Second up in my new church-shopping series is St Thomas Anglican Church.
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What was the name of the service?
Solemn Eucharist
How full was the building?
Every pew was occupied, though none were full. I would guess there was room for about 300. There were more than 100 people there, probably almost 150. Also, while there was a definite bent towards the upper reaches of the age spectrum, there were a surprising number of young adults as well.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
I walked in what turned out to be the side door (oops), so I managed to bypass the greeters. But one of them spotted me and handed me a bulletin. She stayed right behind me through the whole service, making sure I didn't stray from the order of things. I thought that was a bit odd, though, as I was in the back row.
Was your pew comfortable?
Surprisingly so. When I saw the hard, flat wooden pews, I groaned inwardly, but they weren't bad.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
It was unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to laugh, cry, dance, or throw up. Which is to say, I um... got there late, just as the service was starting.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
Mutter murmur cough errmmr grk. Pretty much that's all I heard for the first 10 minutes or so. I'm going to guess the first priest was a mutterer. Either that or it took that long for somebody to drop a babel fish in my ear.
What books did the congregation use during the service?
There was a hymn book and a prayer book, both of which were copyrighted in the 30s and reprinted in the 60s. Mmm... Smell the old books.
What musical instruments were played?
I couldn't tell you. I'm not sure any were.
Did anything distract you?
The woman behind me, whose job it was to make sure I did the right thing at the right time and looked at the right page of the right book at the right time.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
Wikipedia tells me that 'St. Thomas's is more formal and complex than would be encountered in all but a few Canadian Anglican churches today'. Er... Ya, that about sums it up.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
The whole service was just slightly more than an hour, and the sermon was only a very small part of it. It seemed unusually short.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7. As with the last place, this guy spoke clearly and his message was thought provoking, but there were no real WOW moments for me.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
He spoke on the parable in Luke 14, wherein Jesus tells people not to seek out a place of honour. Basically, the gist of it was don't think of yourself more highly than you ought to. One thing he said was that however you accept people, that's how you'll be accepted. Something like that.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
Wikipedia also tells me that the church is 'nicknamed "Smoky Tom's" for its use of generous quantities of incense. I could definitely see that being an issue if it were a cold day, with all the doors and windows shut. In this case, though, it was a beautiful, clear, late summer morning. All the doors and windows were open. The sunlight was streaming in and there was a bit of a breeze. The sun, the breeze, the incense... The physical atmosphere was amazing.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I'm not used to the rigid ritualism of even a normal Anglican church. Remember the bit bit about the church being all formal and complex? Ya, I was a bit lost. Are we standing now? Are we sitting now? Don't give me that look; I don't want to kneel!
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
Absolutely nothing. Nobody looked at me or approached me.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
Coffee?
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
Not sure. I'd like to give it another shot at least. Maybe try to drag myself out for the eight o'clock service. Even though it was more rigid and ritualistic than St Paul's, it seemed more genuine, more honest. Maybe it was the size difference. Maybe it's that everything wasn't polished and beautiful. I don't know.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
I think so.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
During the sermon, which as I've said was about accepting others and not placing yourself above them, there was a disruption. It was an interesting disruption, though. A small, haggard woman with enormous umkempt hair and threadbare clothes came in with a boy about the same size as her and with the same hair. He was obviously mentally delayed, but very happy. He squealed and giggled and squirmed. It was interesting to watch the way some (but only a few) people stared daggers at the pair of them. Most seemed content to let them be.
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Questions courtesy of (= nicked from) Ship of Fools.
