A suprise trip to Reepham in my lunch hour did not leave me put out at all when I found myself welcomed into a prayer within the Porch of St. Mary's. This was not the only suprise as whilst I knew Reepham had a Church or two at least (one Anglican and the Methodist which is a delight to preach in further through the town), the Anglican Parish grounds actually hosts the walls of three Churches! This church clearly has captured my heart as I have sat typing and exploring books and online for the last few hours and not greatly delved into the stained glass, how the churches our now joined through expansion, the unusal placement of the church tower that is also the Vesty and has the most amazing door (photo of really old door a long way below) - I may have to go back and do a Church 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 part 2! As ever the local churches are a wealth of information regarding there history and the lovely pamphlet and 'Reepham and the Shared Churchyard' by N. W. Groves and illustrated ...
Sunday came and whilst I thought about doing more exploring, there was only one church I was going to. My own for Worship. Todays service was also Holy Communion, a celebration of a succesful Strawberry Tea and Week Three in the book of Philippians for the Circuit bible month. My amazing Chapel is different from the others so far featured in that it is of the Methodist Tradition - I feel I should say other denominations are avialable. One of course could suggest that Methodism really is a funny cousin of Anglicanism given that its principal leader remained a life-long Anglican but thats a conversation for tea and biscuits some other time. This Rural Chapel (very rural Chapel) does not remind people to turn their phones to silent on Sunday as there is no signal. It shares the space with Gresham All Saint's and therefor the excitement of finding out that Gresham had a castle, windmill and watermill applies very much to this post as well. The afternoon service is we...