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 :-)