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The church: The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark.
Denomination: Church of England.
The building: A priory was founded on the spot by St Swithun in the 9th century. The current building, cheek-by-jowl with London Bridge, has been a cathedral since 1905 and a centre for cutting-edge Christian life since the 1960s. It has a Gothic choir and retrochoir, with the rest being somewhat of a vague Gothicity.
The church: Southwark Cathedral is fairly small, as cathedrals go, and has many residents in its immediate area. So it has a much more vibrant congregation than most cathedrals – tourists and regulars are together each week.
The neighbourhood: Southwark had been rather tired and poor of late. But the booming economy, its closeness to the City of London and the financial jobs there has given the area cachet, urban renewal and money. It is the only cathedral I can think of which is within eyeshot of the cathedral of the neighbouring diocese: St Paul's, London.
The cast: The celebrant was Canon Helen Cunliffe. The preacher: Rev. John Paton, Succentor.
Choral Eucharist.
How full was the building?
Mostly full, but nave only. The transepts were not used.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Unfortunately not. The ushers were talking amongst themselves and I had to select a service book myself and find a seat.
Was your pew comfortable?
The chairs are 60s vintage and showing their age. The hassocks were very thin, and mine was losing its lining. However, surprisingly, they were comfortable while kneeling and the chairs were comfortable when sitting.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
Lots of talk, which was good inasmuch as it signified a congregation where people knew each other. It made a cathedral congregation into a parish congregation.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
"Good morning and walcome to Southwark Cathedral on this second Sunday of Lent. I publish the banns of marriage..." – by the Dean.
What books did the congregation use during the service?
A roll-their-own Lenten Service Book taken from "Common Worship". I now know where my rector got ours from – it's a direct copy. There was also a sheet with the propers for the day.
What musical instruments were played?
Organ
Did anything distract you?
I suppose the handprop used with the sermon more than anything else (see below)...
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
Mainstream Anglo-Catholic, but not too much so (incense only at the offertory and not in the procession).
Exactly how long was the sermon?
15 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8 – Any sermon which begins with a discussion of the special significance of the banana to St Augustine (along with handprop of banana waved around) is an arresting one. In the middle of the sermon, our preacher said, "Oh, a page of my sermon is missing. Isn't that providential? I've been told to keep it to 6 minutes." He didn't succeed.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
The banana is a symbol of futility, as it is an annual plant and its fruit is sterile. There is seeming futility in the life and death of Christ, as he died a brutal death. The resurrection changes that – we share in Christ's divine nature through it, and it gives meaning and purpose to existence. Our life must have purpose now, in order to share in Christ's life later on. What is not begun now, cannot be continued.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The choir is world-renowned, and they outdid themselves this morning. The Sermon on the Banana was also memorable. I can't pick between them, so they're both here.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I guess the frozen non-welcome is the closest I can get to being in the other place. Didn't Dante say that the lowest circle of Hell was frozen?
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
We didn't have a chance. Dean Slee gave us all permission to tour the new buildings of the Cathedral (visitors' and education centres, a library, and a refectory) as the first visitors. The buildings are beautiful and the new gift shop, normally a dreary place in most Cathedrals, has a remarkably good selection of items, and I was the first customer (I bought a copy of "Common Worship"). There is normally a coffee hour after the service, and I expect it's fairly lively.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
Pass – I walked home to have lunch as it was getting on towards one o'clock.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – The worship is gloriously Anglican, well-conceived and well done. If one can get over the lack of a consistent welcome, it would be heavenly for one who likes good worship.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Absolutely! It's what every cathedral service ought to be.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
I'm afraid it's the Sermon on the Banana. After the service, the banana was still on the pulpit and the Verger didn't notice it while he was removing the used service sheets and such. I hope the preacher at evensong wasn't put off by its presence.
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