Sabbatical Day 16 - Tuesday

Monday was mainly a rest day, but late afternoon there was a shopping trip, traveling for the first time by auto.

I am seeing the great work of the church in education and health especially, running many many schools and hospitals. Soup, Soap and Salvation ministry continues today.

On Sunday late afternoon, there was a visit to The Foster Memorial Hostel, a hostel or around 72 children in especial need eg orphans. The 5 staff provide daily assembles, oversee education at local schools and colleges, provide accommodation etc.

Here first hand, we see the impact of a gospel that has transformed a society and which is valued for this. In the west we have forgotten the impact of the gospel and give the credit to technology and science, forgetting that these arose from the impact of the gospel.

The assemblies at the hostel follow the lectionaries for the Diocese. Everyone follows it. The Bishop had spoken when we met of the need for strong leadership in India, a nation that is easily fragmented. This is perhaps an example.

Today I visited the CSI "Puthuir" Special School & Vocational Centre for Mentally Handicapped Children (designed for those between 2 and 18), a school for those with mental challenge. Puthuir means 'New Life').

After conversation with the Correspondent and Headmaster, I saw some of their exercise class and was treated to some dance. They sang a couple of Christian choruses with actions and I led in 'Jesus' love is very wonderful', with the actions. I found they knew it when they told me to jump at the relevant action!

After lunch I visited the children in their class rooms.

I note the strong lead by the Bishop in chairing committees and making appointments. And generally administration is pretty key. I note the importance of knowing where to go to raise funds etc. In the school , some comes from overseas charity, pupils can be 'sponsored', and there is funding from CSI. Donations by individual churches is important and generally there are close links between the arms of ministry and individual churches. Achieving anything needs lots of networking.

In conversation I hear about the Bible Women, encouraged by the Bishop' wife. They go door to door in evangelism amongst non-Christians, t god effect I understand.

The Board shows something of the structure:

There is much to learn from. I have visited a rural village church where most if not everyone probably has a self-sufficient lifestyle (rice grown locally, the chicken was killed especially for our lunch, etc.). In contrast we are staying in Chennai with the hustle and bustle of a modern city.

We are seeing the church being salt and light, not least as it gives hope to those outside the caste system. In Europe, society has forgotten what the gospel has done for society. Here it is recent history and continues to be a powerful force.

Everyday we are reminded of the great legacy left by the missionaries of the 19th and 20th centuries. We are reminded of their sacrifices and hear of the sacrifice that becoming a Christian can mean today (e.g.being cut off from family, finding it hard to get work).

God is at work in his world

A neighbour, the Indian Palm Squirrel. Note the stripes.

Sabbatical Day 15 - Thanksgiving for Sunday (yesterday)

Thank you for the Indian church; thank you Lord for the Christians we met yesterday, in the nearby State of Andhra Pradesh

The wonderful welcome...

Their exuberance in faith, including through the dance after the service.

The roughly 100 who gathered for worship (women and younger children on one side, men and some at least of the older boys, on the other, reflecting the general practice in all aspects of life. Roughly 50% of the village are Christian. There seemed to be roughly the same number as men as of women. Presumably whole families attend.

The liveliness, the vibrancy, of their singing (cities have Hymns, and villages tend to have Lyrics (songs)).

(From what had been described I had expected something like Morning Prayer. In fact, it was lively singing for around half an hour, then the scriptures were read (one in Telagu, one in Tamil, one in English), and then I spoke, with translation, for just over 30 minutes.) We concluded with prayers including, I think (!) the Lord's Prayer.

Their evangelism. The Diocese pay around 120 evangelists who spend their time with non-Christians. The two we met yesterday visit the Hindus of the village and those of surrounding villages.

Their ministry and the dedication of the ministers. Jayaseleen ministers in 4 churches. Previously he had oversight of 42 village churches. A minister seeks to ensure each church has communion once a month (weekdays of Sunday not possible). Catechists take services other weeks. They have a key and vital unpaid ministry. Their role sounds not unlike that of Readers.

Praise God for the missionaries who established this church in the 19th century (the baptistery was made from the 'altar' in the original church) and all who minister.

Their devotion to the scriptures (I note that there is only one obvious commentary. Books are very expensive, around £50 as far as I can tell. Why are they so much; can we not provide cheaper in these days of Amazon etc?)

The desire for prayer...
(for some, hospital is too expensive)

For their hospitality

The service of God's people by their elders

Their sacrifices of service. We had a "conventional" offering but earlier there had been one of rice (shown), grown locally.

For the contentedness of their lifestyle. Most work in the fields. There is chicken for lunch. I presume it had been killed especially.

Pick Your Own 'tender coconuts' Indian style. The milk from each filled a glass.

I base my talk around Psalm 110:1, seeking to keep concepts very straightforward. The other passages set have complexities like baptism and sacrifice and I am unsure what I will be heard to say if I stray into complex territory. As a structure I adopt the different levels of the caste system. I take a bit of a risk, speaking of Christ who allowed people to touch him (most are of the Untouchable caste) and who makes the first last and the last first.

[Wikipedia: The Indian caste system is a system of social stratification and social restriction in India in which communities are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups called Jātis.

The Jātis were hypothetically and formally grouped by the Brahminical texts under the four well known categories (the varnas): viz Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (kings, warriors, law enforcers, administrators), Vaishyas (agriculturists, cattle-herders and traders), and Shudras (menials, Artisans, labourers, craftsmen, service providers). Certain people like the chandalas (who dealt with disposal of the dead) were excluded altogether and treated as untouchables. Although identified with Hinduism, in the past (1883 year data) the caste-like systems were also observed among followers of other religions in the Indian subcontinent, including some groups of Muslims and Christians, most likely due to common cultural elements.

In 2001, the proportion of Dalit population was 16.2 percent of India's total population. The Dalit population of India is officially recognized and protected by Indian government as Scheduled Castes. The term Dalit includes all historically discriminated lowest castes of India such as Shudras and Untouchables.]

I speak of Christ who is more bigger, wiser, etc than anyone, supreme over all, yet who shows to us a new greatness, the greatness that is greatest of all and that conquers even death: that of servanthood, and the final greatness, that of being last of all in this word, for Christ makes the last first.

Ramila was an excellent translator. Plus I thought I'd better prove I did something!...

I make reference to heroes, drawing on what I have learnt of the Ramayana.

Wikipedia: "The Ramayana... is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon (smṛti), considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata. It depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal father, ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king.

"The name Ramayana is a tatpurusha compound of Rāma and ayana ("going, advancing"), translating to "Rama's Journey". The Ramayana consists of 24,000 verses in seven books (kāṇḍas) and 500 cantos (sargas), and tells the story of Rama (an avatar of the Hindu preserver-God Vishnu), whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. Thematically, the Ramayana explores human values and the concept of dharma.

"Verses in the Ramayana are written in a 32-syllable meter called anustubh. The Ramayana was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Indian life and culture. Like the Mahābhārata, the Ramayana is not just a story: it presents the teachings of ancient Hindu sages(Vedas) in narrative allegory, interspersing philosophical and devotional elements. The characters Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanuman and Ravana are all fundamental to the cultural consciousness of India and Nepal."

The Tamil version is known as the Ramavatharam. Wikipedia again:

"Ramavatharam is different from the Sanksrit original in many aspects - both in spiritual concepts and in the specifics of the story line. This historic work is considered by Tamil scholars as well as the general public as one of the greatest literary works in Tamil literature...
The epic is quite well known, both in the Tamil literary world and in the Hindu spiritual world, for the colorfulness of its poetry and for its religious value."

Incidentally, the Indian Superstars of the day are also well know. One of the dances after the service is based on I guess a video.

Lord Jesus, help me to learn. There is much to reflect on, not least that the pattern of ministry (ie not having sacramental leadership in each congregation is) not one that commends itself to me for the English church. Yet here I see it working effectively and missionally.

And may I remember to pray for them, as they asked, and as I agreed.

Amen

On a lighter note, enjoying seeing Indian Palm Squirrels.

Ian Black: Pigeons and Turtledoves, Bishops and Benefits

In the debate on poverty, thank you to Ian for this:

Ian Black: Pigeons and Turtledoves, Bishops and Benefits: Poverty has been in the news this week, not least because on Monday our bishop introduced an amendment in the House of Lords t...

Sabbatical Day 14

Some images from Saturday. Comments refer to the photo(s) beneath.

St George's Cathedral, Chennai, where the memorials are a history of Christian mission in India since around 1850.

It is said here that the missionaries brought soup, soap and salvation.
Soup - food to live on
Cleanliness
Salvation.

That combination is very much echoed by the church's involvement in schooling and hospitals.

The gospel is explained to a Brahmin (one from the highest caste)

Memorial to Lesslie Newbigin

Below: Saris are offered to Mary at this shrine in thanksgiving for prayers answered (near Velankanni church). The statue of Mary is dressed in a sari in thanksgiving. Other offerings can also be made eg a small 'lock' is attached to the metal surround as a prayer for a house - these can be seen in the photo below. I am told that this is not very different from a nearby Hindu Temple.

Mary takes centre stage, while images of Christ seem to be less than central. It is said Mary appeared to fishermen out at sea. The shrine was built in response.

There is need for the gospel to relate to culture and I guess that this is what is being sought. Making use of the sacramental is helpful for prayer, eg if at Good Friday we write down prayers and place them on a cross. However, we always need to make clear in our use of the sacramental that our prayer depends on God's grace and is not dependent on our sacrifice. The context of Hinduism and the centrality of Mary (Hinduism has a focus on the worship pf mother gods, I think) makes me think that this is indigenisation gone too far. But I know I have much to learn.

Scenes leading to the seashore and of the fisherman and beach. This area was affected by the Tsunami and homes lost. There is much poverty though those with more money pay for better education for their children. But they do not seek themselves to leave the area.

Back home afterwards for supper and to finish off preparing for the sermon on Sunday.

Sabbatical Day 13

Yesterday Friday I met the Bishop of Madras, The Rt Revd Dr Devasahayam Vedanayagam, bringing greetings from the Diocese. Bishop Stephen has written a dedication in two of his books for . A shawl of greeting was placed around my shoulders. I mention that I have met Bishop Lesslie Newbiggin. He tells me that Bishop Lesslie had encouraged his own vocation to Christian ministry, and present me with a biography of Lesslie Newbigin written by a CSI pastor.

The church of South India, Wikipedia tells me, "runs 2000 schools, 130 colleges and 104 hospitals in South India. In the 1960s the church became conscious of its social responsibility and started organising rural development projects. There are 50 such projects all over India, 50 training centres for young people and 500 residential hostels for a total of 35,000 children. the CSI south kerala diocise also runs a medical college at karakonam, Trivandrum."

"The School for Small Farmers is a specific agency catering to the needs of the farming communities in their Dalit and Adivasi congregations."

"The Church of South India was inaugurated at St. George’s Cathedral Chennai in 1947
The CSI was inaugurated on 27 September 1947 at St. George’s Cathedral Chennai, only a month after India achieved its independence from the United Kingdom. It was formed from the union of the South India United Church (itself a union of churches from the Congregational, Presbyterian and Reformed traditions) and the southern provinces of the Anglican Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon and the Methodist Church of South India. In the 1990s, a small number of Baptist and Pentecostal churches also joined the union."

Encyclopedia of Christianity Online:
"Protestant missionary work (Mission) early demanded close cooperation among Indian churches. Many national Christians felt that the multiplicity of denominations tended to be a hindrance to the evangelization of Indians and worked for union in their country. This trend became stronger in 1905 with the formation of the National Missionary Society.
"The first step to negotiations for union came in 1919 at a conference for pastors in Tranquebar, when 26 pastors of the South India Church and 7 Anglican representatives affirmed their readiness for union. On the basis of a manifesto drawn up there, the Anglicans and the SIUC began negotiations. The manifesto took as its basis the four points of the Lambeth Quadrilateral, which listed the elements to be honored in any reunion plans: (1) Holy Scripture, (2) the Apostles’ and Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creeds, (3) the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist, and (4) the historic episcopate, adjusted to local situations. Five years later the Methodists joined the negotiations. Agreement about the bishop’s office and the status of nonepiscopally ordained ministers (Offices, Ecclesiastical) was reached in 1929. The bishops would conduct new ordinations, but ministers already in office would be recognized without further laying on of hands. In 1941 the mother churches agreed to the draft of a constitution. On September 27, 1947, the new church began life at a solemn service in St. George’s Cathedral, Madras."
"...The organization of the CSI includes pastorates (comprising one or more congregations) and dioceses (with more than one pastorate). In 1994 there were 21 dioceses and 9,000 congregations. To understand the CSI as a model of union, it is important to grasp that there are church councils and diocesan councils made up of both clergy and laity. The church thus combines various structural elements. Representatives from all the dioceses form the synod, the supreme ruling body. The diocesan council in each diocese has representatives of all the ministers; the president of the council and the diocesan committees is the bishop. A bishop also presides over the synod, elected by the synod as moderator for a two-year term. The CSI recognizes three offices: deacon, presbyter (Pastor, Pastorate), and bishop. Women have been ordained since 1982. Only ordained ministers may administer the sacraments."
"...The organizational unity of the CSI, whose members speak different languages and belong to different social strata and castes, is seen as a symbol of the unity of all Christians. One of the challenges to the CSI is to preserve this unity in the face of the tendency to fracture, which is undeniably present. The much-debated episcopal office has served as an instrument to maintain unity, even as serious questions have arisen regarding its functions and effects.
The gospel is being preached to non-Christians, and the CSI is growing and becoming more significant. Dialogue with other religions must continue. In spite of its minority status, the CSI has made an important contribution to the solving of social problems by its broad ministry of education and development. The movement for the uplift and liberation of the Dalits (untouchables/outcastes) deserves special mention."

The unity, the Bishop confirms, is a unity of diversity. Each church maintains something of its own tradition within the greater unity.

He is to take a confirmation service and we talk in the car. I enquire how many confirmation services he attends; 3 or 4 a week. There are 6-7000 new Christians each year, mostly I think in the rural areas. Today's service is on the outskirts of Chennai. Most if Will have been baptised as children. The age for confirmation is 18 and the preparation lasts 6 months.

Recently the Bishop took the baptism of I think he said around 500 Christians. It is exciting to hear more first hand of the worldwide growth of the church.

We drive past a Hindu funeral procession. Cremations often take place on the same day as death.

At the church there is a fabulously warm welcome. Photographs with the candidates are taken before the service.

The service follows roughly the same liturgy as in England. One hymns is O Jesus I have promised. I recognise the tune of the other but can't remember the first line or words. The Bishop preaches on the prayer of Jabez, and runs through it on the way home - the service was in Tamil. He stresses how God gives us new names,new identity in Christ (referring to Jacob), and how important this is for the 'Untouchables' who make up, he informs me, around 75% of the church.

Once a person becomes a Christian they face the loss of caste, with the loss of the dignity of caste and alienation from family, and finding employment is harder. An "Untouchable" has less to lose, and they find a new dignity.

The wonderful hospitality continues as we share in a meal after the service.
Afterwards, we stop off at a wedding. Weddings quite often take place later in the day with celebrations in the evening. The happy couple:

I have been asked if I would speak at a service on Sunday. A privilege, a joy,a responsibility - and pretty scary!

"Dear Lord, please help me. I feel out of my depth. I am told there will be 100, perhaps quite a lot more, at the service. It will be in a rural community. Folk I know hardly anything about in a land and culture I barely understand. Help me to listen and by your grace cover my ignorance. Like Paul in Athens, may I find those points of contact. It will be a great joy that most will be new Christians - soundly converted and instructed I understand but young in faith: that for which we long with a deep longing in the UK. Stories I have heard of faith outside western Europe about to be experienced firsthand. The lectionary, followed throughout CSI is not the same as the UK, but the theme is a delight: the Supremacy of Christ - John 1:29-34, Rev 5:1-14, Ps110, Isaiah 41:1-4) I am unworthy; may I know your grace. Amen."

I began reading last week the Ramayan of Valmiki. Stephen Neill observed that one of the great missionaries read it early on and this was a good place to start, as this ancient poem is well known. It crosses my mind that are themes that are relevant eg to Psalm 110. This may help me find some language to use. I dig around Wikepedia and speak with the Bishop about Hinduism.

Sabbatical Day 12

A lovely welcome at Chennai airport from Jayaseelan, his wife Ramilla (Jashua's sister) and other members of the Church of South India (CSI) that he pastors. In fact, I discover, he pastors 4 churches. Clergy stay in a given post for 5 years.

Happy hubbub from the roads (the day we arrive is Republic Day and the roads we understand are quieter). Motor bikes, cycles, autorickshaws, cars etc. compete for space on the road, weaving in and out, overtaking wherever there is a gap.

In the gardens of the YMCA a bright coloured bird flies off - the impression is as if a starling sized kingfisher. I wonder if it is from the starling family as I know the bright summer plumage of the starling betrays tropical roots. Bright green birds (if I were I England I would say parakeets, and perhaps they are) play in the trees.

On a later day I look both up online. Perhaps the former are Asian Glossy Starlings
And the latter are possibly the Rose-ringed Parakeet, though I need a closer look in both cases.

The weather is like a glorious hot summer day in England with a cool breeze. There is a test match (India v Australia) on the TV at the restaurant where we have breakfast.

A wonderful welcome - from the right:
Jerin, Jeyaseelan, Jefrin, Ramila and Martin
We talked about our itinerary for the coming days, including visiting some of the institutions run by the church; on Friday a confirmation service, with a busy day Sunday preaching at a rural church.

Sabbatical Day 11

Heathrow airport is a meeting of the nations. Ephesians 1.10 speaks of God bringing all things together in Christ. All nations made one, a reverse of Babel. (May we have a wonderful foretaste at Praise in the Park in July coinciding with the opening weekend of the Olympics.)

Just as in Christ there are no denominations but rather rich variation, so also in Christ God makes us one people with boundless and wonderful diversity. How wonderful and glorious is our creator God. As a boy I grew up expecting everyone to be somewhat like me; but God has changed that in me and continues to change it. How blessed I am by that!

The inflight film I go for is The Tree of Life. It begins with Job 38.4,7: Where we're you when I laid the foundation of the earth...?

The way of nature and the way of grace: there are two approaches to life. We have to choose, whatever comes. But what does this mean in the loss of a child? The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. An act of nature; how does grace respond?

In the film, through a death of a son the whole world is seen in a different light, through the lens of memory and loss. What are we to you Lord in the vast universe of your creation? In the film images of deep space and the grandeur of this world, replace the poetic images in Job of creation. We are taken to volcanoes, echoing perhaps Job which speaks of God as creator of the depths of the earth.

As the film flashbacks through episodes of life bringing up family, attempts to be in control of one's own destiny through discipline and hard work are rendered useless by the vastness of God's ways (as loss of work, loss of home and loss of life intervene). 'Where we're you when I made the world?' Though we may kick against life, yet it is bigger than we are.

Yet it is a film of exuberance. Through loss, life is valued afresh, enjoyed, delighted in. What remains is wonderful, a fabulous gift from God, something to be overwhelmed by, with thankfulness.

I am being opened to the vastness of God's world, not only its diversity but it's incomprehensibility. My Sabbatical supervisor suggested I allow myself to be overwhelmed by my experiences. To be baptised by them perhaps is one way of putting it. I understand that. In visiting my mother towards the end of her life, the daily experience was of being overwhelmed, but there, day by day it seemed, I found, or better, was found by, God's grace. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

I note too a theme of this Sabbatical, the revisiting of loss (of my parents) where I know there is work to be done. In our baptism in Christ is our deliverance.

Sabbatical Day 10

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

So Paul begins his praise of God in Ephesians as he expands minds and hearts to see the greatness of God over all things.

As I learn of faith on the other side of the world, I praise God with a renewed sense of Christ's lordship over all, and of the worldwide community of faith. One of the things that has flowed from praying using a psalm (I have found myself using Psalm 105) has been prayer for the suffering church.

John Stott spoke of his being converted to Christ and then converted to the church i.e. discovering the importance of the church. May I be converted to the worldwide church.

Sabbatical Day 9

Thinking about my next photographic project. The one that appeals, of the options in the course I am following, is People and Storytelling. The images must convey the subject's personality, and have a narrative or story embodied in the image which add to our understanding. I will make this my working project and see how I get on.

I am increasingly aware of the importance of story in preaching the gospel. My recent thinking was sparked of by the Study Day on preaching last year (featured in a previous blog here) at the Cathedral at which Bishop Stephen spoke. Since then I have begun to be newly inspired by the parables. It has long intrigued me that so much preaching is very different to the way Jesus taught. All sorts of good reasons can be given, but I wonder...

Sabbatical Day 8

Today I completed reading Stephen Neill's A History of Christianity in India. And what a rich history it is. A story of the meeting of empires, beliefs, faiths and much besides, and a history so closely connected to British history in recent years.

I do not yet have much insight into why Indian faith is so vibrant. But I am wondering whether it is to do with the fact that for those in India there is no distinction between public and private faith. This is I suspect true for Hinduism and Islam as well as for Christians.

A misreading, I suspect, of European history has led to the distinction being made in the West. Thus there are for example 'faith guests' on the radio, as if faith is something you can get out of the cupboard as and when you wish, but forget the rest of the time.

But Indian history is different. Maybe Indian history and faith will help me revisit how Christian faith should engage with all of life.

I am also becoming aware of the robustness and grandure of Christian faith as it engages with other faiths. I am not sure how aware we are of this in the UK as we teach and preach.  But this is not so on the world and historical stages. So often our English God seems rather 'tame' (cp Narnia) in comparison.

But I am all too aware that I still see things as in a mist. I may end up having to change my mind completely.

It is though a starting point. My Sabbatical journey has begun.

The photo is of a Misty Morn near Butterley Station, Derbyshire, taken around September 2010. I was at Swanwick for a conference and got up at the crack of dawn to take some photos at and around the station.

Sabbatical Day 7

More devotionally than most of my reading this week, I have been reading Finding the Groove - Robert Gelinas. He explores a 'jazz theology' of Christian faith. Noting that Jesus responds individually in his encounters in the gospels, he explores how we too might 'improvise', to use a jazz term.

Three quotes:

'What words do you use to describe God? Surprisingly, one of the first things that God reveals about himself rarely makes our top five: God is creative - the most creative being in the universe!'

'[W]e can use tension to lead us to places with God we never would have gone if all the tensions of our faith were to be resolved.'

'The apostle Paul describes God's creative process this way: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared for us to do." Workmanship is the Greek word poiema. This is where we get our English word poem. What an amazing thought to think of oneslef as a poem of God. How humbling to imagine God sitting down with paper and pencil and laboring over each verse of our lives. To the Greeks the word poieme carried with it the connotation of "fabric" or "material." This works well with the next phrase - "created in Christ Jesus." It is as if Jesus was the workshop in which God fabricated us into being."

One chapter draws in John Coltrane, whose music I have never understood. However, Gelinas' route into 'Love Supreme' has opened a door for me into his jazz which I expect to explore further.

Talking of being creative, I took this photograph of Rutland Water in 2007, but hadn't been sure how to 'develop' the rather more bland image so that it properly represented what we saw on a journey back from Loughborough. This captures something of the beautiful scene that spread before our eyes: a masterpiece by He who is Love Supreme.

Sabbatical Day 6

I have up till now largely regarded the social reforms of the 19th century in India (eg the abolition of sati) an aspect of Empire rule and as such commendable but not perhaps something to trumpet too loudly.

What I am now realising through Stephen Neill's history, is just how much of it was driven by Christian conviction and faith. In ruling, toleration of different faiths, but in those matters which inform conscience and drive bottom line issues of right and wrong, Christian faith had a very large influence.

However, the modern missionary movement in India was closely related to British rule, in the form of the East India Company. It is interesting that the developing Protestant church does not seem to have suffered from this association in the early part of the nineteenth century at least. Was the sense of Christian faith being indigenous (the Thomas Church) a factor in this?

The meeting of faiths is of especial interest, with it's parallels to the UK today.

In my reading today, good to come across some old acquaintances, friends almost as I explore new things: Charles Simeon of Cambridge, in one sense almost a founding father of Anglican evangelicalism whose sermons I studied at theological College, and Henry Martyn, the Bible translator of the early 19th century, a friend of Simeon.

Interlocking branches, a bit like this tree: