Yesterday, which was Paul's birthday, but we did not do anything because of the weather, he helped John put up a couple of floodlights for the church, it wasn't particularly difficult we have an outside socket on that side of the house. The church looked lovely in the evening, especially as there was a carol service at 7 o clock.
I decided to go having been assured it was only carols to be sung, but add in the nine lessons and it turns into a service.... Not only a service but there was a bishop as well, luckily our village produced at least 30 people for the congregation. And so in its icy interior, though Graham said the heaters had been on for a couple of hours, we sang. Some more heartily than others.
I brooded on the Norman capitals, (forgotten to take my reading glasses) for some of the lesser carols, and listened whilst people I knew so well got up to read stories from the bible. Well as a convent girl I knew the score...
When I got back to the house, the fire was burning away and there was a programme (BBC4) about carols - The Truth about Christmas Carols by Howard Goodall which was fortuitous and enlightening. Somehow it brought to mind the 'mummers' in The Woodlanders, or was it Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy, must get these books and read them again, evocative of an era past, I loved their sadness.
Holly decorated the windows, again from our garden, so we have a relationship with this church, a church that has more secular people caring for it than the meagre congregation that can be seen on a Sunday. It also has a crack on the North wall, the Historic archaeologist was examining it last week, this crack has developed over the years probably due to sitting on clay and the weather which ranges from wet to dry, and of course being medieval, the church has no foundations.
Margaret Wood left £20,000 in her will for this church. Note, I say this church and not The Church which I believe sits on plenty of money of its own, but demands its due from the congregation.
Beneath the wall you see in the above photo Paul has a Buddha and various bits and pieces of Japanese work; he would argue that the church is open to all denominations.
http://www.mkm-churches.org.uk/churchpage.html?churchid=4
http://www.mkm-churches.org.uk/churchpage.html?churchid=4
The one thing I miss the most from no longer being religious (recovering Catholic) is the music. It was always beautiful, especially at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough I miss the incense but cold churches are not good!
DeleteHow nice that the community keeps up the church.
ReplyDeleteI think the church is loved Hart, people come in and clean it, and get it ready for any event, but it is normally people who are not religious.
DeleteNot being a Christian I can still appreciate the beauty of old buildings, especially when they are floodlit.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas.
I love old churches and of course the ruined abbeys to be found round here. The churches hold their history, so the Saxon, Scandinavian and of course Norman architecture are captured.
ReplyDeleteChurches and various religions can be so exhausting and demanding...not sure what all the prophets would say.
ReplyDeleteReligion was cultivated to keep the human mass in order. Ritual sees to that.
ReplyDeleteSadly the prophets had short lives and did not see the consequences of their teachings....