Today we pray for the Fulmer Industry/Education Project

 

by Ron Lewin

Eric Duckworth and I were invited to a St Georges House residential Conference at Windsor Castle, in connection with the Fulmer Industry/Education project. The weekend started with dinner and an opportunity to meet the other guests. On such occasions The Dean of St George’s Chapel joins the Dinner and invites guests to attend any Services during their stay. As you may know St Georges Chapel is a Royal Peculiar and the Dean is directly responsible to the Queen and not to the Archbishop.

Breakfast was at 7.30 am and Morning Prayer at 8.00 am is held in the Chancel.

The small congregation arrives around 7.45 am for private prayer and contemplation and a few minutes before the service the Dean takes his place. The chapel goes completely still and at precisely 8.00 am a small bell strikes.

This service has been part of the Anglican rite for centuries and prayers are said for the Head of the Royal Family and selected members of the Royal household.

I arrived only just in time and as the chapel bell rang the alarm on my digital computer greeted us with a jolly tune. The Dean looked straight ahead and continued with the service. In the dark chapel I tried to locate the off button with my shaking hand and after what seemed like an age the music stopped.

I tried the prayer of a well known Nun when the wheel of her cart came off in a pond ‘Lord, if this is how you treat one of your friends I am pleased that I am not one of your enemies’.

As I started to recover from this trauma I remembered that in ten minutes my alarm would play a reminder tune but I was not sure whether it was still on.

The mental strain was monumental in this place of peace.

What would you have done?

Feb 2020

FRHG ref: V858