Helen and I visited St Michael at the North Gate a few Sunday’s back as part of our current church and history module. It was interesting to visit a different church tradition and feel what it’s like for a worship experience to be so foreign. I didn’t know how to kneel on the pews, whether it was okay for us to take communion, or which part of the liturgy we were following.
However, Rev. Bob and the congregation were very welcoming, led us through the service and happily chatted to us afterwards over tea and cake. St Michael’s is the oldest building in Oxford and the history was difficult to fathom. We were privileged to witness some adult baptisms, using a font from the 14th century. WHAT!
I was most struck by the sense of reverence and worship that permeated the whole service, and beauty too. Not a word was wasted.
On a slightly different note, I came across a squirrel fight on the way home - they were running after each other at the top of this tree. It brought back memories of the haunting Beatrix Potter book ‘The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes’ which I always found particularly eerie, especially the birds’ call…who’s-been-digging-up my-nuts? *shudder*.
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