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| 1648: St Paul's, Bloor Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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Mystery Worshipper:
LQ.
The church:
St Paul's,
Bloor Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Denomination:
Anglican
Church of Canada, Diocese
of Toronto.
The building:
The church is a complex of buildings: the historic first church
(built in 1860), the current church (1913), and the parish hall
(Cody Hall) are connected by a recent glass atrium. The new
church is inspired by early gothic architecture. The interior
of the church is magnificent. A priest acquaintance of mine
explains that historically, morning prayer parishes were the
most ornate, since the people needed something to look at. Anglo-Catholic
parishes, on the other hand, could rely on their ceremonial
to provide visual interest. (The very high Church of St Mary
Magdalene in Parkdale is decidedly plain.) Numerous memorials
to past parishioners, including various old Toronto worthies,
adorn the walls. Two rose windows on the liturgical north and
south ends of the nave stand out among the stained glass. The
chancel features stained glass panels and a stone carving of
the Last Supper. Two side chapels, above which are a number
of organ pipes, add to the complexity of the interior.
The church: St Paul's is the largest and second-oldest parish in the diocese. It occasionally acts as a sort of pro-cathedral for large-scale ordinations and other diocesan services that prove oversized for the cathedral. Along with Little Trinity church, St Paul's is one of the two cardinal shrines of Protestantism in the diocese. Holy communion is celebrated as the principal service only twice per month, though there is an early celebration every Sunday and another low celebration on Tuesdays.
The neighbourhood:
The nearby intersection of Yonge and Bloor is the heart of Toronto
and the principal subway interchange of the city. The Toronto
Reference Library, Church House (the national Anglican headquarters),
the upscale Holt Renfrew department store, and the trendy Yorkville
shopping district are all a stone's throw away from the church.
The main campus of the University of Toronto is also easily
accessible from the area.
The cast:
The Revd Tim Haughton, youth and young adult minister, officiated
and preached.
The date & time:
Sunday, 31 August 2008, 11.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Morning Prayer.
How full was the building?
The huge church was about a quarter full; it was the Labour
Day weekend.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
A greeter said it was nice to have me and gave me a service leaflet.
Was your pew comfortable?
The pew was average, with a serviceable kneeler.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
The congregation were quiet; there was very little conversation.
I arrived only a few minutes before eleven, so perhaps it had
been different earlier.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Good morning." The officiating priest proceeded to outline
the theme of the service and invited us to greet our neighbours,
which we did in a sort of ersatz peace ceremony.
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
A bespoke, all-inclusive bulletin was provided.
What musical instruments were played?
A magnificent pipe organ supported all singing.
Did anything distract you?
The second reader seemed to have a New York accent.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
This was formal, but not fussy. It was based on the Prayer Book
service of morning prayer, but was not the traditional choral
matins I had expected. Parts of the text were rendered into
contemporary English, but this was done unevenly and inconsistently,
sometimes even within the same prayer. For example, the collect
for peace began: "O God, you are the author of peace and
lover of concord" but continued: "in knowledge of
whom stands our eternal life." The Venite and
Te Deum were omitted and the Jubilate Deo
was sung to a metrical paraphrase.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
16 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7 – The Revd Mr Haughton was theologically and scripturally
dense, but relatively easily to follow.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
The text was the lesson from Hebrews about "the perfection
of rest." Perfect rest is being at ease with the core of
our being in God's presence. It comes only when we lay bare
all our faults before God. We can achieve that rest through
Jesus, the great high priest, who was himself laid bare as a
sacrifice for our sins. The crucifixion removes our need for
shame.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The traditional, familiar hymnody.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Apart from the aforementioned omission of two canticles, I was
devastated that the psalm was merely read, rather than chanted.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
During the announcements, visitors were welcomed and invited
to make themselves known. After the service, the intercessor
said hello to me and kindly reminded me that we had met at the
parish where he had served his previous internship, and where
I am an occasional weekday mass-goer. He directed me to the
parish hall for fellowship.
How would you describe
the after-service coffee?
Lunch was served in the parish hall. Five dollars (about ₤2.50)
bought one a thoroughly satisfying serving of chicken pot pie
with a pleasant side of Caesar salad. Over lunch, I conversed
with a very charming – and quite lovely – exchange student
from New Zealand, who told our table about his travels. There
were also two older gentlemen, one of whom questioned me about
my studies, and the other of whom invited me to join a fledgling
men's group in the parish.
How would you feel about
making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
3 – Weekly reception of holy communion is integral to my
spiritual life – and if I were to attend morning prayer regularly,
I'd want it done right.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
I would have to say that the preaching reminded me of God's mercy, and that since it is as a Christian that I find myself experiencing that mercy, I was indeed made glad.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The lugubrious saying of the psalm. |
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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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