pageantry

{this cool photo of Notre Dame taken by Jill}

On Sunday we all went to church (last week only Marc went -- we were all too jet-lagged, but he felt obligated to go for his students). Since we last were here, they have combined two branches to form a ward. It was nice to see that they have a French bishop, too, as so often the leadership is made up of visiting Americans.

The makeshift chapel in the institute building was filled to overflowing, something I had never seen before in Paris. Another recent innovation is the addition of headsets that can be used to listen to a live English translation, done by one of the missionaries. They ran out, so my boys didn't get any, but I think it was a great relief to Lucas, who was concerned about not understanding anything and had prayed that they would have an English meeting (we told him they sometimes do).

We discovered that they also conduct an English Sacrament Meeting when there is a demand for it -- there was on Sunday, so Lucas was thrilled. It was an interesting meeting, made up largely of tourists just passing through, and a few families who are living here. It was testimony meeting, and we heard some interesting ones. There seemed to be a theme to the meeting of contrasting the cathedrals of France to our humble little buildings, to the cathedrals' detriment. Much was made of the pageantry of the cathedrals, the "costumes", the rituals, the candles, the stained glass, etc. Many people commented on how stark and cold the cathedrals were, and how they couldn't feel the Spirit there, whereas they did feel it in the stark, white, ordinary Institute.

Marc and I both came away feeling disturbed by the meeting. What about the admonition we have been given to seek out truth and light wherever we may encounter it? I for one am generally awestruck when I enter the cathedrals we visit. I find great beauty and a hushed reverence there that is very conducive to feeling the Spirit (with the exception of our recent visit to Sacre-Coeur, when they were having mass with thousands of tourists milling about -- that just felt wrong). And what of the attention to beauty and detail that we find in our LDS temples?

Marc felt the need to have a discussion with his students about the meeting and the attitudes that prevailed there. He urged them to have an open mind and heart while visiting the churches of Paris and just while living here in general. I think we will have a similar family home evening lesson with our children. One of our reasons for bringing them here is to have them experience a different culture and to see the beauty and the good they can take from it. I would love for them to take away a tolerance for others' differences and an appreciation for cultures different from our own. Now I just have to be a good example of that!

I was delighted to read Jill's post today about her experience at Notre Dame. Her feelings coincide exactly with mine (no great shock). I showed the post to Marc and he is going to tell his students about it for reinforcement of their discussion yesterday.

Going to church in France is always an adventure!