Sunday 1 March 2009

St Michael's and All Angels


YIC attended the morning service at the local Anglican Church in Te Anau - St Michaels and All Angels. The church doesn't have a priest celebrating every Sunday, and today was the turn of the laity to lead the service. The regular congregation was doubled in size by visitors. The organist was away, so the hymn tunes had been recorded in advance. This led to some interesting singing, as the congregation attempted to keep up with the absent organist who played the hymns at a fair old lick. Afterwards, it emerged that one of the visitors was an organist, so there was some impromptu rendition again of the hymns. The church was truly hospitable and offered great fellowship to the visitors. Here is the prayer from the service sheet which is quite appropriate for those on holiday.

Give us today the courage
To live the life that we would love
To postpone our dreams no longer
But do at last what we came here for
and to waste our hearts on fear no more.