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| 1758: St Peter
and St Sigfrid, Stockholm, Sweden |
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Photo by Holger.Ellgaard |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Anthony Mary.
The church:
St
Peter and St Sigfrid, Stockholm, Sweden.
Denomination:
Anglican
Episcopal Church, Diocese
in Europe.
The building:
Known locally as "the English church", it was erected in 1866
in another part of Stockholm. In 1913 the church was moved stone
by stone to its present location, where it was reconstructed
and extended. It is a very pretty church in the neo-gothic style,
set in a garden surrounded by a circular road. The interior
is very nice with beautiful windows, a reredos from Oberammergau
and a stunning hanging rood.
The church:
Like all European Anglican chaplaincies, the congregation are
a mix of many nationalities and various denominations. This
is the only English-speaking church in Stockholm.
The neighbourhood:
This is the embassy quarter of Stockholm, a 20 minute walk from
the city centre. Across the road is the British Embassy. The
area is on the riverfront and the church spire is clearly visible
for miles.
The cast:
The Revd John Peart, a retired visiting priest. The chaplain
was in England for an ordination.
The date & time:
Sunday, 5 July 2009, 11.00 am.
Comment: We
have received a comment
on this report.
What was the name of the
service?
Summer Eucharist.
How full was the building?
Half full. I counted 13 in the choir and a congregation of 60.
I thought it was very good for a European chaplaincy in summer.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
An English gentleman said "Good morning" and handed me the service
bulletin. There was no explanation about the hymnal or prayer
book.
Was your pew comfortable?
The pew was OK. Kneelers were individual hassocks – awful!
Far too high for a tall person such as myself. Also the pews
had a board at the bottom, so it was difficult to kneel properly.
I subsequently used a thin cushion that the lady in my pew said
was for sitting on.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
People greeted each other in a friendly way; some had long conversations.
Despite all this I was able to spend some moments in prayer.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
The pew bulletin contained all we needed – although without
hymn numbers. Hymns Ancient and Modern, Revised was
the hymnal.
What musical instruments were played?
A very good organ, built in 1994. I assumed that the person
playing it was the regular organist; I discovered later that
he was just a parishioner who fills in when the regular organist
is away. The choir was much more than I expected at a European
parish. They sang two wonderful Latin anthems during communion,
which had been composed by the organist himself.
Did anything distract you?
Although there were two altar servers, the celebrant insisted
on holding the service book in one of his hands. It was always
in view – even for the blessing (which any priest should know
by heart!).
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
Standard Anglican sung eucharist with four hymns – such
as you would find in any English parish church. I was not familiar
with the mass setting, so I just listened to the choir. (I subsequently
found out that copies of the mass setting were available, if
I had asked.) There was a gospel procession, and bells at the
Sanctus. The choir sang parts and descants to all the hymns.
Exactly how long was the
sermon?
13 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
2 – The priest spoke from written notes; it seemed as if
he were recycling an old sermon. There were hardly any hand
gestures.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
The sermon basically re-told the two readings for the day, suggesting
that Paul and Jesus were men with flaws. He gave various explanations
for what Paul meant by "a thorn in my flesh" (2 Corinthians
12:7). From the gospel reading (Mark 6:1-6 – Jesus returns
to his home town but is not honored there) he segued into a
discourse which can best be described as family counselling!
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
The organ and choir were superb. I was not expecting such a
high standard in a European chaplaincy and was quite surprised
by the two Latin anthems sung during communion.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The intercessions were far too long. The celebrant mentioned
various intentions and concluded each section with a lengthy
prayer, more like another sermon. They were more like feel-good
invocations than proper intercessions.
What happened when you
hung around after the service looking lost?
I stayed in my pew and listened to the postlude (Marche
Pontificale by the 19th century Belgian organist and composer
Jacques-Nicolas Lemmens), as did many others. I then made my
way to the delightfully named Princess Hall. I had to initiate
conversation, but after awhile various people spoke to me, notably
the younger members. The priest was at the door to greet everyone,
but he did not ask my name or where I came from.
How would you describe
the after-service coffee?
Good coffee. The only snacks were biscuits – for which the
priest had earlier apologised.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
7 – If I lived in Stockholm this would be my home parish
and I would be glad to be involved.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Apart from the sermon – definitely.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The communion anthems and the organ voluntaries. |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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