Ship of Fools: 2018: 20 years of Mystery Worship

Thread: 2018: 20 years of Mystery Worship Board: Ecclesiantics / Ship of Fools.

To visit this thread, use this URL:
http://forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=6;t=008498

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :

Do any shipmates have any ideas for how we might mark 20 years of the Mystery Worshipper reports?

According to the archives, the project started in 1998, with the Kensington Temple in London being the first to be blessed by a mysterious visitor. I had wondered whether the time might be ripe to revisit some of the churches visited in the early days and see how they have changed (or not, as the case may be).

Or perhaps there could be another day to descend on mass en masse as happened in London in April 2005? I suppose a fully paid trip to New York might be a bit beyond the Ship’s budget... [Two face]

I thought it might be worth kicking a few ideas around a little bit early.

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :

On mass or for mass?

I think I'd say en masse.

[ 19. July 2017, 10:54: Message edited by: Gee D ]

Posted by Ecclesiastical Flip-flop (# 10745) on :

En Masse

A mystery worship big day as in April 2004 (or 2005?), with each participant sent to a particular church of any denomination, which I think is what Gee D means. That is how I started.

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

I'm all in favor of commemorating the 20th anniversary, but please have mercy on me as editor. If an en masse visitation is in the works, I would need a team of reliable, competent editors to help me.

Personally I would rather see one very special event, or one very special church, or one very special ecclesiastical occasion, visited and reported on.

Posted by Bishops Finger (# 5430) on :

Hmm...2018...how about the Service To Welcome The Lord Of The World, Donald Trump, At Westminster Abbey, On The Occasion Of His Magnificence's Condescending To Visit A Minor Vassal State?

I'll get me hat, and shut the door on me way out.

IJ

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sipech:
I suppose a fully paid trip to New York might be a bit beyond the Ship’s budget...

All depends where you're starting from ...

Anyway, the Merhodist Chapel in New York has closed and been converted into a private house.

[ 19. July 2017, 15:20: Message edited by: Baptist Trainfan ]

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Bishops Finger:
Hmm...2018...how about the Service To Welcome The Lord Of The World, Donald Trump, At Westminster Abbey, On The Occasion Of His Magnificence's Condescending To Visit A Minor Vassal State?

I think that might have to fall to one of our Episcopal Shipmates.

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gee D:
On mass or for mass?

I think I'd say en masse.

It was meant to be a pun. Never mind. [brick wall]

quote:
Originally posted by Baptist Trainfan:

quote:
Originally posted by Sipech:
I suppose a fully paid trip to New York might be a bit beyond the Ship’s budget...
All depends where you're starting from ...

I can walk as far as London City Airport, if that helps...

quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
I would rather see one very special event, or one very special church, or one very special ecclesiastical occasion, visited and reported on.

So if there's arises a need for the British to witness a coronation...
[Snigger]

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

quote:
Originally posted by Bishops Finger:
Hmm...2018...how about the Service To Welcome The Lord Of The World, Donald Trump, At Westminster Abbey, On The Occasion Of His Magnificence's Condescending To Visit A Minor Vassal State?

I'll get me hat, and shut the door on me way out.

IJ

And I'll ram it down on your head so hard you'll think it was a chin strap.

I could not, in good conscience, associate my name with a report that would force me to acquiesce to referring to His Royal Fartletter as "The Hon. Donald J. Trump, President of the United States."

He is not the president in my eyes. So far as I am concerned, the White House is casa vacans* at the moment. But I digress.

______________

* Latin, empty house

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

quote:
Originally posted by Sipech:
So if there's arises a need for the British to witness a coronation...

Hey, I've been trying to get someone to report on the Royal Maundy for the longest time, unsuccessfully. I'd settle for that. But a coronation . . . . Well, now.

Posted by Ecclesiastical Flip-flop (# 10745) on :

I have looked this up and I find that the year of the "big day" was in 2005 and it was one Sunday in April that year. At that time, the date of each mystery report was not recorded. I have found my archived report that I wrote on that occasion.

There was a predominance of London churches on that Sunday in April 2005.

Amanda, I do not know how all that editing was coped with in April 2005, but what I do know is, that is was, and I wonder whether it can be coped with again, by the same means, in 2018.

Posted by mr cheesy (# 3330) on :

I can't see why there can't be a team of editors if there was a sudden influx of reports. I'm happy to help if there was fairly clear guidelines as to how it was to be done.

Posted by leo (# 1458) on :

I did my first ever report Quakers in Cairo in 1999 and I don't think anyone edited it.

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

quote:
Originally posted by Ecclesiastical Flip-flop:
I do not know how all that editing was coped with in April 2005, but what I do know is, that is was, and I wonder whether it can be coped with again, by the same means, in 2018.

quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:
I can't see why there can't be a team of editors if there was a sudden influx of reports. I'm happy to help if there was fairly clear guidelines as to how it was to be done.

I don't know how it was done in 2005 either. That was before the time I took over the page as lead editor. I think Simon was in charge of it, and he had a team working for him, many of whom are no longer active Shipmates.

We do have very clear editing guidelines -- a style sheet and helpful advice -- so all we need are volunteers to edit.

I would also advocate providing the style sheet to potential reporters, at least in this instance. Ordinarily we don't want the reporters to have to worry about the details of style -- we just want them to get their thoughts down in writing and then we'll take care of the editing. But it would simplify matters greatly if the reporters knew what we are looking for style-wise.

Posted by Sipech (# 16870) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
I would also advocate providing the style sheet to potential reporters, at least in this instance. Ordinarily we don't want the reporters to have to worry about the details of style -- we just want them to get their thoughts down in writing and then we'll take care of the editing. But it would simplify matters greatly if the reporters knew what we are looking for style-wise.

Couldn't you just ask them to read a sample of recent reports and tell them to write in a similar manner?

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

quote:
Originally posted by Sipech:
Couldn't you just ask them to read a sample of recent reports and tell them to write in a similar manner?

I could -- but I wouldn't bet on the quality of the results.

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:

quote:
Originally posted by Sipech:
So if there's arises a need for the British to witness a coronation...

Hey, I've been trying to get someone to report on the Royal Maundy for the longest time, unsuccessfully. I'd settle for that. But a coronation . . . . Well, now.

The funeral that would necessitate a coronation will be quite an occasion, but not a happy one.

Posted by Mark Wuntoo (# 5673) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
I don't know how it was done in 2005 either. That was before the time I took over the page as lead editor. I think Simon was in charge of it, and he had a team working for him, many of whom are no longer active Shipmates.

As someone who did three reports on that day (IIRC) ... in the days following, I also spent some time travelling around London taking photographs of a number of the churches because MW'ers were unable to provide them. I guess things have moved on since that time and more shipmates will have a suitable camera. But it's maybe something to bear in mind.

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

Photos continue to be problematic.

Posted by Al Eluia (# 864) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sipech:
I had wondered whether the time might be ripe to revisit some of the churches visited in the early days and see how they have changed (or not, as the case may be).

That would be interesting. Here's one of the first reports where the church has changed radically: The Crystal Cathedral

Several years ago, after much turmoil and decline, the congregation sold its building to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. It's now an actual cathedral and is being extensively remodeled.

I visited the Cathedral last year when I was in LA (just to see the place on a weekday afternoon). The building is still stunning. (And incidentally, Thurl Ravenscroft, the original voice of Tony the Tiger, is buried in the memorial garden).

Posted by Stephen (# 40) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Bishops Finger:
Hmm...2018...how about the Service To Welcome The Lord Of The World, Donald Trump, At Westminster Abbey, On The Occasion Of His Magnificence's Condescending To Visit A Minor Vassal State?

I'll get me hat, and shut the door on me way out.

IJ

Satanic worship.....no can do...!
[Two face]

Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :

[Killing me]

UBB.classic^TM 6.5.0