The organist librarian

To St Augustine's Kilburn for Christian Muslim forum on spirituality and learning. Good lunch and discussion on grace at Islamic Centre of England. The speakers seem to have different views on what the subject really is. This afternoon to the Royal Academy, Zhang Jian-Jun draws human shapes! Hurrah! The Garden has examples from 250 years of the RA schools including wonderful Landseers. I sketched self-portraits by Helene Schjerfbeck sad, frightened? and was very struck to see a lady in the street with the same expression! Fr John celebrated Mass and quite rightly had a go at the noisy French servers before Mass. The choir from St John's Wood sang really well. Jamie Barton was great and a most enjoyable international Last Night. Murray John who has been to 500 proms did the chaplet really well. 

Another excellent day with Dr Chris Hewer in Kingston on Muslim education and citizenship. Heythrop college for Professor Robert Fraser's talk on John Donne and bought Robert's poems which are fascinating! Bruce returned to Jersey. Robert got me to read the meditation For whom the bell tolls.

To Kingston Milaap centre for excellent day on Islamic ethics with Chris. Met a humanist and Josephine from Weybridge. To Heythrop for Professor Barnes's inaugural lecture on Grey wisdom. Good to see people there. Ended up at Sydenham so late back. Watched Citizen Khan.

Overslept so only 24 lengths. Did more weeding and tagging is going well. To Friends meeting house at Streatham Hill for South London interfaith group lunch and talk on "Meeting God in friend and stranger" by Fr David Standley and Jo Harvey. There was a delightful pastor from Church of South India and his family present. Man asleep outside library who was homeless. To launch of Wandsworth Heritage festival and green plaque on earliest cinema in London. We saw inside the cinema which is now used by Youngs to train chefs and real ale staff! Reception in Wandsworth Town library and talk by Cinema appreciation society man. Met Dr Chris Hewer and David Llawelli on station!

To dentist and one filling and tidied up the front tooth fixing. Took kitchen door from Bow to kitchen shop so it could be measured. Made up Byrd Mass copies while watching "An Island parish" and Songs of Praise with Desmond Tutu (Chris Town was interviewed). To Islam course and Bishop John Arnold came at the end. The interfaith group will be discussing Chris's presentation on the letter from 130 Muslims to the churches. 13 at the Lent group and we looked at the story of Abraham. To Henry Wood Hall where I had leek and potato soup. Pletnev took the orchestral rehearsal - relatively painless and soloists are good. Bus home reading Michael Mail's "Exposure". Stephen (pianist) told me Joan Price had died. Spoke to Ann this morning - they had fun on the train to Heidelberg as they had the wrong ticket and what appeared to be a fake 50 euro note but it wasn't!

4 of the Understanding Islam course went to the London Interfaith centre at Brondesbury near Queen's Park station on Friday afternoon to hear Chris Hewer talk about the statement from 100 Muslim clerics addressed to the churches. Rowan Williams' statement about sharia law had stirred everyone up! Chris gave us extensive notes and was most interesting. The statement seems to expect Christians to acknowledge the Quranic position about Jesus and has no concept of the Christian idea of a God who forgives all. The Islamic position of a God who forgives those who do His will is quite different to our own. Perhaps the cautious Vatican response stressing commmon humanity is the best at this stage. Chris unpacked the political background to the statement. The centre is modern and attractive with a lovely chapel on the ground floor. I got tubes and trian in time to meet Liz who bought pizza and we ate that at Grandma's. I then went straight to choir practice! On return home watched t...

It's been an interesting week! Liz is delighted that the back fences have at last been replaced. On Wednesday the Understanding Islam course started in the Hinsley Room ably led by Dr Chris Hewer. 27 people came so I was very pleased and the session was excellent. I went to the National Gallery and enjoyed the exhibition of German stained glass. Part of the gallery was closed because of a strike! In the evening the Chorus party was distinguished by superb food prepared by Jackie and an enjoyable quiz. On Thursday I visited the new Wellcome Trust exhibition in Euston Road. The collection is very well presented and there is a virtual library. The exhibition on "Dreams and sleep" was fascinating. The chorus started rehearsing Dvorak's wonderful Requiem for the Istanbul trip ably directed by Mark Griffiths. Friday Liz was out with Fr Swavek and the catechists for dinner while I took choir practice. I was home in time to see the remarkable C of E vicar Peter Owen Jones on ...

To my fourth tai chi class with Jeff or more correctly tai ji. He is an excellent instructor. Without him I don't think I would do the exercises. I am the only man in the class of elderly ladies and it is held in the heated lounge at the local old age home. It is a warm day so we do not overdo it! The park as lovely as ever and the wisteria is now in bloom. Home to find Liz at class for catechists. She goes away to Ireland for a week tomorrow and I know I will miss her! I read some of Alan Bennett's masterly "Untold stories" and wish I could write like he does. Dr Chris Hewer is offering a free course on "Understanding Islam" next January to March in the Hinsley Room so the interfaith networking group (once it gets off the g round)at the cathedral will enjoy that. He is based at St Ethelburga's centre in the City which I must visit.Padrerob has an excellent item about doubting Thomas on his blog. Find it here