Day 2 in England

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Happy Easter to all our family and friends back home. Our day started early with a quick breakfast at our quaint Bed and Breakfasts (the croissants were delicious) before we headed off into the chilly early morning to Holy Trinity Church for an Easter morning service. It is a beautiful church and is probably best known as the burial place of William Shakespeare. The sad reality of the spiritual condition of this country was evident in the attendance at the service. While the church could hold several hundred people, our group of 30 doubled the attendance for their Easter morning service! 

Outside Holy Trinity Church

Inside Holy Trinity Church before the service began

 Even so, the people were gracious and welcoming to us. They even made sure that we were invited up to the high alter to see Shakespeare's grave where the vicar of the parish became our personal tour guide. What a wonderful (and unexpected) blessing. After a quick group picture outside, Mrs. Bannerman and Mrs. Muxlow passed out Easter candy to the kids to give them a taste of the Easter fun they were missing back home. Or kids are being spoiled (and well cared for) by the moms on trip!

The beautiful architecture of Holy Trinity Church

Shakespeare's Burial Place near the high alter of the church (notice his bust on the wall)

 From there we returned to our Bed and Breakfasts to make a quick change of clothes before heading off to our Shakespearean adventures in our first double-decker bus. 

We visited three of the homes associated with the Bard: the family home of Anne Hathaway (his wife), the family farm belonging to Mary Arden (his mother), and the birthplace of Shakespeare in the heart of Stratford. It was truly amazing to walk in the very homes that Shakespeare himself would have. To see first-hand how he lived and to hear through our tour guides about life in the 16th century was marvelous. It truly was a different world that has been preserved for us to see. I still cannot believe that I have personally walked through the rooms where Shakespeare lived! 

Anne Hathaway's House

Waiting (in the bitter cold) outside Anne Hathaway's House...but we still have smiles on our faces :)

Crossing a bridge near Anne Hathaway's House

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Mr. Brown outside Shakespeare's birthplace

Tyler reciting Romeo and Juliet outside Shakespeare's birthplace

A group photo before we went through Shakespeare's birthplace

Our afternoon was then spent shopping in Stratford and punting on the Avon River. It has been quite chilly here as England is experiencing an unusually cold spring. The wind kicked up, but we still had several students who weren't going to come to Stratford without getting into a boat and rowing down the Avon River. It was comical, though, and I think some of our kids need some serious rowing lessons. They at least provided some good fun for the local folks walking along the bridge. 

Punting on the Avon (going by the Royal Shakespeare Company)

We are back in the hotel getting ready to head out to our Easter dinner at Essence. I'm sure that it will be as delicious as all our meals have been. Tomorrow we set off towards Bath stopping at the villages in the Cotswold before heading over to Oxford and on to Bath...another wonderful day in England awaits us! 

Our devotions today were from 1 Corinthians 15:14-20. As we celebrate Easter enjoying the blessing of this wonderful trip, we are reminded of the greatest blessing and joy that came through Christ's resurrection. Spurgeon said, "To set apart an Easter Sunday for special memory of the Resurrection is a human device for which there is no Scriptural command. But to make every Lord's Day an Easter Sunday is due to Him who rose early on the first day of the week. We gather together on the first, rather than upon the seventh day of the week, because redemption is even a greater work than creation and more worthy of commemoration and because the rest which followed creation is far outdone by that which ensues upon the completion of redemption!" 

Please pray as we did today that... 

• our greatest joy in this life can be traced back to Christ and His victory over our sin, 
• our enjoyment wouldn't be self-indulgent, but rather because of who we now are in Christ, and
• we would have at least one chance to speak of our living Lord to a Brit today. 

--MrB