Easter in Canterbury

Exactly four years ago at this moment (5:30am, GST) I was on a charter bus crossing the English countryside to celebrate Easter morning in Canterbury and hear Archbishop Rowan Williams preach. I would have slept in and missed the bus if my wonderful fiance hadn't called to wake me up (a deed for which I am forever grateful!!). I attended morning vespers, communion, and finally the Easter Sunday service. It was fantastic. Not only did I get to hear Archbishop Williams preach and shake his hand while gushing about my love for his writings (I read several of his books and essays for different classes in Oxford), but I also got to meet and speak with Sister Benedicta Ward, who is a scholar and who has translated the work of the ancient Desert Fathers, giving English speaking Christians access to this part of our rich tradition. It was so powerful to worship with these siblings in Christ in Canterbury, the heart of Anglicanism and the center from which Christianity spread to England in the first century. It was an experience like no other and was definitely one of my favorite memories of living in England!