Yesterday, Sunday, I went to the 10 o'clock service at St Andrew's. In the summer (or what laughingly passes as summer here) the services are reduced to three - 8am and 10am, and 6pm. Coming from a church which only ever had one service a Sunday throughout the year, this 'reduction' makes me smile.
St Andrew's can certainly be described as 'happy, clappy'. Songs of Praise were projected from a screen, the congregation was on its feet the entire time singing and clapping. Not being able to sing I don't join in congregational singing, but was quite happy swaying about and listening to everyone else.
There was a time, when I was young, I would have wholeheartedly embraced the service, but I think I have been too long in the Episcopal Church and appreciate just a little more solemnity, although being the dyed-in-the-wool Protestant I am, I never did wholly subscribe to Emmanuel's Anglo Catholic tradition. About a week before I left Shawnee, I mentioned in a study group that I'd been a lay minister of communion but had kept quiet about the fact because I 'couldn't be doing' with all the genuflecting all over the place. Fr Bill said rather faintly that he wouldn't have minded if I hadn't.
To give you an example of how Anglo Catholic this diocese is - Bishop Hind once graced one of our theology classes with his presence, and lounging back in his chair, and on the subject of Elizabeth and Mary, said that he would have called them "Good Queen Mary", and "Bloody Elizabeth". I was seated two feet directly in front of him and my jaw hit the ground at this flaunting of his prejudices. He looked at me and seemed to be struggling to keep a straight face. Bless him.
This afternoon - Monday - there was a lovely concert at St Andrew's, followed by tea and cakes.
The concert was given by a married couple, two very accomplished pianists, Linda and Robert Stoodley. I tried to take notes of what they played but don't think I've got the spelling right. They called the first selection 'from Schubert to Sharks' then six military songs, followed by Francois Paulanc (sp) Linda played quite a bit of Chopin, then Borodin. Then a selection from West Side Story. I hope I've got that right, it wasn't easy trying to take notes but I have at least two very musical friends who read this, and would be interested to know, so I tried.
During the concert I thought that Robert might have been Linda's teacher, but when I got home and looked them up, learned they had met through a dating website.
This afternoon - Monday - there was a lovely concert at St Andrew's, followed by tea and cakes.
The concert was given by a married couple, two very accomplished pianists, Linda and Robert Stoodley. I tried to take notes of what they played but don't think I've got the spelling right. They called the first selection 'from Schubert to Sharks' then six military songs, followed by Francois Paulanc (sp) Linda played quite a bit of Chopin, then Borodin. Then a selection from West Side Story. I hope I've got that right, it wasn't easy trying to take notes but I have at least two very musical friends who read this, and would be interested to know, so I tried.
During the concert I thought that Robert might have been Linda's teacher, but when I got home and looked them up, learned they had met through a dating website.
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