Worship in London

St. Paul's London, view from the north

Westminster Abbey, western facade

I'm continuing to post from home - picking up on things I didn't get a chance to post while in Europe.  I had begun chronicling my worship experiences in Scotland and England, but I fell behind with that.  So here's London from Sunday, April 24, 2016.  My challenge that day was to decide where to worship - St. Paul's Cathedral or Westminster Abbey.  I guess if one has to struggle with a choice, these are not bad options to be caught between!  

Since Westminster Abbey had an organ recital at night, which I didn't want to miss, I decided to head to St. Paul's in the morning.  I wish I had set out earlier.  As I approached the church the bells were ringing out, calling people to worship.  I did capture a bit of it, roughly, on the nine-second video clip below as I rushed to the door!

St. Paul's Cathedral, London, west facade 

Other than the few people talking while gawking (rather than worshiping) it was a wonderful experience!  It began with the processional hymn which was the, to me, very familiar hymn All Creatures of Our God and King.  The familiarity of it made me, once again, to feel the oneness of the body of Christ, and to sing this in such magnificent surroundings was breathtaking.  (Sadly I have no pictures of the inside, but they are easily found through a google search.)

Let all things their Creator bless,

And worship Him in humbleness,

O praise Him, Alleluya!

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,

And praise the Spirit, three in One:

O praise Him, O praise Him,

Alleluya, Alleluya, Alleluya!

We also said together the Nicene Creed, which too made me feel the oneness of the body as we made that profession with united voice.

St. Paul's Cathedral, London - as seem from Millennium Bridge to the south

Both of these churches have multiple worship services on a daily basis, and they are closed to tourists at these times.  This may sound standard, but this was not what I experienced in Notre Dame; I've also recently heard from family members who traveled in Spain that it was very hard to worship in the two cathedrals they went to because tourists were milling about and snapping pictures (and, in one case, hugging the statue of St. James at the front of the church) as services were being held.  Not only is touring not allowed during worship, but it is the case at Westminster Abbey that during times that are open to tourists a prayer is said from the pulpit each hour.  Everyone in the abbey is asked to stand still and remain silent while the prayer is being said.  This is part of the way that the primary function of the Abbey is shown to be that of a church, which it is.  These hourly prayers encompass the world, all people and all families, and I found them to be very meaningful and calming.  In fact, I hope it comes to my mind from time to time as I go about my everyday life now that each hour I too am encompassed in the prayers said there.

After a day of much wandering about the city I queued with many others at Westminster Abbey for the organ recital.  I was pleased to find out that there was an evening service after the half-hour organ recital, so I stayed for that as well.

Buttresses of Westminster as seen from the cloisters

From the cloisters

From the southeast

It seems to me that the view of Westminster Abbey that is most familiar is that of the western facade with its two towers, which can be seen in the second picture of this post and to the far right in the post below.  I remember the first time I visited Westminster Abbey (2003) that when I entered through a door on the northern facade that I did not recognize this as the Abbey that I had seen so often in pictures and on television.  I'm including the views below in order to show both of these facades and how they connect.

Detail of one of the north doors

North facade

Here too was the sense of oneness in many ways.  We began with the hymn Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven, we said The Lord's Prayer in unison, and we ended with Now Thank We All Our God (my favorite hymn). I found the worship service to be as ecumenical as the hourly prayers said throughout the day.  The way in which the minister began the main prayer of the service was to ask God to be with all Christians: "Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Reformed, Pentecostal, Charismatic  .  .  .  ."  Thus recognizing us all to be of one body and sharing one faith.  I felt a humility and love here both in my touring and in my worship.  The image I close this post with is that of an engraving on the western facade (just to the left as you face the western doors).  From what I have experienced here it seems to me that this is truly the desire and aim of those at the Abbey, and that they are doing their best to partner with God in bringing grace, peace and concord.

First Sunday in England

My plan had been to worship in King's College Chapel this morning, but since it is not term time none of the college chapels are having services.  Piers showed me many chapels and churches yesterday.  We spoke about worship and about faith together, and he recommended this church, St. Bene't's, Cambridge.

Actually, given how sick I've felt the last two days, my plan had become to sleep in and then go to an evensong service, but I found myself awake bright and early (I think my body still doesn't know what to make of this big a time change!).  I couldn't go back to sleep, so up I got and off to church I went.  I'm so glad I did.  As was my experience last week, this was a profoundly moving and meaningful worship experience.  And in this case it wasn't a small congregation of mostly elderly people, this was a church so full I was afraid I wouldn't find a seat, and there was a boisterous nursery at the back behind the arch under the bell tower (there's a picture of that area in my last post).  Look at the little guy below trying to get in!

Anna, the vicar, was wonderfully welcoming - spoke with me and a couple of other visitors at length after the service.  There was "fizz" served after the service, as a couple from the church was celebrating their 50th anniversary.  There was cake, cookies, orange juice, and "fizz" (champagne!).

Again I strongly felt the unity of the Body of Christ.  I loved what was familiar and what was different - as the familiar made me comfortable and the differences kept me alert.  As in Scotland this service began with the the hymn, "This Joyful Eastertide."  I'm wondering if that's a coincidence or if that is a traditional opening hymn for this part of the church calendar between Easter and Pentacost.  Other hymns with familiar words and/or tunes were "Alleluia, Sing to Jesus" (Hyfrydol) and "The Day of Resurrection" (Ellacombe).

We also recited a creed - not Apostles, as was my experience last Sunday, but Nicene - so awesome professing faith together in that way.  The organ voluntary (recessional) was Bach's Schafe können sicher weiden (Sheep May Safely Graze).  The congregation remained seated for most of it - of course the vicar and other officiants were processing out during this time.  (Have I already mentioned a love of vestments and the processing in and out?)

Here too, as last week, I found the sermon meaningful.  This week's sermon was on John 21:1-19 - where Jesus comes to the apostles at the Sea of Tiberias where they are back to fishing (something I hadn't really thought about before) and where he reinstates Peter after his denial, asking him three times if he loved Him.  There was insight and there was application.  The preacher was Philip Murray.

The tower is Anglo-Saxon and probably built between 1000 and 1050.  Of course much has changed over a thousand years as would be the case with any such structure, there is quite a bit yet, though, of the church that is Anglo-Saxon.  It's pretty cool to worship in a place with a history of Christian worship going back that far - again a sense of being "surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses."

As I walked around the corner to head back to the hotel, the following is what caught my eye - something that I think will continue to happen a great deal in the next couple of days.

King's College Chapel

And then I turned the next corner, and there was Great St. Mary's where I climbed the bell tower yesterday and got the views over Cambridge.  The rest of the pictures are of Great St. Mary's.

And now it's time for a Sunday afternoon nap (and hoping this one will provide sleep!).

Scotland Sunday Services

I started the day with a half hour walk down Princes Street, in my church clothes/shoes, to get to the service.  Towards the end of my walk I could hear the bells calling the faithful to worship - something I hope comes through well in the video clip below.  It felt like a wonderful and joyous welcome to me!

Before entering the kirk I walked through the kirkyard with so many very old stones.  It sure seems to me that each week the congregation must be reminded of two verses:  Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of witnesses  .  .  ."  and Psalm 90:12 "Teach us Lord to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

St. Cuthbert's and Kirkyard

St. Cuthbert's Kirkyard

Memento Mori - Tomb in St. Cuthbert's Kirkyard

"How still and peaceful is the grave!  where, life's vain tumults past, Th' appointed house, by Heav'n's decree receives us all at last."

Even the front of the church itself reminds those who enter that life flies - "Vivite Fugio"

Sundial halfway up the western facade of the kirk

St. Cuthbert's Church - west facade

St. Chuthbert's Church - east facade (at the end of Princes Street Gardens and below Edinburgh Castle)

The interior of this apse is Byzantine in style with an amazing relief of The Last Supper.  It was a very inspirational setting in which to worship.  There was a pipe organ, of course!  The church is Presbyterian, so it felt really familiar to me given the close theological relationship between the Christian Reformed Church and the Presbyterian Church.  It also had an Anglican flavor, it seemed to me, quite liturgical, and I do love high church!  I was so moved already by the choir introit that I was in tears from the beginning.  So much was familiar that I felt very strongly the oneness of the body of Christ throughout the world.  The opening hymn was "This Joyful Eastertide."  We said the Apostle's Creed and the Lord's Prayer.  The final hymn was "To God Be the Glory."

Apse Interior, St. Cuthbert's Church, Ediburgh

This is one reason I love hymns so much - not just because I'm a traditionalist who was probably born with an old soul - but hymns are more than just old-fashioned songs for old people; they are a shared heritage from generation to generation, age to age, and around the world (the western world anyway).  I'm not expressing it well, but through experiencing these hymns, the creed and the prayer I felt the unity of the body of Christ - even a quarter of the way around the world from home.

I keep hearing about how Christianity is dead in Europe, and while it is true that there were very few people at the service, kind of like the attendance at an evening worship service back home, and that many of the heads were quite gray, the service was so meaningful - not just because my love of hymns and pipe organs, but because of a very meaningful sermon and a very welcoming congregation.  Also, it is clear that the clergy and the congregants wish to reach out their community.

In part the sermon was about BEING Jesus to others, not just talking to others about Jesus.  The minister also mentioned the building we were in - that it was built in the 19th century and that the people of that time were probably worried about the direction of the church as they moved in a new direction with a new building (in other words that there are new directions to go now that probably feel pretty scary, but that this isn't new and is part of the history of this congregation).  This particular building was dedicated in 1894, but a chapel dedicated to St. Cuthbert is mentioned in the 8th century, and a church has definitely been on this site since 850 AD (making it the oldest foundation in the city of Edinburgh).  So this particular body of Christ has seen change after change.  The phrase that came to mind for me, which reminds me of a phrase used in my tradition, "semper reformanda."

What drew me to this church originally is that it is the body of Christ in which mathematician John Napier worshiped in the late 1500s and early 1600s - different building, of course, but same location and same local body of Christ.  He was an elder in this church and was a very pious man - but more about him later in my John Napier post.

Before moving on to evening worship elsewhere I need to add that the order of service ended with these words, "If you are able, you are encouraged to remain in church for the organ recessional."  How cool that that is respected!  (Blurry proof given below.)

In the evening I headed to St. Gile's Cathedral, thinking it was an evensong service, but it turned out to be an organ recital - OK, twist my arm :-)

St. Gile's Cathedral is the High Kirk of Edinburgh.  It has a distinctive crown steeple.  It's on the Royal Mile between Holyrood Palace and Edinburgh Castle.  It is sometimes regarded as the mother church of the Presbyterianism, and John Knox (whose house is just down the Royal Mile a little further) preached here.

St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh

When I was a child growing up in Immanuel CRC in Ripon, I would sometimes stay in the pew and close my eyes during the postlude, letting the vibrations of the pipe organ music transport me.  I felt at those times like I was in a cathedral.  As a child I was always enamored of castles and cathedrals.

  

Well, tonight I thought back to that time from my seat in an actual cathedral with majestic pipe organ music vibrating all around me - surrounded by stained glass windows, organ pipes, gothic arches, massive pillars, and ribbed vaulted ceilings.  I could think of worse ways to spend an evening!

Pipe Organ, St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh

East Window, St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh

Looking west - St. Giles Cathedral Edinburgh

I know I have at least two organists and a number of other musicians following my blog, so for the sake of anyone interested in such things, here is the "programme."

Post Script to my hymn sing group: I know hymn sing is tonight.  I've been thinking about this today as I've worshiped.  If anyone is willing to request Now Thank We All Our God for my sake tonight I'd appreciate it, not only is it my favorite, but I AM so thankful for the traveling mercies God has afforded me.  Know that I will be with you in spirit :-)