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| 2460: Community
of St Clare, St Mary's Convent, Freeland, Oxfordshire, England |
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Mystery
Worshipper: Amy.
The church:
Community
of St Clare, St Mary's Convent, Freeland, Oxfordshire, England.
Denomination:
Church
of England. The community are part of the Anglican
Society of St Francis.
The building:
The community acquired the premises, formerly a home for retired
governesses, in 1952, and a chapel was added in 1960. There
is a guest house, workrooms, and a lovely garden. In the chapel
the floors are all stone, and the wall is mainly white, with
blue on the upper parts. Wooden statues of Jesus on the cross,
Mary carrying baby Jesus, and two Franciscans saints are positioned
at various spots. There are also wooden lecterns where the daily
office is read.
The church:
This is a contemplative community. Among their works are a bakery
where altar breads of various sizes and compositions are made
for sale to churches, and a print shop that turns out Christmas
cards. They take great comfort in their garden, where a number
of cats live contentedly. On designated "drop-in days"
anyone is welcome to stop at the guest house for a time of quiet
contemplation. Beverages are available, but guests are encouraged
to bring their own lunch. Guests are invited to attend noonday
holy communion in the chapel.
The neighbourhood:
Freeland is a village with no shops and about 1500 people living
there. They have a primary school and plenty of places to walk
under trees – beautiful trees. Lots of grass, and there
are many sheep, horses, cows, hens, dogs, and deer. There is
a Methodist church as well as an Anglican church both near the
Franciscans' home.
The cast:
A priest identified only as the Revd Anne, who came to take
the service.
The date & time:
Sunday, 4 November 2012, 8.30am.
What was the name of the service?
Daily Eucharist.
How full was the building?
About half full, 22 people, all sitting in a circle around the
communion table.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Many smiled to me as a welcome.
Was your pew comfortable?
There were wooden individual seats, comfortable ones, coloured
grey, with wool on them.
How would you describe
the pre-service atmosphere?
People were looking up the hymn numbers. No one was chatting.
The table for communion was being set up with its bread and
wine and order of service for the leader.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Praise God!"
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
We were given Hymns Old and New, Anglican and Celtic
Psalms but no Bibles.
What musical instruments were played?
The organ was played excellently by Sister Mary, one of the
Franciscans. The organ was at the front.
Did anything distract you?
It was raining outside and I felt upset about that, going home!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
A quiet service except for the singing. Everyone sang well and
none too quiet. Many people also bowed down to God often.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
No sermon.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
It was the kind of service that inspires one to remember God's
love for us. We were reminded that we all are "in God".
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The contemplative nature of the service brought to mind the
suffering of Jesus and that he died because of our badness.
I felt sad that he had suffered so badly when he was put to
death.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
People smiled as we took our hymn books back to the exit. All
left except for the Franciscans. We heard music coming from
another local church.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
No tea or coffee there.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
7 – This is the kind of place where one can always go to
have silence when on holiday. But we can worship God every day,
all the time.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
I felt glad to be among Christians who were praying and singing
about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and how God loves and cares
for us.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The love God has for us. |
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