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+Sarah Mullally
Good morning. I鈥檓 Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, and I鈥檓 standing overlooking St Paul鈥檚 Cathedral in the heart of London. It was designed and built by Sir Christopher Wren and completed in 1710. This year we celebrate the extraordinary and prolific career of one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, on the 300th anniversary of his death.

Music
O praise God in his his holiness 鈥� John Weldon
Sung by the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, directed by Ralph Allwood

+Sarah Mullally
Wren鈥檚 epitaph in St Paul鈥檚 Cathedral, written by his son, says.
鈥樷��Christopher Wren lived for over 90 years, not for himself but for the public good.听 Reader, if you seek a monument, look around.鈥�听

And indeed, if you walk through the medieval alleyways of the City of London even today, and 鈥榣ook around鈥�, you do see many monuments to Christopher Wren:听 spires rising between more modern buildings 鈥� touching heaven and bringing heaven to earth, segments of towers appearing through narrow openings, and at some street intersections, whole facades which have dramatically held their own for three hundred years 鈥� as well, of course, as his great cathedral, St Paul鈥檚, which has become an iconic symbol for the whole of London.

His churches which have survived are integral to the life of the City and to its townscape and skyline. Along with their churchyards they provide a Christian and spiritual heart and an oasis of peace and contemplation for the City鈥檚 workers and residents. They are an attraction for visitors which adds to all that the City has to offer.

In today鈥檚 Sunday Worship we visit some of Wren鈥檚 churches, exploring their wide-ranging mission and ministry today, as centres of worship, community, culture and social outreach. Our music comes from the Wren Chapel of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, a few miles down the river from here, and

So as we celebrate one of the greatest craftsmen of our time, that brought the beauty of holiness to our City, we give thanks for 鈥榗raftsmen鈥檚 art and music鈥檚 measure鈥� in the beautiful hymn: 鈥淎ngel voices, ever singing鈥�

Music
Angel voices ever singing (arranged by Jeff Howard)
Sung by the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, directed by Ralph Allwood, with organist Jonathan Eyre and trumpeter Katie Lodge

+Sarah Mullally
Lord God,
through the lives of those who create, design and build,
your light shines through.
As we reflect on the life of Sir Christopher Wren
And his legacy to us,
Make us more aware of heaven touching earth,
and earth lifted to glory,
in the life of this City and in our own communities,
In the name of our humble carpenter, (and master craftsman),
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sir Christopher Wren was 33 years old and near the beginning of his career as an architect when the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed many of the city's public buildings, including 88 of its parish churches. Wren's office was commissioned to build 51 replacement churches and St Paul's Cathedral. Many of these buildings survive to this day; others have been substantially altered or rebuilt. Some others were completely or partially destroyed during the German Blitz of 1940鈥�41; and others were demolished for different reasons.

Along with their cultural and historic significance, they offer a place of peace, reflection, creativity and connection, where the bigger questions of life can be explored.

Our churches are ever present 鈥� sometime seen but often unseen. They step out and step into London with acts of compassion, and care for the homeless, hungry and those who struggle. Their reach goes beyond the City itself, and those who live here and work within its offices, supporting people in local areas right across London.听 In a few moments time we will hear about some of the mission and ministry taking place today in Wren鈥檚 churches across the City of London. But first the Choir sings words from Psalm 127, reminding us that unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. It is a humble city which has its hope in God. It is a humble city which we are told will prosper, and which will have peace within its walls. The City Churches speak up for justice, mercy and peace, for inclusion and welcome for all.

Music
Psalm 127, chant by Thomas Purcell (uncle of Henry Purcell)
Sung by the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, directed by Ralph Allwood, with organist Jonathan Eyre and trumpeter Katie Lodge

Insert 1: St Bride鈥檚 Fleet Street

Music
Lord, who may dwell in thy sanctuary?听鈥�听Matthew Morley
sung by the Choir of St Bride's, Fleet Street, directed by Robert Jones with organist Matthew Morley

(CD: The Essential Collection - Sacred and Secular music from St Bride's Church, Vol. 2)

Insert 2: St Mary Aldermary

Insert 3: Imprint Church at St Edmund, Lombard Street

+Sarah Mullally
In a few moments time we will hear from art historian Neil MacGregor. But first, words from the Paul鈥檚 letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 2.

Reading:听Ephesians 2: 19-22

Reflection: Neil MacGregor

In this year鈥檚 commemorations we are, I think, celebrating two quite different听 Christopher Wrens. On one hand, there鈥檚 Wren the creator of St Paul鈥檚, with its majestic dome and classical columns designed to rival St Peter鈥檚 in Rome. The Wren of St Paul鈥檚 is one of the very few architects in history to have seen his cathedral through,听 from first thoughts in 1666, to its final, triumphant听 completion nearly fifty years later: this cathedral is, almost uniquely, the work of one man. To achieve this, Wren charmed one monarch after another, kept the money flowing, and again and again outwitted the cathedral鈥檚 clergy, who were constantly trying to interfere. This Wren is the epitome of the genius artist, driving his vision single-mindedly, with his grand design visible in almost every detail of the cathedral we see today.

The Wren we find听 in the fifty-odd City churches is very different.听 Instead of one over-arching听 artistic vision, there is a bewildering,intoxicating variety of shapes and styles, each church designed specifically for the site it occupied and above all for the people that would use it,听 all delivered by a large team of architects and craftsmen whom Wren听 inspired and guided.听听 It was a master-class of creative team-leadership, opting again and again for variety over uniformity.

When we think of London after the fire we tend to focus now on the need 鈥� the opportunity -鈥撎齮o build a new city.听 But in fact听 in 1667 there was an even听 greater need 鈥� to build a new society.听听

More destructive than the Fire, and far more divisive, had been the long years of religious and political conflict. Everybody involved in planning the new London had lived through the civil war, the killing of both the Archbishop of Canterbury and the King, the abolition of the monarchy and听 the established church, and then, the troubled peace of Cromwell鈥檚 dictatorship.听 Everybody knew what happens when you allow extreme positions in the Church or in the State, to divide society.听 And everybody was determined that it must never happen again.听

Whether or not you听 believed that the city had burned as divine punishment for its godlessness, it was clear that London needed to find a new way for its citizens to establish their relationship with God 鈥� and with each other.听

So Wren鈥檚 task was not just the physical one of rebuilding churches after the fire, but the much greater spiritual one of re-building the Church, after the Civil war. That is the great purpose of听 these wonderfully diverse parish churches. They are, if you like, the built counterpart to the Book of Common Prayer, published in 1662, just four years before the Fire,听with language carefully chosen听 to allow as many as possible to use it in worship. Taken together, the city churches听 are a liturgical language, enabling the greatest possible number of citizens to feel comfortable in their address to God.听

Music
Laudate Dominum 鈥� William Croft
Sung by the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, directed by Ralph Allwood

Unlike the destroyed medieval churches, the new ones have no side-chapels 鈥� the church is a single space in which the congregation gathers听 as a community, often with galleries to accommodate the city鈥檚 growing population. They鈥檙e designed with plain glass, lit by the light of heaven ; and听 all are arranged so that everybody can both see and hear the priest, whether baptising,听 preaching or officiating at the Eucharist.听

The Wren of the city churches doesn鈥檛 have a style. He has dozens of them, and he obviously loves it:听 the sheer fun of making every church different is still contagious today, if you walk from one to the next. Some are regular rectangles, with central aisle and naves, some are coffin-shaped or oval, some are hopelessly skewwhiff because he is using old听 walls on an awkward site听 to save money.听 Where he can, as at St Stephen鈥檚 Walbrook, he drops in a dome, making a classical building that could stand comparison with anything听 in contemporary Italy, but a few hundred yards away, in St Mary Aldermary, he uses gothic fan vaulting that looks like a miniature King鈥檚 College Chapel.听 I know no other great architect who can work in so many听 different styles.

And if the churches are fun, the steeples are a riot. The parishes loved their steeples听 and every church wanted theirs to be different. Wren built them square towers or pointed spires,听 turrets, pinnacles and obelisks, or little classical temples piled one on top of another like the tiers of a wedding cake.听 Every one is a distinctive composition : seen together they鈥檙e a celebration, the skyline of a city exuberantly exploring dozens of different ways to God.听

All of this was made possible by Wren鈥檚 almost miraculous ability to hold together all the different people involved in making a parish church.听 Architects, stone-masons, carpenters, of course ; but also the clergy,听 parishioners, church-wardens, the various livery companies which might be involved,听 rich citizens who might fund the work, the city听 building听 officials : in short all the different groups and individuals who needed to be engaged, placated 鈥� or circumvented. Wren, astonishingly, could handle them all. Even more astonishingly, they all seemed to like this supremely likeable man. Wren is not听 just in St Paul鈥檚 the greatest English architect of his day听听 -- he is the project manager of the biggest church building programme in our history.

Wren鈥檚 churches are the demonstration of his enduring preference for variety over uniformity, each one shaped by and for a particular community.听 In them, he deployed his genius to a great moral purpose: making spaces in which Londoners听 -- wherever in the country or the world they came from 鈥� might听 be 鈥榥o longer strangers and aliens鈥�--听 in the words of the Letter to the Ephesians 鈥� 鈥榖ut fellow citizens with the saints鈥�. It is surely as much a model for the church of England now as it was three hundred years ago.

Music
God is gone up 鈥� William Croft
Sung by the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, directed by Ralph Allwood听

Music
Chacony in G minor听鈥�听Henry Purcell
Orchestre de chambre Jean-Francois Paillard
CD: BNF Collection - Musique Classique

Prayers

A prayer for Christopher Wren
Creator God,
As we 鈥榣ook around鈥� and see the beauty of your design in our natural world, we give thanks for all who look to you for vision and creativity. Through the gifts of (Sir) Christopher Wren, a symphony of architectural skill brought places of worship to life; ordinary people were in touch with the citizens of heaven. Continue to inspire many through his work and the beatify of these/his churches, that we may be built up in faith, set on the foundation of Jesus Christ, our cornerstone. Amen.

A prayer for mission and ministry in Wren鈥檚 churches
Compassionate God,
As Wren鈥檚 churches spoke to the people of their day, the lively word of God, we celebrate the many ways in which the churches of the City speak today of your transforming love in Jesus Christ, to those who work, live and visit here. Through their mission and ministry reach out with your justice and compassion to the diverse communities of London and beyond, remembering those struggling because of the cost of living crisis. Through their faithful prayer, worship and witness, be a wellspring of hope and an oasis of peace, at the heart of this City, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.听

A prayer for the world
God of Community,
We are no longer strangers and aliens, but members of the household of God. By your love, enfold our lives with our brothers and sisters across the world. 听Be with all work to bring your truth, compassion and light to those who feel forgotten, ignored, excluded. As we remember that life rose from the ashes here in this City, be with all whose lives are blighted by natural disaster, war, conflict and humanitarian need. Inspire us through the lives of young people who wish to protect our earth and live gently upon it. Give us all the hope of knowing you are with us in all things, and in you we dwell and are built up, through the love of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music
Thou knowest, Lord 鈥� Purcell
Sung by the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, directed by Ralph Allwood

The Lord鈥檚 Prayer

+Sarah Mullally
There are many events planned for this year to commemorate Sir Christopher Wren 鈥� from here in the City of London, to Wren buildings in the rest of the UK 鈥� and even in Missouri in the USA! There will be a Primary Schools鈥� programme involving some 5000 children.听 Among other activities the pupils will imagine the devastation after the Great Fire and use historic maps to produce their own ideas for rebuilding the City.听 A group of Sixth Formers will attempt to build a mini-replica dome of St Paul鈥檚 Cathedral in a day. A group of volunteers will explore parish records and vestry minutes to trace the stories of the people who were living and working in the City in Wren鈥檚 time.

Through all of these activities and more many people will come to explore and celebrate Wren鈥檚 life and work, his cathedral and his churches and the communities and life associated with them. It will be a wonderful new doorway into the history, culture, and life of faith of our City, waiting to be discovered. And a way into knowing Christ, who is our foundation, and the hope of all the world.

May God give us a vision of his heavenly City, inspire us to lives of beauty and holiness, and bless us now and always, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music
Christ is made the sure foundation (arranged by Jeff Howard)
Sung by the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir, directed by Ralph Allwood, with organist Jonathan Eyre and trumpeter Katie Lodge