We have been in Chantilly for ten days now,
and feel comfortably ‘at home.’ We arrived on the eve of Ascension Day, so we
could take the evening service on Ascension Day – which is a public holiday
here in France, despite the separation of church and state. Today – Pentecost
Monday – is also a public holiday, and warm and sunny, so people are out and
enjoying themselves.
We had a week visiting new places before we
came here. On our arrival in Caen, we drove to Chalons-en-Champagne (near
Reims), which has some attractive churches and buildings (and is home to the
Perrier champagne house.) From there we drove to Strasbourg, stopping at
Verdun, which was the scene of a year-long battle, with hundreds of thousands
of casualties, in the first World War.
It was our first visit to Strasbourg in
Alsace, which of course has had a complex history, having been both German and
French at various times. The city itself is very attractive: many half-timbered
houses, shops and restaurants, and a cathedral with a tall spire (and some of
the loudest church bells and organ I’ve ever heard!)
It is a centre of European unity, with one
of the bases for the EU parliament, the home of the European Court of Justice
and the Council of Europe; thankfully the UK is still a member of the two
latter organisations. We were staying with young Turkish friends, who work for
the Turkish delegation to the Council. (Jo taught Canan when she was 8, and
came to Exeter; her father was doing research at the University. We’ve seen her
a couple of times in Izmir, where her family live.) They looked after us
wonderfully.
Our visit to Strasbourg, following our
visit to Verdun, where a Peace Museum next to the Cathedral stressed the
significance of a united Europe following the conflicts of the 20th
century, made us even sadder than before at Britain’s absurd decision to leave
the EU. We had a wonderful experience of internationalism when our Turkish
friends drove us in their Swedish car, across the Rhine to have lunch at a
German beer-garden.
Strasbourg was also interesting for the
co-existence of Catholic and Protestant Christians. Several of the medieval
churches are home to Protestant congregations. Albert Schweitzer was pastor of
one of these before he went to Gabon. At another church, he had played the
organ – as had a young Mozart a century
before. We spent the weekend in Strasbourg, and on our drive to Chantilly
stayed overnight at Méziėres-Charleville, reaching Chantilly via Soissons, with splendid
abbey ruins.
We’ve had some good services at St Peter’s.
Pentecost Sunday was especially powerful for us. The church is coming to the
end of an Alpha course, and we’ve attended two sessions, enjoying the lunch and
discussion, but also the videos on evil and Christian healing (familiar
subjects for us both!) The church is now in the ninth month of vacancy, which
puts pressure on the lay leadership, who seem to be doing a good job. It’s a
lively and friendly international congregation. But it is increasingly
difficult for Anglican churches in Europe, as the effects of Brexit are evident
in a reluctance of English-speakers to move to Europe for work, and so
difficulty of recruitment.
We’re enjoying our time in France – helped
by excellent weather. We visited Paris last week, and saw two excellent
exhibitions at the Picasso museum, as well as enjoying some flânerie in the Marais, and Montmartre. We’ve had some good
walks in the area. Next Sunday, Chantilly will be even busier than usual, as
the first big race meeting of the year, the Prix de Jockey-Club takes
place; that should be interesting!
Over the next few weeks, as well as leading
worship (which we do together) we expect to be offering more pastoral and
prayer ministry. (If you pray, please remember us in that.) We feel there is still some healing of the
past needed by the church, which has some good resources and committed
believers.
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