January 18, 2009 11:00 am
Oxford Bible Church, 621 Oxford St. Winnipeg
My Grade 6 Graduation was held in this church, probably the only reason I know it exists. It's nestled in the heart of River Heights, a little building that has an apparently varied history that I've now forgotten.
The front door doesn't open into the sanctuary, unless I magically missed it; instead you have to climb a flight of stairs. Just sayin'. It's a smaller building, done up in a general wood-paneling kind of scheme. The lobby had about twenty people in it when I arrived. After standing around looking lost for about three minutes an elderly gentleman introduced himself and told me a joke about his last name. He introduced me to another man, probably in his thirties. After they headed off to sit down I was alone for about a minute before a woman approached me and started talking about how her family had joined the church a year ago, and that though it was a simple church it was a great blessing on their family. She introduced me to two younger men (twenties), who in turn introduced me to a man, his wife and their two young children. The man invited me to sit with his family.
The point of that block of text is this: though I suppose it's easier to spot a visitor in a smaller congregation, I don't think I've been to a church yet where such an overwhelming number of people have introduced themselves and made friendly conversation, without me actively getting anything going. There was no formal usher and no bulletin; it was a very casual, friendly atmosphere. I'd say there were about fifty, maybe sixty people attending the service.
Interesting note: they didn't take an offering. First time that's happened too.
The format of the service was interesting as well. Since there was no bulletin I have no idea who was leading the service, though according to the man next to me the speaker was a new grandfather. He welcomed us there, paying special attention to include visitors in his welcome. Then we proceeded to sing four hymns in quick succession, broken up by a prayer and a soloist who sang a beautiful hymn of her own. There seemed to be an organ up there but it wasn't used; the accompaniment was piano.
Then the children left and the speakers changed. Did I mention that for such a small church, the ratio of young vs. old was actually pretty impressive? Not a ton of children, but the bulk of the church was twenties-to-forties, young family types. Interesting.
Anyhow, for the sermon everyone in the place pulled out a bible (I guess I could've figured that one out... Bible Church...). The sermon was on Psalm 73, a short psalm about doubting and despairing in God after seeing the 'wicked and arrogant' prosper. On a second reading at home I actually found it extremely relevant, but the way that it was picked apart in the sermon line-by-line really made its message out to be a bit different than (I feel) it was . Sitting there I had a hard time figuring out exactly what was going on.
There was one more hymn that brought the service to an end. Afterwards I ended up in a lengthy discussion about various Biblical messages with a the man whom I was sitting beside, who really knew his Bible. We chatted about all kinds of things (though often I didn't know enough to really respond to his points. As an example of our conversation, he explained to me how the existence of the concept of evil fundamentally supports the existence of God. I must admit that that idea is still causing my brain some grief. Anyhow, he extended an invitation to meet up for coffee and chat more. I might take him up on it.
Friendly church. Simple church, but a friendly church. I would easily consider going back.
http://www.oxfordbiblechurch.net/introduction.htm
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Calvary Temple
January 4, 2009 7:00 pm
Calvary Temple, 400 Hargrave St. Winnipeg
Pastor Trevor Meier
I will freely admit how I ended up going to the 7:00 pm service at Calvary Temple: I slept through the morning service. However, it ended up being a really interesting experience. Calvary Temple is one of the largest churches in Winnipeg. The place is huge. The 7:00 service, called "Beyond," is held in the main sanctuary (because there are more than one). Their website bills it as the "multimedia-heavy" service, which naturally intrigued me.
When I walked in at twenty-to I was one of only about ten people there (later I discovered this was because everyone was at a pre-service prayer). The stage was set up for a band and there were three cameras and countless tv-screens warming up around the place. By ten-to it was brimming, with at least 150 people present. The age demographic was shocking compared to any other service I've attended: the 25 and unders outnumbered the 50 pluses. There was a huge spirit of camaraderie before the service as people dashed around the sanctuary hugging each other and talking animatedly.
I must admit I had to raise my eyebrows as a young man marched to and fro across the stage before the service, wielding a full-size Israeli flag. I won't mention my feelings about the issues facing Israel and Palestine, suffice it to say that I didn't feel it was appropriate to be waving any flags in church, Palestinian or Israeli. As Christians I feel it is our calling to support both parties in coming to a peaceful resolution, not to get behind one particular group (whether or not we may consider them "in the right.")
Onwards. The service started with music. Lots of music. Almost an hour of music. Guitar, bass, piano, drums, vocals. The female vocalist had a set of lungs on her, but (similar to my experience at Grant Memorial), she was trying waaay to hard to sound like a pop star. On a side note, I never imagined that I would have needed earplugs at a church service. But there you are. The band played seamlessley and their sound was quite good. The songs were all pretty generic, "uplifting" Christian rock and though there were a lot of people in the front really getting into it (a few men were dancing in circles in their pews, and at least half the hands in the room were outstretched towards the ceiling), I must admit I was a bit bored by the time Pastor Meier bounced onto the stage.
Pastor Meier is an animated speaker, really engaging, really easy to listen to. His sermon started off with a distinct sense of direction as he spoke about "opening our sails to the wind of God" in the new year. Basically his main point was that instead of trying desperately to make things "work," we should simply listen for what God has to say and be influenced by what we are called to do at a specific time.
Good stuff, but it was downhill from there. Suddenly he was pulling scripture passages out of nowhere and somehow stringing them together, but everything was out of context. I really lost him for a while there. At one point (I apologize, I've forgotten the exact passage), he was meditating pretty heavily on a particular passage. After reiterating and tying it into the idea of listening for the "wind of God," he added, "but everyone! This is definitely not an excuse to be weird or flaky! I see all kinds of people read this passage and use it as an excuse for being weird and flaky." Weird and flaky? I almost walked out. What kind of sermon labels and then attacks people for being or acting a certain way? Acceptance this was not.
I'm rambling. But you get my drift.
The service ended with more music, and I had to run out upon realizing that two hours had just passed, instead of one. When I left the music was still going on and people were congregating at the front to be prayed with.
I must say I enjoyed the contemporary musical aspect of this service. More churches need to look into alternative methods of worship, because comparing this congregation to most others its obvious that it's hard to attract youth with the old formulaic service. I'm getting bored, what about you?
If it wasn't for Pastor Meier's sermon, I would've left feeling a bit better than I did. His sermon was a classic example of talking a lot, but saying very little. And using disjointed Bible passages to say very little. Hmm. I will definitely consider going to one of Calvary Temple's morning services; it will be very interesting to contast the two.
http://www.ctwinnipeg.com/
Calvary Temple, 400 Hargrave St. Winnipeg
Pastor Trevor Meier
I will freely admit how I ended up going to the 7:00 pm service at Calvary Temple: I slept through the morning service. However, it ended up being a really interesting experience. Calvary Temple is one of the largest churches in Winnipeg. The place is huge. The 7:00 service, called "Beyond," is held in the main sanctuary (because there are more than one). Their website bills it as the "multimedia-heavy" service, which naturally intrigued me.
When I walked in at twenty-to I was one of only about ten people there (later I discovered this was because everyone was at a pre-service prayer). The stage was set up for a band and there were three cameras and countless tv-screens warming up around the place. By ten-to it was brimming, with at least 150 people present. The age demographic was shocking compared to any other service I've attended: the 25 and unders outnumbered the 50 pluses. There was a huge spirit of camaraderie before the service as people dashed around the sanctuary hugging each other and talking animatedly.
I must admit I had to raise my eyebrows as a young man marched to and fro across the stage before the service, wielding a full-size Israeli flag. I won't mention my feelings about the issues facing Israel and Palestine, suffice it to say that I didn't feel it was appropriate to be waving any flags in church, Palestinian or Israeli. As Christians I feel it is our calling to support both parties in coming to a peaceful resolution, not to get behind one particular group (whether or not we may consider them "in the right.")
Onwards. The service started with music. Lots of music. Almost an hour of music. Guitar, bass, piano, drums, vocals. The female vocalist had a set of lungs on her, but (similar to my experience at Grant Memorial), she was trying waaay to hard to sound like a pop star. On a side note, I never imagined that I would have needed earplugs at a church service. But there you are. The band played seamlessley and their sound was quite good. The songs were all pretty generic, "uplifting" Christian rock and though there were a lot of people in the front really getting into it (a few men were dancing in circles in their pews, and at least half the hands in the room were outstretched towards the ceiling), I must admit I was a bit bored by the time Pastor Meier bounced onto the stage.
Pastor Meier is an animated speaker, really engaging, really easy to listen to. His sermon started off with a distinct sense of direction as he spoke about "opening our sails to the wind of God" in the new year. Basically his main point was that instead of trying desperately to make things "work," we should simply listen for what God has to say and be influenced by what we are called to do at a specific time.
Good stuff, but it was downhill from there. Suddenly he was pulling scripture passages out of nowhere and somehow stringing them together, but everything was out of context. I really lost him for a while there. At one point (I apologize, I've forgotten the exact passage), he was meditating pretty heavily on a particular passage. After reiterating and tying it into the idea of listening for the "wind of God," he added, "but everyone! This is definitely not an excuse to be weird or flaky! I see all kinds of people read this passage and use it as an excuse for being weird and flaky." Weird and flaky? I almost walked out. What kind of sermon labels and then attacks people for being or acting a certain way? Acceptance this was not.
I'm rambling. But you get my drift.
The service ended with more music, and I had to run out upon realizing that two hours had just passed, instead of one. When I left the music was still going on and people were congregating at the front to be prayed with.
I must say I enjoyed the contemporary musical aspect of this service. More churches need to look into alternative methods of worship, because comparing this congregation to most others its obvious that it's hard to attract youth with the old formulaic service. I'm getting bored, what about you?
If it wasn't for Pastor Meier's sermon, I would've left feeling a bit better than I did. His sermon was a classic example of talking a lot, but saying very little. And using disjointed Bible passages to say very little. Hmm. I will definitely consider going to one of Calvary Temple's morning services; it will be very interesting to contast the two.
http://www.ctwinnipeg.com/
Bethel Mennonite Church
December 25, 2008 6:30 pm
Bethel Mennonite Church, 465 Stafford Ave. Winnipeg
Christmas eve, and there was a lot of debate over which church to go to in our family, since it was the first time in a decade that we weren't attending our old home church. Bethel was eventually settled on and so began my first visit to a Mennonite church since I started my project.
Bethel is a large church and I think it's a really beautiful building. Not traditional by any means, but certainly not a Death Star (see previous post about that). It was packed on Christmas eve with all kinds of people, young and old. The place was full, I'm not sure how many people it holds at capacity but it was definitely at it. 500, perhaps?
The service began with the church darkened except for the lights held by choir members, who surrounded the congregation on the sides. They processed to the front while singing (wonderfully), and as the lights came back on the service began. The format was simple, but effective. The service alternated between congregation-sung hymns, readings by small groups at the front, reflections by Pastors Lisa Enn-Bogoya, Reynold Friesen and Rudy Baergen, and anthems from the choir.
Towards the end was one of the most involved children's stories I've ever seen. At least twenty little ones were up at the front for it, as Werner Wiens read an arrangement of Jesus' parable of the poor woman (who donates her last coin and therefore has given more than the rich who simply square out a fraction of their thousands). Great story. The choir got in on the action and there were a few youth actors as well.
The music was great, the readings were great, the reflections were great. The atmosphere was wonderful. I sincerely enjoyed Christmas eve at Bethel Mennonite, and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to go back. I'm very curious what their weekly service is like.
http://www.bethelmennonite.ca/
Bethel Mennonite Church, 465 Stafford Ave. Winnipeg
Christmas eve, and there was a lot of debate over which church to go to in our family, since it was the first time in a decade that we weren't attending our old home church. Bethel was eventually settled on and so began my first visit to a Mennonite church since I started my project.
Bethel is a large church and I think it's a really beautiful building. Not traditional by any means, but certainly not a Death Star (see previous post about that). It was packed on Christmas eve with all kinds of people, young and old. The place was full, I'm not sure how many people it holds at capacity but it was definitely at it. 500, perhaps?
The service began with the church darkened except for the lights held by choir members, who surrounded the congregation on the sides. They processed to the front while singing (wonderfully), and as the lights came back on the service began. The format was simple, but effective. The service alternated between congregation-sung hymns, readings by small groups at the front, reflections by Pastors Lisa Enn-Bogoya, Reynold Friesen and Rudy Baergen, and anthems from the choir.
Towards the end was one of the most involved children's stories I've ever seen. At least twenty little ones were up at the front for it, as Werner Wiens read an arrangement of Jesus' parable of the poor woman (who donates her last coin and therefore has given more than the rich who simply square out a fraction of their thousands). Great story. The choir got in on the action and there were a few youth actors as well.
The music was great, the readings were great, the reflections were great. The atmosphere was wonderful. I sincerely enjoyed Christmas eve at Bethel Mennonite, and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to go back. I'm very curious what their weekly service is like.
http://www.bethelmennonite.ca/
St. George Crescentwood
December 14, 2008 10:30 am
St. George, Crescentwood Anglican Church, 168 Wilton St. Winnipeg
Reverend Lyndon Hutchinson-Hounsell
WOW.
So this morning I realized I'm three posts behind. I will try to rectify this situation with a blogging onslaught this afternoon.
First up is St. George. I used to drive by this church a couple of times a week, on the way to and from things. I was always a bit intrigued by its architecture; from the outside it looks... square. Symmetrical. Not particularly church-y. Finally I got to see what it was like inside, and I must admit I didn't take to what I saw. The inside of the church is square. And gray stone walls, ceiling and floor. The only color comes from the stained glass window, which is excellent, and also square.
I couldn't help but think, this is kinda like worship in the Death Star.
It took a while for the place to fill up and my final tally was no more than 150 people. Generally older folks and a few families (one of which sat behind me and chatted about pregnancy and goldfish, among other things, throughout the entire service. Nice.) Just like when I visited Saint Margaret's Anglican, there were more "participants" at the front than I could find names for. (Deacon, Lectors, Intercessor, etc.)
The choir was in a loft behind and above us, which meant their sound projected great out through the church. I always like to watch the choir so by the end I had a crick in my neck, but the choir was great anyways. The organ was up there too, smooshed unceremoniously into a corner.
The service itself was very nice. Lots of singing, lots of praying, all in the traditional format. Rev. Donald McKenzie did the sermon. Predictably he talked about keeping Jesus in Christmas in among all the holiday hustle-and-bustle (read: shopping and consumerism). He kept it really fresh, bringing new arguments to the table and presenting everything really nicely. Rev. McKenzie was a fine speaker.
A note, and anybody who knows more about this please let me know: at the beginning of the service during the lighting of the advent wreath, a group of elderly ladies stood to recite the "story" of the candles, as is done in most churches, I believe. They spoke clearly and well and then sat down. Thing is, they were billed in the order of service as the "Dragon Ladies." What??? A quick traipse through Google told me that "Dragon Lady" is an offensive stereotypical name generally applied to East Asian women, and that there is a description in Revelations 17-18 of a woman riding a beast, called a "Dragon Lady" on some translations. Neither of these seem like nice names for the elderly women of a congregation. Clarify, please.
But I digress. Without a doubt I enjoyed the content of this service; it was a relaxing, traditional kind of service. I just had trouble getting into a mindset of worship in such a cold, unforgiving building.
http://www.stgeorges.mb.ca
St. George, Crescentwood Anglican Church, 168 Wilton St. Winnipeg
Reverend Lyndon Hutchinson-Hounsell
WOW.
So this morning I realized I'm three posts behind. I will try to rectify this situation with a blogging onslaught this afternoon.
First up is St. George. I used to drive by this church a couple of times a week, on the way to and from things. I was always a bit intrigued by its architecture; from the outside it looks... square. Symmetrical. Not particularly church-y. Finally I got to see what it was like inside, and I must admit I didn't take to what I saw. The inside of the church is square. And gray stone walls, ceiling and floor. The only color comes from the stained glass window, which is excellent, and also square.
I couldn't help but think, this is kinda like worship in the Death Star.
It took a while for the place to fill up and my final tally was no more than 150 people. Generally older folks and a few families (one of which sat behind me and chatted about pregnancy and goldfish, among other things, throughout the entire service. Nice.) Just like when I visited Saint Margaret's Anglican, there were more "participants" at the front than I could find names for. (Deacon, Lectors, Intercessor, etc.)
The choir was in a loft behind and above us, which meant their sound projected great out through the church. I always like to watch the choir so by the end I had a crick in my neck, but the choir was great anyways. The organ was up there too, smooshed unceremoniously into a corner.
The service itself was very nice. Lots of singing, lots of praying, all in the traditional format. Rev. Donald McKenzie did the sermon. Predictably he talked about keeping Jesus in Christmas in among all the holiday hustle-and-bustle (read: shopping and consumerism). He kept it really fresh, bringing new arguments to the table and presenting everything really nicely. Rev. McKenzie was a fine speaker.
A note, and anybody who knows more about this please let me know: at the beginning of the service during the lighting of the advent wreath, a group of elderly ladies stood to recite the "story" of the candles, as is done in most churches, I believe. They spoke clearly and well and then sat down. Thing is, they were billed in the order of service as the "Dragon Ladies." What??? A quick traipse through Google told me that "Dragon Lady" is an offensive stereotypical name generally applied to East Asian women, and that there is a description in Revelations 17-18 of a woman riding a beast, called a "Dragon Lady" on some translations. Neither of these seem like nice names for the elderly women of a congregation. Clarify, please.
But I digress. Without a doubt I enjoyed the content of this service; it was a relaxing, traditional kind of service. I just had trouble getting into a mindset of worship in such a cold, unforgiving building.
http://www.stgeorges.mb.ca
Friday, December 5, 2008
Response - Westminster United
So, apparently once you get one they keep coming.
I got a letter from Westminster United Church, where apparently I also remembered to sign the guest book. This one was considerably less detailed but far more personal - handwritten by one of their outreach members, inviting me back to both the service and a lunch afterwards. Kinda nifty! Mail makes me happy.
I got a letter from Westminster United Church, where apparently I also remembered to sign the guest book. This one was considerably less detailed but far more personal - handwritten by one of their outreach members, inviting me back to both the service and a lunch afterwards. Kinda nifty! Mail makes me happy.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Response: First Unitarian Universalist
So
Whenever I go to a church, generally I try to sign the guestbook at the end. Sometimes I forget, sometimes (rarely) there isn't one, sometimes I'm running off so fast afterwards I don't have time.
Apparently at First Unitarian Universalist I signed the book, as a few days ago they sent me a lovely (hand signed!) letter. The letter gave some background info about their beliefs and their congregation, as well as info about their website. They invited me to join them again another Sunday and gave me contact info for members of their Outreach Committee, in case I had further questions.
Very cool and very nice. I hope I get a few more of these; it's great that churches are taking the time to get back to people who showed even a one-time interest.
Whenever I go to a church, generally I try to sign the guestbook at the end. Sometimes I forget, sometimes (rarely) there isn't one, sometimes I'm running off so fast afterwards I don't have time.
Apparently at First Unitarian Universalist I signed the book, as a few days ago they sent me a lovely (hand signed!) letter. The letter gave some background info about their beliefs and their congregation, as well as info about their website. They invited me to join them again another Sunday and gave me contact info for members of their Outreach Committee, in case I had further questions.
Very cool and very nice. I hope I get a few more of these; it's great that churches are taking the time to get back to people who showed even a one-time interest.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Westminster Church
November 23, 2008 10:30 am
Westminster United Church, 745 Westminster Ave. Winnipeg
Reverend Robert Campbell
I've wanted for a long time to visit Westminster United. I've performed inside on many occasions but never actually been there for a service. In case you're not familiar with it, it's a huge stone building built to the good 'ol traditional specifications. Huge inside, a wall of pipe organ and a balcony. It's really a great building.
This visit was also interesting for me because I'm from the United Church, so I was curious to see how this service compared. It was also my first time in a United Church since I started this project. I headed in, was welcomed by a greeter and joined about 200 people in the sanctuary. By my estimate the average age was probably sixty. Far be it from me to sound cynical (okay, maybe a little), but it's beyond me why the United Church can't seem to hang onto its youth population. Same problem at my old church. Same problem everywhere, it seems.
The service started with a skillful organ prelude performed beautifully by Don Menzies. The service itself was no-frills and fairly nondescript; I didn't need the bulletin to know what was coming next. The choir was excellent; tenor Martin Wilson sang a great solo from Mendelssohn's Elijah and the rest of the choir was equally excellent.
Then there was the sermon. Ah, the sermon. I don't know why, but I seem to have a nose for heading to churches on their "we need money" days. Same thing happened at St. Margaret's in October. The United Church calls it "Stewardship Sunday." As far as the money sermon goes, there's a pretty general format that most preachers follow. It seemed as though Rev. Campbell was deviating from the norm a bit, exploring themes of ownership in our lives and comparing the big scale to the small. Then the word "tithing" showed up and it all went downhill...
Sorry. I'm a tad cynical when it comes to cash.
Anyhow. After the service I was warmly invited into the back of the (did I mention it's huge?) church, but naturally I had to race off to work. Grrr. I would definitely go back to Westminster, particularly on a non-"Stewardship Sunday" day. The people I did meet were nice, but seriously, if this church wants to survive it needs to attract some younger folk.
http://www.westminsterchurchwinnipeg.ca/index.htm
Westminster United Church, 745 Westminster Ave. Winnipeg
Reverend Robert Campbell
I've wanted for a long time to visit Westminster United. I've performed inside on many occasions but never actually been there for a service. In case you're not familiar with it, it's a huge stone building built to the good 'ol traditional specifications. Huge inside, a wall of pipe organ and a balcony. It's really a great building.
This visit was also interesting for me because I'm from the United Church, so I was curious to see how this service compared. It was also my first time in a United Church since I started this project. I headed in, was welcomed by a greeter and joined about 200 people in the sanctuary. By my estimate the average age was probably sixty. Far be it from me to sound cynical (okay, maybe a little), but it's beyond me why the United Church can't seem to hang onto its youth population. Same problem at my old church. Same problem everywhere, it seems.
The service started with a skillful organ prelude performed beautifully by Don Menzies. The service itself was no-frills and fairly nondescript; I didn't need the bulletin to know what was coming next. The choir was excellent; tenor Martin Wilson sang a great solo from Mendelssohn's Elijah and the rest of the choir was equally excellent.
Then there was the sermon. Ah, the sermon. I don't know why, but I seem to have a nose for heading to churches on their "we need money" days. Same thing happened at St. Margaret's in October. The United Church calls it "Stewardship Sunday." As far as the money sermon goes, there's a pretty general format that most preachers follow. It seemed as though Rev. Campbell was deviating from the norm a bit, exploring themes of ownership in our lives and comparing the big scale to the small. Then the word "tithing" showed up and it all went downhill...
Sorry. I'm a tad cynical when it comes to cash.
Anyhow. After the service I was warmly invited into the back of the (did I mention it's huge?) church, but naturally I had to race off to work. Grrr. I would definitely go back to Westminster, particularly on a non-"Stewardship Sunday" day. The people I did meet were nice, but seriously, if this church wants to survive it needs to attract some younger folk.
http://www.westminsterchurchwinnipeg.ca/index.htm
Sunday, November 9, 2008
St. John Brebeuf Parish
November 9, 2008 9:30 am
St John Brebeuf Parish (Roman Catholic), 1707 John Brebeuf Pl. Winnipeg
Pastor Monsignor David Ward Jamieson (?)
The last time I attended a Roman Catholic service was at St. Ignatius, in Winnipeg, probably close to four years ago. Nonetheless, I went into this service with an idea of what to expect. By the time I walked out all of my predispositions had been tossed right out the window.
I always like to talk a bit about the building first, and it would be a shame to deviate given what an architectural masterpiece this church is. To put it simply, it's... round. Circular. Attractive brick, interesting 'swirl' layout, great alcoves and a really nice, roomy, modern feel. Also cool, there are artful stone plaques decorating one wall symbolizing the stations of the cross. I was impressed and excited from the moment I walked in.
You must forgive me for my (now, obviously unfair) bias, but I was genuinely surprised to see a band in a Roman Catholic church. Two guitars, hand drums, keyboards and a small chorus prominently and ably led the musical portion of the worship. Not a whole lot of participation from the audience.
As for the service itself, it was no deviation from any worship format with scripture readings and a sermon relating Jesus' "temple" allegory to materialism, presented decently by a man whom I assume was Pastor Jamieson. A small but significant (for me) note, Pastor Jamieson was careful to welcome any visitors to the service. Made me feel good. The service was music-heavy, which was fine with me! And the kneeling blocks were padded, though seldom used (compared to the Anglican Church last time).
St. John Brebeuf's service really had the feel of contemporary mixed with traditional, old mixed with new. This is a format that many more churches should be looking into. I don't mean replacing every choir with a band; I love choirs! I just mean exploring different means of getting God's message across, some little deviation from the norm. In this case it's evidently working. The 9:30 service was packed with a great mix of young and old, lots of families and youngsters but also a healthy older population, and there was still an 11:00 service to come.
I was very disappointed that I had to rush off right afterwards, as I'd been hoping to chat with some of the parishoners. Regardless, this was certainly an experience, and I would be very interested to go back over the course of a few weeks and really get a feel for what is certainly and interesting church.
http://www.sjbcommunity.ca/index.html
St John Brebeuf Parish (Roman Catholic), 1707 John Brebeuf Pl. Winnipeg
Pastor Monsignor David Ward Jamieson (?)
The last time I attended a Roman Catholic service was at St. Ignatius, in Winnipeg, probably close to four years ago. Nonetheless, I went into this service with an idea of what to expect. By the time I walked out all of my predispositions had been tossed right out the window.
I always like to talk a bit about the building first, and it would be a shame to deviate given what an architectural masterpiece this church is. To put it simply, it's... round. Circular. Attractive brick, interesting 'swirl' layout, great alcoves and a really nice, roomy, modern feel. Also cool, there are artful stone plaques decorating one wall symbolizing the stations of the cross. I was impressed and excited from the moment I walked in.
You must forgive me for my (now, obviously unfair) bias, but I was genuinely surprised to see a band in a Roman Catholic church. Two guitars, hand drums, keyboards and a small chorus prominently and ably led the musical portion of the worship. Not a whole lot of participation from the audience.
As for the service itself, it was no deviation from any worship format with scripture readings and a sermon relating Jesus' "temple" allegory to materialism, presented decently by a man whom I assume was Pastor Jamieson. A small but significant (for me) note, Pastor Jamieson was careful to welcome any visitors to the service. Made me feel good. The service was music-heavy, which was fine with me! And the kneeling blocks were padded, though seldom used (compared to the Anglican Church last time).
St. John Brebeuf's service really had the feel of contemporary mixed with traditional, old mixed with new. This is a format that many more churches should be looking into. I don't mean replacing every choir with a band; I love choirs! I just mean exploring different means of getting God's message across, some little deviation from the norm. In this case it's evidently working. The 9:30 service was packed with a great mix of young and old, lots of families and youngsters but also a healthy older population, and there was still an 11:00 service to come.
I was very disappointed that I had to rush off right afterwards, as I'd been hoping to chat with some of the parishoners. Regardless, this was certainly an experience, and I would be very interested to go back over the course of a few weeks and really get a feel for what is certainly and interesting church.
http://www.sjbcommunity.ca/index.html
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Saint Margaret's Anglican Church
October 26, 2008 10:30 am
Saint Margaret's Anglican Church, 160 Ethelbert St. Winnipeg (at Westminster)
Rev. Tony Harwood Jones, Rev. Dr. David Widdicombe
So! First Anglican service, checked off the list. Located in the heart of Wolseley, St. Margaret's Church boasts the finest interior I've yet seen. Architecture reminiscent of centuries-old European Churches coupled with artistic stained glass windows had me "in the mood" from the moment I walked in. I arrived at about 10:15 to find the place pretty empty; in retrospect I'm thinking there must have been a lobby/reception downstairs that I managed to miss. The building filled up remarkably fast to the point where a head count was beyond me; I'd guesstimate two or three hundred.
I've got to say something for the diversity of the church. I saw a quintessential hippie sitting beside an old grandpa in a suit sitting beside a pretty haggard fellow who could easily have been without a home (though to make those kinds of judgements based on appearance is, I realize, completely unfair). Point I'm trying to make is, there was EVERYONE there. The young/old ratio was surprisingly even, with plenty of young couples and plenty of older people as well. The choir sat in a large alcove at the front of the church where the altar was and the ...get this... seven priests (read: people in robes) stood.
The service begun with a hymn, led tastefully by the choir as the clergy "team" led the way up to the front. I'll admit with only minimal embarassment that it took me by surprise when suddenly the backs of the pews came down to form little kneeling blocks; the woman sitting beside me probably thought I was nuts: as she pulled our block down I went "whoa!" I'm sure I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, to say that those things are damned uncomfortable.
Something that really interested me personally was the musical contrast in the service. Hymns out of the hymnal were sung often in four part harmony. However, there were also sections in the bulletin where the congregation sang from a triple-line block notation apparently inspired by the tradition of Gregorian Chant. It was strange for me to go from four-part to pedantic chant.
The sermon was offered by visiting Rev. Tony Harwood Jones. Rev. Jones was a great speaker who preached with an air of authority, yet also friendliness. He talked about the two "great" commandments proclaimed by Jesus (love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, might and love your neighbor as yourself), and how they compared both to the original ten commandments and to our modern life. He did a great job of making all of the commandments relevant to us in our day and age, and all of the sudden BAM out of left field he started relating it all to the commandment to tithe!
Apparently (and unbeknownst to me) I visited on what's called in the Anglican Church "Consecration Sunday," or the Sunday on which matters of money and giving to the church and to God are discussed in detail. It's apparently fairly common practice to devote a service to cash once per year, though I don't think my home church ever had a name with it. I do understand it as a necessary (though often unnecessarily distasteful) part of church life: churches need cash to run. However, they made no concessions for the fact that there might me guests in attendance. I don't need to hear about giving 10% of my income to their church, cause I don't go there regularly, yet I was handed a little pledge card along with everyone else.
My ranting aside, I wish I'd picked a different day to go because matters of money in any context always leave me with a sour taste, and Rev. Jones did do a great job of speaking. After the offertory came the "prayers of the church," which by my watch lasted a full ten minutes. I think the lady speaking must have prayed for every member in the building, by name, as well as every high-ranking member of the Anglican clergy in Canada, also my name. The service ended with more singing and Communion, which involved 6 of the 7 robed individuals onstage, the closest I've come to guessing why all of them were up there.
After the service I had a brief chat with Rev. Dr. Widdicombe (I think). We chatted about my little church project and he invited me downstairs for lunch, but I had to decline. This definitely has my current record for longest service, clocking in at 1 hr. 55 min. I was almost late for work.
I'm feeling a bit shell-shocked now, comparing this church to last week's. Total polar opposites. St. Margaret's Anglican is definitely a tradition-based church, and I would love to go back to see what the service (and sermon) is like sans "Consecration Sunday." It really seemed like this was a fascinating community that I wasn't quite sure how to read.
http://www.saintmargarets.ca/
Saint Margaret's Anglican Church, 160 Ethelbert St. Winnipeg (at Westminster)
Rev. Tony Harwood Jones, Rev. Dr. David Widdicombe
So! First Anglican service, checked off the list. Located in the heart of Wolseley, St. Margaret's Church boasts the finest interior I've yet seen. Architecture reminiscent of centuries-old European Churches coupled with artistic stained glass windows had me "in the mood" from the moment I walked in. I arrived at about 10:15 to find the place pretty empty; in retrospect I'm thinking there must have been a lobby/reception downstairs that I managed to miss. The building filled up remarkably fast to the point where a head count was beyond me; I'd guesstimate two or three hundred.
I've got to say something for the diversity of the church. I saw a quintessential hippie sitting beside an old grandpa in a suit sitting beside a pretty haggard fellow who could easily have been without a home (though to make those kinds of judgements based on appearance is, I realize, completely unfair). Point I'm trying to make is, there was EVERYONE there. The young/old ratio was surprisingly even, with plenty of young couples and plenty of older people as well. The choir sat in a large alcove at the front of the church where the altar was and the ...get this... seven priests (read: people in robes) stood.
The service begun with a hymn, led tastefully by the choir as the clergy "team" led the way up to the front. I'll admit with only minimal embarassment that it took me by surprise when suddenly the backs of the pews came down to form little kneeling blocks; the woman sitting beside me probably thought I was nuts: as she pulled our block down I went "whoa!" I'm sure I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, to say that those things are damned uncomfortable.
Something that really interested me personally was the musical contrast in the service. Hymns out of the hymnal were sung often in four part harmony. However, there were also sections in the bulletin where the congregation sang from a triple-line block notation apparently inspired by the tradition of Gregorian Chant. It was strange for me to go from four-part to pedantic chant.
The sermon was offered by visiting Rev. Tony Harwood Jones. Rev. Jones was a great speaker who preached with an air of authority, yet also friendliness. He talked about the two "great" commandments proclaimed by Jesus (love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, might and love your neighbor as yourself), and how they compared both to the original ten commandments and to our modern life. He did a great job of making all of the commandments relevant to us in our day and age, and all of the sudden BAM out of left field he started relating it all to the commandment to tithe!
Apparently (and unbeknownst to me) I visited on what's called in the Anglican Church "Consecration Sunday," or the Sunday on which matters of money and giving to the church and to God are discussed in detail. It's apparently fairly common practice to devote a service to cash once per year, though I don't think my home church ever had a name with it. I do understand it as a necessary (though often unnecessarily distasteful) part of church life: churches need cash to run. However, they made no concessions for the fact that there might me guests in attendance. I don't need to hear about giving 10% of my income to their church, cause I don't go there regularly, yet I was handed a little pledge card along with everyone else.
My ranting aside, I wish I'd picked a different day to go because matters of money in any context always leave me with a sour taste, and Rev. Jones did do a great job of speaking. After the offertory came the "prayers of the church," which by my watch lasted a full ten minutes. I think the lady speaking must have prayed for every member in the building, by name, as well as every high-ranking member of the Anglican clergy in Canada, also my name. The service ended with more singing and Communion, which involved 6 of the 7 robed individuals onstage, the closest I've come to guessing why all of them were up there.
After the service I had a brief chat with Rev. Dr. Widdicombe (I think). We chatted about my little church project and he invited me downstairs for lunch, but I had to decline. This definitely has my current record for longest service, clocking in at 1 hr. 55 min. I was almost late for work.
I'm feeling a bit shell-shocked now, comparing this church to last week's. Total polar opposites. St. Margaret's Anglican is definitely a tradition-based church, and I would love to go back to see what the service (and sermon) is like sans "Consecration Sunday." It really seemed like this was a fascinating community that I wasn't quite sure how to read.
http://www.saintmargarets.ca/
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Grant Memorial Baptist Church
October 19, 2008 11:00 am
Grant Memorial Baptist Church, 877 Wilkes ave. Winnipeg
Pastor Tom Castor
After a brief hiatus to extract teeth from my head, I'm back on schedule. Today's church was Grant Memorial Baptist Church, a huge church just off of Waverley. Once again it was my first time experiencing a Baptist service, and I must say it was extremely interesting. There was a 9:30 service that I slept through so I attended the later 11:00 service.
Upon walking in I was greeted immediately by a "Host" and proceeded to spend several minutes walking around looking lost. There were probably two hundred people milling about in the foyer, so it's no wonder that despite several wandering "Hosts" (or ushers), I was wanting of a conversation.
To put it lightly, the sanctuary was FULL. My guesstimate was about 600 people, maybe more because I didn't count the balcony. It was a pleasant, open space with a large wooden cross in the center and, inexplicably, a huge purple gorilla in the far left corner across from the pine tree. A band (bass, sax, drums, piano, voice) did the prelude remarkably well and we were off.
This was a baptismal service which was particularly exciting for me as it was my first time witnessing a full-submersion (immersion?) baptism. Three people were baptized, and we watched their videotaped confessions of faith on two large monitors. One by one they were immersed in the hottub-sized pool at the front, after a single "i do" style question from Joe Welty (who apparently wasn't Pastor Castor, whose name rolls off the tongue almost too nicely).
The singing was great; a bit too pop for my tastes, but well done. The woman leading singing had a huge voice disproportionate to her small stature, and at times I wished that she would throw in a few less flashy vocal ornaments, which just served to make it harder to sing along. She did have a great voice though.
Pastor Castor's sermon was interesting if a bit too much of a history lesson: he spoke (apparently continuing a series) about King David and the early days of his reign when he made the decision to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem. Pastor Castor compared these events to everything from the Canadian election to our own personal faith journeys and while he was a decent speaker, I wasn't compelled to follow along as I would have liked to be.
I guess my general opinion of this church was that it has the most "pop" appeal of any church I've yet visited. The youth/young adult/young family demographic was HUGE; for the first time the forty and under population seemed to rule the roost. I liked Grant Memorial as an engaging and uplifting experience, but it seemed to lack the substance and the close-knit community that I would require from a home church.
http://www.grantmemorial.mb.ca/
Grant Memorial Baptist Church, 877 Wilkes ave. Winnipeg
Pastor Tom Castor
After a brief hiatus to extract teeth from my head, I'm back on schedule. Today's church was Grant Memorial Baptist Church, a huge church just off of Waverley. Once again it was my first time experiencing a Baptist service, and I must say it was extremely interesting. There was a 9:30 service that I slept through so I attended the later 11:00 service.
Upon walking in I was greeted immediately by a "Host" and proceeded to spend several minutes walking around looking lost. There were probably two hundred people milling about in the foyer, so it's no wonder that despite several wandering "Hosts" (or ushers), I was wanting of a conversation.
To put it lightly, the sanctuary was FULL. My guesstimate was about 600 people, maybe more because I didn't count the balcony. It was a pleasant, open space with a large wooden cross in the center and, inexplicably, a huge purple gorilla in the far left corner across from the pine tree. A band (bass, sax, drums, piano, voice) did the prelude remarkably well and we were off.
This was a baptismal service which was particularly exciting for me as it was my first time witnessing a full-submersion (immersion?) baptism. Three people were baptized, and we watched their videotaped confessions of faith on two large monitors. One by one they were immersed in the hottub-sized pool at the front, after a single "i do" style question from Joe Welty (who apparently wasn't Pastor Castor, whose name rolls off the tongue almost too nicely).
The singing was great; a bit too pop for my tastes, but well done. The woman leading singing had a huge voice disproportionate to her small stature, and at times I wished that she would throw in a few less flashy vocal ornaments, which just served to make it harder to sing along. She did have a great voice though.
Pastor Castor's sermon was interesting if a bit too much of a history lesson: he spoke (apparently continuing a series) about King David and the early days of his reign when he made the decision to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem. Pastor Castor compared these events to everything from the Canadian election to our own personal faith journeys and while he was a decent speaker, I wasn't compelled to follow along as I would have liked to be.
I guess my general opinion of this church was that it has the most "pop" appeal of any church I've yet visited. The youth/young adult/young family demographic was HUGE; for the first time the forty and under population seemed to rule the roost. I liked Grant Memorial as an engaging and uplifting experience, but it seemed to lack the substance and the close-knit community that I would require from a home church.
http://www.grantmemorial.mb.ca/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)