The organist librarian

Spoke to Ann. To Tooting common for Age concern South Wandsworth meeting and I ended up chairing a meeting I had not attended before! Nice home. To Hinsley room for Eileen Dutt on "Blessed are the persecuted" and silent meditation. Home for 2 and painting lounge. Jasmine white on green has meant 3 coats. Listened to excellent evensong from St David's and Handel's "Il resurrezione". Watched programme on tenors and Young apprentice.

Wednesday to swim (20) and then to police station to take photos of damaged door of the Escort. Waited 20 minute - only one PC on at first. Filled in a traffic form and computer crashed as it had yesterday when Liz went down. PC not interested in photos! To Hinsley Room for spirituality day led by Eileen Dutt on Rest. It was excellent with a wealth of material. Particularly liked Julian of Norwich quote. Meditated on Matthew 11: 27- 30 in a modern version "Come to me. Get away with me and you will recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn from me. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Eugene H Peterson "The Message" I came up with hymns in response to the hymn "his eye is on the sparrow" - Jesu lover of my soul, Come unto me from Messiah, O come to the waters...

And so Lent is upon us and we change from the lightness of "As candles are lighted" to the sombre Welsh tones of "Jesu, lover of my soul"! To the Hinsley Room for Understanding Islam and Chris on great form. 21 there so the earlier time perhaps was repsonsible. Eileen Dutt led the spirituality day on the Call of God and gave us some useful prayers. There were some new faces there. I went to Vespers and 5.30 Mass with Bishop Longley for the ashing. The choir excelled in Allegri Miserere. As I was leaving I met the Balham rep on the Unity commission. Oddly 4 people have all asked if I am going to the Thursday meeting which I had to miss because of the Dvorak rehearsal! I go the train to Coulsdon South and was at St Andrew's in good time for the practice and 8pm eucharist. There were only 5 in the congregation because therehad been a morning service attended by 29. During the ashing we sang Psalm 50 unaccompanied. Alas some of the choir did not return to the minor ...