Evensong

After some slightly hectic shifts (cleared the way for an ambulance today!!!) I slunk off to Evensong in St Vincent's Stockbridge tonight. It had the delightful feel of "real" village Evensong: a small church, smothered with coats of armorial bearings; an ancient but godly priest whose singing quavered much; a small, elderly congregation who did the Ancient and Modern Revised hymns with real gusto and who sang the canticles communally to simple (Anglican) chant rather well. (There being nae quire, it was not a Cathedral concert). Intercessions entirely derived from the Occasional Prayers in the Prayer Book - sensitively chosen and introduced and a very real and powerful act of intercessory prayer. The sermon had absolutely no rhetorical fireworks - it was a simple and thoughtful character study of John the Baptist (last weeks big saint) and the Apostle Peter (this weeks big saint - and no mention of St Paul at all - nasty, horrid modern Roman observance not in the SPB:-)! But it pointed out that we all despair (JB in the dungeon) ,we all let Jesus down (Peter in the courtyard) and Jesus lifts us out of all that - each and everyone of us. Chicken soup for the soul!