Getting started in Chantilly

 Well, we're back in France again, for our six-week locum ministry at St Peter's, Chantilly. It's our third visit here, and it is good to be back in action - even though we probably needed a little longer for our turn-round from Izmir!

Our journey here was uneventful; drive from Axminster to Portsmouth, ferry to Ouistreham, and more driving across to Chantilly - mostly using D roads, which are slower, but much more interesting that autoroutes. We were met at the church by a couple we knew from previous visits, who9 kindly took us to lunch before we got on with unpacking.

I had been warned that we would hit the road running, as there was a funeral in the church on the morning after we arrived - and they wanted it all in French. A friend of the deceased had been booked to take most of the service, but I presided, and spoke the opening sentences and introduction, as well as giving the blessing. With Jo's help, we worked out the 'script', and it appears my French was comprehensible!

Our first service on Sunday was a Eucharist. We received a warm welcome, and it was good to recognise just over half the congregation of 25 (our last visit must have been in 2017.) Numbers have dropped, for various reasons, including Covid-19, and there are few young people, which is a shame, as there was quite a lively group here before, But it felt good, and there was a real sense of focus and togetherness in the worship. There was an opportunity to meet people afterwards, with coffee and a bring-and-share lunch.

So now we are beginning to settle and starting to discern what our ministry will be here. There obviously are some unhealed wounds from the past, but also the beginnings of an expectation of a new start, which we must try to encourage and nurture. Watch this space!

Chantilly is an elegant town, with a population of just over 10,000. It's dominated by its very splendid Chateau with its gardens and estate, and by the Hippodrome, as this is one of the principal centres of horse-racing in France (the town is twinned with Epsom.) The Grand Stables host a museum of the horse, and regular displays of dressage and horsemanship; and at that end of the town there are some elegant 19th century buildings. Around the town are extensive woods, with many footpaths, but also alleys reserved each morning for horses being put through their paces.

We've enjoyed a couple of walks, beside a canal, and through the woods. And we've got back into exploring French supermarkets, and getting our morning baguettes from bakers that display a wonderful and tempting array of cakes. After church we were generously given the money to buy a railway pass for the local TER trains, which will enable us to travel at half-price, We bought the pass today at the station (the woman at the ticket office was amused when I showed my passport as proof of identity, and said, 'I'm British, unfortunately.')

France is currently going through similar experiences as many other countries, with increasing food and heating costs. One difference from the UK is that France has powerful and vociferous unions, and a long history of public demonstrations. There will be strikes in a number of industries and activities tomorrow - railways, nurseries, some schools - on top of an ongoing dispute at oil refineries, which means many petrol stations are closed, and those that are open have long (sometime very long) queues of cars waiting to fill up. There is some alarm in the country, as the All-Saints half-term holiday begins this weekend, and there may be difficulties for people wanting to travel - the French take their holidays very seriously... We are fine at the moment, but our ability to explore the Hauts de France may be limited. Again, watch this space!

Not much more to reflect on this time. If you pray, please pray for us to have wisdom and discernment in our ministry (and it would be nice, to be able to travel by train, and get some petrol before too long!)