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| 2689: Iona
Presbyterian, Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, New Zealand |
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Mystery
Worshipper: Wldflr.
The church:
Iona Presbyterian,
Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, New Zealand.
Denomination:
Presbyterian
Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The building:
Red brick, probably built in the late 50s or early 60s. A fairly
simple building with a large stained glass widow. The inside
is rather plain, with a cross on the front wall and some banners.
Two additional windows are colourful but nondescript.
The church:
Their website states that they are an opening, welcoming church
for people from a variety of backgrounds. They sponsor a number
of groups for study, friendship and recreation, with names such
as Think-About-It (discussion group for topics of current interest),
Youthtastics, Coffee 'n Chat, etc. that meet throughout the
week. They also offer English conversation classes.
The neighbourhood:
Blockhouse Bay has some rich history, including the fact that
there was a blockhouse built as an army post circa 1863 during
the Waikato civil land wars between the English settlers and
the indigenous Maori. It has long been gone. The area today
has a thriving café culture and would be described as definitely
middle to upper class sociologically.
The cast:
The Revd Rob Pettersen, minister; Jennie Wallace, reader; Elizabeth
Visser, organist.
The date & time:
4 May 2014, 10.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Worship.
How full was the building?
I estimated the building could seat 150 or so comfortably, and
I counted approximately 60 in attendance. I'd say that about
two-thirds of the congregation were over 70. There were only
six children present. I recall there being better attendance
on a previous visit some five years back.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
There were two sidespersons who welcomed me and gave me a service
sheet.
Was your pew comfortable?
The pews were padded and quite comfortable.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
I arrived just as the service was starting, so I missed the
pre-service atmosphere.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"As you walk with us, as we journey together, Lord, your Word
fills our hearts."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Hymns for Today's Church and a pew Bible, but since
I didn't have one quite near to me, I did not see what translation
it was.
What musical instruments
were played?
Organ and piano. Their website states: "Our services are
traditional and are accompanied by the organ with competant
[sic] organists."
Did anything distract
you?
The only thing that distracted me was that the fellow next to
me seemed to have some trouble finding the hymns and following
the service sheet. This was nothing bad but, as I say, it was
the only distraction.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
Well, traditional. But if traditional means flat, then I am
saddened to say that this service felt flat to me. The singing
was mediocre, and the first hymn, "How firm a foundation," was
a bastardised revamped version in this particular hymn book.
The only song I enjoyed somewhat was "Jesus loves me, this I
know" at the end of the children's talk.
Exactly how long was the
sermon?
15 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how
good was the preacher?
4 – The Revd Rob Pettersen hardly had an engaging style.
I saw a few folk nodding off and chuckled as I wondered if it
was age or the sermon that was causing this.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
The sermon itself was thoroughly sound as far as being biblical
goes. The text was Luke 24:13-35 (the risen Christ appears to
his disciples on the road to Emmaus). There are three things
about the Resurrection that give us cause for hope: (1) Jesus
is alive; (2) God is always with us in the Holy Spirit; and
(3) Christ's victory has swallowed up death.
Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
To be honest, I can't say that anything about this service lifted
me to the heavens. It was as mediocre a service as I have almost
ever attended. I am comfortable in traditional settings as well
as contemporary ones, but not here. It felt to me that this
church literally just goes through the motions.
And which part was like
being in... er... the other place?
This service was like a tyre that had gone flat. You can drive
on it if you must, but you won't get the ride that a tyre in
good repair will give you. The second hymn, unknown to the congregation
it seemed, sounded laborious.
What happened when you
hung around after the service looking lost?
I scarpered immediately after the benediction, as I actually
did not want the embarrassment of being untruthful if I were
asked what I thought of the service.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There was indeed after-service coffee on offer but, as stated,
I did not hang around.
How would you feel about
making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
2 – Quite frankly, I detected no life, no vigour, here.
With the demographic I observed, I wonder how much longer this
"traditional" church will survive. I have no doubt that these
folk are good and wonderful Christians, but there needs to be
an infusion of vigour into this church and its services of worship,
traditional or otherwise. There needs to be vitality displayed
among any community of faith.
Did the service make you
feel glad to be a Christian?
I have never said this before, but honestly, no, it did not
make me feel glad that I was a Christian.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The flatness of the whole experience. |
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