Another Christ Church

Still stranded in Vancouver. But if you have to be stranded somewhere it's a great place to be.

So, I got up this morning for some breakfast in the hostel refectory, then trekked off to Christ Church Cathedral for the 10:30 service. It's the cathedral church for the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster. I had stopped in already a couple of days ago, so I was familiar with the space. I was struck by how similar it is to what we're planning at Christ Church in Andover, so I was eager to see what the experience would be like for worship.

Thumbs up! What a great experience! Here are just a few of my observations.

Similarities to our plan in Andover include:
1) new organ in a rear gallery
2) altar brought forward into the nave on a flexible platform
3) area behind altar is a flexible space, which here is a gathering place for children during the opening of the service. After the opening hymn and collect, they come forward to the font in front of the altar for a brief word for the day and then go to a children's chapel until Communion.
4) the front half or two-thirds of the nave has flexible seating -- nice wooden, interlocking chairs that were arranged in a semi-circular pattern on three sides of the altar. They were comfortable to sit on, and wide enough that people did not hesitate to sit side by side -- even with me, a visitor.

The church was roughly the same size as Christ Church Andover, and nearly full -- about 300 people, on "Low Sunday." Made me wonder what it was like last week on Easter. The congregation reflected pretty closely the great diversity of Vancouver -- people of European, Asian, and African origin; old people and young families with children, a substantial number of GLBT folks, people with physical and mental disabilities, including a number of adults and children in wheelchairs, some making use of the ramp to the platform during the service. The congregation included Vancouver's leading citizens and outcasts alike. There was no difference between them here. It was an inspiring glimpse of the Beloved Community.

The music in today's service was led primarily by a small guest ensemble of Indian musicians playing sitar and tabla, together with a bass flute and a couple of other types of flute and vocals. They're playing services and concerts across Canada and are based in Toronto. The psalm they did was particularly moving. The organ played only for the doxology and the Creed (Merbecke). There was no choir -- perhaps had the day off after a full Holy Week and Easter. Congregational
singing was great, even being led by guest musicians. There was only
one traditional hymn, and the text was new to me.

From the perspective of a first time visitor, I give them an A+. The
space works beautifully -- even though they had made no effort to
duplicate the original Gothic architecture in their renovation. The
old and the new seemed to work together, with no pretense that the
balcony or cathedral seating were original. That's in the "for what
it's worth" category.

All were welcomed to the table here. It was an experience worthy of
their name -- Christ('s) Church. Glad to find myself stranded here --
for now.

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