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| 1950: St Bene't's,
Cambridge, England |
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Photo: Ben Harris |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Wilderness Pelican.
The church:
St Bene't's,
Cambridge, England.
Denomination:
Church of England, Diocese
of Ely.
The building:
Officially named St Benedict's, the church is called St Bene't's
by the locals. Its Saxon tower is the oldest building in Cambridge
and houses a peal of six bells dating from the 1600s and restored
in 1932. Fabian Stedman (1640-1713), the inventor of English
change-ringing, served as a parish clerk in 1670; Stedman Doubles
and Stedman Triples figure prominently among ringing principles
to this day. The church itself is Norman and dates from the
11th century. Passing ages have seen much alteration. The clerestory
dates from the 15th century. The north and east walls were rebuilt
in the 19th century, along with the aisles and organ chamber,
but the south wall was allowed to remain. The interior is surprisingly
light and airy. Two icons and a Marian statue, but otherwise
simple and pleasantly austere.
The church:
St Bene't's is a parish of colleges, shops, businesses and university
institutions. The majority of the congregation hail from outside
the parish but come, according to their website, to appreciate
the contemplative atmosphere. From 1945 until 2005, St Bene't's
was home to Franciscan brothers from the Anglican Society of
St Francis. The church still hosts an active chapter of the
Third Order of St Francis and Companions of the Society of St
Francis. A said and sung eucharist are celebrated each Sunday,
and evening prayer is read. Once each month there is an hour
of prayer and silence before the Blessed Sacrament.
The neighbourhood:
St Bene't's is tucked away in a Cambridge back street. The immediate
vicinity consists of shops, restaurants, other churches, and
Cambridge colleges that have their own chapels.
The cast: The
Revd Angela Tilby, vicar, assisted by a lay person for the healing
service.
The date & time:
Sunday, 14 March 2010, 6.00pm.
What was the name of the service?
Evening Prayer and Healing Service.
How full was the building?
Eleven in the congregation, so a fairly empty church, but it
suited the style of the service.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
We were greeted by someone whose eyebrows were raised in wonder
over whether we had actually come for the service. That resolved,
we were handed Common Worship and The Holy Bible,
New Revised Standard Version.
Was your pew comfortable?
Usually I find pews very uncomfortable, but I remember nothing
about these. I can only presume that they were fine.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Silence. The priest was sitting at the front, waiting for the
time to begin. The atmosphere, rather than being scary and unwelcoming,
was actually reverential and contemplative.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Welcome to Evening Prayer. The service is in the Red Book on
page 244."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Common Worship and the New English Hymnal.
No one actually used the Bibles we had been given.
What musical instruments were played?
No instruments were used. Unaccompanied singing seemed right
for the simple service and small number of people.
Did anything distract you?
Not much distracted me, but I was occasionally led astray wondering
whether the lighting was casting shadows in the sanctuary or
whether it needed a paint job. A heavy rainstorm arose outside
during the service. There was also a small disturbance from
someone who I presume had been frequenting the local establishments.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
Simple. Contemplative. Genuine. During the healing service,
those in need of healing came forward and were anointed on the
palms of their hands.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
There was not a sermon as such, but rather reflections directly
after each of the two readings. Each of these was four minutes
long.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
9 – The vicar was direct, concise and unsurprisingly a
bit like Thought for the Day.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
She preached on the Prayer of Manasseh, from the Apocrypha (words
expressing deep regret and asking God to be merciful in forgiving),
and 2 Timothy 4:1-18 (Don't give up; preach the Word). What
an amazing thing it must be to come to the end of your life
and be able to say: "I have fought the good fight; I have finished
the race."
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The measured and quiet nature of the service. Nothing was forced or pressured and everything seemed entirely natural.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I did feel a small amount of pity for the gentleman behind me,
who was suddenly called upon to lead the singing in the final
hymn and couldn't quite pitch the notes.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I spent some time looking at the two icons. The vicar came up
to me and made some comments about them. I then moved to the
notice board, where I stood for several minutes without anyone
talking to me, though there were loud conversations across the
church among members of the congregation. I felt, given the
nature of the service, it would have been appropriate for all
to depart in silence. But the high-volumed discourse somewhat
broke the mood, and the only silence to be had was the silent
treatment afforded me.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There wasn't any.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
7 – I very much enjoyed the service, but it wouldn't be a true reflection of everything the church has to offer.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
It did indeed. However, it was not the gleeful and joyful elation
of a big service with plenty of Wesley hymns, but a challenging,
refreshing solace.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The stillness and calm. The new experience of being anointed on the palms of my hands. |
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| The Mystery Pilgrim |
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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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| London churches |
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