Friday, May 18, 2007

Alpha Conference: A Bridge to London

I would like to apologize to the city of Cagayan de Oro, which, despite the allure of its succulent food and the promise of adventure via white water rafting, nevertheless lost out to London as the next stop on my travels for the summer.

I'm heading to Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican church right across the 2nd largest Catholic cathedral in London. the London Oratory, to attend the Alpha Conference. For those who are unaware of this remarkable initiative, here's a brief description:

"Alpha is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thought-provoking weekly sessions, with a day or weekend away.

It is low-key, friendly and fun – and is supported by all the main Christian denominations."


I'm attending the sessions related to developing Alpha in a Catholic context, which I personally find very exciting, what with my deep admiration for Scott Hahn and layman preacher Bo Sanchez.

Still, the journey of a thousand miles has to begin from the decidedly mundane surroundings of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, an airport which, in itself, constitutes a trial of faith. I remain optimistic though. Hope springs eternal. I feel change whistling in the wind.

Picture of the London Oratory comes courtesy of The Victorian Web.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Argh! Everyone's going to London this year except...ME!!! :(


You're there now, I assume. My dad's going next month.


And here I am, longing to go to London since my first and so far only trip TEN YEARS AGO! :(


Yep. I'm bitter.





Have fun!! :) Take lots of pictures. Breathe in the smoggy air, thick with history. And do not chase the mouse under the Queen's chair.

John-D Borra said...

Alexis, no need to be bitter. I'll try to have lots of fun for you. You do realize that I'm here to attend a conference, right? :-) At any rate, I'll take lots and lots of pictures, and update this blog as regularly as possible.

See you soon! :-)

HappiHappi said...

London is awesome! Hope you are having a wonderful time and hope you get a chance to see the great sites.

BTW - The rule of thumb according to my British friends is that at the pub, always order the beer with the most terrible name and its usually the best beer. Last time I was there, I ordered "Pig Swill" at a pub. It was delicious!

John-D Borra said...

Tweet, I'll make sure to have some pig swill, odd as that may seem in print. :-)

Anonymous said...

I was kidding! I'm not THAT bitter. hahaha.

Enjoy the conference!