Today, after a long day of touring, we thought we’d like to go to church. But not in just any church. We wanted to go to a church service at Westminster Abbey where the royal family hold their coronations, weddings and funeral services. The 5:00pm Evensong service was open to the public, so we were able to attend. When we entered, we were given programs so that we could follow along and respond during the service.
The church was huge with beautiful stained glass windows and a high arched ceiling. It was so big, it could have easily fit my church, All Saints in there more than 10 times! We sat in the chairs while we waited for the service to begin, soaking up the church’s atmosphere and beauty. Everyone stood up when the clergy entered, and when instructed, we all sat back down again.
The Anglican service was unfamiliar to me, but I was still able to follow along and understand what was happening. The Lord’s Prayer and the Creed were pretty close to the ones at our church, which surprised me. Later, I learned that King Henry the eighth of England created the Anglican Church, when he decided he didn’t want to follow the Catholic Pope’s rule any longer because he wanted to divorce his Catharine of Arragon and marry Anne Boleyn.
This was an amazing experience and has inspired our family to visit other churches and places of worship around the world to learn about other religions that we don’t know much about.
Comments
11 responses to “The First of Many New Religious Experiences”
Henry the 8th is an interesting monarch with a colourful history, and many wives. Though a religion was created for her in the end Anne did not fare that well…..I hope you enjoy your survey of religion, it is fascinating stuff, with many commonalities between seemingly different churches and religions, which makes the unfortunate state of world affairs in the name of religion that much more unfortunate…..keep your mind open, you are certainly filling it with some good stuff!
I’ve learned a lot about England’s fascinating history with people like Henry the 8th. He was an interesting king because he changed England’s religious pathway and was very good at getting things done, but he wasn’t a very nice person. I’ve learned that many things both good and bad have been done in the name of religion.
From,
Mikhaila
What a beautifull experience! Enjoy every moment with your family and have fun discovering new cultures and religions. We will continue following your travels and adventures via your family’s blog. Say Hi to the Queen for us :)))
Stéphane, Isabelle, Karianne and Zoé
We were going to Buckingham Palace to have tea with the Queen, but unfortunately, she is at her summer home until October. We did have tea with our new friends, and that was lots of fun!
From,
Mikhaila
How great to be exposed to a variety of places of worship and ideologies. Can’t wait for you to do a comparison of Hinduism, Buddhism and other sects!
Hi Iniyal! I have had the opportunity to visit some places of worship, like a mosque and a Hindu temple, with my school, and I’m excited to learn more about different religions on our trip. Stay tuned for more….
From,
Mikhaila
I love Westminster Abbey too Mikhaila. I remember completing some brass rubbings there. A beautiful church. Have you seen St. Paul’s Cathedral yet?
Glad you are having fun. Love Teta doreen
Hello Teta Doreen! Thank you for commenting on my post! We did get the chance to see St. Paul’s Cathedral from the outside. I thought it was a beautiful building! Did you know that the architect, named Sir Christopher Wren (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/wren_christopher.shtml), also created many other things, such as The Monument in London, some of the buildings in Oxford University, many buildings destroyed in the Great Fire of London, the Naval Observatory in Greenwich, and many others we haven’t seen yet.
Love,
Mikhaila
Hi, Mikhaila, I enjoyed reading your post. You are so lucky to be at so many places were history was made. It is nice that you all take time to enjoy some quiet time for reflection but also learn about the different religions. I can imagine that the size of Westminster Abbey must be overwhelming. XOXO’s
Hi Oma! Thanks for commenting! Westminster Abbey was really big! I’m excited to learn more and enjoy reading all of your great feedback!
Love,
Mikhaila
Hi Mikhaila,
I’m very glad that you where able to visit Westminster Abbey! It is so steeped in history!
Love, Baba