| |
 |
 |
|
| Comment on this report, or find other reports. |
|
| Our Mystery Worshippers are volunteers who warm church pews for us around the world. If you'd like to become a Mystery Worshipper, start here. |
|
| Find out how to reproduce this report in your church magazine or website. |
|
|
| 2536: St Michael
and All Angels, Dallas, Texas, USA |
|
 |
|
Mystery
Worshipper: Orthodox Mutt.
The church:
St Michael
and All Angels, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Denomination:
The Episcopal Church,
Diocese
of Dallas.
The building:
The sanctuary is best described as 1960s modern. The entire
space is a hall, so there are no transepts. Also unusual is
the lack of windows, stained glass or otherwise, in the nave.
There are wood panels running the length of the nave where windows
would be expected. The only windows are on either side of the
chancel area and in the organ loft, and they are, as best I
can tell, completely abstract. The eye is immediately drawn
to the marble reredos with a gold cross on the left and relief
images of St Michael the Archangel and a host of other angels
kneeling facing the cross. The north wall is a continuous series
of doors that open into a hallway, allowing easy access to the
rest of the complex.
The church:
This is said to be one of the largest and wealthiest Episcopal
parishes in the country. Indeed, they admit on their website
that they are "a large church." They offer a broad
variety of clubs, study groups, retreats, pastoral care groups,
etc., all listed and described on their website. It's safe to
say that there are widely varied options to suit every taste.
They celebrate several masses each Sunday, including Rites I
and II and a Joy Mass (for children ages 3-5), Discovery Mass
(for children ages 5-10), and Celebration Mass (described as
"a less formal, relaxed service").
The neighborhood:
The church is surrounded by several other churches, most notably
Christ the King Catholic Church, which is directly across the
street. It is also close to numerous office towers and shopping
destinations. The membership of the parish draws primarily from
adjacent neighborhoods of Highland park, University Park, and
Preston Hollow, all among the wealthiest in Texas.
The cast:
The Rt Revd Paul E. Lambert, Bishop Suffragan of Dallas, was
the celebrant and preacher. He was assisted by the Revd Dr Robert
S. Dannals, rector; the Revd Dr Kevin D. Huddleston, associate
for outreach and mission; the Rev Lisa C. Flores, associate
for pastoral care; and the Revd Brenda Sol, associate for young
adults and pastoral care. The deacon's name was not provided,
and she does not appear on the roster of the parish's clergy.
A lay subdeacon rounded out the altar party. Additional cast
included a verger, two crucifers, four torch bearers, seven
communion assistants, and five other assistants (19 in all).
The date & time:
Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 5, 2013, 11.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Confirmation and Eucharist Rite I.
How full was the building?
I would estimate about 250 people were present. Even so, the
building was at around a quarter of its capacity (did I say
it was a large church?), and the people had spread themselves
out pretty evenly.
Did anyone welcome you
personally?
I was greeted by an usher at the door, who handed me a leaflet.
Was your pew comfortable?
The pew had a cushion and was very comfortable. I was amazed at how comfortable the kneelers were. They were padded with thick, soft foam. I wish my church would upgrade theirs with that material!
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
It was fairly quiet and contemplative. The organist was playing quietly and a few people greeted and conversed with one another. The service started about five minutes late.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
Bishop: "Alleluia! Christ is risen."
People: "The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!"
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
The leaflet provided included the order of service, page numbers,
hymn numbers, and the text of the readings. Additionally, the
congregation used the Prayer Book 1979 and the Hymnal
1982.
What musical instruments
were played?
The very large and visually impressive organ, Opus 30 of the
Schudi Organ Company of Mesquite, Texas, built in the style
of the great French 19th century organ builder Aristide Cavaille-Coll.
But for all its beauty, this instrument is totally inadequate
to accompany congregational singing. Even when the organ is
loud, it does not carry (largely the fault of the acoustics
in the room). Also, the organ speaks across the gallery from
both directions and slightly forward, so the choir are essentially
singing from behind it, making it very difficult to keep abreast
of the sound.
Did anything distract
you?
This was one of the most distracting services I have attended
in a very long time. First, there was a veritable soundtrack
of coughing and sneezing throughout the service, with the worst
coming during congregational singing. I am sorry that so many
members of the congregation seemed to be suffering from respiratory
ailments, but there it was. Second, few things (in my opinion)
bring the beauty of the liturgy to a grinding halt faster than
the interjection of page numbers between prayers. Those page
numbers were printed in the leaflet, and I would think that
the congregation could have managed without both the bishop
and the rector constantly prompting, "Our service continues
on page ___." But the flow of the service took another,
perhaps more grievous, hit: it was advertised as Rite 1 but
is perhaps best described as Rite 1 1/2. To be specific, the
order of confirmation ignored the language prescribed in Rite
1 and instead used Rite 2. And last but not least, the mixture
of styles in the altar and pulpit frontals and the vestments
(including the bishop's) was jarring to the eye.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
It wanted to be stiff upper lip but (as with the language and
vestments) too many irregularities intervened. The servers were
well trained and well drilled and executed their duties with
precision. However, there was no Gloria even though it was Easter
season. Nor was there a psalm or epistle. The readings went
directly from first lesson to gospel. Speaking of which, the
gospel ceremony seemed awkward. The verger literally raced down
the aisle with procession in tow, leaving them all standing
there with flickering torches while the choir finished up the
sequence hymn. And after the bishop had laid hands on the confirmands,
they all laid hands on each other. At the offertory, members
of the congregation brought the gifts of bread and wine to the
altar and placed them there themselves, instead of handing them
to the clergy (forget about bowing and reverencing)!
Exactly how long was the sermon?
9 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
5 – Bishop Lambert read directly from his script and was
not, in my opinion, particularly engaging.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
It is the job of the community to act together to bring the
gospel to the world. The Holy Spirit provides the necessary
inspiration to go out and work for Christ's kingdom. Baptism
and confirmation are the means God uses to pour out his Spirit.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
The offertory anthem: Wesley's Blessed be the God and Father.
There is a soft passage that ends in a long rest, after which
the full organ blasts a chord that could wake the dead. The
congregation were literally startled out of their seats by the
sudden chord: they all stood up. Then, when the vocal line resumed,
they slowly sat back down. Bishop Lambert looked very amused
at the commotion, and I must say that I couldn't suppress a
chuckle either.
And which part was like
being in... er... the other place?
Aside from the distractions and irregularities mentioned above,
the sound system was a source of frustration to boot. The space
is plagued by dead acoustics, and they've attempted to incorporate
an artificial reverberation system to make up for it, but it
just didn't seem to do the trick. The bishop and the rector
both had issues with their microphones. The bishop's chair matched
the pews in style but has been upholstered in something that
can only be described as horrible.
What happened when you
hung around after the service looking lost?
After the service, a woman in the pew in front of me was quick
to turn around and start conversing with me. She was wearing
a name tag that identified her area of ministry. So I couldn't
really wander much.
How would you describe
the after-service coffee?
Coffee was the only thing I found, and it was very ordinary.
It took me a few minutes and a couple of wrong turns even to
find it.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
3 – I could barely prevent myself from pulling my hair
out over the incongruities and irregularities I encountered
during this service, so I certainly couldn't sit through it
week after week.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
To an extent, but that feeling was seriously mitigated by all
of the bizarre stylistic choices. I certainly wouldn't want
to bring a friend with me to experience it.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The congregation being startled to their feet during the anthem. |
|
|
|
 |
|
| We rely on voluntary donations to stay online. If you're a regular visitor to Ship of Fools, please consider supporting us. |
|
 |
|
| The Mystery Pilgrim |
|
| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
|
 |
|
| London churches |
|
| Read reports from 70 London churches, visited by a small army of Mystery Worshippers on one single Sunday. Read here. |
| |
|
|
|
|
