All Saints Church, Peterborough, New Hampshire

February 26, 2012 (Sunday 9)
All Saints Church
Rev. Sarah Robbins-Cole (Associate Rector)
51 Concord Street
Peterborough, NH 03458-1510
603.924.3202

Church History: First organized as a mission in 1904, with meetings held by a small number of worshipers over Dwyers’ Drug Store on Main Street, All Saints became a parish in 1914.  New Hampshire born architect Ralph Adams Cram designed the Church building, which was modeled to some extent on St. Mary the Virgin Church in Iffley, Oxfordshire, England. a 12th century church built in the Romanesque style.

Mary Lyon Cheney Schofield was the sole benefactor of the Church, which has been called “one of the most satisfying works of one of America’s more important architects.” The Church’s stained glass windows were designed by Charles Connick. Service was first held in the newly completed building on August 8, 1920. The original organ was dedicated in 1921, and the bells were installed in 1923.

The Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1980.

Affiliation: The Episcopal Church (2.1 million  members)

Sunday’s Service: Preceding the service was music from the pipe organ. Episcopal services are divided up into two mains parts, The Word of the Lord and the Holy Communion. This Sunday’s service was given by Associate Rector Sarah Robbins-Cole

The service began with a procession to the altar. The Great Litany from the Book of Prayer was recited.  Next came the Opening Acclamation and Collect for Purity, which as I understand it, acts as a salutation to the fellowship, an exclamation of praise, and permission to preside. Following that was the Kyrie eliison (Greek for ‘Lord Have Mercy’).

After that, a lay reader read a passage from the Hebrew Scriptures, Genesis 9:8-17. The choir then sang Psalm 25,1-9, which was followed by another lay reader, who’s text was 1 Peter 3:18-22. Prior to the third reading during the service, Mark 1:9-15, a Hymn, accompanied by the organ, was sung.

Rev. Sarah Robbins-Cole gave the sermon, which was built primarily upon Mark 1:11:

And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Rev. Robbins-Cole explained that this pronouncement was what sustained Christ throughout his ministry, from the fasting in the desert that follows Mark 1:11 up until (and through) the crucifixion. She further pointed out that this promise from God of caring and love toward Christ is not a promise reserved only for Christ, but in fact is proffered to us all, although we all experience times in our lives, for whatever reason, when we do not feel so beloved by God, and this is a primary purpose for Lent, providing Christians with a time where they stop and listen, and put God at the top of our “to-do” list, which will put us into the proper frame of mind to be able to hear God. She mentioned a meditation technique outlined by the Dalai Lama as a Gratitude-Building Exercise, suggesting we spend each day:

• five minutes remembering we all want the same thing: to be happy, to be loved, and to fell connected.
• five minutes cherishing yourself and others. Breathe in cherishing yourself; breath out cherishing others, even those who present you with difficulties.
• Extend that attitude to everyone you meet over the course of the day.
• Stay in that practice no matter what happens.

Following the sermon was a reading of the Nicene Creed, the Prayers of the People, and the Peace (where members pause to great each other and offer each other peace).

With the Word of the Lord portion of the service complete, some announcements were read, the collection took place accompanied by the choir singing the text from Psalm 51, and the Doxology was recited.

The Holy Communion occurred next, followed by a post-communion prayer, a blessing, a recessional hymn, and the service was complete.

Pipe Organ and Stained Glass Window, All Saints Church

My Thoughts: The architectural beauty of this church is overwhelming. It is beautifully sited, and the interior of the sanctuary is a delight. When choosing a service to attend at this church, I had several options. The previous day marked the beginning of regularly scheduled Saturday services, which are similar to the Anglican Rite II service I attended Sunday, but without the Choir. There is an 8:00 am Sunday service that is Anglican Rite I, which I believe uses the original 16th century Book of Prayer, and thus is linguistically quite different. Coinciding with the service I attended, there is yet another, more casual service in a nearby building.

I chose the 10:00 am Rite II service because I wanted to see the inside of the church, enjoy the pipe organ, and be able to listen to the Choir. I was not disappointed.

As would be expected, the service is very similar to Catholic Mass, and is steeped in tradition. It has a timeless feel about it. I certainly have the impression here that unlike many of the more modern services I have attended, this one adheres more closely to many early Christian worship practices. I was thinking, as I participated, that I was sharing a singular experience that stretched back for many, many generations. I particularly enjoyed listening to the Choir and to the organist.

I enjoyed the sermon from this Sunday’s service, which was very timely. In a busy modern world, it is very easy to sacrifice personal (or spiritual) reflection in favor of what appears to be more pressing needs.

As this Sunday marked the first Sunday of Lent, I believe that some aspects of the service may be slightly different than a more typical service, but I’m not sure what those differences are. Perhaps the reciting of the Great Litany, which is quite long, is not typically a part of the service, although I’m just speculating. Also, I think that there is a lack of decoration within the church that coincides with Lent.

I spoke with several people after the service, including both Rev’s Robbin-Cole (Adrian and Sarah). One of the choir members was nice enough to give me a short tour of the church, and I was able to visit the crypt below the sanctuary. I spoke for awhile with the person in charge of doing the fundraising for restoration of the Church’s beautiful stained-glass windows, and he provided me with a wealth of information on the subject. The windows in the Church truly are spectacular. Everyone I spoke with was exceedingly kind to me, and seemed interested in my journey.