The adventures of KMC worship group - 3. The miracle of Florence

You see, just when you think you've got away from it all, and maybe from God...

Twelve of us went to Florence (Firenze) together to enjoy the sights, the food, the wine and the company. Pete, our keyboardist with a passion for organs, also wanted to spy out the pipes of the many cathedrals.

Amazingly, due to some negotiations by my wife Sue, Pete was allowed to play the main organ in the Basilica di San Lorenzo, the oldest cathedral in the city, one morning after mass.

The Italian head steward, Barbara, looked very nervous as Pete tested the keyboard and foot-pedals. Various farting sounds drifted down the huge sanctuary. Suddenly, he launched into a hymn of praise and the quiet building came alive. Visiting tourists sat down to listen and one Austrlian girl felt compelled to stay in the church. Some came to watch his playing but many headed for the centre of the building, where the sound was stupendous.

Barbara's face beamed with a broad smile, and the door steward burst into tears. There, among the Donatello frescoes and the Michaelangelo carvings, praises were raised in music to our God. A vast hall dedicated to God's glory was serving its purpose.

Though Pete would never say he was the greatest organist, and despite the cultural and theological gulf between the Basilica and our traditions, everyone there knew that God's name was being lifted up. Barbara didn't recognise Pete's hymns, though she thought them beautiful, but she did recognise one new song - probably never played in that cathedral before:

Majesty