Services on a weekday evening are generally poorly attended, but I think it's the first one we've ever held in the Chancel.
On one side sat the congregation and the servers, and on the other the 'choir', or the seven of us who had turned up.
The organist sat at the keyboard and the Rector on the Altar steps.
fifteen of us in all.
While some of us were muttering sadly that it was hardly worth turning up, our lovely choir-mistress/musical director remarked quietly that it was not a concert but an act of worship.
Viewed in that light it was a lovely intimate and very personal little service and we all left at the end feeling lighter-hearted than we were on arrival.
The fact that the anthem was one I didn't like, and the fact that I had the 2nd reading had made me a bit nervous and uneasy, so the short but good sermon and the close atmosphere had a mood-changing affect which I very seldom experience.
Sometimes the 'message' gets lost in a big busy well attended service where quantity rules.
This time we had quality, and very good it was too.
Deo Gracias.
Dear Ray!
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you brought this up. Sometimes the issue of numbers greatly outweigh the issue of sincere worship. We've had services where the choir was dominant in numbers and for some that comes as a failure. Your choirleader is wise, and the service was a blessing for those attending. I'm sure of it.
"Wherever two or three are gathered in my name".....
ReplyDeleteYes I think the few of us who were there felt a closeness not normally evident.