As mentioned earlier, we received a private tour of "St John the Divine". This is a short video of the front of the church.
Oh no!............ I was typing a much longer discription this morning and the computer's internet connection died and I lost it. So, this is a recreation of it (as best I can do) after our outing today... More on that later.
At St. John, we were given a private tour by FCC's former organist - Tim. When we arrived, he spoke to us on the front steps of the cathedral. Here are some general facts:
St. John is named after the believed author of the Book of Revelations.
Oh no!............ I was typing a much longer discription this morning and the computer's internet connection died and I lost it. So, this is a recreation of it (as best I can do) after our outing today... More on that later.
At St. John, we were given a private tour by FCC's former organist - Tim. When we arrived, he spoke to us on the front steps of the cathedral. Here are some general facts:St. John is named after the believed author of the Book of Revelations.
The structure was begun in 1892. The construction was interupted in 1941 by the beginning of WWII. A bad ecomomy and other financial needs have made it impossible to really get that work going again. The overall design of the facility is in the shape of a cross. Large sections of the building are yet to be started. Even some of the parts that were started before the war have clear evidence that they were simply left undone. For example, in several of the archways, there are completed and beautifully carved figures in the stone. However, as you move your gaze from one side of the front of the building to the other, the figures loose detail and eventually are only
large blocks of smooth stone. The cathedral has tried to revive and maintain the art of stone cutting by running a stone cutting studio. There was a bad fire on the site some time aglo and the restoration work is on-going. For example, the pipe organ (which has over 8,000 pipes) is still out for cleaning and restoration. They should be back in place by fall. The entire interior was smoke damaged. Some priceless tapestries were lost. The walls were cleaned by spraying latex on the walls and then peeling it off - taking the soot with it. When you look at the walls now, you really can't see the damage in the areas that are open to the public. We were shown several of the areas inside the church. One main area (the nave/sancturary) area had several large stone columns. A bit of history: the architect wanted the pillars to be cut from one solid piece of stone. 
This was attempted, BUT the first two attempts cracked at the same point(using up the only "spares" available). So, a compromise was made to cut the columns out of two stones and "piece" them together. If you look closely, you can see the "seam" in the great stones .During our tour of the grounds we saw two of the three peacocks in residence - one was an albino. They came pretty close and honked at us some. There was also a small garden with a 
fountain in which the public can come to sit and reflect. All of the plants in the area are ones that are mentioned in the Bible (like jasmine and juniper).f
fountain in which the public can come to sit and reflect. All of the plants in the area are ones that are mentioned in the Bible (like jasmine and juniper).f
1 comment:
I was not around back when Tim Brumfield was a part of FCC in Richmond, so I feel so very fortunate to have finally met him, and to have been a part of the special tour and performance that he gave in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The experience was amazing, and it would be tough to describe. I can now see why everyone is so proud of Tim, and why there is such excitement in the church when he comes to town. Without a doubt, he is one of the most talented musicians and one of the nicest of people I've met. I'm glad that on this mission trip there were such opportunities. After our work was done, it was a perfect way to end the day.
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