Ship of Fools: MW 2853 St. Mark's Cathedral, Seattle

Thread: MW 2853 St. Mark's Cathedral, Seattle Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Al Eluia (# 864) on :

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I'm not sure the lack of welcoming is a fair criticism of this service. I haven't been to their choral evensong, but St. Mark's may see it as more akin to their famous Sunday night Compline: a meditative, contemplative experience to which greeting and glad-handing attendees may not be conducive. I'd think one of their Sunday morning services would be a better measure of how welcoming they really are.

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

Someone should go and find out.

Posted by Knopwood (# 11596) on :

I had a similar reaction. Evening or not, cathedral congregations tend to be a little more diffuse and attract people who for a variety of reasons are looking for something other than the "family church" experience.

More broadly (and relevant to me knowing as many Anglicans on the autism spectrum as I do), it occurs to me that the MW questions relating to the sense of "welcome" tend to be leading. The implicit assumption is that a good "score" on welcoming means being individually and cheerfully greeted and shepherded to coffee hour. There are many, of course, for whom these would not be selling points for a church!

Mind you, I guess this is true of the questionnaire as a whole: I may give a place a 2 because the sermon was half an hour long, the peace a halftime show, and the hymns read off a projector screen, and a reader may think, "I have to check that out!" The challenge then becomes to give an account that both faithfully reports one's own subjective impressions as well as giving enough of a "field report" to allow the reader to make a judgment.

[ 08. May 2015, 20:26: Message edited by: Knopwood ]

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

I think a satisfactory welcome or lack thereof is a very subjective thing and varies from reporter to reporter.

A heartfelt "Good morning and welcome. Have you been here before?" is quite enough for me. But for others, that would be akin to being ignored completely.

Some people like to be assigned a buddy at the door who will stick by your side throughout the service and into the coffee hour. But that would send me screaming from the place.

I don't know how the MW questions could be made less leading. It's up to the reader to judge if the service as described would or would not appeal to him.

Posted by Barefoot Friar (# 13100) on :

I, too, would like to see a second report from a Sunday morning Eucharist. My bet is that there will be a greeting and welcome upon entering the building.

Posted by Prester John (# 5502) on :

I would say that the initial response to the MW, not the OP but the comment to the MW embedded in the link, was not a fair response.

quote:
I don't entirely understand why the visitor expected a personal welcome at a service that is known locally primarily as a radio broadcast.

Is the service worship or a concert?

Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :

Speaking from experience at our local Cathedral, the officiant at Evensong usually welcomes people immediately after the opening Versicles and Responses (just before the Office Hymn).

Certainly on Sundays, one or more of the attending clergy are sometimes on hand to meet-and-greet as people leave the Quire.

Surely no more than that is called for at a service which is often attended by people who simply do not want or need anything more effusive?

Ian J.

Posted by seasick (# 48) on :

I was a little surprised at the MWer expressing doubt about where to sit when the presence of a sign giving that information had already been noted - presumably the Cathedral wouldn't direct worshippers to sit somewhere where they couldn't hear the choir?

Posted by Al Eluia (# 864) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Prester John:
I would say that the initial response to the MW, not the OP but the comment to the MW embedded in the link, was not a fair response.

quote:
I don't entirely understand why the visitor expected a personal welcome at a service that is known locally primarily as a radio broadcast.
Is the service worship or a concert?

That commenter was confusing Evensong (which was the service reported on) with Compline at St. Mark's, which has long been broadcast live on KING FM. Like her, though, I wouldn't expect the same kind of welcome at a contemplative evening service like that in the MW as I would on Sunday morning. And in fairness, though I've been to St. Mark's many times, I haven't attended their Evensong.

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

Well, I hope someone goes this Sunday and writes it up. PM me if you need to know how to file a MW report.

Posted by Prester John (# 5502) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Al Eluia:
That commenter was confusing Evensong (which was the service reported on) with Compline at St. Mark's, which has long been broadcast live on KING FM. Like her, though, I wouldn't expect the same kind of welcome at a contemplative evening service like that in the MW as I would on Sunday morning. And in fairness, though I've been to St. Mark's many times, I haven't attended their Evensong.

Granted, but I think my point still stands. ISTM that the primary purpose for the Compline service, which I've had the pleasure of listening to many times over the internet, is to worship God. It just happens to be a service that is being broadcast. Take away that broadcast and I'm sure they would still be gathering together and worshipping.

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