October 14, 2009

Bob’s Sabbatical

October 14, 2009

 

            TENNESSEE
DAY – SEE BELOW

 

            Drizzle
when we woke, but sky looks like it might clear up.

            After
breakfast, we take a bus to York Minster – it is even more imposing than the
pictures.  There is a 12:30 pm Holy Communion  and 5:15 pm sung Evensong today.  We buy tickets (Sr. Citizen discount, thank
you), including Tower trip for me and undercroft trip for Susan.  We also get a “self-guide” brochure to be
sure we see the most important things. 
As we take our tour, at 11:00 am, a bell rings, and a voice over the
sound system invites everyone to observe a moment of silence, followed by a
prayer.  Very nice touch!

            At 11:15
I go for the tower climb.  197 feet, 275
steps.  Awesome views of York.  Now I have been up the Washington Monument,
the Duomo in Florence and the tower in York. 
I meet Susan at St. John’s Chapel for Holy Communion.  Still using official liturgy, 1662 Book of
Common Prayer, with thee’s and thou’s, etc. 
Reality intrudes at the beginning when the Priest announces that due to
Swine Flu, communion will be by intinction only, and that no physical contact
should be made during the Peace (which he left out).  There were about 30 of us present.  As the service moved along, we came to the
prayers “for the whole state of Christ’s Church,” better known to us as the “Prayers
of the People.”  In this liturgy, they
came in the middle of the Eucharistic Prayer. 
I was going with the flow, when he came to, “in the Anglican Cycle of
Prayer, we pray for the Diocese of Tennessee and John Bauerschmidt, their Bishop.”  Who would’ve thought?  God moves in mysterious ways! 

            We left
for lunch, planning to return for the second half of our “tour.”  On the way back, we stopped at St. Helen’s
Church.  She was married to
Constantinius, and their son was Constantine, who became Emperor and “legalized”
Christianity.  She is also the patron
Saint of divorced people – her husband divorced her when he was promoted to the
rank of Caesar.  Constantine was
converted when he saw the sign of the Cross and heard the words, “in hoc signo
vinces,” (in this sign you will conquer). 
My fraternity, Sigma Chi, uses the sign of the Cross and that motto.

            We
returned to York Minster.  First stop was
the Chapter Room.  We need a place like
this to have Vestry meetings.  Further
on, there was a “Cope chest” that would have taken up half of St. Paul’s.        

            Evensong
was something else.  Adult and Children’s
Choirs sang gloriously.  The minister who
read the lessons was great.  The first
reading was part of a long Old Testament passage, parts of which had been read for
several days prior.  Instead of saying, “Here
endeth the reading,” he said, “Next installment tomorrow.”

            York was a great experience.  Too little time, but I think we made the most
of it.

Peace,

   Bob