A PLACE OF SERENITY

It is a blessing for any city when you can find, amidst the traffic, noise and grime, a beautiful place of sanctuary, inspiration and grace.

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin is such a place within the city of Brisbane.

When architect Richard Suter designed the church in the 1870’s, he got something very right. With the proportions he adopted in length, height and space, his use of an elegant timbered roof structure, and by leaving the stonework nave uncovered to contrast with a plastered Sanctuary, he managed to create a simple elegant building of warmth, inspiration, peacefulness and acoustic pleasure. What Suter was able to achieve under the prompting of the simple rustic world of Kangaroo Point of his own day and age, transcends the bustling of the emerging metropolis and an ever changing skyline across the waters of the Brisbane River

Enhanced by the artist Godfrey Rivers’ paintings on the Sanctuary ceiling, this gentle building offers the worshipper a personal refuge which subtly transports one’s soul into another realm.

The church seats about 200 people so its scale is individual and domestic, far from overbearing. There is a calm serenity of the ambience in the church that inspires prayer. With people coming from the whole of Brisbane and far afield, one senses that people from all walks of life feel a profound sense that this is, and can be, their spiritual home. Many families have prior generations of loved ones who have worshipped and served here before them.

St. Marys plays a vitally important role in the Anglican Church of Brisbane.

St Marys offers a middle ground Anglicanism with music being an integral part of our liturgical life. Each Sunday, at present, we offer a quiet spoken Eucharist with sermon yet without hymns at 7.00 a.m., while the main service is a Choral Eucharist at 9.00 a.m. Incense is used from time to time but usually on festival days, so many would see us as slightly “high church”, but not excessively so.

There is an appreciation of scholarship at St. Marys combined with a wide appreciation of those who are trying to present Our Lord in traditional ways. There is also an open and broad appreciation of those seeking a dynamic spirituality and biblical scholarship in the weekly preaching. It could be said that there is something of a liberal embracing of all that wholistic Anglicanism offers, including the ministry of women ordained to holy orders.

St. Mary’s traditional atmosphere and values are highly sought after by couples seeking to be married, and we have been celebrating about 100 marriages a year.

For us however, it is important that they are presented to this life step with integrity, are assured of committed pastoral care before and after the marriage day, and receive assistance in preparation for their new life together. This ministry is important for these couples but is also an experience, which, we believe, assists them in an appreciation of the sacred as well as being a loving introduction to the ways of a mainstream church.

The Godfrey Rivers’ artwork on the ceiling of the sanctuary of the church in some ways was prophetic. Music is and always has been a major focus of ministry and mission of St. Marys. The historic organ – badly in need of total restoration- also bears testimony to this wonderful rich tradition.

There have been choirs at St. Marys from its earliest days, even through the times of the World Wars. Now once again, we are centering our mission to this wonderful city through the ministry and spirituality of music. This rich tradition, plus the gift of a new grand piano, planned recitals and concerts, and our embracement of Brisbane’s young musicians aspiring to careers in music, promises a wonderful synergy between this place and those who are looking to enhance their own careers in music. Along with our own Choir under the Direction of Emily Cox and the brilliance of one of Australia’s premier Organists, Christopher Wrench, St. Marys is able to offer the ministry of beautiful music and liturgy throughout each week of the year.

St. Marys is one of Brisbane’s most historic churches and is home to a community of welcoming parishioners as well as an ever changing community of visitors from around the country and across the world.

There is much to be done in our mission as well as in our pastoral care of our people and the maintenance of these historic buildings and strategic site.

A new ministry initiative for 2008 is SUNDAY EVENINGS AT ST. MARY’S:  Not sure about traditional Services? Don’t like the hymns or music or style? Not enough quiet time? Not enough interaction with people? Not enough fun? Not enough space to ask questions? Would like to learn more about God in the Twenty First Century and the Jewish Man – Jesus? Keen to explore some Meditation? You are not alone. There are a number of us who are looking to find a different path and wish to explore Christianity and different expressions of the Faith but not in fundamentalism or hip hop music. We are inviting you to join us at St. Mary’s on an emerging journey of exploration. How is this going to happen?

There are some elements of this process we feel need to be engaged each week, but with differing emphases each week. What will be offered regularly? Ways for people to explore issues, ask questions and contribute ideas and perspectives; in short, to enjoy companionship as we all tackle life’s journey together. And this companionship includes time to drink and eat together, and St. Mary’s has the best place to do that! Each week will be different in what is being offered but the following is the sort of thing to expect – noting that these things will change because of ‘pre-sets’ eg. Concerts and Recitals and Festivals such as St. Mary’s Festival in September. But this is the sort of programme we hope to offer. There will be something every Sunday night at 5.30pm.

First Sunday of each Month:  A Celtic Eucharist. This would differ from the usual style of Holy Communion we know and love at 9.00am. It will have some Celtic style music and variables. It would be followed by an informal meal of simple food, and the evening would be ok for children, but not pitched to them.
Second and Fourth Sundays: On these evenings there will be combinations of Meditation (which we will teach), dialogue – opportunities for ‘forum’ style and informal styles of discussion about everything: Who is God?; Jesus and Faith in the workplace – home - sports field - science-medicine; just to name a few. And of course, an opportunity to eat and drink companionably.
Third Sunday: This is already happening – and is pitched to young families. This gathering in the past has seen picnics on the lawn of the church, informal service with guitar music in the church and has usually not been a Holy Communion – though sometimes that is the case.
Fifth Sunday: This is intended to be a Sung Evensong. For those of you not sure what that is, it is one of Anglicanism’s most beautiful forms of worship. The choir leads the service, most of which is sung. There is usually a sermon and many who have never experienced this service before often find it stimulating, gentle to the soul and transforming. We usually have about two or three Sung Evensongs at St. Mary’s a year.

WHEN IS THIS HAPPENING? WHEN DOES IT START?  

There will be start up services during the season of Lent which starts on February 6. An initial evening ‘happening’ on February 10 at 5.30 - informal - designed to invite people to come and have conversation, some introduction to meditation, music – just to launch this new initiative. YOU are invited. A light meal will be provided.  Interested? Come and join us.
February 17 is the Family Service:  Very informal and gentle – great for little people.
We would also be keen to know what you are interested in – what questions would you like answered? This Sunday evening format is designed to reach out to people who are not all that interested or who are wary of conventional ‘churchianity’. We are hoping that this will be a different experience which will engage people living life in today’s busy, exciting and largely humanist world.

We hope you will come and visit our church and join us for worship, or for one of our concerts or recitals. May God bless you in your pilgrimage.

Fr. Stephen Redhead
Rector