Don't throw stools!

Over the weekend, Spot and I were in York. While there, we looked around for somewhere to worship on Sunday. A couple of years ago, we attended Sung Eucharist at York Minster. Last year, we went to St Michael le Belfrey Church and it didn't really work for us

This year, we attended sung Mattins at All Saints Pavement, York. They were very welcoming, especially as we really looked like tourists - wearing waterproofs and rucksacks on our backs. It was a very formal service - using the book of common prayer. Fortunately, Spot and I had sat at the back and we could follow those in front. To start with, we had no idea what was going on - everyone else seemed to know. We were relieved and pleased when a kind gentleman took pity on us and pointed us in the right direction!

The service itself, though, I did enjoy and I felt spiritually uplifted. That despite almost feeling like a spectator, rather than active worshiper. The sung parts from the book of common prayer I merely listened to as I didn't know the melody.

After the service, the gentleman who had helped us out told us a little about the church and its use of the book of common prayer. Being a guild church, that means the guilds attending know what's going on (I didn't have the heart to say, I find an order of service works well too!). I explained the Church of Scotland doesn't use it and stools had been thrown when it was imposed (allegedly). We also met the parish constable - a lovely man, who showed us his lead weighted truncheon from Charles I. A beautiful, yet deadly weapon. Luckily, it's a ceremonial position theses days. Just as well it was a Sunday, with a Scotsman within the York city walls.

Later in the day, following the recommendation of a local, we attended Evensong at York Minster. Again, following the book of common prayer when your not used to it is odd, but the service itself was beautiful. The sound of choir and organ intertwined as one - and the sermon wasn't too bad either! I did get confused with someone looking like black rod - same looking gown and rod in hand - processing the people who read the bible lessons in, but that's just bye-the-bye.

After the services we attended on Sunday, Church of Scotland will seem comfortable and familiar, though sometimes I think we maybe miss out on the added spiritual depths these different forms of worship can have. The way I see it, if that works for an individual - if they find God in that worship - then it's doing what it is there for. If God is the focus and is felt, does it matter how we get there?