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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Holy Week in the Snow
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
.....'O come, all ye faithful' was very nearly our first hymn this morning, what with a dusting of snow and a very un-springlike bitter east wind. A good bit of the UK, of course, has it very much worse, snow-wise (it's very much like the winter of 1962/63 in some respects).
We started Holy Week with the usual Palm Sunday Liturgy, including a Procession, but this year we kept the Procession inside the Church, weaving our way up and down the aisles. Apart from that, no alterations had to be made - but how has it been in other parts of the country? Has anyone had to cancel, curtail or alter planned services because of the weather (e.g. if a priest was unable to get to the church)?
Ian J.
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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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Arethosemyfeet
Shipmate
# 17047
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Posted
We did a swift circuit of the church grounds, led by a donkey. We've not had snow here but the wind was still gusting well into the 40s and bitterly cold. It's gradually improving though (Friday nearly blew me off my trike with the wind sustained at 45mph all day and gusting up to 68mph). All go for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter morning.
Posts: 2933 | From: Hebrides | Registered: Apr 2012
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seasick
...over the edge
# 48
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Posted
It's been cold here but no snow. One of the hymns in the Palm Sunday procession this morning was "Who is on the Lord's side?" The line "In the service royal/we will not grow cold" generated some mirth!
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We believe there is, and always was, in every Christian Church, ... an outward priesthood, ordained by Jesus Christ, and an outward sacrifice offered therein. - John Wesley
Posts: 5769 | From: A world of my own | Registered: May 2001
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Carys
Ship's Celticist
# 78
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Posted
No snow here, but cold. We were outside as planned, though I was on duty inside where the ceremonies are duplicated for those unable to process. So I have no first hand experience of the cold .
Carys
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O Lord, you have searched me and know me
You know when I sit and when I rise
Posts: 6896 | From: Bryste mwy na thebyg | Registered: May 2001
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Qoheleth.
Semi-Sagacious One
# 9265
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Posted
We completed a palm-waving lap of the Church inside, rather than out this morning. And even with the heating going flat out, I can't get the building above about 13'C, which will make for a chilly Holy Week. ![[Disappointed]](graemlins/disappointed.gif)
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The Benedictine Community at Alton Abbey offers a friendly, personal service for the exclusive supply of Rosa Mystica incense.
Posts: 2532 | From: the radiator of life | Registered: Apr 2005
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Conchubhar
Apprentice
# 17602
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Posted
This is going to be my first Holy Week, so today was my first Palm Sunday. Most of the snow had melted at Alton Abbey although it was still freezing. We started the service in the tiny gatehouse chapel and then processed to the main church. The procession was freezing and I forgot my gloves and by the last verse of 'All glory, laud and honour' we were a bit out of tune. But apart from that it was Anglo-Catholicism at its best.
Posts: 7 | From: Alton | Registered: Mar 2013
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Og, King of Bashan
Ship's giant Amorite
# 9562
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Posted
Dusting of snow? Pshaw, we were treated to 8 inches yesterday. (We tend to get our biggest snows in March.) We usually process all the way around the block, but considering the cold and the possibility of ice, we kept it inside this year. We attempted to process around the aisles in the church, but we had too many people, and it resulted in a huge traffic jam.
Other than that, it was a smooth service. If I don't accomplish anything else this week, I will still consider it a success, because I was one of two baritones covering the very exposed opening note on the Weelkes "Hosana to the Son of David," and after spending the whole service psyching myself up for it, I nailed it.
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"I like to eat crawfish and drink beer. That's despair?" ― Walker Percy
Posts: 3259 | From: Denver, Colorado, USA | Registered: May 2005
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dj_ordinaire
Host
# 4643
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Posted
'In the Bleak Midwinter', surely? At least there is a donkey in it!
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Flinging wide the gates...
Posts: 10335 | From: Hanging in the balance of the reality of man | Registered: Jun 2003
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Pigwidgeon
Ship's Owl
# 10192
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Posted
Here in Arizona we have to start the procession in our Parish Hall -- people complain if they have to stand out in the hot sun.
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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"...that is generally a matter for Pigwidgeon, several other consenting adults, a bottle of cheap Gin and the odd giraffe."
~Tortuf
Posts: 9835 | From: Hogwarts | Registered: Aug 2005
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
What is this thing called Sun of which you speak?
On a somewhat bah-humbug note, what is it with donkeys? They are not the focus of Palm Sunday - but Our Lord is.
Oh, and we namby-pambies in the UK cry 'Woe!' and 'Oh calamity' if we get 1 or 2 inches of snow.....but at the moment it's the evil east wind (direct from Mordor) which is not nice.
Ian J.
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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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Angloid
Shipmate
# 159
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Posted
I was presiding at a friend's church which is the warmest church building I have known. Jam-packed with many adults and with even more Brownies, Cubs, Scouts etc. But they didn't take the risk of processing in the cold although there was no snow on the footpaths and the sun was shining; the only way to involve everybody in the procession was for the kids to go round the church once and back to their seats, followed by the adults. It sort of worked!
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Brian: You're all individuals!
Crowd: We're all individuals!
Lone voice: I'm not!
Posts: 12927 | From: The Pool of Life | Registered: May 2001
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
Good to hear of a jam-packed church! We had a fairish turnout, though the Wind of Sauron kept a few away (mostly young Mums with small kidz).....
Even though we didn't process outside, it was good to be able to get people moving all round the church, and using it in the way that certain liturgists e.g. +Michael Perham and * gasp* Richard Giles suggest..... : ![[Two face]](graemlins/scot_twoface.gif)
Ian J.
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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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Devils Advocate
Shipmate
# 16484
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Posted
We managed the usual outside Procession despite the snow and the cold East Wind blowing straight of the North sea from the Steppes of Central Asia and the Parkier bits of Poland!
The church was reasonably warm ( if you didn't take your coat off) though opening the west door to let the procession in let a lot of the warm air out!The Celebrant and I decided it would be business as usual as luckily the path from the hall to the west door was devoid of snow except in a couple of places.
I can see the Easter Fire will be very welcome on Saturday evening if things don't warm up
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"Oh I have wrought much evil with my spells"
Posts: 97 | From: Lincs | Registered: Jun 2011
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kingsfold
Shipmate
# 1726
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Posted
My diocese was due to have two Chrism masses on Saturday, one at the Cathedral and one in the deep south of the Diocese.
The one at the cathedral took place, but I understand the one in the deep south was cancelled because the police said no travel, except for essential/emergency.
[ 25. March 2013, 11:23: Message edited by: kingsfold ]
Posts: 4473 | From: land of the wee midgie | Registered: Nov 2001
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St Everild
Shipmate
# 3626
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Posted
I was planning not to have a Palm Procession anyway, due to the challenges of our building and the ageing congregation...the wind is like "a whetted knife" today and was yesterday, so...
Posts: 1782 | From: Bethnei | Registered: Dec 2002
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marzipan
Shipmate
# 9442
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Posted
To the people mocking 'a couple of inches of snow', SOME parts to the UK have more than that. My parents village has 14 inches, apart from the pavements where the snow plough has made it waist deep with snow off the road.
All the schools in the county were closed on friday (even though it's up to each head teacher whether to stay open or not).
I don't know about the churches around there, but the anglican vicar lives about 10 minutes walk from the church so there was probably a service of some kind there, with or without processions. The methodist/presbyterian chapel has clergy from further afield so not sure what they would have done.
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formerly cheesymarzipan.
Now containing 50% less cheese
Posts: 917 | From: nowhere in particular | Registered: May 2005
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Stercus Tauri
Shipmate
# 16668
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Posted
We went very traditional and had a performance of The Messiah yesterday evening. When we stepped outside into the snow afterwards, all those who had grumped that it was Christmas music must have been feeling pretty smug about it. (Good performance, so it was).
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Thay haif said. Quhat say thay, Lat thame say (George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal)
Posts: 905 | From: On the traditional lands of the Six Nations. | Registered: Sep 2011
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leo
Shipmate
# 1458
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Posted
Usually, the elderly and infirm stay in the pews and wait for the procession to arrive.
Yesterday, out of a congregation of 74, about 40 stayed in church - many of them young - while the rest of us froze. I am wondering whether to look for some 'liturgical gloves' to wear with vestments as global warming continues to change the gulf stream and all that.
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Posts: 23198 | From: Bristol | Registered: Oct 2001
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Jante
Shipmate
# 9163
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Posted
Out of 10 churches in our benefice only 2 managed a service yesterday. the outlying villages of derbyshire have 3 foot plus drifts of snow on the roads making getting there impossible. However in out town church we did a procession inside- ice on the paths outside making it impractical to process outside. One funeral in an outlying village has also had to be postponed and there is concern about carrying the coffin into church tomorrow in th town church!
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My blog http://vicarfactorycalling.blogspot.com/
Posts: 535 | From: deepest derbyshire | Registered: Mar 2005
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Baptist Trainfan
Shipmate
# 15128
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Posted
quote:
We managed the usual outside Procession despite the snow and the cold East Wind blowing straight of the North sea from the Steppes of Central Asia and the Parkier bits of Poland!
The church was reasonably warm (if you didn't take your coat off) though opening the west door to let the procession in let a lot of the warm air out!
Instead of doing the first part of the Liturgy in the Churchyard we did it at the back of the church ... then we processed out of the side door and round on the pavement to the front door. The congregation was considerably lower than normal but nearly everyone who was present processed. We did however wonder if "All glory, laud and honour" should be replaced by "Good King Wenceslas".
We did have three problems:
- the town roads weren't too bad but it was worse on the outskirts and in the country;
- we didn't know was that it had started snowing again just before we went outside;
- the church heating failed to come on and didn't get switched on manually until 2 hours before the service. Fortunately there was some residual heat left over from organ tuning and choir practice on Friday, but it was stll chilly.
In the evening there was a smallish congregation for Stainer's "Crucifixion" but a very good worshipful atmosphere. And it was warmer!
Posts: 9750 | From: The other side of the Severn | Registered: Sep 2009
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Bishops Finger
Shipmate
# 5430
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Posted
I suspect that the continuing bitter wind (which I now think must be the Black Breath of Morgoth the Enemy) put a few peeps off coming out on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and today - but, thank God, we've not had any more snow other than a brief flurry or two.
So - alleluia! Christ is risen!
And although some were away, we still had a festive Easter High Mass, complete with an adult baptism, much sprinkling of the congo with holy water, and Regina Coeli to finish with.
Ian J.
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Our words are giants when they do us an injury, and dwarfs when they do us a service. (Wilkie Collins)
Posts: 10151 | From: Behind The Wheel Again! | Registered: Jan 2004
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Angloid
Shipmate
# 159
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Posted
Lots of brilliant sunshine here in the Pool. Cold but almost springlike. But the priest who I was meant to be assisting/ preaching for was struck down by a rampant virus after the Maundy Thursday liturgy, so Friday, Saturday and this morning I felt I was flying by the seat of my pants. Great fun though: lively Easter Vigil with lots of noise, well-behaved children and not-so-well behaved fireworks (the sanctuary party and half the congregation were nearly annihilated by a misdirected rocket).
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Brian: You're all individuals!
Crowd: We're all individuals!
Lone voice: I'm not!
Posts: 12927 | From: The Pool of Life | Registered: May 2001
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PD
Shipmate
# 12436
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
Here in Arizona we have to start the procession in our Parish Hall -- people complain if they have to stand out in the hot sun.
You live down the hill I take it. It was bally cold here on Palm Sunday morning, so we decided to process inside this year. This actually all but eliminated the folks not processing problem because only the very creakiest decided they could not make a lap of our smallish church building. It had warmed up by lunchtime, so going out and doing the sick communions was quite pleasant.
The weather the rest of Holy Week was so pleasant (65F-70F) that it seemed to discourage folks from attending. This was not helped by the fact that due to problems elsewhere I was forced to have my Maundy Thursday service earlier than usual, which must have discouraged folks.
Easter behaved a bit like Christmas this year. Some regulars away, visitors replaced them, and then some. However, it was still abut 10 down on last year as we have been raided by ACNA.
PD
[ 31. March 2013, 22:06: Message edited by: PD ]
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