Sunday Services

I've just spent the last 3 hours doing homework. BLECK! I hate homework. I had to stretch my critical thinking muscles and exercise my textbook endurance. I now feel mentally and emotionally sore. Homework should not exist when there is London goodness to be experienced.

But now all that is over! And I can blog! Yay!

So near the end of our late walk on Saturday, we discovered that church starts at 9, not 11 has we had been lead to believe. No sleeping in for us! Showered and dress-clad, we walked to the beautiful church building.

 

Looks a little like a temple, right? It has a visitor's center with really cool videos about our beliefs and church history. And they have a pipe organ! It's magnificent. (Confession...I didn't take this picture. You may stone me now for using an internet picture.)

And guess what? The church really is the same worldwide! Well, the doctrine, at least. :] It was really great and it was fascinating to listen to all the accents. I don't think they'll ever get old.

After our church, we got on the tube to attend evensong at Westminster Abbey. It was SPECTACULAR. There is something to be said for the ornateness and craftsmanship that goes into those huge churches.

Ok, this post is currently holding the record for worst pictures ever. But the last thing that was on my mind was whipping out my phone snapping pictures. So sorry-not-sorry there are no pictures of the front. No pictures inside, either (obviously, that would be inappropriate).

The service was incredible. Right when you step into that building, the sacred hush envelopes you as your eyes follow the walls all the way up to the incredible vaulted ceilings. The history of the building made me feel so insignificant, without belittling me. It sounds cliché, but the interiors of these churches make your mouth open. A large, beautiful pipe organ was playing hymns and it gave me goose bumps. Just before the service started, the organ swelled and filled the whole abbey, playing with all its glory for the worship of God. It was indescribable, and even pictures and video couldn't have done it justice. The sermon was also beautiful.

Before you scoffers scoff at the thought and 'incorrectness' of a paid clergy, there is something to be said for a professional sermon. It was....eloquent. Lyrical. Funny. Insightful. He preached about St. Paul and his flaws, and that we, just as he did, can overcome our flaws and become followers of Christ. The choir was amazing. Again, there is something to be said for a professional organ and choir that are in perfect harmony and release perfectly together to echo through the abbey.

Now before I rile anybody to rebuking comments, I'm not criticizing our (my) church. I don't want to become Anglican or Catholic or anything other than I am. But the Spirit was present here as well, and the LDS Church, though I know it to be the only completely illuminated, true church, doesn't have a monopoly on righteousness or God's love. The organ filling the huge space with its worship as we left and a woman was brought to tears, and her devotion and her feelings aren't counterfeit or false.

In short, it was an experience I won't soon forget.

We walked around the building afterwards and just admired the general splendor that is Westminster.

Then I got home, finally changed out of my dress, chilled, did a tiny bit of homework (emphasis on the tiny), and Skyped with mine family!

They were using the Xbox One and Kinect *aaahCOUGHSPONSORcough* So tricksey!

 

We talked to everyone....but Valene. PFFFFT.

Kaitlin's screen froze on this, and it looks like she died. So I took a picture to remember the moment. :D

 

After a little bit, most of our conversation was pulling faces and playing with the camera.



Overall, a very wonderful Sunday.