We returned to Geneva together on 6^th January with Kinsie, one of our US students who had been travelling and seeing the sights of London during the break. Arriving at Gatwick departures I was able to tell Anna that she was famous at last, for I had just managed to see half of “The Cathedral” before setting off from Coulsdon…and there she was as were many of SEITE students filmed during the Good Friday Devotions .

We were greeted very warmly by those who had to stay at Bossey for Christmas; who had been unable to get home to their families.  They were glad to have the community back in its entirety. On Friday 12^th January we had a small celebration of that community with a renewal of Baptismal vows service(led by Linda and Edward pictures below). The vital centrality of the WCC and Ecumenism is that we are of one faith, one baptism and acknowledge one  Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Common Prayer has been achieved with partial success, but there is a sadness for some that worship, particularly Eucharistic worship, is not encouraged by the staff nor well supported when the students offer it to the community. 

 

 We experienced the two Church of England ‘church-plants’ in the vicinity at Divonne-les-Bains, (just inside France..imagine part of your parish in another country!) and Gingins tiny village nestling beneath the Jura mountains. Paul the Chaplain and newly ordained Maree welcomed us very warmly as did the people of both churches.  There is always a lot of interest about Bossey and it is often host to Church away days, Ignation days, Quiet days etc. for the Anglicans in the Geneva area.  Our second pastoral support has been the Rev Marianne of La Terre Sainte parish (Holy Land parish) in which Bossey is situated. She hosted a fondue evening for the women on the courses at her lovely rambling 18^th century ‘vicarage’. It was great to be in a real home again, sat around huge kitchen table, chatting at times in 3 or 4 languages all at the same time….think that’s called babble or babel.

 At last we got what we were all waiting and hoping for…no not the exams cancelled…but snow! Snow started to fall thick and fast, a soft floaty type of snow (Railways would say ‘the wrong type of snow’..!) that continued falling for about 12 or so hours enough to give a 10cm blanket across the landscape; enough to deaden sound and transform the whole area from green to white. The lane to breakfast the next day was marvellous…transformed into a scene from Narnia or The Snow Queen stories. What do you think?         ( path to Chateau, lake Geneva in the distance., L-R Victor, Anna Linda Leonard, Avril, Nora, Gerard)   

Unlike the Brits, the Swiss are unperturbed by metres of snow, so this was but a dusting and life continued as if it wasn’t there. But we students got out making snowmen and playing just as children do. Some friends had never seen snow before now and so were really fascinated…’would it ruin my shoes, will I be able to get it off?’ ….’is this snow?’ …’its cold…why do you want to lay down in it and make snow angels…are you mad?’…These were just some of the questions and comments.    

These first weeks of February are the dreaded oral exam weeks! Each Graduate school student has 4. Two exams are informal around the Modules the student has taken. Two are very formal about detail of the Ecumenical movement and Ecumenical spirituality.  All around Petit Bossey, where we live, and the Chateau and Library, is hushed and quiet as the proverbial grave! No-one is seen except at prayers and meal-times where the conversation is limited to dates of conferences and details of documents.  Anna finished her exams last week and passed with flying colours. We hope and pray all our friends are successful this week.   

By the way…the snow has melted and the unseasonable hot weather has returned with endless blue skies! Global warming is definitely on the agenda for the Swiss after what has been their warmest winter since their records began. Just to give you an idea of how unusual this year has been…so far one week of snow….. last year, snow fell on 25^th November 2005 and remained until 25th March 2006 in this area.

December First Sunday of Advent, gave most of us a chance to get away and explore different and distant parts of Switzerland. Spending your visit to a Swiss parish in a german or romansch speaking Canton was probably like journeying to another land altogether! Avril, from Australia, had high hopes of having a foot (or three feet!) in 3 countries on her visit. Enchanted by the concept of being in a country which actually has borders with other countries, (unlike Oz) her ambition was achieved on her placement in Basle…which is at the geographical meeting point of Germany, Switzerland and France.

A thrilling but cathartic 30 minutes for Linda as European representative of Student body, recorded with Father Ioannes and Pastor Fritz-Gerald for Radio-Cite, Geneva. We were talking (or was it grilled) about the Institute’s 60th birthday. Will we get air time we wonder or were we rubbish! Don’t see a DJ or ‘thought for the day’  career on the horizon at all!

The weekend of Advent 2 was kicked off by the European cultural evening organised by the European students at Bossey. With Advent season common to us all it was an obvious thematic approach; hence the title ‘essence of Europe …in the Spirit of Christmas’ on our invitations. Fabulously the Menu was devised, prepared and cooked by the East European men…(.lots of pictures taken to prove it….. and their excellent example was not entirely lost on those from even more patriarchal cultural contexts!). The women and Andrej concentrated on the entertainment. Linda’s many years’ experience mulling wine for her MU branch came in useful. Anna’s second-to-none PR&PA and organisational skills were invaluable. She ran the night on a tight and effective schedule without which the essence of Europe would have perhaps have been more elusive.

So what did we eat you ask? For nibbles and starter while watching a power point projection of images from our European homelands,(Croydon was ably represented by Parish Church, trams and shopping alongside Royal family and scenic views from all over the UK), Bulgarian cheesy Banitza and Swiss fondue with mulled wine. Main course was Romanian Sarmale (meat in cabbage leaves), Greek, Green and Slovakian salads. For Pud; Russian blini followed by British mince pies.

Part of the ‘interactive’ entertainment involved how to enjoy Christmas crackers. A great British tradition seemingly unknown elasewhere in the world, lessons were given about how more fun was to be experienced when two people pull a cracker together, rather than d-i-y holding each end yourself, high over your head, with eyes shut tight or undoing the ends and seeing what falls out.

More interactive fun being taught a variety of ‘national dances’–whirling Greek and Hungarian numbers and more sedate Gay Gordons and English country dancing.  Marvellously talented musicians, who has definitely been hiding their ‘lights under bushells’  surprised us. Nora, our pastoral Vicar on saxaphone and flute, Kirsie,( a volunteer Blue Angel from Finland) and Katharina, (a PHd student from Germany) on grand piano and accompanying the scratch ‘european choir’ in their rendition of ‘We wish you a merry Christmas’ (with unintelligible references to ‘figgy pudding’ for some of us) and ‘Silent Night’ (with unusual references to a child with ‘golden hair’ for more of us). Most amazing performance came from Russian orthodox seminarist Andrej with his tremendous strong bass voice. The applause was loud and long at the end of his piece.

Fete de l’Escalade Geneva or Geneva’s independence celebrations. Rev Marianne from Celigny parish introduced us to the traditional chocolate shaped ‘marmite’ or cauldron associated with this festival and explained what it was all about during the European evening. On the night of 11/12th December the Savoyards (now Italy) scaled the walls of Geneva hoping to take the city by stealth and surprise. They were discovered and all the citizens joined the desperate and bloody batttle to repel them…literally pushing them off their scaling ladders (hence the french escalade=scale or climb).

Vegetable soup was bubbling away nicely in the cauldron when it was pressed into service as offensive weapon. The lady making the soup emptied its boiling contents over the parapet onto the invaders, scalding and repulsing them. To commemorate this piece of folk-lore the chocolate ‘marmites’ (which vary from full life size costing over 400 swiss francs, to weeny token ones) form centre pieces of celebratory meals. After dinner they are ceremoniously smashed by the youngest and oldest person at table. You can even have ‘marzipan vegetables’ inside for authenticity! Then Geneva’s ‘national anthem’ is sung (completely unintelligible to most of us being in local dialect french). Prof Konrad Raiser, former Secretary General of the WCC and Rojen, our second Blue Angel volunteer ably performed the rite…smashing the cauldron to smithereens!

Geneva dresses up ‘en fete’ and lives 1602 style for the whole weekend nearest the 12th December. Sights not to be missed were the canon firing lesson (final instruction was; ‘Now cover your ears’ for good reason), musketry, and the small fife and drum bands who marched around the Old Town all weekend in costume playing most of the time-no mean feat. As a finale, all the townsfolk involved process around Geneva in a large circuit at dusk on the Sunday. Authenticity is paramount; from dispensing ‘gluhwein’ using handcarts to flaming braziers carried over the shoulder on long poles; pikemen with vicious real pikes (reminiscent of the UK Civil War Society’s Trained Bands) and masses of young people and children in the correct costume for 1602. Rounding a corner and coming upon a ‘dead ringer’ for Calvin was just a little disconcerting! Most impressive was that the cortege halted in several principal locations around the town to formally proclaim and interpret the story of December 1602. This sort of ‘midrash’ reminded me of the importance of telling our stories, for it brought alive the scenario as it must have been 400 years ago. It did double duty teaching the young people their heritage and promoted their obvious delight in engaging with that heritage.

In the run up to the Third Sunday in Advent  (by which time many planned to be home for the Christmas break) it was down to earth with a bump and a handful of ‘bumph’ about University of Geneva regualtions for submission of research papers and examinations! Linda completed the course work requirement for the two modules she is taking with a presentation on the history, structure and missiology of the ‘Church of England’ and took a session of the weekly Bible Study for the community on John 3:1-21. Many students are completing their research and getting down to writing module papers. The midnight oil will surely begin to burn!

Wishing all a blessed, peaceful healthy and happy 2007.

But a couple of weekends ago I had my very own weekend of Swiss encounters, together with my Filipino friend Ernesto.  All of the students left the haven of Bossey for 3 days to experience a wide variety of Swiss Reformed Parishes.  Off we went, 2 by 2, some high up into the mountains, some (like Linda) staying nearby in the French speaking part… (the first time ever that being able to speak French has in some way worked against her!!) and others like me headed off into the German speaking quarter, in my case the city of Zurich.

And what a fabulous city it is!  A manageable London.  A river, the lights flashing on the towers of the world famous Swiss banks at the financial heart of Switzerland, the old town with the Gross Münster and the resting and working places of Zwinglli, the Banholf Strasse (the Kings Road of Zurich), getting more and more exclusive with its Gucci and Ralph Lauren the further along you go….

But the real purpose of the visit was not to shop, but to learn about and experience the Reformed church of Switzerland, and to provide to those Parishes a ‘window on the world’.  Ernesto and I were fortunate in that our parish of Höngg have been receiving Bossey students for many years, and so many local customs have been established.  One of these is dining at different homes from Friday evening to Sunday lunch.  We enjoyed some traditional Swiss dishes and good conversations about all sorts of things including the differences in being a people of Faith in the highly secularised context of Europe compared to the 99% Christian dominance in the Phillipines where the churches can not contain those that want to come.  But, dig a bit deeper and you discover many differences within Europe… it is all too easy when dealing internationally to homogenise ‘Europe’… but when you find out the reality of the differences between the State Reformed church of Switzerland and the State Anglican church of England it really is quite incredible…

The most marked difference is money!  In most cantons (‘counties’) in Switzerland the church which has been elected as the state church (in most cases the reformed church) receives money from the government…. this money is collected via taxes from individuals (the vast majority of which continue to pay) and in the case of Zurich from corporate tax, which, given what we are talking about is the Swiss banks, is quite considerable.  This money contributes to more than comfortable salaries for the Pastors (the rest comes via a separate route from the State), more than comfortable salaries for what we would call Church Wardens, building upkeep, marketing, events etc.  What is collected on a Sunday is then ‘spare’ and given to charity… The alarming thing for me was that what was given to charity was a mere 10% of the overall income of the church…. Perhaps I have found a casestudy for my emerging Social Ethics paper on ‘Wealth and Poverty’….

The second thing that really surprised me was how Pastors become Pastors… many of you won’t have forgotten that huge long discernment and selection process we have to go through to reach ordination training in the Anglican church… well in Switzerland anyone who has done a degree in Theology can apply to be a Pastor and the only discernment and selection process as far as I can tell is the interview panel!  Granted, many who apply are genuine believers, but as I understand it too there are many who are known as ‘unbelieving pastors’ drawn to the glitz and glamour of being the local minister (together with a nice salary and home).  So these and other factors help to explain why many churches, with a handful of devoted congregation members, continue regardless.  There is no question of ‘Can we afford to keep this church open?’ The resounding answer in most cantons is ‘yes’.

I am happy to say it was very clear we had a ‘believing pastor’.  Marika took us from one venue to the next (albeit, surprisingly for the Swiss, 20mins or so late each time) and she was delighted at the personal and genuine reflections Ernesto and I contributed to the Sunday morning service.   On talking to my host for the weekend after the service I hadn’t realised quite how brave I had been to a) talk about such a personal faith with Christ (God is usually held very much at a distance) and b) to provide a projection of an Orthodox icon considering the indwelling Christ at this time of Advent…. imagine a huge, highly decorated colourful icon on the white-washed walls of a Zwingllian Reformed Church!!  Ernesto also sung a Fillipino song which I accompanied on the special ‘e-piano’ which had been brought in for the occasion!

There is much more I could talk about, for example, the trip to see the Rhine Falls on the Sunday with a delightful Swiss Post Man called Hans or the delicious champagne and smoked salmon brunch at the Church Council’s President’s house on Saturday…. (‘charge it to the marketing budget, did I hear you say?’).  Despite my question, ‘does the Swiss reformed church need a reformation?’ my overriding memory of the weekend is one of meeting a wonderful array of incredibly hospitable people, warm, welcoming, interesting and most of all, genuine in their Faith, and at the end of the day, money and glorious city aside, it is that fellowship which is important and remains with me.   So next time I come to Swizerland I will not only visit my sister and my sister’s friends.  I will be able to visit my own friends too.

 The Counts of Neuchatel’s Castle (12-16^th century) with armorial bearings and shields of the counts and cantons painted along one outside wall for all the town to look up and see; the Prison Tower (15^th century) and green and yellow roofed cathedral. Post Reformation, the Reformed Zwinglian Collegiale cathedral and cloisters were given up by the Countess of Neuchatel who, remaining a Roman Catholic had her private chapel in the castle. The Collegiale was re-ordered in Zwinglian protestant style, but an elaborate and decorative three-decker cenotaph covered in gaudily painted statues of Counts and their ladies remained in situ.  A fascinating memorial, it colourfulness jars with the pale unadorned simplicity of the gothic architecture ….reminiscent of Salisbury cathedral.

 It was a very warm day inviting an al fresco lunch in the Collegiale gardens high on the hill overlooking the town and lake. A rather forbidding statue of William Farel, who brought Reformed Zwinglian Protestantism, stands life-size on his plinth, holding the scriptures high above his head and trampling a piece of statuary under his feet, as if challenging the Collegiale’s west end. 

An unmissable offer by Swiss Rail led Linda onto a Cisalpino tilting train bound for Milan. Three hours travelling round Lake Geneva, between the Bernese and Valais Alps, along the Rhone river valley, down the Simplon Tunnel into Italy; alongside Lake Maggiore with its former ‘plague islands’ floating serenely in the mist and finally into the massive white stone and marble Art Nouveau cathedral that is Milan Central station.  

Linda had planned a rapid ‘church-crawl’ with help from her Parish priest who has lived in Milan. The Duomo dedicated to the Virgin Mary is the obvious draw, but is so vast and dark and echoing to the steps and chatter and flash photography of tourist and pilgrim that something of its spirit seems lost.  But nevertheless a magnificent masterpiece of jaw-dropping beauty, particularly outside…where you could spend weeks just identifying every statue and story depicted.  Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II to the north of Duomo square is one of those ‘victorian’ style glass and iron arcades but giant scale…unsurprised to discover a British company started building it in 1865 before going bust! 

 Milan’s underground is great with daily ticket valid on whole network, so………. off to St. Ambrose’s Basilica. A wedding began but tourists were not asked to leave (can you imagine!). This really was a quiet, still place of much prayer, almost palpable in the atmosphere. Here you could just sit, enjoy, pray and attempt to assimilate the humbling realisation that this holy building dates from 379CE, whilst watching others take marriage vows for life. 379… when creeds, doctrine, ecclesial ruptures were being debated and formed….in that early period just a few decades after persecution of Christians had ceased.  How close is that world to our own now? We still seek to formulate one creed, one visible expression of ecclesial body, debating church ruptures and looking for the day when Christians will no longer be persecuted. St Ambrose shares his open silver and glass coffin with two martyrs beneath the gold and silver leaf 7^th century high altar. Their skeletons are clothed as priests and bishop and with Ambrose’s sister Monica are highly revered relics for pilgrims. 

 Last stop was St Maria delle Grazie dating from 1463 but now attracting visitors to Da Vinci’s Last Supper painting on the refectory back wall in the wake of ‘Da Vinci code’ book. From the cloister garden, the sixteen side lantern, circled by architraved windows and arches on double columns in red brick and cream plaster was just sublime. Inside preparation was underway for 5.30pm mass, but no-one seemed to mind the Protestant sitting gazing at the frescoes and mosaics around the apses above the sanctuary!  Life size, the ‘Virgin Mary of Mercy’ painting in a side chapel (which is older than the church and after which it is named), was thought provoking. The pose depicts the mother of Jesus as stretching out her arms and cloak around the faithful. Last stop…Italian ice-cream….not to be missed; pistachio & coffee flavours. Strange looks from passers-by..eating giant ice-cream cone in the dusk of a November day?….must be a tourist!  

That very English topic; the weather continues to occupy us English…and continues kind and gentle for late November.  Some rain, but glorious sunshine, firing the oranges and yellows as the last autumn leaves fall along the tree lines edging the fields around Petit Bossey.  Lake Geneva is alternately sapphire and royal blue, translucent waters reflecting back the baby blue skies. But in the midst of this idyll there is one, or rather several very large pointers winter is truly here….those High Mountain peaks of the Alps to the south and Jura to the north are now snow covered to about third-way down! It is a wonderful gift to watch God’s creation gently transform and renew every day.

It has become an aesthetically pleasing source of contemplation to be the watchers and yet also participants in this Swiss bit of God’s creation.  After Morning Worship, Anna and I deliberately walk around the grounds to class. We halt briefly halfway to look across the lake to the Alps. Every day brings a difference, but we are struck dumb by the beauty: whether is be morning sunbeams filtering through ethereal mist or mountains  playing hide and seek with us in grey drizzle.  When the peaks are cloud wreathed, how easy to glimpse the spiritual reality of the those scripture passages: The Transfiguration: ‘then a cloud appeared and enveloped them’ (Mark 9:7) And one morning, as a red haze of sunrise tinted the cloud on the mountain…’to the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain.’ (Exodus 24:17-18)