Sunday 18 May - From Charlottesville to Staunton

At breakfast we meet the two lovely catering ladies who greeted us when we arrived at the Marriott Residence Inn. They have had a really busy time in the breakfast bar, with all the graduation families needing to have breakfast really early. In America, muffins (ie cakes, usually blueberry or chocolate) are often served at breakfast, along with porridge, and honey or jelly (jam) to put on your toast. Grape jelly is a favourite. The “jelly” often has no fruit or peel in it, as we usually have in the UK. I wrap up a couple of muffins, and take a couple of bananas, for later.

We're trying to find a Methodist church to go to, but most churches are having special services at different times, and with picnics afterwards, because of the graduation weekend. On the internet Reg finds the “First United Methodist Church”. It's not too far from “downtown Charlottesville” and the train station – our train leaves at about 2.00 pm for Staunton, Virginia – about an hour's train ride away. We'll have to take our luggage with us; we won't make the 9.30 am “contemporary service” (which we would have loved), but will easily make the 11.00 am “traditional service”.

We arrive at the church at 10.30 am. There are about 30 steep marble steps up to the entrance. We struggle up the steps with our heavy cases (there must be a disabled entrance somewhere!) to find that the service is already in progress. An usher (“steward” to us) explains that because it's the graduation weekend, they are having one joint service, which started at 10.30 am, and a picnic afterwards. He welcomes us, says, “You haven't missed the sermon, that will be the best part!” and shows us to some seats near the back.

It's a beautiful church, about the same size as our church back home, with a copy of a painting of the Ascension (the usher Michael thinks the original is in the Sistine Chapel, Rome) dominating the front wall of the church, where the cross is in my home church. There's a full choir, a pianist and guitarist, but no organ. The pews are nearly full; there are probably 200 people here.

The pastor (wearing a normal shirt, jacket and tie – no dog collar) asks if there is anyone new here today? A few people (including us) put up their hands, and we are given a welcome bundle, including a small “loaf” of either cake or bread (we haven't eaten it yet) and a CD. The giving of an item of food is a nice gesture to welcome new people.

I find out afterwards that it's a bigger congregation than usual, because letters were sent out to anyone and everyone with a connection to the church, past and present, to ask them to attend this “Celebration Sunday” service. During the service there's an “Offering of our Commitments” (this is in addition to the normal offertory) which I realise is what we would call a “Gift day” offering. People walk up to the front of the church to put their “Commitment Offerings” into the basket.

The church obviously has a thriving Junior Church, and a lady speaks at the lectern, asking for volunteers to cover the summer holidays, so that the Sunday School staff can have a break – all familiar territory (in past years, at least)! A clipboard is passed around the congregation during the service for people to volunteer – a good way, I think,of getting people to help while it's still fresh in their minds!

The guest preacher (not the usual pastor) speaks about the need to upkeep the building and how expensive it is to do this – again, nothing new there!

During the service, and afterwards, talking to Michael, the usher, I find out a few things about the church:

• The church has about 650 members
• They are a very busy church – they have bible study groups, men's group, and women's groups, and do outreach work with a local prison, and with the homeless. They help poor families with school books etc, and during the winter, in conjunction with other churches in Charlottesville, they open the doors of their hall to the homeless on a rota basis – providing blankets, “cots” and food for them.
• They obviously have a thriving Junior Church
• Their hymnbook incorporates traditional hymns and modern worship songs
• They use an overhead screen – all the hymns and bible readings are projected on the screen, with a relevant “picture” behind the words on the screen
• At this particular service, there is no gospel reading – just a reading from Hebrews
• They have the same pastor every week – Methodist Churches in towns don't use local preachers, though they do in country churches
• Women preachers are “becoming more common”
• The guest preacher talks a lot about God – but Jesus isn't mentioned in his sermon
• In common with many other Methodist churches in the USA, there are 2 services on Sunday mornings – a contemporary one, and a traditional one. Most families and young people go to the contemporary one. This seems to be the way forward for a
  some American churches.

As we say our goodbyes, there is a lot of food for thought; the lack of emphasis on the gospel is especially worth noting, although that may just be at this particular service.

We wheel our suitcases the short distance to the “downtown mall” where we have lunch, and chat to the waitress, who in answer to Reg's questioning, tells us she earns $2.13 an hour (about £1.40 – much less than the UK minimum wage). However, the tipping culture is huge in America, and the expected tip as we've said before is at least 15%, so the waitress says she makes good money. Is it right that the onus for a fair wage should be on the customer not the employer/government?

I fall asleep during our hour long train journey to Staunton; once again the train is really comfortable with slightly reclining seats and lots of legroom. Reg says we won't need to take a taxi to our B&B in Staunton as it's fairly near the train station. He's right,it is; but it's nearly all uphill. I'm glad to arrive at the “Ubon Thai Victorian Restaurant Inn”.

The inn, which looks a bit like an American outback ranch, is set back from the sleepy suburb street – there's grass and trees surrounding the building. It has a wooden veranda at the front, giving it a colonial feel.

Inside the inn it's a veritable Aladdin's cave of mostly antique Thai relics and ornaments, lamps and furniture – it's like walking into an Asian antique shop. Every surface is covered with Thai bric-a-brac, and most of the walls are covered with photos and paintings. There's plenty to look at.

Our room on the 1^st floor is spacious and comfortable, with a huge double bed, plus various items of antique furniture and brass table lamps. And it's ensuite!

We arrange to Skype George and Marianne in the morning, and eat muffins, chocolat and bananas for tea. We enjoy listening to the  Radio 4 podcast of  "The Archers" and "Any Questions" which Reg has downloaded from his phone, and is playing through his bluetooth mini-speaker.  Then it's time for another early night.