Controlled Chaos

One of the effects of the local elections in May was that the Mayor-elect of Hornington ceased to be Mayor-elect as he was ejected along with a phalanx of his fellow Conservative councillors, and a new Mayor had hurriedly to be found. Paula stepped into the breach, a longstanding Lib Dem councillor for Swanvale Halt and a member of our congregation. She chose to have her Civic Service in our church, assembled a choir from local schools, and chose a set of readings including a letter from Charles M Schulz (not written to her). It was all fun and given the underlying slight chip-on-the-shoulder relationship between Swanvale Halt village and Hornington town proper, a relationship traditionally expressed in part through political differences, had a tiny, tiny sharp edge to it all. 

None of us knew what was going on, really, though we should have done, least of all me. Choreography was not the service's strong point and at no time has the key Anglican liturgical dictum 'walk in straight lines and turn at right angles and nobody will know the difference' been such wise advice. But the youngsters singing Rutter's The Lord Bless You and Keep You (a piece I loathe, but that's beside the point) won all hearts and everyone enjoyed themselves, even, I suspect, the remaining Conservative councillors who mumbled a little in discontent as one of the hymns was set to the tune of the Ode to Joy.