[Magdalen] My Grand-niece's christening

[Grace Cangialosi]

I'll be going there next Saturday for the ordination of transitional deacons from our diocese. I've been to St. Paul's just once years ago, when Geoffrey Hoare was the rector. I don't remember the pew doors. I do know that parking will be a serious problem.

On June 5, 2016, at 10:16 PM, Arthur Laurent <ALaurent at npr.org> wrote:

Rowan Elizabeth Margaret Stewart is the first of a new generation. She was born 29 March (gladly not getting too close to April 1 (her uncle the Navy Corpsman's birthday), and christened this morning at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Alexandria. Four generation of my family have been christened, confirmed, married and had funerals celebrated in St. Paul's.

A good crowd of family present: we took up six pews. My 91-year-old father sat in back, and was wheeled forward when the baptism took place. He looked like he enjoyed it, but he's far enough into dementia that he may not have known exactly what was happening. (He thinks I'm family, but he doesn't know who I am. I was greatly distressed the first time I had to tell him I was his son, but I've gotten used to it.)

Every time I visit St. Paul's (Obviously not often enough!), they've changed something.

This time they'd moved the baptismal font from the back of the church (those pews are for wheel chair access), to the front (3rd step into the sanctuary and you're standing right in front of it.)

 Now, I know WHY  they changed it (supposedly more visible (I don't know if that's true or not...it would seem to be more visible to the pews in the front and less visible to pews in the back... and to provide more wheelchair access). I think it's liturgically a bad idea. If a church is your life (the nave specifically), shouldn't you start your church life in the back (where the font had been for nearly 200 years), rather than just above the crossing (the intersection of life and heaven), before entering the presence of God (the sanctuary)?

 I suppose I've written too many papers on cathedral architecture and design.

They did a good upgrade on  their sound reinforcement system. Top grade wireless head-worn mics and xmtrs, and a smart system that turns the mics on and off as needed, and clamps down on feedback before anyone (except me) notices it.

More of the arches in the sanctuary have had the paint removed to show the beautiful wood underneath.

They removed the former altar, which had been against the east wall. The whole sanctuary feels more open and free.

The congregation both knelt and stood (sometimes in the same pew) during Rite II. I prefer that the congregation does one or the other. (excluding folks who have to deal with motion impairments, of course.)

Oh, well...

They didn't seem to have a system of routing people to receive communion. "When I Was A Kid," the ushers were very direct at showing people where they should go (and when). Now, the ushers just open the pew doors and communicants move as they will.

Since St. Paul's is only 40 miles away from where I live, perhaps I'll visit more often. The Rector gives a great sermon, and the congregation is large.

Happy Sunday to all,
Arthur