Sunday

I had forgotten today was a baptismal Sunday for one little girl. Beautiful flowers on the altar and in the niches. So cold in the church, though! Heating fuel is so expensive, and of course we are waiting until a certain degree is reached before we turn on the heat. Brisk, to say the least.

That it was a baptism means many more people in the pews. An unfamiliar couple came in and sat down behind us. Very well dressed, middle-aged. Much rustling of booklets, and muttering. Then they proceeded to start a rather loud, whispered fight! During every hymn, they carried on the bickering in almost normal tones. I strained to hear what it was all about, but couldn't quite catch it. During the Baptismal Covenant, when the words "He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit" were intoned, the man actually snorted in derision!!! Several times they seemed on the verge of stamping out, but when it was over, they meekly followed everyone into a (beautifully decorated) parish hall for a wonderful lunch, courtesy of the child's grandfather and his partner. I spied them eating together, with a jolly table full of regulars . . .

L and the girls sang quite beautifully during the Offertory, and M played the flute. A disaster nearly occurred when the music stand almost sailed over the edge of the choir loft; A simply plucked it back from the abyss.

Who says church isn't exciting??