Lent Course - a Spiritual Journey with George Herbert - Followed by Compline

for 2 hours, 30 mins
St Bartholomew the Great
West Smithfield City of London, EC1A 9DS, United Kingdom

We greatly look forward to our 2025 Lent Course, in which we will explore the poetry and prose of the great 17th century writer and Anglican divine George Herbert. Several of his poems, such as ‘The God of love my shepherd is’, ‘Teach me, my God and King’ and ‘Let all the world in every corner sing’ are familiar as much-loved hymns. Others are less well known and dramatize an occasionally troubled but always deeply personal relationship with God. Links to the poems and prose to be studied will be made available on line before each session and via handouts on the evening.

The course will be led by Martin Amherst Lock who read English at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and led last year’s fantastic Lent Course on John Donne.

There is no need to book. Do just come along on the following dates:

Wednesday 12 March
Biographical background: Herbert the metaphysical poet

Wednesday 19 March
The Temple: Herbert the country parson 

Monday 24 March
‘His beams shall cheer my breast, and both so twine Till ev’n His beams sing, and my music shine’: reciprocity and dialogue 

Wednesday 2 April
‘So we freeze on Until the grave increase our cold’: rebellion, despair and death

Wednesday 9 April
Arise, Arise; And with his burial-linen dry thine eyes’: hope and resurrection 

Each session will start at 7pm in the Cloister and conclude at 8pm with sung Compline, providing an opportunity for prayer and reflection as the Church approaches the Easter Feast. 

The bar will be open for refreshments from 6pm onwards.

The overall course outline can be found in the attached file.

View attachment

St Bartholomew the Great

London's oldest parish church, with an excellent liturgy, a professional choir, and a vibrant congregation drawn from across London. Join us in person or online!

At the heart of the Smithfield area, with its Hospital, pubs, restaurants, and market, is a church built when Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, was King of England. It survived the Great Fire of 1666 and the bombs dropped in Zeppelin raids in World War I and during the Blitz in World War II.

Today the Church has a reputation not only for wonderful Romanesque architecture, but also for traditional formal worship, marvellous music and intelligent preaching. It has also appeared in a series of award-winning films including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love, The End of the Affair, Amazing Grace, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and The Other Boleyn Girl. It has also appeared in a number of television programmes including Madame Bovary, The Real Sherlock Holmes, Spooks, and The League of Gentlemen Christmas Special.

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Get in touch

Marcus Walker

Great St Bartholomew Parish Office
Church House
Cloth Fair
London

EC1A 7JQ
Rector
+44 (0)20 7600 0440

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Lent Course - a Spiritual Journey with George Herbert - Followed by Compline

for 2 hours, 30 mins
St Bartholomew the Great
West Smithfield City of London, EC1A 9DS, United Kingdom

We greatly look forward to our 2025 Lent Course, in which we will explore the poetry and prose of the great 17th century writer and Anglican divine George Herbert. Several of his poems, such as ‘The God of love my shepherd is’, ‘Teach me, my God and King’ and ‘Let all the world in every corner sing’ are familiar as much-loved hymns. Others are less well known and dramatize an occasionally troubled but always deeply personal relationship with God. Links to the poems and prose to be studied will be made available on line before each session and via handouts on the evening.

The course will be led by Martin Amherst Lock who read English at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and led last year’s fantastic Lent Course on John Donne.

There is no need to book. Do just come along on the following dates:

Wednesday 12 March
Biographical background: Herbert the metaphysical poet

Wednesday 19 March
The Temple: Herbert the country parson 

Monday 24 March
‘His beams shall cheer my breast, and both so twine Till ev’n His beams sing, and my music shine’: reciprocity and dialogue 

Wednesday 2 April
‘So we freeze on Until the grave increase our cold’: rebellion, despair and death

Wednesday 9 April
Arise, Arise; And with his burial-linen dry thine eyes’: hope and resurrection 

Each session will start at 7pm in the Cloister and conclude at 8pm with sung Compline, providing an opportunity for prayer and reflection as the Church approaches the Easter Feast. 

The bar will be open for refreshments from 6pm onwards.

The overall course outline can be found in the attached file.

View attachment

Safeguarding

The parish of Great St Bartholomew is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of London’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.

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St Bartholomew the Great Charity No. 1163024