北师大版必修模块38ADVENTURE一等奖

TraveltoEngland

AttheendofMay2001,IspentaweekinEngland.TheprimarypurposeofthetripwastovisitsitesrelatedtoBaptistHeritage,butwealsosawmuchotherhistoricalstuff.OurtripbeganinCalais,France,whereweboardedaferrywhichtookustoDover,England.WeweregreetedbyDover'sfamousWhiteCliffs.OnourwaythroughDover,wesawfromadistanceafortressbuiltbyWilliamtheConqueror,andwhenwereturnedtoDoverattheendofourtrip,westoppedtoseetheBattleofBritainMemorialthere.

WeimmediatelydrovetoLondon,whereweattendedtheSundayeveningserviceattheMetropolitanTabernacle,thechurchfoundedbythefamouspreacherCharlesHaddonSpurgeon.Aftertheservice(andalengthystopattheTabernacle'swonderfulbookshop!),wewenttoourhostel,nicelysituatedjustacrossthestreetfromSt.Paul'sCathedral.

OurnextdaywasspenttouringLondon'shistoricalsites.WesawtheTowerBridge,theTowerofLondon,thenewLondon"Eye"FerrisWheel,BigBen,theHousesofParliament,WestminsterAbbey,#10DowningStreet,andmanyotherplaces.Thateveningwesawaperformanceof"LesMiserables"atthePalaceTheater.

OurseconddayinLondonwasfocusedonChristianheritagesites,thoughwedidseeafewhistoricalsites,suchasBuckinghamPalaceandtheBritishMuseum(whichhousestheRosettaStoneandtheParthenonsculptures,amongmanyothersignificantitemsfromtheancientworld).

MyfavoritesiteinLondonwasBunhillFields,whichwevisitedthatafternoon.Thiswasanonconformists'cemeteryreservedforthosewhowouldnotcompromisetheirbeliefstobeacceptedbytheChurchofEngland.Consequently,ithasbecomearollcallofnamesbelovedtomanytoday.SuchpeopleasthehymnwriterIsaacWatts,Pilgrim'sProgressauthorJohnBunyan,RobinsonCrusoeauthorDanielDeFoe,theologianandwriterJohnOwen,hymnauthorandcomplierJohnRippon,preacherJohnGill,andfamousmotherSusannaWesleyareallburiedhere.JustacrossthestreetfromBunhillFieldsisWesley'sChapel,whereJohnWesley,theMethodistpreacher,ministeredformanyyears.JohnWesleyisburiedinasmallcemeterybehindthechapel.AcoupleblocksawayisthesiteofGeorgeWhitefield'stabernacle(nowdemolished).ItwassaidthatsomanypeoplewereconvertedatthissitethatitbecameknownasWhitefield's"SoulTrap."

ThatnightwestayedinOxford,andthenextmorningwedrovetoBristol.InBristol,wevisitedBroadmeadBaptistChurch,oneoftheoldestBaptistchurchesintheworld.AroundthecornerwesawJohnandCharlesWesley'sfirstchapeland,downtheroad,CharlesWesley'shouse.AshortdistancefromBristol,wevisitedLittleSodburyManor,whereWilliamTyndalelivedwhenhebegantotranslatetheBibleintoEnglish.

ReturningtoOxford,wespenttheeveningrelaxingandwanderingaroundthattown.Thefollowingmorning,wewenttoRegentsParkCollegeandweretreatedtoseetheirlargecollectionofBaptistmemorabilia,particularlytheirextensiveamountofitemsownedbyandrelatedtomissionaryWilliamCarey.TheircollectionincludedCarey'sshoeshopsign,anoriginalcopyofhisfamousEnquiry(thedocumentwhichsparkedthemodernmissionsmovement),hispersonalBible,andhisjournalfromwhenhearrivedinIndia.ThecollegealsohasthebedonwhichCareydied.OthernotableitemsintheirpossessionincludetheminutesoftheBaptistMissionarySocietyandoneofonlyfourextantcopiesofThomasHelwys'Declaration,thefirstpublishedcallforreligiousliberty.Justdowntheroadfromthecollege,wesaw"TheEagleandChild",reputedtobethefavoritepubofauthors.LewisandTolkien.

OurnextseveralstopswererelatedtoWilliamCareyandthebeginningsoftheModernMissionsMovement.WevisitedWestMoulton,wherewesawCareyBaptistChurch(thechurchWilliamCareypastoredforseveralyearsbeforegoingtoIndia)andthehousewhereCareylivedthere.WethendrovetoKettering,wherewesawFullerBaptistChurch,thechurchpastoredbyAndrewFuller,Carey'sclosestfriendinEnglandforthecauseofmissions.Finally,alsoinKettering,wevisitedtheWidowWallis'house.ThisiswheretheBaptistMissionarySocietywasformedonOctober12,1792,beginningamissionsmovementthathasgrownandhadagreatimpactbothspirituallyandsociallyinthe200+yearssincethen.Sadly,theladytheresaidonlytwoorthreetimesayeardopeoplevisitthishousetoseethathistoricsite.Thebuildingisnowaresthomefortheelderly.Theroomwherethesocietywasformedisnowthekitchenandgardenofanold,Baptistpreacher'swidow.

Thatafternoon,wewenttotwofinaltowns,OlneyandBedford.OlneywashometohymnwritersWilliamCowperandJohnNewton.WevisitedtheCowperMuseum,locatedinCowper'shome.ThemuseumincludesJohnNewton'sBibleandmuchothermemorabilia.InthebackofthehouseareCowper'sextensivegardens.ThetownofBedfordiswhereJohnBunyanwasimprisonedfor12years.Thesiteofthejailisnowawalkingmall,butthereisasmallplaqueonthegroundcommemoratingBunyan'simprisonment.

OurfinalmajorsightseeingstopinEnglandwasWindsorCastle.ThisveryimpressivecastleishometotheQueenofEngland(apparentlysheconsidersBuckinghamPalacejusttobeher"office").TouristsareallowedtovisittheimpressiveStateApartmentsaswellasSt.George'sChapel,animpressivebuildingwhereseveralnotableKingsofEnglandareburied(suchasKingHenryVIIIandKingCharlesI).

Finally,InOctober2001,Ihadtheopportunitytomadeaone-daystopinthecityofYork,England,whileIwasonatriptoScotlandwithacouplefriends.YorkisaboutmyfavoriteplacethatIhavevisitedinEngland.WebeganthedaybyvisitingYorkMinster,thelargestGothicchurchnorthoftheAlps.UnlikemostGothicchurchesIhavevisited,theMinsterwasverybrightandcheerfulinside.It'sorganisincredible,andthechurchhasthelargestmedievalstained-glasswindowinexistence.

MyotherfavoritestopofthedaywasourvisittotheYorkCastleMuseum.This"museumofeverydaylife"chronicleslifeinBritainoverthepast200years.Butratherthanjustshowingitemsbehindglasscases,themuseumhassetupentirecitystreetswithshopsstockedj