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| 1715: St Simon
the Apostle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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Mystery
Worshipper: LQ.
The church:
St
Simon the Apostle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Denomination:
Anglican
Church of Canada, Diocese
of Toronto.
The building:
St Simon the Apostle is in the Arts and Crafts style and was
inspired by the work of William Morris, the 19th century English
champion of Arts and Crafts. Its architect was R. Eden Smith,
who also designed Grace Church on-the-Hill (one of the last
churches in the diocese with twice-monthly morning prayer) and
the Anglo-Catholic shrine of St Thomas's, Huron Street. An impressive
rood screen separates the chancel from the nave, and the altar
was pulled out from the wall around the late 1980s. The rear
of the church is graced with clear pink stained glass windows,
and several memorials to departed parishioners are scattered
throughout the interior. An apparently recent addition is a
small shrine with an icon of Our Lady and the infant Lord, with
votive candles.
The church:
St Simon the Apostle offers traditional worship, with an excellent
choir, in the heart of downtown Toronto. It is one of the parishes
of choice for the gay and lesbian community in Toronto, historically
concentrated in the nearby Church-Wellesley Village. The executive
director of the philanthropic Anglican Foundation of Canada
and the Anglican chaplain to the University of Toronto are both
honorary assistants at St Simon's. A number of groups are hosted
in the facilities, including Scouts and Alcoholics Anonymous.
The neighbourhood:
St Simon's straddles the districts of Rosedale and St Jamestown,
and serves both areas. Rosedale is one of the wealthiest residential
areas in Canada, standing in for Boardwalk in the Canadian edition
of Monopoly. St Jamestown is a low-income neighbourhood with
a great deal of public housing.
The cast:
The Revd Andrea Budgey, honorary assistant, sang the service.
The Revd Canon Dr David Barker, rector, led the spoken parts
and preached both the sermon and the children's address.
The date & time:
Sunday, 10 May 2009, 10.30am.
What was the name of the service?
Sung Mattins.
How full was the building?
The nave was a little under half full. I suspect that the numbers
were somewhat depleted due to a benefit for a children's music
programme having gone on late into the previous night.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Several people. One woman handed me a leaflet, and two or three
other parishioners introduced themselves as I strolled the gauntlet
into the main worship space. Finally, the rector intercepted
me, and Mother Budgey came over to say hello.
Was your pew comfortable?
It was a perfectly adequate pew with a good kneeler.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
It was fairly quiet, but became a bit chattier just before the prelude started.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Good morning," followed by a series of announcements.
The liturgy itself began with a hymn followed by the sentence:
"I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord. Those
who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
An all-inclusive leaflet contained everything necessary for
full participation. The service was based on the Book of
Common Prayer and the hymnal was Common Praise.
What musical instruments
were played?
Pipe organ, a Casavant installed in 1962, expertly played.
Did anything distract
you?
The interior of the church is fairly visually busy, so there was much to examine during the lessons.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
This was stiff-upper-lip, but not in an anal-retentive way.
The service music was sung by all to Anglican chant and there
was plenty of lay participation.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
13 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
9 – Canon Barker preached from the chancel steps without
the benefit of notes, and the sermon was liberally biblically
cross-referenced.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
Jesus commands us to go out and evangelise, yet we have a troubled
history in our efforts at evangelism. We must overcome our need
to be "in charge" and allow for the power of love
and the movement of the Spirit.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The congregational Anglican chant.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I thought the choice of Jubilate Deo over the Benedictus
unfortunate, and I can't say I'm a fan of children's talks.
I also noted the way in which the readings had been doctored
for the sake of gender inclusivity, mostly by means of creative
pluralisation.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
Not a chance. The welcome wagon ensured that I made my way to the parish hall, and one lady handed me a carnation for Mothers' Day, though I am decidedly not a mother. (More gender inclusivity?)
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
Some very bland supermarket apple juice accompanied a nice tray of cheese and crackers, along with wafer biscuits and chocolates. Coffee was available for those who like that sort of thing.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
10 – I have decided to make morning prayer at St Simon's
a monthly routine.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes, it was delightful to chant the office with such a friendly bunch.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The gift of the carnation. |
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| The Mystery Pilgrim |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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