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| 2301: St Hildeburgh’s,
Hoylake, Wirral, England |
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Mystery
Worshipper: Torold.
The church:
St Hildeburgh’s,
Hoylake, Wirral, England.
Denomination:
Church
of England, Diocese
of Chester.
The building:
A large church of pleasing red terra cotta brick under a slate
roof, with porch and bell tower. The interior is well lit and
colourful. The high altar is impressive and has a wooden reredos
and panelling depicting the Good Shepherd. The west window,
late decorated style, has a representation of Christus Rex.
The south window of the sanctuary is modern painted glass and
shows the Liverpool waterfront and a view of the Mersey. On
the opposite wall in the sanctuary is a huge triptych painted
in the style of the pre-Raphaelites, showing St Hildeburgh with
an angel on each side. The colours are lovely and fresh, almost
as if painted yesterday. An interesting feature of the large
pulpit is its sounding board with fretwork around the top.
The church:
Judging by the parish news sheet, St Hildeburgh’s tries hard
to reach out to the wider community in Hoylake with its varied
activities. There is ecumenical carol singing in the locality.
The Ark (homeless shelter in Birkenhead) will be feasting on
Christmas goodies provided by St Hildeburgh’s congregation.
School Christmas service in church. Prayer group meets regularly.
The neighbourhood:
Hoylake is a small seaside town in north-west England near to
Liverpool. The King’s Gap, where the church is sited, is a thoroughfare
with an interesting history. It leads to the sea front at Hoylake,
from where William of Orange set sail with his troops for Ireland.
The Royal Liverpool Golf Course is close by. Shops aplenty,
wine bars and restaurants, all lie along the Row, Market Street.
The artist Turner rented a room on Market Street and commented
on the remarkable sunsets along the coast here. Bracing breezes
blow in from the River Dee with fine views to the Welsh hills.
The cast:
The Revd Martin Flowerdew, vicar, led the worship and preached.
The date & time: 4
December 2011, 10.00am.
What was the name of the service?
The Christmas Tree Festival Service.
How full was the building?
Less than half full. Plus robed choir of approximately 10 members.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
A man said hello as he handed me my service sheet and pew sheet.
Was your pew comfortable?
Yes. I could have sat on it all day and wanted to take it home
with me. It was a rush-bottomed chair with place to put your
books.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Merry organ music, including "O Tannenbaum", greeted
one on arrival. There was some quiet talking in the ranks. A
little child was amusing himself in the children’s corner.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"The grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Hymns Ancient and Modern, Revised and Mission Praise.
Also a service sheet with prayers and responses.
What musical instruments were played?
The church pipe organ.
Did anything distract
you?
I was pleasantly distracted by the sight of around two dozen
Christmas trees arranged down both side aisles, bedecked in
different themes with coloured lights, baubles and tinsel, some
lights being of the flashing variety. These imparted a warm,
cosy glow, reflecting in the red-bricked interior. I felt snug
and at home.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
This was ordinary C of E worship, bordering on middle-of-the-road.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
13 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
9 – The Revd Martin Flowerdew (love the name!) bears a
striking resemblance to a certain red-robed seasonal gentleman.
He preached eloquently from notes. It was like listening to
sermons of yesteryear where the preacher expounded on a well-prepared
topic.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
The pagan origins of the Christmas tree, the traditional part
they play, and the Christian symbiosis of the Christmas tree.
The decoration of homes and churches with evergreens – holly,
ivy and mistletoe – was seen by some to be pagan. Sacrifices
to the god Thor were made under oak trees. In the 8th century
St Boniface ordered a sacrifice ceremony to stop and the tree
to be felled. A fir tree was found to be growing in the branches.
So rather than seeing this as an act of destruction, it should
be a scene of new life. Instead of looking at different things,
we should look at things differently, in a new way, e.g. observing
the smelly drunk on the street and seeing in him the possibilities
of beauty and love. Christmas trees and their lights remind
us of Christ as the light of the world – and they are pointing
to heaven.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
I felt very at home here. If this is heaven, then I have made
it! Listening to the sermon, I would have liked some more; I
was just getting in to it and nodding in agreement when it sadly
came to an end.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The organist did not give much of an introduction to the hymns and tended to romp along at a fair lick. I was quite out of breath by the end!
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
Two ladies said to me, "Are you coming for refreshments?"
These were billed on the service sheet but it was nice to be
asked. I inspected the Christmas trees and several people spoke
to me; they were pleasant and friendly, and we enjoyed talking
about all the effort and energy that had obviously gone into
putting on this Treefest.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
Tea, coffee and juice, (coffee was fair trade, don’t know about the tea) assorted biscuits, mince pies. Cups and saucers.
How would you feel about
making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
9 – This church is trying hard to become a hub in the neighbourhood
following an interregnum. The new vicar is very hands-on, apparently,
and gets things done. He appears to lead from the front and
is encouraging. He does all he can to engender the good will
of the parish.
Did the service make you
feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
A little girl in the offertory procession, wearing a pink, sparkly
sequined top. |
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