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| 2476: St James,
Piccadilly, London |
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Photo:
© Steve Cadman and used under license
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Mystery
Worshipper: Virginia.
The church:
St
James, Piccadilly, London.
Denomination:
Church
of England, Diocese
of London.
The building:
A magnificent Wren church, dating back to 1684, with a gallery
and organ case by the famed Baroque woodcarver Grinling Gibbons.
The arched ceiling is covered in panelling and supported by
Corinthian columns, which divide the interior into a central
nave and two side aisles. For this Christmas Eve service, large
red and white candles filled the sanctuary and tea lights filled
every ledge around the building.
The church:
Despite being in one of the wealthiest parts of London, it has
an outreach programme to the homeless, who are allowed to take
refuge in the church as long as it is open. There are several
groups, including Caravan Drop-in for counselling, Julian Group
for prayer, and Zen Group. Concerts and recitals are held regularly.
The church prides itself on its inclusivity, which is evident
in its mission statement: they are "a body which welcomes
and celebrates human diversity..." There is a daily market
in the church grounds.
The neighbourhood:
The church is right on Piccadilly with its expensive shops and
the Royal Academy. There appears to be very little residential
property in the immediate vicinity. St James' Palace, Clarence
House, the Ritz and several London clubs are all less than half
a mile away.
The cast:
The Revd Lucy Winkett, rector, preached. The celebrant was the
Revd Hugh Valentine, assisted by the Revd Lindsay Meader.
The date & time:
Christmas Eve, 24 December 2012, 11.30pm.
What was the name of the service?
Christmas Midnight Eucharist.
How full was the building?
The church was built to accommodate about 2000. It was mostly
full but only downstairs. Certainly all pews on either side
of the main aisle were full and there were lots of people in
the side aisles too.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
No, but I had been there for the meditation, which took place
immediately beforehand when people were coming in at various
times, and there was no formal welcoming.
Was your pew comfortable?
It wouldn't have been, had I not remembered the mental note
I made to myself on a previous visit to bring a cushion with
me next time!
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Quite busy as people came in, with quite a lot of greeting of one another and exchanging of Christmas wishes.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
By the cantor, who came out to rehearse our singing of the responses:
"Hello, everyone. My name is Lil."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
There was a specially printed sheet with all the words of the
carols and the liturgy, together with advertisements and details
of the church's other activities. There were no Bibles in any
of the pews.
What musical instruments were played?
Organ, and it was played magnificently.
Did anything distract you?
Coming from a low church background, I couldn't help but keep
making comparisons throughout!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
Stiff upper lip, generally formal, and high Anglican, with incense
and Latin responses led by Lil the cantor. The hymns were all
traditional carols, as it was Christmas Eve. A nice and less
formal touch was that we were all invited to gather round the
altar for the administration of communion.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
12 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
10 – The Revd Lucy Winkett made her points clearly and
with confidence. The sermon was very accessible.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
In Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Scrooge's attitude was
transformed in the end when he saw love in other people. In
the same way, our hearts can be transformed by God if we allow
him to. As the shepherds and wise men went to Bethlehem to find
Jesus, so we can find our own personal Bethlehem in our hearts.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
Singing traditional carols to the accompaniment of a powerfully
played organ. The music soared. Also, communion round the altar
was pleasingly different, and at the end we were encouraged
to form groups of four and put our hands on each other's shoulders
whilst the celebrant prayed for us all.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Being used to low Anglican worship, I found the formality and
ritual, particularly the incense and the Latin, off-putting
and unnecessary. The pervasive smell of incense was cloying
at times.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
There was no opportunity to hang around, as it was almost 1.00am
and everyone was heading to their beds! But the three clergy
were all at the door and shook hands with everyone, as far as
I could tell.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
See above.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
1 – Because high Anglican worship does nothing for me at all.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Insofar as we were celebrating the coming of Jesus, yes it did.
The sermon was encouraging, too. But in general, the high Anglican
worship was off-putting.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The candles and tea lights. |
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