Pilgrimage 2.2 September 21, 2010

So last time our intrepid band of pilgrims from the City of  London churches had arrived back in Riga on Friday night, 10 September. On Saturday morning the group got back into the coach (I imagine there may have been some reluctance, although I wasn’t there to see it….), but only for the 30 minute drive to the seaside spa town of Jūrmala. Much later Rev’d Katharine Rumens from St Giles said that this was the one of the best moments for her – with the wide expanses of the white sands and the sea, and the travellers walking and forming different groups amongst themselves, enjoying the freshness and contact with God’s good creation.

I caught up with them a little later at the Open Air Ethnographic Museum outside Riga, where a very old friend and sometime sparring partner, Austris Grasis, gave us a brief introduction to Latvian folk religion. Despite, as Austris said, speaking only his 5th language, the presentation was interesting: challenging at times, but also in the end pointing to the oneness of the Creator, despite the many ways in which we all understand the ineffable and the Almighty.

Rev'ds Jennifer and Katharine (middle) listening to Austris Grasis speak

By a great stroke of good luck (or providence) the Museum had assigned us a meeting space in the Brethren Meeting House, a house built by ‘the Herrnhuters’ during their effective and transformational mission in Latvia in the 18th century. For an interesting article on the effect of the Moravians, not only on the faith life of ordinary Latvians, but also on the development of civil rights, please click here.

Austris speaking in the dark, quiet space of the Meeting House

Then we set off back to the centre of Riga for a short break, and then on (by tram – a new experience for some!) to the Rīga First Methodist Congregation. We were met and guided there by their energetic and inspirational minister, Rev’d Gita Mednis (like Austris, a returner to Latvia, having spent most of her life in the US – Austris in Germany, teaching Baltic languages and linguistics at Bonn University).

The Methodist church building in a quiet side street not far from the historic centre. It used to be a private home

Methodism in Latvia has an interesting history. Before World War II there were a number of active congregations, with support from the United Methodist Church in the US. But under Soviet rule this American connection held very much in suspicion, and the Methodist presence was closed down completely. After Latvia regained independence in 1991, the churches began to reopen slowly, with support from the US and Nordic countries.

This congregation worships in a lovely building, with the worship space being in the old ballroom! During the Soviet era it was a sports hall; but now it is a lovely space, dominated by a cross in the sanctuary.

on Saturday night we were welcomed with a marvellous meal (oh – the field mushrooms…..), songs from the resident soloist, Rūdolfs Vainovskis (a former soloist at the Operetta Theatre) and a youth choir who sang absolutely beautifully.

The evening ended with all of singing ‘I, the Lord of Sea and Sky’ together, in both English and Latvian, and it was glorious and moving.

On Sunday morning, the last day of the pilgrimage, we all chose different places to worship – some went to the Anglicans or Methodists, some to the Dom, and the Catholics celebrated Mass at the German convent. After lunch we all met up again and walked the short distance from the hotel to the Rīga Synagogue, for another wonderful experience. Well, wonderful when we eventually located it – I had got the address completely wrong, and it took us a few minutes to actually find the place (even though I’d been there twice before!) We were met by Mihails, a guide with a highly developed sense of humour as well as an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Jewish community in Latvia.

Mihails, our expert guide

The synagogue itself is a beautifully restored example of Jugendstil architecture, quite breathtaking.

The Hebrew inscription thanks God for rescuing his people from their enemies, a particularly poignant prayer in a community reduced by 90% by the Holocaust

One remarkable feature, especially against the relatively restrained colours of the rest of the building, were the pillars.

Egyptian decorations on the pillars

The thought behind this is to remind worshippers that it is only yesterday that they were freed from Egypt.The story of the Jewish communities in Latvia is similar to that of many parts of Europe: thriving communities destroyed by the Nazi ‘Final Solution’, families torn apart, buildings desecrated and demolished. And yet – even today the Jews in Riga meet for worship, maintain their own schools, and keep the festivals in a triumph of life over death.

Unfortunately, we were so enthralled by the stories we heard, and the discussions we were able to have, that we completely missed out on the next visit, which was supposed to be to the Jewish Cultural Centre – maybe next time. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to Mihails, and to Gita Umanovska, who helped us to organise this visit.

After a last cup of coffee and cake (although Marja-Liisa, Myrddin and I were actually thrown out of our cafe – not for rowdiness, but because they were closing) we headed to the Rīga Dom for a short but excellently presented guided tour by Sandra Saulīte, and our concluding worship, a Lutheran service of Vespers.

What did people gain from this experience? How did we grow spiritually through these very varied and colourful days? I guess you’ll have to ask one of the people who went. Personally, I enjoyed the time we spent together very much, and especially seeing my beloved Latvia through the eyes of people who I love and respect. And I learnt a lot about the ways in which Christians, Jews and folk religionists practice their beliefs, and about the ways we can live together, respecting each others’ views, valuing the insights we exchange, and bearing with our idiosyncracies and occasionally worse.

My husband reminds me that the first pilgrimage post mentioned Luton Airport. What happened was that I came back from the Leeds pilgrimage convinced that I had a day in the office before leaving on Tuesday for Rīga. I didn’t. I missed the plane I should have caught on Monday, and ended up frantically looking for alternatives for the Tuesday. Hence Luton Airport and the services of Wizz. There is something about travelling to pilgrimages, obviously.

One last picture: the pilgrims in the Synagogue courtyard.

Next post in a couple of days – an interesting exploratory visit to Salisbury, planning for the Anglican-Lutheran Society Conference.

Luton Airport, late; Pilgrimage 2.1 September 19, 2010

From 8th-12th September a group of ecumenical pilgrims from the City of London Churches (Wesley’s Chapel, St Joseph’s, St Giles and St Anne’s) visited Latvia. Behind this simple statement lies a vastly varied, interesting and challenging experience – and I’m going to try and describe it as best I can.

Firstly – apologies for the delay in this post: as I said a while back, my camera died, and I got a new one in time for this journey, but it’s taken me days to work out how on earth the software works. Anyway – here we are at last.

The pilgrims arrived in Latvia late on the evening of Wednesday 8 September, having survived the rigours of Ryanair to Riga. After a reasonably comfortable night at the hotel, we met next morning and walked over to the Consistory of the Latvian Lutheran Evangelical Church. Outside the building we were greeted by a busking trumpeter playing ”God save the Queen”, and inside by their ‘Foreign Minister’, Rita Brūvere and Rev’d Dr Guntis Kalme. We heard an interesting (and very concentrated!) presentation about the history of Latvia, with beautiful images of Latvian churches.

Listening to the presentation by Guntis and Rita

Father Peter from St Joseph's with Dr Kalme

Afterwards we headed for the square by the Riga Dom (Lutheran Cathedral), where on an unseasonably warm September morning we sat outside and drank coffee. Then it was on to some real sightseeing: the group (accompanied by Pastor Elīza Zikmane) boarded 2 wooden boats for a tour along the canal in Riga – out into the River Daugava past the Opera House and Central Market, and then back again.

The 'Darling' sets sail

Waiting to board the boat

In the evening we visited the first of the churches – St Saviour’s Anglican Church in Anglikanu iela (Anglican Street). This building was constructed using English bricks, and rests on British soil, specially imported for the purpose. Rev’d Dr Juris Cālītis, the priest, welcomed us warmly, telling us the history of the congregation, and something of its present life. One remarkable thing is that the organ is behind the altar, forming a kind of altarpiece.

Juris talking to the pilgrim group

Afterwards Juris and some of the congregation members joined us for Anglican Evening Prayer, led by Rev’d Katharine Rumens: Katharine reflected on the various and sometimes positively odd reasons why people embark on pilgrimages. Then – after a fairly long day, we headed off to eat, and ended up having fish and chips (some of us, at least) at Paddy Whelan’s Irish pub… But before you recoil in horror, there was plenty of opportunity to eat Latvian later on. It made a great opportunity for people to talk and get to know each other – and Rev’d Jennifer Potter and I made the most of the chance to catch up.

Next morning we set out on the longest journey – a 4 hour coach drive across Latvia to the Catholic Basilica and shrine at Aglona. This famous building has itself been a site of pilgrimage, especially on the Catholic Feast of  the Assumption on 15 August, for thousands of people from all parts of Eastern Europe. Pope John Paul II visited there in 1992. Unfortunately we seemed to have caught the people there on something of an off-day, as the welcome was perhaps a little lacking in warmth ( a bit like the cloudy day around us), particularly in comparison to all the other churches we visited. However, Midday Prayer led by Father Peter Newby, was moving and beautiful.

Father Peter leading Midday Prayer. Photo by Inga Jēruma

The nave of the Basilica

And we had the time in the coach to see the Latvian countryside, to sleep a bit, to chat and to hear something of the history of the church from our guide, Arnis Šablovskis.

On the way back we had a truly remarkable experience. In Jēkabpils, a town on the shores of the Daugava, we stopped to visit an Old Believers’ Church. For a reasonable Wikipedia article on this movement within Russian Orthodoxy, click here. The congregation we visited were commemorating the Beheading of John the Baptist, and singing the most remarkable chants – all the people present, not just a choir. There were about 10 people, men and women, singing in unity, seemingly completely absorbed in the ancient melodies and words. There was also a coffin in the church: after the service they were due to have a vigil overnight before the funeral next day. The church walls were completely covered with icons, all of them with candles burning in front. And what candles! They were real beeswax, smelling intensely of honey.It reminded me of the words of the Easter Vigil Exsultet chant, where we thank God for ‘His servants, the bees’. Truly a heavenly aroma.

The lady who helped us seemed completely unphased by the group of English-speaking Christians soaking in the atmosphere and the sounds of worship. And the priest came and talked to us for a while, telling us (via Arnis, as he was Russian-speaking) about the traditions and beliefs of his church.

Talking with the priest in Jēkabpils

This was a glimpse of a church tradition unfamiliar to all of us: but it was also a glimpse of the mystery that lies at the heart of all Christian worship. Such a privilege.

The outside of the Old Believers' Church. Photo by Inga Jēruma

Please come back tomorrow to read the rest! – still to come, as the trailers have it: the Methodists in Riga, the Synagogue, the Ethnographic Museum and folk-religion, and final worship in the Dom.

Our pilgrim group on the steps of St Saviour's Anglican Church

Platform 0, twice; Pilgrimage no 1 September 5, 2010

August is over, holidays and reflective time are over; time to get back to active service!

After a month spent either resting, swimming, reading, praying, writing various papers and documents, and just talking and eating with family and friends, the new autumn season has started at quite a pace. Apart from the many letters and emails to read, and problems and issues to deal with, the first weekend back has involved a marvellous journey to Leeds, to join in a pilgrimage around various Lutheran communities in the two cities of Leeds and Bradford. The weekend concluded with a service today, Sunday, celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the church building of St Luke’s.

Some of the pilgrims had already arrived on Friday night, and had got to know some of the local community.

The pilgrims gather in the German Church. Photo by Charles Maluila

I had planned to get to Bradford by 10.30 to join the group at the German Church. However…… I left Enfield on a train at 6.30am, arrived at Kings Cross at 6.55 in order to catch the 7.10 to Leeds. But sadly, when I went to the cashpoint, I discovered I’d left my purse at home. As I had no money and no means of getting from Leeds to Bradford, there was no choice but to go home again. Interestingly, the train back to Enfield left from the new Platform 0 at Kings Cross, so that was an interesting experience. Janis, my husband, met me at Gordon Hill, gave me my purse, and I dashed across the bridge to catch the next train back to Kings Cross. Then, marvellously, the next train to Leeds left from Platform 0 AGAIN! by 9am I had departed from the same platform at the station twice.

Anyway, I finally caught up with the pilgrims at St Matthew’s Polish Lutheran Church, by which time they had already visited the German Church.

The pilgrims enjoying the newly refurbished church. Photo by Charles Maluila

Bishop Emeritus Walter told us the story of St Matthew’s, and we enjoyed the atmosphere of this small chapel, converted from a family home to provide a worship space for generations of Polish Lutherans. It was recently redecorated by the skilled hands of no less a person than Pastor Mark Hardy. After a delicious lunch, we moved on to the next stage, which was a visit to the chaplaincy at Leeds Universities, and a time of meditation and creative prayer organised by our Chaplain there, Deacon Seija Frears. We saw round the university, heard about the activities of the chaplaincy, prayed, chose the colours that most address us, and ‘prayer painted’, using our non-dominant hands. On a purely personal basis, as someone intensely ‘artistically challenged’, I was rather dreading being made to be creative with paint – but thanks to Seija and the Holy Spirit it proved to be not only enjoyable, but also enlightening. But everyone laughed at my painting all the same.

Then we returned to St Luke’s for an overview by Rev’d Dr Roy Long of the history of Lutherans in the North of England (enlightening and informative as always), and then another delicious meal, together with members of the parish. Prepared by Jenny Jagucki and Joan White, the feast included salad, vegetarian shepherd’s pie and a choice of about a hundred desserts. It gave us all a chance to get to know each other more deeply, and to enjoy a happy tiredness.

And today the church building at St Luke’s was full of people

The altar at St Luke's

Extra chairs were put out, as we welcomed more guests -  from Trinity Congregation, as well as from other congregations that share the building. Pastor Gita Putce from the Latvian Congregation took part in the service, as did an honoured Anglican guest, Bishop Rupert Hoare, formerly Dean of Liverpool (and my Co-Moderator in the Anglican-Lutheran Society).  Bishop Walter preached, emphasising the real purpose of church buildings (enabling mission: “if only one person has come to know Jesus Christ in this place, it will all have been worthwhile”). Pastor Libby Toomsalu presided at communion, and Neville was our organist, as he has been at St Luke’s for over 40 years.

Bishop Rupert Hoare, Pastor Gita Putce, Bishop Emeritus Walter Jagucki, Bishop Jana and Pastor Libby Toomsalu outside the St Luke's door. Photo by Margaret Pickford

The living stones of the church were remembered in that great hymn by Grundtvig – Built on a rock the church shall stand. The original architect who supervised the conversion of the stable block into a chapel was also with us. There were people who counted many countries as their original homes:

English

Scottish

American

German

Polish

Latvian

Finnish

Namibian

Tanzanian

French

Icelandic

Faroese

Joan White, the Chair of the Congregation, read 2 greetings: one from Pastor Jeno Weisz, the first Pastor of St Luke’s, and one from Bishop Floyd Schoenhals of Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod, our partner Synod in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

And then – a barbeque, presided over by Colin and Katrina Kay. It was a great weekend of fellowship, with a true sense of God’s presence among us. We may be a small church, but there is so much love and faith in our congregations, and praise God for that. Thank you to all who helped to organise the weekend – Annette, Libby, Bp Emeritus Walter – and others who I may have forgotten.

So that was Pilgrimage No 1. On Tuesday evening some of set off for No 2, an ecumenical pilgrimage to Latvia. I hope and pray that I’ll have a new camera by then, and will be able to put more images up. I hope also to post more from No1 – waiting for pics from participants!

Lastly – from part of the prayers led by Lay Minister Jack Parkes, this highly appropriate thanksgiving prayer:

Now in this hour of recollection, we give thanks for the river of faith whose flow has brought us to this day.
For the patriarchs of legend, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob;
For the matriarchs of endurance, Sarah and Hagar, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel;
For the prophets, for those who cast judgment on Godless injustice, and those who shared visions of God-conscious
community;
For the psalmists, and all who’ve made music and song to give voice to our mourning, our longing, our aspiration and
our faith;
For proverbs and preachers and story-tellers and all conveyers of wisdom from generation to generation;
For all the drama and passion, the wisdom and poetry of the Hebrew scriptures, and for their dialogue with the Divine;
We give thanks.
For the One who walked among us, interrupting history by giving word and flesh to holy love;
For the angels who said, “Do not be afraid;”
For the mustard seed church, disciples and apostles, male and female, Jew and gentile, slave and free;
We give thanks.
For the church which took root, and shook the earth;
For theological Mothers and Fathers;
For monastic preservers of learning;
For Reformers and martyrs;
For mystics and missionaries;
For all who ran the race that was set before them, all the saints of God;
We give thanks.
For our small but beautiful branch of the church,
Born of the recovered concept of faith commitment not coerced, but freely given,
For this our goodly heritage, the sweet flowering of our branch of the Vine,   We give thanks.