Today I sat in Bristol Cathedral for an hour before an appointment. This was a rare opportunity to do nothing but think and watch, without interruption. I watched an Italian-looking girl genuflecting twice before the altar, a Catholic practice in an Anglican cathedral. And I saw two of the cathedral workers tidying the huge paschal candle, which is lit for Easter. These candles are very substantial, like the example pictured here. This one was about three feet long and very heavy. One man removed it from its stand and took it away. Another brought a dustbin and removed the flower arrangement of white, gold and green from the candle holder, and replaced it with another arrangement. Then the candle, duly trimmed of molten wax at the top, was brought back over the first man's shoulder - they will break if carried in two hands - and the whole thing, stand and candle, was moved back into the quire, to stand near the altar. When I had first seen it, it had been by the temporary altar placed in the nave for the morning service. Then one of the men swept up the mess of dead flowers etc from the floor. This was a simple job for them, but one but done with care and commitment, a routine but not routine task in the life of a building dedicated to prayer. For an atheist, prayer is a difficult subject; but many atheists feel strangely at home in churches. In future posts, I hope to say more about other churches which I have been in and have felt - something.
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