The Bishop of London has now instructed that, as well as public worship being suspended, all churches in the Diocese of London must now be closed. Chelsea Old Church will therefore, sadly, be closed until further notice.

Canon David Reindorp’s Mattins and Holy Communion to be Streamed at 11am from Chelsea Old Church Sunday 31 May here and Sermon here

Canon David Reindorp’s Mattins and Holy Communion Streamed from Chelsea Old Church Sunday 24 May here and Sermon here

Canon David Reindorp’s Mattins and Holy Communion Streamed from Chelsea Old Church Sunday 17 May here and Sermon  here

Canon David Reindorp’s Mattins and Holy Communion Streamed from Chelsea Old Church Sunday 10 May here and Sermon here

Canon David Reindorp’s Easter 3 Fourth Sunday after Easter Sermon 3 May 2020 here and Video Message here

Canon David Reindorp’s Sunday 26 April Sermon 2020 here and Video Message here

Canon David Reindorp’s Easter 1 Second Sunday after Easter Video Sermon 2020 here

Sermon from our Reader John Watherston for Sunday, 19th April 2020  Second after Easter (Low Sunday) here

website sunday references as per Lectionary, videos by calender 

Canon David Reindorp’s Easter Sermon 2020 text here and Easter Video Message 2020 here

Good Friday Addresses here

Palm Sunday sermon video here

Also videos of Chelsea Old Church services and messages collected together on youtube channel

The office can still  be contacted on  office@chelseaoldchurch.org.uk or 020 7795 1019

 The Vicar can be contacted on office@chelseaoldchurch.org.uk or 020 7352 5627

Thoughts from the Reverend Canon David Reindorp, Vicar of Chelsea Old Church on 29 March 2020

Dear All

The Archbishops have made a tough call and have asked that no services be streamed from churches.

So this comes from my home.

 The readings today could not be more apposite.

God is talking to Ezekiel:  ”Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say our bones are dried up and our hope is lost. We are cut off completely.”

 This last is true, but our bones are not dried up and our hope is not lost.

The Gospel reading is about the raising of Lazarus. That reminds us that our Easter journey is about victory over the grave.

The raising of Lazarus clearly astonished the onlookers and terrified the Pharisees who must have reported it to the Roman authorities.

Because we know the whole story, the raising of Lazarus doesn’t surprise us.

 Our whole Christian hope is bond up with the Resurrection and that we are the Body of Christ here on earth is a result of that Resurrection.

Our churches are closed. That is a sadness and a deprivation. But the Church is more than buildings, however beloved ours is.

We can still pray and worship in our own homes and in our hearts.

This is a time to love our neighbours as we are commanded. Through the miracles of modern communication, we can keep in touch with all.

This week I rang my old nanny. In my mind she is ageless though she will be 80 this year.

She said she had never nannied such a gifted and beautiful child (if you believe that you will believe anything!)

 These are serious times. We face an external and unknown enemy which literally seeps into our lives and the anxiety creeps into all our hearts.

It is a time for trust in God and each other. We are the Resurrection people.

God bless you all and stay safe.

 P.S.  I was amused to overhear my youngest son, who is with me, talking to his sister who is expecting a baby in the next fortnight. She is in isolation. She was saying how difficult it was to keep a two-year old amused

My son said: “You think you have it tough?  I’ve got Dad!”

You can also view a video of  Mattins and another of Communion recorded at Chelsea Old Church on 22nd. March.

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There are a range of Christian resources available and the link below lists digital streaming, tv and radio programmes, blogs and other resources.

https://www.london.anglican.org/articles/accessing-christian-services-and-resources-digitally-for-those-who-cant-get-to-church/

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/church-online

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William Drake Limited have completed installation of the new organ.

https://www.facebook.com/William-Drake-Limited-Specialist-Organ-Builders-1027936423957252/

for information on the organ

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Recently donated to the Church, a book of 25 sermons, starting in 1954, preached in Chelsea Old Church in honour of Thomas More, on the anniversary of his birth. Preachers ranged from the Archbishop of Canterbury, through Professors of Theology and Ecclesiastical History to Bishops and Deans. 

Church Garden

The Church gardens and gardeners won these competitions in 2018

1st Chelsea Gardens Guild Churches Summer Competition

1st Kensington Gardeners Club Churches

1st Brighter Kensington and Chelsea Scheme

Bronze medal in class 10, the London Garden Society

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Received recently from the Prior Studios photos of a couple of drawings by William Orpen, one of them below.

Major Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen, KBE, RA, RHA (27 November 1878 – 29 September 1931) was an Irish artist who worked mainly in London. Orpen was a fine draughtsman and a popular, commercially successful, painter of portraits for the well-to-do in Edwardian society.

During the First World War, he was the most prolific of the official artists sent by Britain to the Western Front. (Source: Wikipedia)

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Rediscovered Stained Glass Window

Received an article dated 1922, shown below, when a medieval stained glass window was discovered when cement and building rubble was removed that covered a window between the Vestry and Lawrence Chapel. Francis Eeles, renowned stained glass expert, identified the window as made between 1320-1340, the oldest window in London apart from Westminster Abbey. The window was sent to the V&A Museum with a plan to eventually restore it to Chelsea Old Church.

If the window returned before WWII when the Church was bombed it may have been destroyed, however enquiries were made to V&A to see whether they have records of the window's fate, yes, they returned it in 1922.

So probably destroyed in 1941.

But research at British and Kensington Library and stained glass experts revealed that the Chelsea Society had paid for transferring the window to the crypt at St Lukes' in 1939 for safekeeping. An original search at Chelsea Old Church had not found the window but a more 'in depth' study had found the window sandwiched inside a broken 19th C window in the Tower clock room. The window was now in 4 main parts, pictured below, plus many smaller pieces of glass.

The top two were Maurice Drake restorations, the third the 1320 medieval window which is still curved having been folded within another longer window. The fourth the remains of the wording added in 1922.
The inscription at the bottom says:
To the glory of God and in memory of the unknown saints who for centuries have worshipped Him in this place. This window was uncovered on St Bartholomew day 1922 was recreated 1923.
The 14th century glass of this window was originally in the western light of the eastern most window in the north wall of the Lawrence Chapel opposite blocked by the Lawrence Chapel and Colvile monuments After CCC years the glass was found behind layers of plaster in August 1922.
All of the window is now at Canterbury Cathedral stained glass studio for conservation advice and awaits the raising of funds to complete the project by displaying it in it's original window in the Lawrence Chapel.

In the Churchyard - June

                                  

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Daily Hope

The Church of England has launched a free dial-in worship service to bring prayer to people’s homes while churches are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Daily Hope, which is available from today (26 April), offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England at the end of a telephone line. The national line is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said the service has been primarily set up to support Britons, especially the elderly, who are unable to join online church services.

Spring & Summer Anchor Magazine out now, click here to view

The organ plays a crucial part in the life of the church, used every Sunday and frequently during the week for funerals, memorials, baptisms and weddings. 

The organ removed in January 2019 was built in 1957, replaced the instrument lost when the church was bombed. Like the church itself, the organs of Chelsea Old Church have a long and interesting history. Most notable amongst these was an organ by the famous builder of the day, Renatus Harris, which is believed to have stood in the church from 1712-1723. The early removal of this instrument (for unknown reasons) prevented its eventual destruction had it remained up until 1941, and parts of it are believed still to be in existence in a church in Devon.

Invitations to tender were sent to a shortlist of organ builders and the result was the Devon-based organ builders William Drake built the organ.

We are delighted that William Drake Limited have completed installation of the new organ, compressed into a 1min 23 sec stop frame video here

It was heard for the first time at Mattins on Sunday 22nd. September 2019.

To see the Dedication and Celebration of The New Pipe Organ programme click here, which took place on 21st November.

The new organ is a fine new instrument that will not only serve the needs of the parish, but also play a part in the wider musical life of Chelsea.

https://sites.google.com/site/chelseaoldchurch2/organ

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The Clock at Chelsea Old Church

The Edmund Howard clock, 1761, formerly at Chelsea Old Church, but where is it now? The present clock, made by Dents, who built Big Ben, was installed in 1950's.

It was assumed the 1761 clock was destroyed during the 1941 raid, but a horologist has found a film of the clock alive and well at Dent's workshops and can be seen from 1 minute 59 seconds to 2 minutes 10 seconds in the Pathe film here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpoVTvvAT6U
which was filmed at Dents in 1959.
So the search is on for the Howard clock.

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Dacre Monument
Conservation and restoration work started on 28th January by conservators Granville and Burbidge and was completed 7th March 2014. The work was funded by the Dacre family in memory of the 27th Baroness Dacre.

Remains of Dacre Monument beside More Chapel after Blitz, 1941

Obelisk before during and after

mouldings before and after

Skull, wings and hourglass before and after 

The dog at the feet of Lady Dacre removed to measure up for a new right front leg and reattach the left leg.

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