VWPilgrim

First published 28th May 2023

The Dean of Ely had asked if I could come to evensong the night before presiding at the Eucharist, so that afterwards we could go through what happens at 8am Friday.  I was told I could park in the south car park, I wasn’t sure which car park this was so checked with the verger and discovered that it was the trade

sman’s entrance around the back.  This time I wasn’t blocked by a yellow barrier but by hordes of smartly dressed school children. They seemed to find it very amusing that this old rusty campervan was put-putting it’s way up to the cathedral, taking pictures as I made my way to the parking spot next to the bins.

The parking spot was identified by a cone that read “RESERVED Maher 16:30 – End”.  To the end of what?  The end of evensong? The end of the day?  The end of all time when our Lord Jesus shall return and the all the earth shall be judged?  Did the verger know something we didn’t?  I concluded that this is where I was expected to stay the night, so rather than be next to the bins I reversed into a more aesthetically pleasing spot and repositioned the cone, hoping that no one would notice.

Despite the fact that Ely is only 15 miles away from where I live anyone who drives around Cambridge knows that trying to get out of the city and along the A10 means you need to give yourself plenty of time for what should only take 20 mins.  This meant I arrived with a good hour to spare.  I thought it would be a nice to sit in this amazing, beautiful building, pray and enjoy some peace.  Only it wasn’t that peaceful.  Tourists were still mooching around taking pictures and talking in loud hushed voices that we only use in cathedrals, museums and art galleries.  Then the choir started to arrive, door slamming and running back and forth as they sought discover where evensong would be that night.

I wondered if it would be any quieter in my seat.  I’m an honorary canon of the cathedral which means I have a special seat in the choir which is mine to sit in whenever I attend.  I haven’t actually sat in it since I was installed last October, despite lots of invitations to services, and I didn’t make it this time either.

I was gently, but persistently pursued by one of the stewards, who I don’t think quite believed I was clergy let alone a canon.  Given the motorbike t-shirt I was wearing combined with the hoodie and scruffy jeans I suppose I can’t blame her.  I thought I’d lost her, but as I approached the stalls she popped out of nowhere, politely telling me that this area was now closed to the public, pulling across a blue rope barring entry.  “Evensong will be in the lady chapel” I was informed.

The lady chapel has a wonderful joyful statue of Mary praising God and is the place that clergy robe for services when we all come together.  This is the first time that I’d been to a service there and again, like in St Paul’s we sat around the edge.  Unlike St Paul’s lush comfy cushions and dark warm wooded pews, here we were to sit in stone alcoves around the walls.

Following the service, beautifully led by the choir, Mark, the Dean showed me how they do things in Ely.  None of the slap dash just turn up here!  To be honest before I arrived i did think do we really need a rehearsal?

One of the things on my list of reasons to be cheerful and someone I am constantly grateful for at the Good Shepherd is Ruth, our volunteer administrator.  Ruth does lots of little things that make life easier for the clergy in the church.  Ely cathedral doesn’t have a Ruth, so that meant there was no folder all made up with the order of service and everything you need in it.  Here we had a book for the saints, (it was the day we remembered St Augustine) two A4 sheets for the cycles of prayer, a lectionary book for the readings and the service book with ribbons marking the appropriate places – lots of ribbons.  The red ribbon was where you started, you then turned to the black ribbon for the introduction to the confession, back to the red ribbon (plus one page) then onto the purple ribbon for the collect of the day (the ‘collect’ of the day collects all our prayers and the churches around the world together).  Then open the book of readings, back to the service book (red ribbon plus two, or three pages), then to the black ribbon for the intercessions, check the prayer list and pray for the right people on the right day (it’s the 26th?), then the green ribbon for the eucharistic prayer, then the gold ribbon for the post communion part then finally back to the black ribbon for the blessing.  THIS is why we needed a rehearsal, and why I shouldn’t have to much wine tonight I thought.  

I assured the Dean that I would look more clerical in the morning and I went looking for a pub.  Found a very nice pub, and maybe because I didn’t have a black lab, or maybe because I was reading ‘murder before evensong’ in a small city dominated by a huge cathedral, nobody said hello!  Suited me to be honest and I headed out into the lovely still evening ready for a peaceful nights sleep.

Only it wasn’t that peaceful. It was 4am when I first heard the cathedral bells chime, at least that’s when they woke me up, I fell asleep only for them to wake me at 5am, I slept through the 6am chimes but was woken at 6:20am by the bin lorry emptying the bins.  I gave up, made coffee and set about making myself look more like a vicar.  Only, it wasn’t a drastic change, my blue jeans swapped for black Jeans, T-shirt for blue clerical shirt and the same hoody- still the alb will cover a multitude of sins.

I arrived for morning prayer surprised to see about a dozen people sitting near the high altar all hunched over thier phones. Funny time to be checking Facebook I thought, then I was reminded by a lovely lady that we don’t use books in Ely, we use the Daily Prayer app. I scurried back to the vestry to retrieve my phone and opened the app, resisting the urge to check twitter. After morning prayer I returned to the vestry to put on my robes. I don’t normally wear a causable (the poncho thing that goes over the alb) but when in Rome, or the cathedral. And this was a particularly lovely chasuble. I was touched as I put it on to see the little note sewn inside asking me to remember the lady who made it. The lining matched my shirt, perfect, I think I would have liked Dorothy

Communion was also in the lady chapel but the congregation had chairs this time. I employed my ‘this is me being prayerful and holy not lost’ face  as I carefully followed the ribbons around the book. A skill learnt as Bishop’s chaplain. Soon I relaxed into the privilege of leading others in worship in such a wonderful place.  The service went off without a hitch, one close moment when I used the Pall (a peace of cardboard covered in linen) to prevent a rather large bluebottle taking it’s morning plunge into the chalice.  Another skill learnt as bishop’s chaplain.  Nice chat’s to the congregation afterwards including one with a stagecoach bus driver, together sharing stories of Cambridge roadworks and cyclists and the adventure it is getting around the city in a vehicle!

Following on from the service I was treated to a very nice breakfast by the Dean and we chatted about life in a cathedral.  After this I put Molly, back into day mode, and set off to find the intriguingly named ‘three cups lane’.  Never did find out why it was called that but did find the very nice Sophie’s tea room where I met the new vicar of Littleport, Natalie.  Natalie was part of a really helpful group of clergy who walked with me in my recovery from my brain aneurysm, and encouraged me back into work. She had changed jobs about 3 years ago, working for the national church, but is now back in the diocese and it was good to catch up with all that she’s doing and the vision for Littleport.

When I got home, I pulled into a slightly different spot on the drive than where I normally park. I noticed a sprinkling of fresh oil where Molly had been when we got back from London.

Oh oh…