The Godfather

Yesterday I had to get up far too early for a Sunday.

Partly my fault, cos there's a photo I've been hoping to get for a couple of weeks which I thought required me shooting it soon after sunrise. I was wrong. As I found out yesterday. It's either just before sunrise. Or a couple of hours after.

Partly cos these two ladies (snotty nose and all) got baptised at the ungodly hour of 8am.

It was the first church service I've been to for years. Last time I was in this church was for the kids parents wedding nearly 10 years ago. There have been a couple of memorial services, and a funeral or two, but nothing full on church service like yesterday.

From memory the last church service I went to was midnight mass at the Catholic Cathedral in Seville in 1998 - just the place for a born and bred Anglican to be spending Christmas Eve. Interestingly enough, at least I thought it was, the service was in Latin and the only locals in attendance seemed to be those taking the service. All them damned tourists were there probably hoping to get a taste of the Spanish Christmas only to discover the Sevillians knew better.

Anyway, growing up we always did the 10am service. I'm not sure I've ever been to an 8am service before. And crikey, talk about Gothic. I guess it was what they call High Anglican. The music was so heavy, and whoever wrote it seemed to think the melody and the lyrics didn't have to work together in any way. So you get a room full of people half mumbling words cos they can't quite figure out what they should be singing where.

My memory of church was that, boring as it was, at least there was a sense of joy, of lightness, to it. Yesterday, however it was heavy.

I was there to state before God that "I believe and trust In God the Father, maker and sustainer of all things; and in God the Son, my saviour Jesus Christ; and in God the Holy Spirit, giver of life and truth. This is my faith." And "I will love this child and share my faith with her/him." And "In faith I turn to Christ, my way, my truth, my life, as I care for this child."

I wasn't struck down, so I guess God (being omniscient) realised that I was there for my family and not for Him/Her, and decided that taking out an avowed agnostic two days before Christmas might not be the best look for the church.