Stations for Good Friday

Following our Lent tradition, we are planning to create a series of stations that will be the basis for our Good Friday devotion - made by members of the community. Our theme during Lent and Holy Week is 'Christ in the Margins', so stations will represent in some fashion the ways in which Christ identifies with and is present in the poor and the destitute, the homeless, the abused, people discriminated against - those excluded or marginalised on the basis of race, gender, sexuality, disability, disfigurement, religion etc. If you're interested in creating a station - in any form or medium - please contact Dave, and if you'd like to bounce around your ideas and maybe get a bit of inspiration or help, please contact Meg Wroe. You don't need to be an artist, and you don't necessarily need to make a station on your own - group work is encouraged.

The Gospel Of James

It's been said that ‘The Church is the Fifth Gospel’ and in our services we sometimes include an extra Gospel reading - from the Gospel of this Church.  On Sunday Feb 4th we heard The Gospel According To James, who's been sleeping in St Luke's on Saturdays this Winter, thanks to the Islington Churches Night Shelter Project. ‘It can be deadly living rough. You’re not safe anywhere. Anyone can come and kick you or stab you. People can be on drink or drugs, they can be out of control. No-one is safe. That's my opinion.

The Churches Nightshelter is very helpful, in fact churches are generally good if you’re homeless. If I wasn't in the Shelter tonight I’d probably be sleeping out in some church grounds or somewhere where it’s a bit warm, an underground car park or a squat in a house if I could get into one.

It’s hard sleeping out, the winter cold is the worst of it. Even in my sleeping bag I might sleep four hours at the most. Worst of all is getting your head down in a nice sleep, then being woken up by the police and told to move on.

I look back on me life sometimes and think it went wrong somewhere. If I could turn the clock back, I wouldn’t be in the situation I am. I'm from the North East originally, born in Bishop Auckland. I didn't know me mam really, she died young. She was 34. I was 7, me brother 10. Me dad raised us, he was a miner and a gravedigger but he gave up work to look after us.

At school I was good at athletics, beating boys who were older than me. I was a medium-distance runner, 10,000 metres, 15,000 metres but I couldn’t get into PE college because I didn’t pass me history. I wrote a letter off to Dennis Smith Stables in Bishop Auckland to try and become a jockey and I was apprenticed for two years. I’d be getting up at five, mucking the stables out, getting ready for riding out, going to race meetings. It was hard work for £19 a week. I gave me Dad £9 or £10 and spent a lot of what was left on alcohol. You could get four pints for a pound in those days.

I didn’t make the grade as a jockey and I came to London looking for work. Me first job was in a Gentlemans Club, Boodles, on St James’ Street, near the Ritz, it’s still there today. The chef said, ‘You’re a pretty good worker there James.’ ‘I said, ‘I try me hardest chef.’ He offered me a job and I was there about five years: kitchen porter, helping the chefs prepare the food, doing the wash-up, mopping the floor, stock-taking. It was hard work, nine in the morning till nine at night, so no socialising till the weekend but I loved it. I was taking home £200 a week, living in a hostel in Dean Street.

The eighties was brilliant, I'd turn back the clock to them anytime. Later I was a security guard in Fitzroy Square, then at Liverpool Street Station. But, as I say, the alcohol got to us. Vodka, Southern Comfort, vodka, lager as well, strong lager. I don't know how much I drank, too much. It was getting out of control. After work I would head to an off-license for some cans and go back to the hostel. I started missing shifts at the security place, they started getting cross. I lost the job.

In 1992 I was diagnosed with epilepsy and I’ve not been able to work since. I had a flat in Waterloo, but it was on the ninth floor so when the lifts weren’t working it was a bit hectic. I couldn’t manage the climb and I left.

I lived with a girlfriend for some years but when we split up she kicked me out. I’ve been sofa-surfing ever since.

Then something happened.

It was about eight year ago.

I was feeling really hopeless one night, really down, I felt like I was going to kill meself, felt really washed up, thought it was time to go… but something happened which has changed me life.

I was actually drunk, out of me head. It was somewhere in Camden, a car park - to this day I’m not sure where - and I just went on me hands and knees and asked God for help.

I said, 'Please help me, I need help desperately, get me out of this mess I'm in. Please.’

There was no booming voices, no opening of the heavens, no choirs of angels but something happened to me. I had a feeling, something inside me was trying to get out and tell me something.

It was like me soul was trying to get out and say, 'You're a naughty boy James - help yourself ‘cus people will not help you, you’ve got to help yourself.'

I believe that was God.

That experience made me really believe I was going to change me life around and it has changed me life.

I’ve not done drugs or had a drink since, I’m teetotal now.

The paranoia, the drugs and beer that was poison to my body have all gone.

I used to have rages, shouting, punching the wall, whatever, I stopped all that.

I’ll never forget that night. I went home, got the Bible out and read Psalm 13.

'How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long…. But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.’

I prayed for help in that car park that night and I got help. It has given me strength and a sense of purpose.

I’ve made some good friends on the Churches Nightshelter. We’re all in the same boat, everyone has a problem but everyone has a different problem. I’m 51 now so I’ve a lot more experience of being homeless than others living rough and I say to people, ‘You have to help yourself, no one else can.’

I do wonder why I’m still living rough, living in hostels, on the streets. It’s because of relationship breakdown isn't it? And finance and drink. There's a few things…

I’m still asking for help, I’m still homeless. Sometimes it’s tiring, exhausting, and sometimes I get cross with God, I say: 'It hasn't gone my way today, why don't you help me?’

But I believe I will get my own place and start again. That slowly my life is getting back on track, and things are changing for the better. I read my Bible and say my prayers and I feel as though God is helping me, that it’s like he’s speaking to me and he’s got a twinkle in his little eye…’

More like this in The Gospel According to Everyone.

All Souls Memorial Service

Historically, All Souls is the season in the church calendar when Christians give thanks for their departed loved ones. Once again, we will be holding an All Souls memorial service this Sunday 30th October at 4pm. It gives the opportunity to read out the names of the deceased and to light candles in their memory. If you plan to attend and would like any names read out, please contact Pat with names by emailing patriciatomlinson@mac.com before Sunday.

Saint Luke's Speakeasy 8pm Fri 14 Oct

Come to the fourth ever Saint Luke's Speakeasy... A social evening for friends, family & neighbours, with a cabaret & live band, singalong, Speak-easy listening music & drinks available.

8pm - 11.30 pm Friday 14th October 2011

Bring a joke to tell (optional) Age 16+ (not optional)

£3 donation on the door (£2 concessions)

The Gospel According To Everyone

How come in Church we only ever hear the gospels of four men in Palestine 2,000 years ago? What if we heard a reading from a Fifth Gospel, from the stories of the people sitting next to us? The woman who gave up her child for adoption. The gardener who notices God in the roses. The gay man shunned by his children. The atheist who found he'd become a believer. What if we heard from The Gospel According To Everyone? Every few weeks at St Luke's one of the readings in our morning service is from the Gospel of our own community and  twelve of these stories have now been published in a small collection, The Gospel According To Everyone.  With layout and design by Rob Pepper, accompanying each story in the book (and e-book)  is a portrait by the artist Meg Wroe. If you're at St Luke's in the next few weeks you can buy a copy after a service (£5) but if you're not you can buy The Gospel According To Everyone online at Lulu.com or in the iBook Store.

Short stories of faith and doubt, of love and longing, if you've ever been part of  St Luke's, West Holloway in north London you might recognise these people ... and if you haven't you may recognise them anyway.

This Sunday - The Big Lunch

In June, our church lunch is changed and will be held early on 5th so that we can join in with the national BIG LUNCH. The Big Lunch is a very simple idea from the Eden Project. The aim is to get as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours in a simple act of community, friendship and fun. So please come, bring some food to share as usual, and invite your friends or neighbours as well. If the weather is good, we'll eat in the garden. Do check out the Big Lunch website to see what it's all about at www.thebiglunch.com.

Of Gods and Men

"Stunningly serious and passionate" - The Guardian. Don't miss a St Luke's showing of this BAFTA nominated, wonderful film on Sunday at 7.30pm.  Inspired by true events, this film tells the moving story of a group of Cistercian monks living in the remote mountains of North Africa who face a devastating decision when faced with radical and violent terrorists. The result is an award-winning masterpiece.