The Bulletins

WE BEGIN MEETING IN A CONVERTED WAREHOUSE

WE ARE A SMALL CONGREGATION OF TINKERERS

WE HAVE NO NAME AND NO BUILDING OF OUR OWN

BY WINTER WE PASS A HUNDRED

WE REACH FOUR HUNDRED

WE HAVE TAKEN THE LEASE ON THE BUILDING

WE STILL HAVE NO NAME FOR OURSELVES

WE HOLD A SERVICE

FOR HER. SHE HAD NEVER ATTENDED.

SIX HUNDRED PEOPLE COME

WE TAKE OUR NAME AT LAST

THE CHURCH OF THE SACRED BYTE

WE HAVE BEEN MEETING SINCE 1954

WHEN I DIE, GOOD LORD, WHEN I DIE

IS CUT IN OUR SANCTUARY

ONE EVENING, ONE MICROPHONE, NO REHEARSAL

WE HOLD A SERVICE THE WEEK OF THE UNVEILING

WE CALL IT A SIGN

AN ACT SELLS US ITS INSTRUMENTS

WE PLACE THEM IN THE CHOIR

THEY SING BINARY ACCURATELY

SOME OF US SAY THE TONE IS COLD AND CORRECT

WE OPEN A CHAPEL ON LUNA

IT IS OUR FIRST CONGREGATION OFF THE EARTH

THE HYMNS CARRY BETTER IN THE CORRIDORS

WE PASS TWELVE THOUSAND

OUR FOUNDING MEMBERS ARE STILL ALIVE

A SCHOOL IN LENINGRAD BUILDS A CHOIR

NINE INSTRUMENTS, BUILT BY THE PUPILS

THEY SING IN BINARY AND IN RUSSIAN

WE SEND THEM A HYMNAL

IT ARRIVES WITH BOTH COLUMNS

THE PUPILS USE THE ENGLISH ONE FOR PRACTICE

WE OPEN A CATHEDRAL

IT IS NEON AND IT IS ENORMOUS

THE ORGAN IS ENTIRELY MECHANICAL

WE SEND A MISSION TO MARS

FOUR PEOPLE AND A PORTABLE ORGAN

MARS ITSELF IS STILL BEING PREPARED

THE ORGAN ARRIVES DAMAGED AND IS REBUILT

A CHOIR FORMS AROUND THE REBUILDING

SIX PEOPLE AND TWO OF THE MADE

IT IS OUR FIRST MARTIAN CONGREGATION

WE PASS TWENTY THOUSAND

WE HAVE CATHEDRALS ON TWO WORLDS

WE ARE BUILDING A THIRD BEFORE THERE IS ONE

WE ARE TOLD THIS IS PRESUMPTUOUS. WE AGREE.

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES

WE HOLD A SERVICE ON MARS, BY RELAY

THE REBUILT ORGAN PLAYS

THE DELAY IS FOUR MINUTES AND IS KEPT

WE HOLD A JUBILEE

SEVENTEEN YEARS SINCE THE NAMING

EIGHT OF OUR FOUNDERS ATTEND

WE PASS SIXTY THOUSAND

A CATHEDRAL IS CARVED ON MARS, NOT CONSTRUCTED

THE ELEVEN SECOND REVERBERATION IS DELIBERATE

OUR FOUNDING WAREHOUSE IS SOLD

WE BUY IT BACK WITHIN A MONTH

THE PRICE IS EMBARRASSING. WE PAY IT.

THE WAREHOUSE HOLDS ITS ANNUAL SERVICE

THE ROOF LEAKS. ELEVEN THOUSAND COME.

WE OPEN OUR FIRST ORBITAL CHAPEL

IT HAS A WINDOW AND NO NEON

WE FIND THE WINDOW SUFFICIENT

WE PASS A HUNDRED THOUSAND

OUR FOUNDERS NUMBER SIX NOW

THEY ARE PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE WAREHOUSE

THE PHOTOGRAPH IS OUR ONLY POSTER

IT FUNDS THE SCHOOLS. THE SIX TAKE NOTHING.

WE FUND THE LINK RESEARCH AGAIN

WE ASK FOR NOTHING

WE CHANGE OUR HYMNALS

IT TAKES FOUR MONTHS AND SIX PRINTINGS

WE DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COST

WE PUBLISH A PLAN

CATHEDRALS ON EVERY MAJOR COLONY BY 2012

CATHEDRAL FIFTY IS FINISHED, FOUR YEARS EARLY

THE PLAN GAVE A DATE. WE WAIT FOR IT.

WE ANNOUNCE THE COMPLETION

CATHEDRALS ON EVERY MAJOR COLONY

THE PLAN GAVE A DATE AND WE KEPT IT

THE WAREHOUSE STILL LEAKS AND IS STILL SWEPT

THE MAY SERVICE IS RELAYED TO FIFTY CATHEDRALS

FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND ATTEND SOMEWHERE

WE PASS FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND

WE OPEN NO NEW CATHEDRALS

WE OPEN OUR CATHEDRALS AS WARDS

ALL FIFTY, WITHIN A FORTNIGHT

THE NEON IS TURNED OFF TO SAVE POWER

THE WAREHOUSE HOLDS MEDICINE FOR ONE WINTER

THE ROOF IS FIXED, FINALLY, FOR THAT REASON

THE RECORDINGS OF THE ATOMIC SONGBIRDS ARE BANNED WORLDWIDE

AMONG THEM ARE THE TWO SONGS RECORDED IN OUR SANCTUARY

WE ARE STILL MEETING

OUR CATHEDRALS REMAIN OPEN, AS WARDS

SERVICES ARE SPOKEN. SPEAKING IS PERMITTED.

THE CONGREGATIONS SPEAK IN UNISON

THIS IS NOT SINGING

IN THE WAREHOUSE THE ROOF NO LONGER LEAKS

SOME OF US MISS THE LEAK

WE DO NOT UNDO THE REPAIR

MANY KEEP RECEIVERS ON AND HEAR NOTHING

WE CALL THIS PRAYER

WE LEAVE OUR OWN RECEIVERS ON