Dear Friends:

It is difficult to put into words what it is like to sing the ancient service of Evensong in a space in which people have said and sung services every day for over 1000 years. The thought that we are entrusted this week with maintaining and carrying on that pattern of worship is at the same time a daunting, awe-inspiring, and spiritually fulfilling one.

We had our first opportunity to sing that ageless service yesterday, on Monday, July 30 at 5:30pm. The clergy and vergers were wonderful at helping us feel comfortable with the details of the processions and the flow of the service. All of our preparation in the weeks and months preceeding the trip (and our nervousness about doing everything "right") brought us to the point that we really were able to put most of that out of our minds and truly enter into the beauty and spirit of the service. It is indeed a beautiful service of scripture and prayers, and though it is repeated daily, there is endless variation in the way the elements of the service are presented. 90% of the service is sung, and typically during the week there are very few people in attendance other than the choir and the clergy...historically the service was part of the monastic daily pattern of prayer, though others were welcome to come and worship, that was - and is - not the main point of the service. (We actually brought our own congregation with us! With 10 people accompanying the choir on the trip, they actually outnumbered the local worshippers 2 to 1 yesterday!) But in fact, the main point of the service is to continue uninterrupted the Christian witness in a given time and place - regardless of whether there are worshippers in addition to the choir and clergy.

As we sang the service - which went even more beautifully than we could have imagined - there was a real sense of God's presence with us all, and a sense of community within the choir and with our brothers and sisters in Rochester, England.

Sorry for the lengthy treatise on Evensong, but it truly was a significant experience which will only get richer in the coming days. And I wanted to give you a tiny glimpse of a major portion of what it is that we're involved in these two weeks.

The day began with a traditional "full" English breakfast, which is a cardiologist's dream of eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes, deep-fried toast and a variety of pastries, cereals, etc.! (Something most of us can't indulge in every day, but it also is something not to be missed at some point during the visit!

Following breakfast the coach deposited most of the group in the center of Rochester, just below the cathedral for a tour of the town given by the volunteer guides of the city. High Street, just around the corner from the cathedral, is the old main street of the town. It is a narrow cobblestone road lined with small buildings, most dating from the 16th and 17th centuries and before - including Restoration House where the monarchy was restored after the fall of Oliver Cromwell. Interestingly both the dissolution of the monarchy (under Cromwell) AND the Restoration occurred in Rochester. Rochester, of course, is also closely associated with Charles Dickens, having been his home for many years, and providing the inspiration for the setting of a number of his books and stories (as well as some of the characters!) High Street now houses a wonderful variety of shops, restaurants, and pubs - plenty to explore in our free time this week! The ruins of the Rochester Castle are directly across the street from the cathedral, and its keep (prison) - the tallest in England - provides great climbing for people, and a stunning view of the cathedral and the surrounding town and river (Medway).

Well, the coach is approaching Canterbury (Tuesday morning), so I better bring this tome to a close for today. We all are thinking of you often, and look forward to sharing more at a later time!