Katharine Welby has just blogged about her depression. It received media coverage and online comment. I appreciate it so much that she speaks of “hopeful depression”. That she has humour with depression… I’ve been following her on twitter for some time now. Her profile has increased since her dad became the Archbishop of Canterbury recently.
On Friday and Saturday we had a meeting of synod, the governing body of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch. The primary agenda was the report of The Structural Review Group responding to earthquake damage and population movements. It has analysis and draft proposals. We received the report, grateful for all the hard work done, and
Christchurch synod favours contemporary cathedral Read More »
UPDATED 9 APRIL – please scroll down for update On Thursday, April 4, three options were unveiled for the quake-damaged cathedral in the centre of Christchurch. These are termed 1) Restore; 2) Traditional; 3) Contemporary. They are the result of conversations and an international Study Tour. While the look of the three is different, essentially
Christchurch Cathedral Read More »
Humans have a thirst for symbols, a requirement for ritual, a longing for liturgy. Those who cannot acknowledge that will make no sense of the $60,000 sculpture project launched in Christchurch: A large $60,000 sculpture will be built over the next three months on a central Christchurch site left empty by the earthquakes, but it
This post will move from local points to general principles that, hopefully, you can find relevance for in your own context – wherever you are. Outside the park-like green frame that will encircle the new central city of Christchurch, and sited in what will be the car-park for the planned city’s new stadium, is rising
planning inside out Read More »
Much of the convent of the Community of the Sacred Name was destroyed in the Canterbury earthquakes. The large brick building is gone. Some of the sisters returned to the convent recently. They have moved into the newer retreat house. I visited them recently. All around the convent grounds are empty building sites where the
I have no hands but yours Read More »
Should we eat and drink in church buildings? Why or why not? I recently saw plans of alterations to a church building which incorporated a kitchen that could (only) serve food into the nave. The Architectural Design Guidelines (PDF link) raise the issue “Considerations of Tapu and Noa of food in a sacred space” (3.1
THE PRESIDER’S CHAIR and THE CATHEDRA present particular problems for contemporary liturgy and liturgical layout. The cathedra is the bishop’s chair. We don’t want to place the presider’s chair to give the impression of a throne, or the presider as judge. Presider’s chair, lectern, and altar form three foci for the Eucharist (the font is
church architecture 6 Read More »
