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| 1749: The Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square, London |
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Photo: Alan Stanton |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Leo.
The church:
The
Fourth Plinth, Trafalgar Square, London.
Denomination:
The Fourth Plinth is a public space, but the event reported
on was conducted by clergy of the Methodist
Church of Great Britain.
The building:
Trafalgar Square was designed and built in the early 19th
century to include a plinth, or pedestal base, at each corner.
Three of these hold statues; the fourth was intended to hold
an equestrian figure of William IV but remained empty when
money ran out. Later, when funds again became available, no
one could agree on which monarch or military hero should be
commemorated there. Over the years, the Fourth Plinth has
hosted a variety of temporarily placed art works, publicity
stunts, and other displays of expression. Most recently, sculptor
Antony Gormley has begun a project which he calls One and
Other, asking the people of the United Kingdom to occupy the
plinth continually without a break for 100 days. Gormley picked
a group of people from more than 28,000 applicants who, one
at a time, will make the plinth their own between 6 July and
14 October 2009. Previous occupants of this "pulpit"
have included dancers, musicians, a "balloon lady",
an art student in a panda outfit who threw paper aeroplanes
on which he had written his phone number and then answered
the resulting calls, someone who threw chocolates to the crowd,
and various people promoting charities. The occupant staging
the event which is the subject of this report is the Revd
Ken Chalmers, a Methodist minister from Castle Carey in Somerset.
The church:
Apart from some supporters from Chalmers' church back home
and a few of his former student peers from theological college,
this was a community of high-powered business people who do
not know each other but probably pass each other by every
day as they walk to and from work.
The neighbourhood:
Trafalgar Square is in the heart of London's West End. It
regularly hosts a variety of events and activities throughout
the year, including rallies, demonstrations, film shoots,
and performance based events. The immediate area is rich in
attractions: Nelson's Column, protected by its four bronze
lions, celebrating victory at the Battle of Trafalgar; possibly
the smallest police box ever built; The National Portrait
Gallery; St Martin-in-the-Fields Church; Canada House; South
Africa House; the Institute of Contemporary Art; and The English
National Opera.
The cast:
The Revd Ken Chalmers stood on top of the plinth, preaching
and leading prayers. The Revd Martin Turner, superintendent
of the Westminster District, led the eucharistic prayer at
ground level.
The date & time:
Tuesday, 28 July 2009, 9.00am.
What was the name of
the service?
Nine o'clock on the Plinth.
How full was the building?
At the beginning, I counted 14 people, but the crowd swelled
to 54 at one point. However, I discovered later that 250 people,
many passing through the square but not staying long, received
holy communion.
Did anyone welcome you
personally?
No, because I was watching it at home on my computer screen.
Was your pew comfortable?
No. My computer chair gives me a bad back and I must invest
in a new one.
How would you describe
the pre-service atmosphere?
Tense, because there was a leaking pipe in my bathroom, so
the water was turned off while I was waiting for a plumber
(who never turned up)!
What were the exact
opening words of the service?
"Thank you. That's fine. See you in an hour." addressed
by the Revd Chalmers to the man operating the yellow crane
by which Chalmers had arrived. Then: "David, have we
got the volume of the PA down?" And finally: "Good
morning. Welcome to nine o'clock on
the Fourth Plinth."
What books did the congregation
use during the service?
Three different service sheets: one for each 20 minute segment
of the service, coloured red, blue and beige respectively.
What musical instruments
were played?
None. The congregation sang Taizé chants unaccompanied.
Did anything distract
you?
Yes: the noise from buses going past the square, the sound
of the nearby waterfall, which made me feel that I needed the
toilet (which will not flush until the plumber has been), plus
my anxiety at the non-arrival of my plumber.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
Informal, evangelistic without being evangelical. Just a little
clapping during "Give me oil in my lamp". The atmosphere
reminded me of John Wesley's outdoor preaching, or a Billy
Graham rally, but with less emotion.
Exactly how long was
the sermon?
6 minutes – 3 short sermons of approximately 2 minutes each.
On a scale of 1-10,
how good was the preacher?
8 – It must be very nerve-racking to be on public display
and exposed to any heckling that might happen (though it didn't),
but the preacher relaxed as time went on and he wasn't using
any notes.
In a nutshell, what
was the sermon about?
Meals. Some African Christians shared a meal with the preacher.
He knew they would have to go hungry the next day, but did
not want to risk offending them. Jesus' hospitality is generous;
there were 12 baskets of leftovers after the 5,000 were fed.
Jesus was so generous that he even gave food to Judas at the
Last Supper. Food is better shared, even if it's only beans
on toast, than eaten alone at a restaurant when away from
home on business. Now that shared meals are less common, the
Big Lunch
project encourages people to share a meal. Meals and holy
communion symbolise the quest for the reconciliation and wholeness
of humankind.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
Hearing that all were welcome to receive communion, whether
they loved Jesus or just wanted to love Jesus, whether they
were seekers or without commitment. There is no need to give
names. This is very much in the spirit of John Wesley, who
believed communion to be "a converting ordinance."
And which part was like
being in... er... the other place?
Reflecting that administering communion to all comers is against
the rules of my own church and concern about swine flu! Everyone
was welcome to drink from the chalice, but my church has now
been issued with instructions only to offer communion in one
kind until the pandemic has waned.
What happened when you
hung around after the service looking lost?
Nothing, as I was on my own. However, I could see that complete
strangers were very chatty at the plinth; quite a miracle
in an anonymous city like London.
How would you describe
the after-service coffee?
The stewards offered gift booklets to everyone with "messages
of hope, grace and prayer" provided by the Methodist
Church. I remembered my early teens when the local churches
at my seaside did open-air services and I used to hand out
tracts to passers-by. I suspect the more subtle form of evangelism
I witnessed today is more appropriate to sophisticated Londoners.
Meanwhile, I could not make any coffee because my water supply
was turned off.
How would you feel about
making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 =
terminal)?
8 – I am a great fan of fresh expressions of church,
and this sort of innovative initiative would make me feel
less guilty about not witnessing and less bored with conventional
liturgy.
Did the service make
you feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes. I am glad that we are the Body of Christ and that different
members have such talents to use in the service of his kingdom
(or republic).
What one thing will
you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The invitation to communion: "None of us is good enough.
Judas the betrayer was a guest, too, so don't think Jesus
won't accept you."
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