After a delayed start due to rowdy Bible characters, Sunday night's divine service including preaching, hair washing and a walk round round the ship.
Despite a slightly offbeat performance from Simon ("like a floater, they couldn't keep him down... and he was resurrected..."), all went according to plan.
As all 11 stood on the circle of the Dove Pad at the far end of the deck, Job prayed for the Ark's as yet unseen animals: "We are called to the sacred task of caring for your creation, including the critters below. May they have life and presence, unlike George W. Bush. Amen."
Alone among the Arkmates, Martha wasn't impressed. "It's all too... pat. Too easy," she opined after Simon's sermon. When Simon protested that he'd been asked to keep it short by God himself, Martha replied, "I don't understand brevity for the sake of making a point."
John led an "act of repentance" in the washroom, inviting everyone to wash their hair and sing, "Gonna wash those sins right out of my hair" – but this potentially moving moment left Martha equally cold: "Touching... but impractical. I have great difficulties with symbolic gestures like this."
Still, when it came to the last part of the service – a prayer walk led by Esther – it was Martha who volunteered to pray: "let us learn from each other; let us learn about forgiveness."
