when I spoke with the parental units last weekend, my mom told me about an easter card she'd almost mailed me. if I remember correctly, it featured a picture of a church on the front with a couple creatures in deep discussion about what this edifice could possibly be.


and that's hardly fair. I wouldn't go so far as to say I attend church religiously, in any sense of the word, but my experiences with it are varied and ever-growing.


I own a Bible. not entirely sure where it is at the moment, but I couldn't tell you where my keys are either. I know most of the 10 commandments and I generally obey them too. I can recite the Lord's prayer and (an abridged and interpretive version of) the Apostle's Creed. I know about Noah's ark, Moses in the basket, and the prodigal son. I have traipsed through many a house of God in my day.


just since september, I have visited cathedrals and/or churches in manchester, sheffield, neuchatel, london, coventry, chester, stratford-upon-avon and paris. I sat through an evensong in a (delightfully heated) church in warwick and attended most of christmas eve service at the sacre coeur (after paying my respects to the moulin rouge and wandering through the red light district).


so you see, I am not the impious wretch my mom makes me out to be. in fact, I quite like churches. I like their organs. I like their silence. I like their ceilings and crypts and stained glass windows. I like their heating systems, especially if I've been wandering around in the cold all day. and I love the many opportunities they present for the keen photographer.


the chapel at versailles. note ceiling and organ. hmmm. and note off-centeredness of photo.





the church in coventry that wasn't bombed.





stained glass window in chester (from trip last weekend).





pretty colours from the windows, also in chester.





chapel at the tower of london.