When I was a child I attended St. Jude’s Anglican Church, Winnipeg. In the 1960s, everyone dressed up for church and there were many children in the Sunday school. Our parish had a nursery room, a large classroom for younger children and classes in the auditorium for older kids. Every Sunday started with Morning Prayer in the chapel led by the Sunday school superintendent with hymns accompanied by Miss Brown. The words for the liturgy were projected on a screen and hymns were sung from little blue books. That is how I learned and memorized the canticles and prayers. The only time I remember attending services in the church proper was for Christmas pageants or special occasions.
Baptisms were always held privately outside the regular church service and attended by family members, godparents, and perhaps a few friends. The shift to public baptisms as part of Sunday morning worship came with the publication of the Book of Alternative Services in 1985. Its new liturgy included the entire congregation pledging to support the baptismal candidates in their life in Christ.
White Gift Sunday was a time when everyone brought canned goods to church wrapped in white tissue paper. Only recently, did I learn that this happened during Advent. Historically, small gifts were collected for those in need and the practice of wrapping the gifts was so that comparisons couldn’t be made with regard to their value.
Church parades were an annual event in many parishes. This was a time when Girl Guides and Boy Scouts celebrated Thinking Day (February 22), the shared birth date of founders, Lord and Lady Baden-Powell. Every year, led by a colour party, my company paraded down the aisle of St. Jude’s and participated in the service. This was exciting for me, especially when I was given to opportunity to be a flag bearer or a scripture reader. For many years, most groups were church sponsored, but over time the Scout/Guide movement became more secularized and inclusive of various cultures. Thus, no more church parades.
In addition to Guiding, I was a member of the Junior Auxiliary (JA). It was a parish-based youth group (primarily girls) sponsored by the ACW (Anglican Church Women), which focused on Christian values, camaraderie, and church missions. I remember we wore green beanies. It was fun but I must confess I didn’t last long there because I was lured into the fictional world of crime fighting. Unfortunately, JA met on Monday nights when Batman was on TV.
Mothering Sunday is another tradition that has gone by the wayside in Canada. Not to be confused with modern day Mother’s Day, it was a celebration held on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Dating back to the 16th century in Britain, domestic servants and apprentices were given a rare day off in mid-Lent to visit their families and “mother” churches. This was a time when strict fasting rules were traditionally eased to enjoy baked goods, such as simnel cake. I remember church ladies baking simnel cakes that were served at coffee time on that day.
I also recall how Remembrance Day was observed in the 1960s. It was solemn. Veterans came to church in uniform, Taps and Reveille were played on a trumpet, a wreath was laid, and we sang hymns like O God Our Help in Ages Past, O Valiant Hearts, and Eternal Father Strong to Save. Since then, we have moved from a time when most families had a personal connection to the two world wars through lived experience into an era where it is now recorded history. As a result, the tone has shifted from profound grief to honouring the military and its past, along with encompassing the ideals of peacekeeping and humanitarian values.
While many of these memories of the church are fond ones, these times can’t be brought back. The church is not what it used to be. Societal changes have compelled it to evolve in order to stay relevant and to survive. I, too, continue to evolve. My thoughts on the church, religion, and my own spirituality are still a work in progress. And that is as it should be.
