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The church: Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban, St Albans, England.
Denomination: Church of England.
The building: The cathedral is built on what is believed to be the site of the martyrdom of St Alban. The hill upon which it stands overlooks the valley of the river Ver, beyond which lie the buried ruins of the Roman city of Verulamium. As with most cathedrals, St Albans is a mixture of architectural styles, however the distinction between the different styles, and the transitions from one style to another are particularly pronounced. The tower is Norman, built of recycled Roman brick, as are the nave arches and pillars which were originally on both sides of the nave. They were extended westwards in the Early English style, but the south side pillars collapsed during a storm in 1323 and were replaced by more elaborate columns in the Decorated style, which makes the nave look somewhat lop-sided! There are also a selection of wall paintings on the nave pillars, and the arches retain their decorations, too.
The church: It's difficult to tell from a one-off visit for a special service. However St Albans does have its own parish communion with parish choir on a Sunday morning, before the more formal sung eucharist service with the abbey choir, and from what I remember from a previous visit, there's a pretty thriving community that attends it.
The neighbourhood: St Albans is a bustling city, with a particularly good classical music CD shop but less than wonderful parking! The abbey is very close to the High Street on the north side, and has open space leading down to the park and the site of Verulamium on the south side.
The cast: Rt. Rev. John Taylor, Bishop of St Albans (retired) assisted by Canon Anders Bergquist and other assorted clergy from the parishes who had brought confirmation candidates.
Confirmation.
How full was the building?
The nave (where the service took place) was approximately two-thirds full.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
We were asked, somewhat gruffly, if we were there for the confirmation. When we said yes, we were handed a hymn book and service order, and were directed towards the nave.
Was your pew comfortable?
They were wooden chairs, interlocking to form rows. As to the comfort – I suppose the fact that I was hard pushed to remember what I had sat on suggests that they were adequately comfortable. But there was nowhere to put your books, other than the hassock rack underneath the seat, which was a bit of a nuisance.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
It was an excitable hubbub of noise, rather like the atmosphere in a theatre before the curtain goes up. The canon who spoke first stood at the lectern for a couple of minutes or so, waiting (in vain) for the volume to reduce before starting. If you were minded to be quiet and pray, it was something of a non-starter.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
"If I could have your attention for a moment please."
What books did the congregation use during the service?
Common Praise, and the cathedral's own printed order of service for confirmation.
What musical instruments were played?
The organ.
Did anything distract you?
A number of things! When they came to read the Gospel, it was read from a kind of small pulpit affair on the north side of the nave. The reader had candle bearers on either side of this pulpit, and the processional cross behind her. From where I was sitting, you couldn't see the crucifer or indeed the pole on which the cross was mounted – all you could see was the cross, looming threateningly over her rather like a "Cross of Damocles". This prompted a number of (suppressed) giggles. There was also the baptismal water amplified through the PA system, putting one in mind of toilets.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
I think it's covered by the "or what" category! It was a fairly formal style of service, however it felt pretty relaxed rather than pompous, which it could have been.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
I'm really not sure – I was lulled into a false sense of security/optimism when the preacher (the bishop) started by saying that he never preached sermons at confirmations (whilst holding a set of notes in one hand) and was sufficiently diverted not to note a start time. I guess it was about 8-10 minutes though.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
"What language does God speak?" The answer is sign language – when the bishop lays his hands on you at confirmation, it is a sign of God laying his hands upon you, and marking you out as his. After confirmation, God continues to speak to us in sign language – for example at communion, when God is telling us of his love through the signs of bread and wine.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
When the bishop was talking about the laying on of hands at confirmation being a sign of God laying his hands upon you, it reminded me of my own confirmation, and as it was as though I felt God laying his hands on me again.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
A mobile phone went off in the row behind me during the prayers. Why, oh why can't people turn them off?
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
This wasn't really an option – there were confirmation candidates to go and congratulate, food to be eaten and drink to be drunk...
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
No coffee or tea, but there was fruit juice of several flavours, and Coke and/or lemonade. Not to mention of course the mini-pizzas, sausage rolls, crisps, biscuits, mini-rolls, cakes, etc...
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
7 – A confirmation service is probably not really a representative service! I would however be happy to go back and visit one of the more regular services at some point.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Definitely. It was interesting to reflect that I'd gone to the service to be there and pray for a couple of the candidates, rather than to worship on my own behalf, and that I'd ended up feeling touched by God myself.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The concept of God speaking in sign language. I've never thought of it like that before, and it struck a chord.
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