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Ship of Fools: St Margaret’s, Barking Abbey, Barking, London

The Mystery WorshipperThe Mystery Worshipper Shipmate
edited June 2023 in The Mystery Worshipper

imageShip of Fools: St Margaret’s, Barking Abbey, Barking, London

Farewell to the organist in a full and friendly church on Pentecost Sunday

Read the full Mystery Worshipper report here


Comments

  • Box PewBox Pew Shipmate
    It is so heart warming that the worshipping community here thrives and prospers. Not long ago I watched the television drama series Four Lives about the murders by psychopath Stephen Port of four men, whose bodies he dumped near this ancient church. Barking Abbey repeatedly hit the national headlines as a locale of squalour and evil. With the murderer, finally, behind bars let us pray that St Margarets can be a beacon of hope and renewal in its community.
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    Agreed. An excellent and encouraging Report.

    BTW, the Photography and Film Free area is (I suspect) indeed a left-over from the pandemic, when services in many churches were being livestreamed, and such zones allowed those who didn't want to be filmed or photographed to remain out of range of the camera.
  • barkingvicarbarkingvicar Shipmate Posts: 2
    Its Mark the Vicar here! Thanks for the very fair and encouraging write up. If I could choose a description of what people would experience at St Margaret's then I think 'traditional Church of England, but accessible, without frills', would be close to what we are trying to do here. The notices about filming are there because sometimes we do show it on Zoom (following on from the pandemic), perhaps it will be helpful to make that clear in the notice sheet. Also will make sure that the north door is open for those who miss the sign into the Centre entrance. So thanks Cool Dude - it is always useful to have a visitors perspective and if you do return then please come and say hello!
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    Welcome aboard @barkingvicar , and keep up the Good Work!
  • SpikeSpike Ecclesiantics & MW Host, Admin Emeritus
    It’s a shame the choir didn’t re-form after the pandemic. Is there a reason for that?
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    Perhaps the older members decided to call it a day?
  • barkingvicarbarkingvicar Shipmate Posts: 2
    @spike It's been difficult with our previous Director of Music preparing to be ordained and knowing he was moving on this summer. We are about to appointment a new one and it will be their first task to re-form it.
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    barkingvicar wrote: »
    @spike It's been difficult with our previous Director of Music preparing to be ordained and knowing he was moving on this summer. We are about to appointment a new one and it will be their first task to re-form it.

    Good! Hope it all pans out well.
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