Sunday afternoon

Admittedly it was Sunday afternoon, with the warm sun shining brightly and enticingly over the Thames, inviting even the most reluctant soul out-of-doors and, admittedly, St. Benet’s church is inconspicuous, the haunt of the Welsh-speaking Church of Wales (even if in London), but the door stood open invitingly.

Curious because its name suggested considerably greater antiquity than its architecture would have implied, I decided to explore.

The minister and his congregation were putting their heart and soul into the celebration of Evensong…but the congregation consisted of one lady and an unseen organist.

The trio offered a laudable example of commitment and perseverance. It must take a fair amount of faith and willpower to continue in such a situation. What happens if one person does not come to church? What if the minister himself is, for some reason or other, unable to participate? Presumably Evensong would have continued in the absence of an organist, but if a congregation is only three people, there are not many options available to the parish. There are not many people in London who speak Welsh and so the numbers of those attending any church services are always going to be small.

Yet small is beautiful. Tucked away, out of sight of the passing world, there were three people praising God on a Sunday afternoon. May God bless them…

And may he bless you, too.
Sr. Janet