I went to the Merton College Chapel today for evensong. The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Birmingham, preached. The lessons were Jeremiah 3.11–18 and Jude vv 1–4, 17–end. He related a visit to Dachau, where he could but kept silence until praying with the Psalms. He learnt the truth that liturgy is not ours, but given to us. (There was a liturgical symposium held by the Society of St Catherine of Siena.)

I was thinking that I would have been to 5 services by the end this week (St Columba’s on Sunday; communion at Mansfield College chapel on Tuesday; Mansfield evening service on Wednesday; Merton Friday; and John Wesley Society day retreat Saturday). I hope one day I organize my life so that I can go to church for a bit every day.

Also, I have been thinking that in a low-carbon world, point-oriented (short-period, high-throughput) tourism will have to be replaced by trail-oriented pilgrimages or area-oriented mission. It will become
more gentle and more relational. This may require a longer holiday period per annum for each person.