Today we began by staying here in Salisbury and taking communion in the Anglican Cathedral. It was very nice of the priest to give us instructions so we could follow along. The liturgy was so similar to what we have in the UMC that we knew a lot of it by heart. Behind him was this modern art installation of pillars that were lamps. They are reminiscent of the Easter Island stone carvings and each pillar lamp represents a disciple. The juxtaposition between the ancient cathedral and the modern art should have been jarring but it wasn’t. It was actually beautiful and compelling. I posted some photos I took after worship to facebook a few minutes ago so you could see.
We met some lovely friends from the British Methodist churches who serve in Salisbury. They taught us about the structure of the church appointments and how they all work. It is very different from our own system in many ways. Each appointment is for 5 years unless something awful happens. Every minister in the system is paid the same based on your years of service regardless of the church you serve. Every minister is part of a circuit and has responsibilities for more than one congregation. Each circuit can have up to 9 areas of responsibility. Several ministers, elder and deacon, work together to serve the circuit. I hope that as we do the realignment of the districts and we develop these “mission strategy teams” that we can find a way to work together as they do here. It seems a much healthier was to serve in unison instead of against each other in a competition.
The afternoon was spent in free time so I went to see Stonehenge. It was on my bucket list. I find it fascinating and beautiful because it is 5000 years old and yet people were trying to connect with their God through this place. Really, it was the oldest “cathedral” that I will see. We weren’t allowed to touch it or stand in the center due to concerns about erosion and vandalism. I thought it wouldn’t resonate with me because of this but I was wrong. It was awe inspiring. So big. Pictures do not do it justice. I can’t help admiring these people who managed feats of engineering that are so exceptional. It is a holy place. I thought I could take my time because I didn’t have my family but the people in my group were much faster than I. Not everyone is fascinated with ancient cultures like I am. I hope to come back.
Ended the day having glasses of wine with my new friends and laughing a lot. Not much better than that.
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