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| 2002: St George's,
Bloomsbury, London |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Adeodatus.
The church:
St
George's, Bloomsbury, London.
Denomination:
Church of England, Diocese
of London.
The building:
Consecrated in 1731, St George's is the work of Nicholas Hawksmoor,
clerk to Christopher Wren and designer of the west towers of
Westminster Abbey. Charles Dickens used St George's as the setting
for "The Bloomsbury Christening" in Sketches by
Boz. Although a large building, it is easy to miss, as
it is somewhat tucked away and swamped by taller surrounding
buildings. It has been recently restored thanks to gifts from
the Paul Mellon Estate and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The interior
has a quiet beauty and, unusually, a north-south axis. A magnificent
brass chandelier hangs over the centre aisle. As for the exterior,
it doesn't seem particularly welcoming. There were a couple
of tired notices attached to the railings. On the right hand
side of the great steps was an area containing bits of newspaper,
empty drink cartons, and the like. Depressing. I thought some
colour was needed: a flower bed or at least a decent notice
board, perhaps in the colours of St George.
The church:
Apart from the Sunday eucharist, there are two communion services
during the week. The church building is frequently used for
musical events. I imagine that outreach to the neighbourhood
would be difficult. I'm not sure how I would go about it, but
maybe the new vicar will have some good ideas! I wondered how
many parishioners actually live in the vicinity. I noticed an
appeal for volunteers to keep the church open during the week,
so maybe not many.
The neighbourhood:
Bloomsbury is an area of London noted for its parks and squares.
The British Museum is a few minutes walk away from St George's,
and the surrounding streets contain many hotels and offices.
In years gone by, such notables as Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens,
William Butler Yeats, Virginia Woolf, and John Maynard Keynes,
to name only a few, all lived in Bloomsbury at one time or another.
The cast:
The parish is awaiting the arrival of a new vicar and is relying
on supply priests in the meantime. Today the celebrant and preacher
was the Revd Canon Ronald Coppin. Another unnamed clergy person
was part of the procession, plus a crucifer.
The date & time:
27 June 2010, at 10.30am.
What was the name of the service?
Parish Eucharist.
How full was the building?
Approximately 30 people, about one-quarter full, including the
choir of four.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
As I entered, a young woman smiled and handed me an order of
service.
Was your pew comfortable?
Wooden benches without cushions. I was quite comfortable.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Quiet and reverential.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
No books. The hymns, readings and responses were printed on the pew sheet.
What musical instruments were played?
An organ. It sounded beautiful. I wondered if it too had been
part of the restoration.
Did anything distract you?
I was aware of the words used: "thee", "thy",
"Holy Ghost", etc. As I am of a very mature age, this
didn't bother me, though I wondered if the under 40 crowd would
find this language out of harmony with our present age.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
Anglo-Catholic, though not extreme, with bells but no smells.
The celebrant wore a chasuble, and other members of the altar
party wore simple white surplices.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
15 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8 – Canon Coppin spoke from the lectern, not the pulpit.
His delivery was clear, except that I had to concentrate as
his voice seemed to disappear toward the end of a sentence.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
He compared the calls of Peter and Paul, and spoke of Peter's
later reluctance to embrace the gentiles as equal members of
the Church until he had his vision, and Paul's frustration with
the Jewish Christians who wanted gentile Christians to adhere
to Jewish custom. We are all called in various ways. The gospel
"bites" us differently. We are to live our faith in
response to our individual call.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The small choir in the balcony was a delight. I enjoyed singing
the Lord's Prayer, which I am not used to. I knew two of the
three hymns well, so I was able to have a good sing.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I think my difficulty in hearing all the preacher had to say
was in part due to the sound system. He was carrying around
a rather old-fashioned microphone, so maybe the regular system
had broken down. Not sure why one has to call the Lord's Prayer
"the Paternoster" in this day and age. I did Latin
in school many moons ago but it's pretty rare these days.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
Canon Coppin shook my hand at the door and we exchanged some
friendly words.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
I had a plane to catch so wasn't able to stay.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – If I were a local, probably yes.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Definitely, yes.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The beautiful interior and reverent service. |
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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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