Choral Evensong

Evensong at Kings was an extraordinary experience.

The – I’d forgotten how vast it is – Chapel was warm. The congregation felt like around 200 in number and a significant proportion was under 40. It felt as if their religious and cultural backgrounds were very diverse. Yet they seem to be plugged into this most Anglican form of worship.

Next year, our diocese will focus on ‘Worship which renews and inspires’ from the Nine Marks of Mission. And here is worship – particularly the music – which arises from the semi-darkness and the vast spaces of the chapel. No effort to overdo welcome or accessibility – it isn’t needed in that sense.

As I sat there, I wondered if the experience of many members of the congregation was akin to my feelings at Rowan Williams’ Gifford Lecture last week – that I knew myself to be in the presence of something of sublime quality but wasn’t quite sure what it was,