Awake early, posting today's YouTube Morning Prayer link to WhatsApp at seven, although I didn't get up until gone eight. After breakfast I paid the latest water rates bill which arrived a few days ago, on hearing a discussion on the BBC Radio Four Today programme about the alarming extent of sewage polluted rivers and the plan to upgrade sewage network infrastructure. It was interesting to see how much our bill was reduced by my three month sojourn in Spain.
Then, I went to Tesco's to shop for this week's Foodbank donation and took it to St John's to celebrate the first Eucharist of this almost sunny Ascension Day. There were eleven of us, with Fr Huw and Beryl from St Peter's Fairwater, plus Clive, Stephen and Hilary from St Catherine's joining the five regulars, as services in their churches can't be offered today. Good to see a few people willing to cross former Parish boundaries to celebrate one of the church's great festivals together.
Before having lunch I prepared the service for tomorrow's funeral. While I was doing this, a call came in from the cardiology team offering me an appointment tomorrow afternoon for a cardiology scan, as there had been a cancellation. Amazing luck! The report will be sent to pre-op for assessment, and on that basis I will be inserted into the operation queue. When that will happen is anyone's guess. I just hope the call doesn't come while we're booked to be away. Maybe I'll be able to feed the surgeon's secretary my unavailability dates.
I had a snooze in the chair after lunch, then went out and did the week's grocery shopping in the Coop, and had an early supper. I needed to be on my way to St Luke's by six thirty to celebrate the evening's Eucharist. I was there just before seven and thankfully I had my church keys with me, and could open up and start getting things ready for the service. I had prepared my sermon, but nothing else. It was to be a sung Eucharist, but I had no idea if the choir or organist had been recruited for the occasion.
Father Chris turned up so I asked him to read the Gospel, then a succession of lay people from Caerau, St Catherine's, Glanely as well as St Luke's. Father Jesse arrived. I asked him to read the Gospel, and then Archbishop Rowan. I asked him to give the chalice. When the service started we were altogether twenty two people. I had envisaged a third of that number turning up. It was rather special to have people from four of seven churches in the Ministry Area worshipping together at the same time.
I decided when preparing to celebrate not to use nave or chancel altars. A handful of people in a space designed for two hundred is a quite a demoralising experience, so I arranged the service to happen in the Lady Chapel, which accommodates about fifteen. The fact that we were full to overflowing was a real blessing. We sang hymns, and some parts of the service unaccompanied, and it was a lovely experience, outside everyone's expectations. With such diminished numbers, we need different ways of celebrating together to uplift us. Somehow at the last minute it came together, with seven different people taking an active role. I felt exhilarated to be part of it.
Four of us went to the Victoria Park pub nearby afterwards to celebrate the Ascension socially, and chat for an hour before parting company. I walked home feeling grateful to have had the opportunity to take the lead on such a special feast day in the church's year. And so to bed.
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