Christ Church and Clybourne Park
I worshipped at Christ Church Methodist Church today. I attended the 9 a.m. service, which was held in a chapel and was attended by about 50 people. It is shorter and more informal than their 11 a.m. service.
The minister's sermon incorporated references to many current events, and was quite interesting. The worshippers form a circle around the altar for communion and the closing hymn and benediction. I liked that arrangement, but it wouldn't work for a larger group.
Clybourne Park won the Tony for best play this year. The play is in 2 acts, which occur in the same living room, fifty years apart. In the first act (I believe set in 1958), a couple is selling their home. Their son has committed suicide after suffering PTSD from war experiences. They sell to an African-American couple, which causes an uproar amongst their all-while neighbors, who fear "white flight."
By the time the second act occurs, the neighborhood has become all African-American, A white couple has purchased the home with plans to tear down the house and replace it with a larger,fancier house. Now, the A-A neighborhood is in an uproar, fearing that the character of the neighborhood will change, and be taken over by upscale yuppies.
Wonderful play- lots of humor to break the tensions of the conflicts between the characters. The playwright effectively shifts your sympathy amongst the characters.
Rumor was that Morgan Freeman was in the audience, although I did not see him to confirm this.
I had an African-American client a couple of years ago, who had had the same experience moving into an all-white neighborhood in one of our suburbs- of course, I was surprised that "nice" Minnesotans had treated people the same way.
Detail of Christ mosaic in the dome above the altar.
Outside of church
The church reminded me of Easten Orthodox churches I have visited with all of the gold and mosaics.
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