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| 2623: Church
of the Saviour, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, New Zealand |
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Mystery
Worshipper: Wldflr.
The church:
Church
of the Saviour, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, New Zealand.
Denomination:
Anglican
Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, Diocese
of Auckland.
The building:
The original wooden church building is now housed in a museum
in the suburb of Western Springs, and was moved there to make
way for the current building some decades ago now. It is a modern
building, with a fairly neutral interior and nondescript feel
about it. One would not necessarily know it was an Anglican
church unless one actually knew it was. There are some very
nice stained glass windows, and a peaceful sanctuary with three
crosses on the wall behind the altar and a lectern.
The church:
They have a number of ministries and programmes listed (but
not described in any detail) on their website. They have day
care facilities, so I assume they use them throughout the week.
There are a total of four services on Sunday, although not all
four are offered every Sunday – for example, the 7.00pm
informal evening service takes place only on the first Sunday
of each month, and the 11.00am contemporary service only on
the second and fourth Sundays.
The neighbourhood:
Blockhouse Bay has some interesting early history, as it was
off the beaten track up until about a half century ago. Missionaries
arriving in the 1830s described the area as "open and barren
heaths, dreary, sterile and wild." The name refers to a
blockhouse built in 1860 as a defense against attacks from indigenous
tribesmen; nothing remains of it today. The modern Blockhouse
Bay boasts of some fashionable cafes and specialty shops. The
Church of the Saviour stands at the main intersection in the
"Bay" and cannot be missed by traffic approaching from any one
of five directions. It seems to be a vibrant shopping/café district.
The cast:
The Revd Sarah Patten, vicar.
The date & time:
24 November 2013, 9.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Praise and Worship Service with Communion.
How full was the building?
I estimate that there were upwards of 100 people, so the building
was about at half capacity. Mostly an elderly crowd; I noticed
few if any young families.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
I was welcomed at the door and given a news bulletin.
Was your pew comfortable?
The seats were individual chairs, padded and linked together, very comfortable.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Chatty and welcoming.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
I believe I missed the opening words, as there was a bit of
meeting and greeting going on when I got there. The next thing
was a welcome and an invitation to stand and sing the opening
song and then a selection of a few, including "Father in heaven,
how we love you", all sung with adequate volume.
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
No books were used. The songs, Bible readings and Anglican Prayer
Book liturgical responses were all projected.
What musical instruments were played?
A piano and a lead guitar.
Did anything distract
you?
There were a few things. First, the sound system had the bass
turned up too loud. Then too, I could not help but wonder what
the church demographics would look like ten years from now.
Finally, the vicar did not wear vestments – which, to my
own surprise, I actually found really refreshing!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
It was kind of in the middle of somewhere. There was no song
leader as such, so it seemed to me to lack conviction or direction
to some degree. The communion was very nice, I thought: some
liturgical responses, the usual Prayer Book prayers, and then
at the altar rail a selection of either grape juice or wine
in wee cuppies following the bread.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
15 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8 – The Revd Mrs Patten is a well spoken preacher who obviously
loves the Lord and the Word she preaches. Again, I couldn't
pick up all of what she said due to the sound system being out
of adjustment.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
The sermon was basically a commentary on 2 Chronicles 5:11-14
(the praise of the Lord fills the Holy Place). The loudness
and enthusiasm of praise that invited the glory of the Lord's
presence was amazing, and what if it were experienced among
us? (But at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I say
again that had the Holy Place suffered under the curse of the
present sound system, the praise would have been somewhat less
fervent – and apparently Mrs Patten overlooked the reference
to the priests standing "on the east side of the altar,
dressed in fine linen.")
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
I have to say that it just wasn't passionate enough for me to
have felt raptured in any way. It was all middle of the road,
albeit very pleasant. I like a bit of direction in the song
service.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Nothing other than too much bass in the sound system.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I shook the vicar's hand on the way out as the service was finished,
but that was pretty much it.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There was an invitation for tea and coffee but I declined to stay around.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
6 – They would need to vamp up their singing and sound
system. It would be an OK church as far as very relaxed Anglican
churches go.
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?
The annoying sound system. |
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