Praise Without Joy?

Did I mention we went to Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at Winchester Cathedral?

It is an amazingly complex structure with stained glass windows, beautiful sculptures, large intricate archways, upon archways upon archways... it's magnificent, really!

So you can imagine how disappointed I was to find Christmas Eve, mid-night mass totally and absolutely void of any emotion, joy or spirit!

There were hundreds of people out at 11:30 PM to praise their Lord and give thanks for everything they have in their lives... but the space was empty.

We sat on the side, looking in towards the center pews and I watched the congregation stare blankly at the Vicar delivering the sermon. Their eyes dead and faces blank of any emotion. They dutifully repeated and responded appropriately to his words (which even he didn't seem to be to excited about!) "Peace be with you," he would say, "...and also with you," was the robotic, monotone response.

The choir sang angelically. Their amazing voices reverberated through the archways like the sweet smell of the incense, but still the congregation was not moved. They sat, staring blankly at the alter.

I closed my eyes and tried really hard to feel "it." You know, that sense of joy, peace, well being. I just wanted on this holy night to feel "Christmas," but nothing.

The next day, wandering around the town, in the early hours when most everyone was still at home, we came across The Church of St Swithin Upon Kingsgate. A very small unassuming structure that could have easily been missed if one had blinked!

We walked up a short, narrow flight of old wooden stairs and pulled open a door (which weighed a ton) and stepped into a small, simple, empty space that immediately demanded our full attention.

It was nothing more than white plaster walls, simple wooden pews, two stained glass windows at either end of the room and some beautiful rustic wooden beams in the ceiling.... but this room was filled with history, peace, joy and yes the holy spirit was present! I had found "Christmas."

You could sense the joy, sorrow, praise and doubt. You could almost see the weddings, funerals, baptisms and feel the emotions of the hundreds of people people who have passed through those doors in the last 750. If that room could talk.

We stayed for many minutes, not talking, not moving... just looking and listening to the quiet and feeling the peace within the room. We took a few photos and left, leaving a generous donation so that they can hopefully keep this wonderful joyous place open to the public!

I know it's after the fact but "Merry Christmas" I pray that you find the joy and peace of "Christmas" throughout the new year!