| |
 |
 |
|
| Comment on this report, or find other reports. |
|
| Our Mystery Worshippers are volunteers who warm church pews for us around the world. If you'd like to become a Mystery Worshipper, start here. |
|
| Find out how to reproduce this report in your church magazine or website. |
|
|
| 1733: St Michael
and All Angels, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
|
 |
|
Mystery Worshipper:
Henry Troup.
The church:
St
Michael and All Angels, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Denomination:
Anglican
Church of Canada, Diocese
of Ottawa.
The building:
From outside, it's a large square box of a building with a separate
bell tower, in a 1960s or 1970s style. For this occasion, the
pathway was decorated with flags and signs related to the Millennium
Development Goals. In a quiet area of the grounds to one
side of the church is a labyrinth. Inside, it's a large square
box, but livened up with a big skylight. There's a partial choir
gallery at the entrance point – you can't really use the
classic church architectural terms, as the benches are set in
an L-shape. The interior is bright and open-concept, with a
number of interesting pieces of fabric art, including one behind
the free-standing cross that looks like the roots of a huge
tree.
The church:
St Michael's is definitely one of the inclusive/liberal parishes
in the Diocese of Ottawa. The Revd Dr Linda Privitera, rector
of St Michael's, is also the chaplain of Integrity
Ottawa and is married to another woman.
The neighbourhood:
St Michael's is located in the Bel-Air section of Ottawa, a
classic Canadian suburb. There are lots of single-family houses
and trees and hedges. For this occasion, signs had been posted
on many neighbourhood streets reading "U2charist"
and pointing to the church.
The cast:
The Rt Revd John H. Chapman, Bishop of Ottawa, was the celebrant.
The Revd Dr Linda Privitera, rector, assisted. The preacher
was Andrew Stephens-Rennie, youth ministries development coordinator,
diocese of Ottawa. The band was fronted by the Revd Jon Martin
on guitar. The sound engineer was Dave O'Hare. I didn't get
the names of the rest of the band.
The date & time:
Saturday, 30 May 2009, 7.00pm.
What was the name of the service?
Diocesan U2charist for Pentecost.
How full was the building?
Comfortably full – there were a few empty places but not very
many. The parking lot was full, and people were parking at the
school across the street and on the street.
Did anyone welcome you
personally?
I was handed an offering envelope by one of a team of young
women in U2charist T-shirts.
Was your pew comfortable?
Classic wooden bench, reasonably comfortable within its style.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Busy and expectant. Since the U2charist followed on a diocesan
youth day and BBQ, there were lots of children and families,
and some kids were running around, but not in a chaotic way.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Good evening and welcome to our diocesan U2charist."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
None; everything was projected via two computer projectors.
The text was clear from where I was sitting – near the back
– and the slide show was nicely embellished with graphics that
were actually related and meaningful.
What musical instruments were played?
Five-piece rock band: keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars,
bass and drums.
Did anything distract
you?
There was a constant popping noise of kids playing with glow-stick
bracelets. The two-or-so year old girl in front of me was a
bit squirmy, but also quite friendly – we waved and played
peek-a-boo a bit. There's a lot of interesting art: a banner
at the back for the Primate's
World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) made of blue jean
patches; a set of papier-mâché balls that might
have been planets; a big icon. I was also looking for familiar
faces.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
Straight-up hard rock; a little clapping and some dancing in
the aisles. The decor had some flashing lights and LED/fiber-optic
fan lights added. Selections from U2's repertoire were well
chosen: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
(processional); "With Or Without You" (gradual); "Wake
Up Dead Man" (offertory); "All I Want Is You"
(communion); and others.
Exactly how long was the
sermon?
27 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how
good was the preacher?
7 – Andrew Stephens-Rennie was a clear and fairly unemotional
speaker. He used some riveting phrases – describing, for example,
Ezekiel's vision (Ezekiel 1:1-28) as "acid-trip zombie movie."
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
The service was a benefit for the Stephen
Lewis Foundation and Anglican Church youth programming.
The sermon was a well-constructed rationale for giving, linked
with personal stories. His thesis was that the Millennium Development
Goals are attained but only with God's help. I'd say it was
a good example of the social justice/development fundraising
sermon.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The congregation were a wonderful mix of ages: from a few seniors
in their 80s or 90s to toddlers. The singers were good, and
the band was very good on difficult material. I was pleasantly
surprised by how worshipful it was. The communion itself went
quickly and smoothly, something that doesn't always happen at
big special events.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
There were times in the sermon where it felt too long. I got annoyed when some of the children pretty much ignored the prayers and chattered away. One kid knocked over an LED lamp, noisily. There was one "pop" from the sound system when someone disconnected a guitar.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
A couple of people we know spotted us. This was a diocesan special
event, so there were lots of familiar faces. We wound up chatting
for long enough that I didn't have a chance to gather some details
I would have liked.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
None was offered. Since it was an evening service/concert, people just dispersed and left.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – I'd probably be fairly happy at St Michael's, based
on the website and reports from friends of mine.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Very much.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
How easy it was to worship to the music of U2. |
|
|
|
 |
|
| We rely on voluntary donations to stay online. If you're a regular visitor to Ship of Fools, please consider supporting us. |
|
 |
|
| The Mystery Pilgrim |
|
| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
|
 |
|
| London churches |
|
| Read reports from 70 London churches, visited by a small army of Mystery Worshippers on one single Sunday. Read here. |
| |
|
|
|
|
