Sunday 21 November 2010

324 Sunday in Durham

 This was the light at 7.45 am as I arrived at the Cathedral for the early Eucharist.  It was the traditional service - very quiet and restful and the cathedral was only partially lit so we were sitting in a pool of light while the rest of the building was just beginning to waken up to dawn.
 A nearby coffee shop had these interesting Christmas buns - the yellow light of the counter doesn't show them at their best.
 The Sanctuary Knocker always appeals to me, even if it is a replica.  I wonder why the individual had just thirty seven days ....
 For my second service of the morning I went to Saint Nicholas'.  It was a bit of a challenge to find the way in today as the Market Square was completely blocked by a massive TV screen and platform... it is the switching on of the lights this afternoon ... and what a day for it.  Pouring down with rain.  Emmerdale actors are doing the necessary I believe.
Saint Nicholas' is where my cousin used to worship when he was a University here ... so ... I had to go.  It was All Age Worship and great fun.  There are many young folk including a sizeable band/choir.  Everyone had brought gifts for the Salvation Army to distribute to children and to the men's hostel.  You should have seen the pile of things that were brought forward!
Then, during the prayers we all wrote a wee post-it note as we remembered someone in need and then the youngsters collected them and stuck them on huge crowns.
 I was amused by the lad sitting in front of me ... a couple of paper planes flew from his hand across the church ... his poor mother was mortified and managed to intercept a number of them which lay crumpled on the seat beside her.  He also bunny hopped back from sticking our post-it notes on the crown!  I'd say "live wire" and the child whose teachers always know his name first!
 The Aaronic blessing was hung in phrases from the pillars ... just strips of paper with stuck on paper letters ... but very effective.  If the church hadn't been filling up so rapidly there would have been photographs of the whole set ... as it was ... this is just the last of the series.  Such a simple idea and very effective.
All the pews have been removed from Saint Nicholas' and wonderfully comfortable seats in a crushed raspberry shade mean that the whole area can be adjusted to suit whatever is happening.  Coffee was available afterwards and folk were very friendly.
Interestingly the service always begins at 10.15 am.  And that, for our own Saint Nicholas' in Belfast is going to be our starting time from next week!  It really didn't feel all that early ... I hope our folk have that same sense when we adjust our time ...

A passage from today's Epistle:

Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;16for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.


No comments: