Jubilee Sunday worship

Up at seven, and out of the door by half past to drive out to Holy Cross Cowbridge to celebrate their eight o'clock said Eucharist with nine people present. There are still small groups of older people who value an early said Sunday service. They are willing to make the effort to come from a wider area, either for logistic or spiritual reasons. Early services have been dying out since I was a curate. Often they are abandoned not by a faithful few, (which given the opportunity continues to reproduce itself), but by clergy pressed by increasing demands to provide Sunday worship in several churches. 

Llandaff Cathedral has a well attended eight o'clock Eucharist, two Sung Eucharists, and then another said Eucharist at midday, attended by several dozen of all ages. It shows there is a persistent group of worshippers who prefer to listen quietly and think, rather than sing. I didn't understand this when I was a young zealot of a priest. Now I wonder if we are offering enough variety, as there's such emphasis on overt activity as the main involvement in worship. I'll be interested to see insight the yet to be appointed successor to John Lewis, the Cathedral Dean about to retire - one of my contemporaries - will bring to bear on the Cathedral's offering to the diocese.

After Holy Cross, I drove to St Marychurch for their nine fifteen Eucharist. Gazebos had been erected, and bunting hung in the semi circular grove of sycamore trees enclosing the area to the west of the church tower, ready for a Jubilee barbeque.

The Rector, Fr Derek and his wife Pam were in the congregation. Prior to re-starting work, he is getting out and about seeing his ten congregations in situ - and, in my opinion, finding that they are in good heart. Over coffee afterwards a group of us chatted about the immense social value to the village of this precious and ancient piece of land, known locally as 'the Spinney', where many fund-raising social events take place. Back in the nineteenth century, there was a small farm within the enclosure, but all trace of this has gone. The land was bequeathed to the church, and it acquired its present trees during the twentieth century, even though this enhancement looks and feels much more ancient. I conjectured that a bio-diversity survey of this piece of land might reveal all kinds of surprises and hidden treasures, simply because it has retained its unique form as a celtic 'Llan' for perhaps fourteen hundred years.

My final Eucharist of the morning was at St Hilary. In the announcements I learned that the local choir would sing a Festal Evensong for the Queen's Jubilee this evening. Clare and I spent the afternoon watching the Thames water pageant, and then we drove out to St Hilary for the service. The church was full, seventy people, plus a thirty strong choir and brass ensemble from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Parry's 'I was glad', Handel's 'Zadok the Priest', and Vaughan Williams' 'Old Hundredth', all used in the Queen's Coronation, were sung well with great affection.

What a delightful festive day, celebrating not only the Queen's extraordinary life of service, but also the richness, diversity and inclusiveness of British civil society and voluntary enterprise. The way in which she has personally valued the contributions made by so many citizens for so long has certainly set the tone for the life of the nation, an unique moral and spiritual kind of leadership, demonstrating there is so much more to society and public life than power politics and economics.