The conductor was not a happy man. Then again, I bet the woman was not exactly thrilled herself.
The train arrived, I caught the bus to Didsbury and a short walk to my room. All was well. I was back… well not home, but as close I will get until the 16th. Though I realized as I got ready for bed that I had picked up a traveler along the way. Just as I am about to turn out the light, I look down and there is a slug! Yikes! For those of you who don’t know. I am terrified of all things creepy and slimey. But, being a good humanitarian (slugitarian?) I just picked him up with fifty Kleenex and tossed with back into the wild. After that…a good night sleep.
Thursday
Today has been quiet, just laundry (I was left with only one set of clothes, nothing matched, and even the Brits were looking at me funny), grocery shopping, and lots of fun times going through the ATLA database, looking for new things to read on, by, or about Pannenberg. And now I close this log with a hearty cheerio and the advise to look down before you go to bed tonight, that slug must have gone somewhere.
Christopher
