Visiting other churches - Part the third (Summer 2018)

The final visit of the Summer was to a small rural church.

Was greeted when we entered and handed the service sheet and hymn book (the latest (replete with awfulness) that is the blue abomination* from Kevin Mayhew). The service was a communion service and there were four hymns, two readings (which seems to be a trend these days - rarely find myself in the company of the Old testament and nobody seems to do the Psalms as public worship any more) - and the whole thing lasted 53 minutes.

Sadly this was the first of the churches I've been to this Summer where there was no organist and so we had an organist in a box which played what I am sure was the 'No Organist - No problem' offering (again from Kevin Mayhew). The problem with the demise of the church organist is the inability of a track to lead a congregation or track them should their pace differ. You get the music played at you and then need to regulate your singing to keep up as the tempo is fixed. An interesting byproduct of the use of the CDs during the service was the two bar gap between each verse on three of the offerings - simply handled though as I almost made tea during the uneasy silence between verses!!

The intercessions were delivered by one of the church members -the only issue being the fact that whilst the minister shouted, they didn't and so I guess those behind me might have struggled to hear. Good job my hearing's H1 on both ears ;-)

Overall the liturgy was Common Worship - a comment was passed by my companion regarding the fact that nowhere in the actually Eucharist did Jesus get a mention - something I'd noted and scribbled down as a 'regional variation'

Bottom line is that the service put a tick in all the boxes: The welcome was there and the building obviously cared for and neat (amazing how often I visit churches which look like a failing antiques shop and smell like the worst elements of a charity shop. First impressions in appearance and welcome are so very important.

The lingering question for me (perhaps it's a missioner thing) was, "How could this congregation grow?" It seems to me that so many congregations are managing decline rather than stocking the shelves; a reality that speaks (numerically) for itself.

Good to get food for thought from a visit - even if the thought is an uneasy one.

* Regarding the 'blue abomination' comment - this is what was written:

But this is what the congregation sang:

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word; 

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; 

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; 

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

In fact every hymn on offer was sung from memory and habit rather than from the sheets (it was an older congregation) and so the changes were almost universally ignored (pity the people who wasted their money on it didn't follow the congregation's lead).

This hymnbook is full of the most abominable cosmetic surgery which sees 'Onward Christian Soldiers' replaced by some doggerel about 'Christian Pilgrims' (who don't march anywhere) - and so many hymns are emasculated that it should have received the 'noball' prize for publishing.

Grrrrr :-)

Visiting other churches - Part the first (Summer 2018)

As is our usual practice during the time away from the normal daily existence that is the Summer holidays we found ourselves being Church in a different place to home - Sad to say this is not always a blessing or a joy.

This year we found ourselves visiting a couple of churches in the Weston Super Mare area. The first was for a main Sunday morning Communion service in an evangelical setting and the second was a 'Service of the Word' in a smaller, pretty central, rural church.

MORNING
As we walked in we were pointed towards the tea and coffee that was on offer. Passing up on the offer (you can only drink so much tea in the morning and breakfast had only recently finished) we made our way like good Anglicans to a seat near the back of the church. we were engaged with by regulars and the conversations continued even after they realised we were just passing through (been to more than one place where the locals realising you weren't going to sign up moved on to canvass other strangers).

The service is presented to the congregation by monitors mounted on the pillars around the church building (three on each side) and a couple of larger bits of kit on the stage area.  Good viewing angles and the songs, readings and service were easily visible (I didn't ask about large-print sheets, but assume that a church who had got the  first bit right would also cater for hose who would struggle with a paperless church.

A nice touch was the countdown to the service start and as the seconds ticked away the sound level got progressively louder until at 00:00, having reached a crescendo, it stopped and the Vicar welcomed those present and prayed. It was good to see the Vicar playing tag with a younger person - and as they shared that part of the service we were blessed to see a positive and creative way of encouraging all-member and all-age ministry.

We sang a couple of what seemed to be 'child friendly' songs and then the children disappeared off for their thing and we sang some more, had an update from a former member who was working 'up North', had the readings, a sermon and as the time for the Communion approached, we stopped and chatted to the people around us.

Unlike many of the places we've visited, this was a pause with a purpose as during this the parents were encouraged to collect their children and to help them make sense of the Communion that was to follow. Even more unlike many of the services in churches like the one we were in, the congregation were asked to stand during the Eucharistic prayer ('D' for those who like to know those things) and we we invited at the end to visit one of the four stations in the building (non-alcoholic and gluten-free as suited the communicant). What a joy as we did things 'properly' with respect and decorum a forethought for all to often we get a mumbled prayer and nothing that even approaches consecration of the Anglican kind.

There was a news bulletin on the screens before the sermon and this spoke of what was on offer, the ministry and vision of the church and made more sense that the usual 'mostly inaccurate' piece of paper we normally get posing as information. A great use of the video screens around the place and a cool way of keeping people in the loop and belonging.

There was a word from the front before it all came to an end and prayer ministry was offered for those who had been touched by the service, moved by the Spirit of God or brought their problems in at the beginning and wanted them prayed over. There was even a proper blessing!!

The whole experience was positive and the journey through it was gentle and (in the proper sense of the word) ''Intentional'. It felt like there everything was done with a purpose and that there was a direction and a sense of God in everything that happened throughout. The Vicar seemed to gently stroll through the whole thing ready to catch things should they fall but also moving sensitively to God's prompting throughout.

The only (slight but obvious) niggle for me was the fact that the screens didn't always keep up with the things going on (essential when you don't know the songs). As a former PA/Sound and Video person I know the problems of keeping the person on the desk and the poor soul doing AV focussed on the task before them as the slightest distraction has the potential to render the techies naked and vulnerable. But it's Summer and perhaps they were covering the role or had a chatty guy riding the sliders (guilty as charged :-) ).

But I have to say that should you visit Weston Super Mare, St Paul's is most definitely worth a visit on a number of levels. Ticked all the boxes and saw me leave feeling blessed and that I'd been in the presence of God with family.

Thank you Andrew and the team.

No Communion for you!

Struggling out of my sleeping bag I think to myself, 'Sunday - Hallelujah!'

It's a quarter past seven in the morning and, as befits the month of August, the day has started well. The clouds are high and sparsely placed, the birds are singing and all around me is the sound of gentle breathing as others sleep on.

Feeling just a little guilty I shower, dress and, as quietly as I can, I make my way to the car to fulfil the first mission of the day: Communion.

The journey is painless for the sun is shining and the roads are empty as I make my way to the church I have chosen to visit this morning. Arriving with a couple of minutes to spare before the billed start time I reach into my pocket for some change to feed the meter and then I realise my first mistake; the change is in the other trousers!

'No worry,' I think as I pull out a five pound note from the back pocket (which should't be there but thankfully is)  I head for the shops to get change. But of course it is a Sunday morning and, being now just after eight, everywhere is closed! It's then that help, in the form of a dog walker, appears on the horizon. Well, he would have been helpful if he hadn't explained how the the last 'proper' newsagent had closed his doors a few weeks earlier and so my only hope was the large news and magazine (and everything else) chain store 'just up the road'!

When I got there, it was also closed but fortunately another dog walker (angels in disguise perhaps?) upon hearing of my quest for change as I sought directions to another shop managed to give me a pocket full of shrapnel in exchange for my ratty fiver - Thanks be to God or what?

I return quickly to the meter and pay up - It is now almost ten past eight as I make my way into the church building - and upon entering there is no sound to be heard (other than the new shoes which creak like I have some form of prosthetic limb  -  solutions for a cure most welcome).  I can't see, or hear, a soul. I look up the church and there's nothing! Walked to the Est end and found not a soul - 'Is this what church decline looks like?' I wonder as I walk back down the aisle.

But then, from nowhere it seems, there's a chap standing in front of me. I explain my quest and he points me to the corner at the rear of the building and the door set into the wall. Creaking off as I mumble my thanks I head for the door, which I cautiously open, and look in, to find a figure resplendent in their chasuble (green of course - this is obviously proper church!) giving communion to the last of the five people assembled at the altar rail.

Not wishing to interrupt the proceedings I step back, close the door and head for the exit - it is now nineteen minutes past eight!

As I reach the door the same chap appears, again form nowhere obvious (perhaps he's an angel or maybe a Troll - but as there's no bridge, I'll go for the former) so I explain what had happened. 'Oh, you should just have gone in and taken communion, the Vicar probably wouldn't have been bothered by you coming in at the end,' he says.

But I would have been - so I leave to see if I could find an eight-thirty kick off somewhere.

Making my way along the road along which I came I come to another church, which I had passed earlier but the noticeboard only proclaims a 'main service' at ten-thirty,  and pull into the car park in the hope that I might find some notice or person knocking around. The car park is deserted and so I head back to the car. As I am leaving I notice a light on in the church building - it is now eight twenty-four!

Filled with hope I find an unlocked door and head into the building. I hear a voice and so, feeling a little excited that I might have struck gold, I creep quietly in only to hear the priest pronouncing the blessing (eight twenty-five!) and so I turn around and head back to the car. As I do, I am greeted by someone in the car park (but at least I was greeted) to whom my plight is swiftly laid out.

It transpires that there's communion in their church every Sunday at eight am. I am almost accused of something approaching tardiness as they tell me that, 'The service it is publicised in the weekly notice sheet which we give out at the main service!' So had I been last week to the main service I would have known that there was something earlier on offer! The cherry is placed onto the situation when the words, 'It's not on the noticeboard because no one outside the church' comes to it!

'God help us!' I think to myself, ' Of course no one outside the church comes - no one else knows it's going on!' Then, before I begin to rant a look like a complete lunatic, I smile and mumble thanks as I head back to the car.

As I do, I'm told that they think there's am eight-thirty service at St Wobblplots in the ditch!

Well there are churches on the map!

I dive into the car and punch the name into the sat nav and set off. I arrive outside the door at eight thirty-six and dive out of the car like a man possessed looking for the way in(always a bad move as you find yourself entering the hushed building breathing like a candidate for an obscene phone call competition).

Rushing up the path to the door I grasp the handle and turn it. it's blinking well locked!

I try the side door (wouldn't be the first time I've visited a church where the early service is accessed by a secret door or via the tradesmen's entrance) but those too are locked shut!

Five minutes later I am accepting defeat.

There's nothing on the noticeboard proclaiming any times or services. No telephone number: Nada! Not a sausage. it's is a quarter to nine and I am accepting the failure stoically as I walk back to the car. In fact I am starting to find it funny!

As I reach the gate there's sheet of A4 in a plastic wallet on the grass which, being a nice bloke, I pick up to throw away. On it are the words (in Red): 'No Communion today!'

Too flipping right I think as I drive away :-)

Now some serious issues come out of this:

i. What's the point of having a noticeboard if you only have the 'main service' on it? 

ii. If you do only have the 'main service' on your noticeboard can you complain that, 'Only those in the church come to it?'.

iii. With the increase of 'point something' and 'multiple beneficed jobs' - have I experienced something that will only increase as the economy measures bite?

iv. Who the heck does communion in twenty minutes (and how - and why?)???

There are many more questions, but they will do to start with.

'unless we tell them - how will they come?'