Ship of Fools: St Nicholas, Bristol, England

The Mystery Worshipper

Ship of Fools: St Nicholas, Bristol, England

Moved by their kindness, appalled by their music

Read the full Mystery Worshipper report here

Baptist Trainfan

I feel so conflicted when I read about a church like this. On the one hand I rejoice that a long-closed church has not only been reopened but seems to be thriving and attracting young people (where have they all come from?). On the other hand I have huge questions about the whole "resource church movement" and its effect on other churches which are sincerely trying to do a good job on a shoestring.

Ex_Organist

The description of the building misses one of this church's more interesting features, which is the clock on the tower, which has a second hand - reputedly the only such clock in Britain.

The Hogarths have their own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealing_the_Tomb

Urganda

Thanks. I did notice the clock but it doesn't keep Bristol time (10 minutes behind British standard time).

Darda

Baptist Trainfan wrote: »

I feel so conflicted when I read about a church like this. On the one hand I rejoice that a long-closed church has not only been reopened but seems to be thriving and attracting young people (where have they all come from?). On the other hand I have huge questions about the whole "resource church movement" and its effect on other churches which are sincerely trying to do a good job on a shoestring.

Apparently £3.8 million to be spent over six years

Gee D

Can a stranger ask where that sort of money is coming from?

Alan29

When I see photos like that I find myself asking who is the focus of peoples' attention as they sing. Maybe thats because I come from a tradition where actions at the altar are the focus rather than performers.

SueR

Don't worry about not seeing the Hogarth. It's not very good - a sea of muddy brown with a few vague figures. Thank goodness he moved onto engravings!
Incidentally, it was intended for st Mary Redcliffe, but was too big for the space (a lucky escape)

Amanda B Reckondwyth

Alan29 wrote: »

When I see photos like that I find myself asking who is the focus of peoples' attention as they sing. Maybe thats because I come from a tradition where actions at the altar are the focus rather than performers.

My thoughts exactly. Rock concert as church is not to my taste.

Urganda

I quite agree the Hogarths didn't look brilliant but I'd still like to see them. The question about the focus of attention is very relevant.

Darda

Gee D wrote: »

Can a stranger ask where that sort of money is coming from?

From the Diocese of Bristol web site:
The overall cost of refurbishing the church and funding its local and city-wide work over six years is £3.8m. As part of this, the Diocese of Bristol has been awarded £1.5m of Strategic Development Funding by the Church of England to support the costs across the first four years.

Gee D

Thank you, but that's not even half the cost. Any advice please about the source of the balance?

Bishops Finger

A good point. Our Diocese is also receiving large sums of £££ for various missionary projects, and received wisdom is that most of it comes from 'Head Office', or the Church Commissioners.

My suspicion is that a good deal of the money comes from the Parish Share/Quota, or whatever it's called these days - IOW, the money paid into the Dioceses each month by individual parishes.

I'm sure we've had threads on this subject before, as there is sometimes some angst amongst poorer parishes, trying hard to meet their quota, but apparently paying for these 'flagship' enterprises (some of which are of the South Sea Bubble nature...).

I know of Shipmates who feel strongly about this sort of thing (even though they may not be members of the C of E!), but I realise that this is, perhaps, not the place to explore the subject further.

Baptist Trainfan wrote: »

I feel so conflicted when I read about a church like this. On the one hand I rejoice that a long-closed church has not only been reopened but seems to be thriving and attracting young people (where have they all come from?). On the other hand I have huge questions about the whole "resource church movement" and its effect on other churches which are sincerely trying to do a good job on a shoestring.

@Baptist Trainfan speaks for me, too.

Baptist Trainfan

Amanda B Reckondwyth wrote: »

My thoughts exactly. Rock concert as church is not to my taste.

Although I agree with you, I suspect (some of) the folk who go to churches like this might say, "Theatre as church is not to my taste".

Bishops Finger

*sings*

'There is room for all in my Father's house,
In my Father's house, in my Father's house!
There is room for all in my Father's house, where there's joy, joy, joy!'

(I never did get to 'go out with Joy', though...).

I'll get me coat...

Gee D

Thanks for that background Bishop's Finger.

PDR

Alan29 wrote: »

When I see photos like that I find myself asking who is the focus of peoples' attention as they sing. Maybe thats because I come from a tradition where actions at the altar are the focus rather than performers.

Around my neck of the woods, it is the pulpit, but I have basically the same question.

Urganda

In Dauntsey church in Wiltshire the focus of attention is the large stained glass window above the altar featuring Lady Meux (who lived in the manor around 1900) posing as St Katherine, complete with wheel and sword. Lady Meux considered herself much persecuted by the local aristocracy (she was of traveler origin) and this was one of her responses. She also went to a meet of the local hunt on an elephant and kept a tiger to frighten the vicar.

Bishops Finger

Now, where can I obtain a Tiger, not to frighten the Vicar, but an egregious couple known, at Our Place, as The Glums?

Augustine the Aleut

Driven by Urganda's post to look up Lady Meux, I found this splendid quotation, perhaps with respect to her checquered youth: “I can very honestly say that my sins were committed before marriage and not after.”

I now recall having seen Whistler's portrait of her at the Frick, and can well believe that she had a tiger at hand to deal with the vicar.