Les-b-in the house of the Lord!

By Sal Kovech

Volume 1, Issue 6

September 23^rd 2001
St Botolphs, Aldgate

There is something very spiritual to me about the smell of incense. I was brought up in a church who used it every other week and the smell that met me in St Botolphs reminded me of those past days, when worries of jobs and overdrafts were no where to be found. The service today didn't include incense, which is a pity, but the smell was a welcome sign to me that here I could find God. Strange sentiments maybe, but it worked for me!

It is a middle of the road Anglican Church, the location for the LGCM annual Christmas carol service. Probably one of the most inclusive churches around, offering a warm welcome to those of us of the less than straight variety! The service was a communion but included some nice worship songs and hymns. I liked the service a lot and it gave me a flavour of the more evangelical worship within the realms of the high Eucharist that I am used to.

My only concern was that there were very few females present the week I went - I am reliably informed that there are more most weeks. It was a church that I would feel very comfortable in and would like to revisit. The sermon was a moving account by the woman priest who was visiting from her work in Swaziland. She included some shock statistics about the numbers of people dying from HIV over there. The life expectancy is due to fall to 27 in 10 years time. Her work includes education and worship to the rural communities. It was a humbling talk and although not a usual sermon, it was a nice change to the norm.

Marks out of ten please - 8/10 (due to the lack of female companions for me!)

Back to 5^th article (St. Margaret's, Westminster)
Forward to 7^th article (Holy Trinity and St Peters, Wimbledon)