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| 2003: St Paul's,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA |
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Photo: Paul McClure |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Texprof.
The church:
St
Paul's, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Denomination:
The Episcopal Church, Diocese
of Milwaukee.
The building:
This neo-Romanesque structure of red Lake Superior sandstone
was the work of Edward Townsend Mix, an architect of the American
Gilded Age (the period of rapid economic growth following the
Civil War) who designed the Kansas State Capitol and whose neo-gothic
National Soldiers Home still lords it over the Milwaukee landscape.
The exterior features arches and battlemented parapets reminiscent
of castles. St Paul's holds the largest collection of Tiffany
windows in Wisconsin and the largest window ever made by the
Tiffany studios. The building was damaged by fire in 1950, and
some of the windows were lost.
The church:
St Paul's reaches out to the community through a number of activities
and groups. These include Episcopal Energy, which encourages
fellowship among the parishioners; a youth ministry; a men's
group; family teams; and a thrift shop, just to name a few.
The neighborhood:
The church sits in the heart of Juneautown, named after Solomon
Juneau, one of Milwaukee's founding fathers. Once home to the
city's rich and fashionable, Juneautown is still a desirable
place to live. It is largely an area of hotels, larger churches
and older homes built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Easy
access to Lake Michigan's waterfront, along with nature trails
and summer festivals, make it a trendy place for younger people
who want to live and work in the city.
The cast:
Worship leader and preacher was the Revd C. Steven Teague, rector.
Timothy J. Benson, music ministry director, presided at the
organ (and did so very well). But alas, the choir were on summer
recess.
The date & time:
Fathers Day (but see below), June 20, 2010, 10.15am.
What was the name of the service?
Choral Holy Eucharist.
How full was the building?
About one-third full.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
A man gave me a bulletin and said "Good morning."
Was your pew comfortable?
The pews are cushioned, as are the kneelers.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Reverent. Many of the members who knew one another greeted each other.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Prayer Book 1979, Hymnal 1982, Lift Every Voice and Sing.
What musical instruments were played?
A very magnificent five manual organ. The instrument is said
to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who lived next door to
the church and used to bang on pots and pans to drown out the
choir. Her spirit is said to sneak into the locked and darkened
church at midnight to coax unearthly, yet sweet, sounds out
of the old pipes, leaving sweaty palm prints on the keys.
Did anything distract you?
Perhaps only the fact that it was Fathers Day and this was never
mentioned. Liturgical purists may find it in conflict with the
lectionary readings, but it would seem that a parish interested
in reaching out to its membership and the community at large
would embrace the day and the importance of fatherhood, given
the needs on that subject in communities.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
Episcopal worship is formal, although sometimes the atmosphere
can be lively. This setting was a bit stiff: proper processionals
by folks in starched white albs and surplices, lots of bowing
and crossing, etc. But the congregation had a chance to meet
and greet these "real" people at the end of the service.
Exactly how long was the
sermon?
15 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7 – The rector is a good communicator and knows that the
gospel needs to predominate in his preaching.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
We don't like to hear about people who are possessed by demons.
But don't we all have some besetting preoccupations, desires
or influences that need to be challenged or relieved? Jesus
is in the business of doing this for us today. We may well be
in the business of doing it for each other.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The organ is a powerful and beautiful instrument. There are
two divisions: a chancel organ and a marvelous antiphonal organ
at the back of the church. Being a visual person, I was stunned
by the opalescent quality in the Tiffany windows, one of the
unique contributions of Tiffany to stained glass artistry.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I find the practice of naming everybody's friend and relative
by first name in the petitions somewhat tedious, but that's
just me. The passing of the peace seemed to be a general friendship
ritual in which the whole membership greeted one another. Better
to reserve that for the initial greeting; the sharing of the
peace has a more ancient meaning of renewal and affirmation.
Perhaps this should be occasionally re-explored. Finally, am
I the only one who finds the various eucharistic prayers in
the Prayer Book a bit rambling?
What happened when you
hung around after the service looking lost?
It was my understanding that parishioners are encouraged to
visit with new members in the well-landscaped garth during the
coffee hour. And so I went out to express my lostness there,
but the regulars appeared to have some difficulty recognizing
this as a time to welcome the stranger.
How would you describe
the after-service coffee?
Coffee was available. Some not-very-appealing store-bought cookies
were especially popular with the children.
How would you feel about
making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – The service was positive and upbeat and encouraged
me to think of this place as a legitimate house of Christian
worship.
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 wonderful architecture and stained glass. There are many
American churches that boast fine Tiffany windows, but none
like this! |
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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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