Pan crusade attracts crowds

While the Anglican parish of All Saints moved its fourth annual Thursday Panyard Lenten Mission in Newtown to Wednesday, as the following day was a public holiday, Canon Claude Berkley led the service at the Silver Stars Panyard. Panyard worship was also used by Rev Gloria Waldron in 2003 to celebrate St Crispin’s Anglican Church’s patronal festival in Siegert Square, Woodbrook. A different Woodbrook steelband was used nightly over a week-long period. Archdeacon Steve West of Holy Saviour Anglican parish has also held annual Lenten missions in Sforzata’s Panyard at Evans Street in Curepe, for many years.

Last Tuesday and Thursday, the Charlotte Street yard of Renegades was filled with people, music and powerful preaching. On the first night Sr Dianne Jagdeo’s (OP) topic “Violence” was very relevant, since it was the day that the entire country mourned the murder of six-year-old Sean Luke, stressing throughout her sermon the need to look inside for answers to this violence.

On Thursday, when Brother Valentino unexpectedly walked into the yard, and sang a repertoire of ballads, Gordon saw this as “God’s miracle that night.” Fr Urban Hudlin’s sermon called for a search of “our individual history” because: “we cannot move into the new time unless we know where we have come from.”

It was unfortunate that the Silver Stars did not turn up on Wednesday at this much lower-keyed service. Fr Richard Jacob’s preaching on “Building life in all its fullness – Love and Forgiveness,” made up for the lack of vibrancy. Tomorrow All Saints goes to Playboyz Panyard from 5.30 pm where Rev Canon Dr Knolly Clarke will preach on “Building life in all its fullness – The Resurrected Life.” Looking deeply into my history, I thanked my deceased mother for having exposed me to an ecumenical upbringing, which allows me to comfortably participate, appreciate, enjoy and objectively report on what everybody has to offer.

Every Sunday up to my tenth year went like this: early morning “Latin” Mass at St John’s Roman Catholic Church in Diego Martin, we were baptised in my father’s religion. By 11 am it was the Pentecostal Church’s Sunday School, opposite to our house, and it was there I first learned that grown men and women wept unashamedly during their praising of the Lord. I can still see the American evangelist, Sr Ruth’s round, pink face streaming with tears. And, just as I did not understand the Latin Mass, I did not understand why she and others wept while the piano or organ rose in crescendo.

But that was not the end of Sunday’s church because by 6 pm we went with my mother/ grandmother to the St Michael’s and All Angels Anglican Church on the “Bank” in Greenhill Village.

This I understood because Evening Prayer was said in good old-fashioned English, with the majestic tones of the organ accompanying, again “good old-fashioned” “Ancient and Modern Hymns” which are still in vogue today. And while the Romans have moved on to the charismatic celebration, the Anglicans remain very staid even when using the “Sing a New Song” book, and the Pentecostals still become very emotional.

So to all those whom I baffle with my ideas on religion, and after seeing me at the Roman Folk Mass or the Anglican Eucharist, and in the past the Trinidad Christian Centre’s fiery services, and ask in bewilderment “are you searching?” I know exactly where I have come from and have moved to because of my incredible mother’s flexibility with her children.