Sunday Stills, the next challenge: Old Churches and Graveyards
Some people go to church three times in their lives. The first and last, they were carried there. Some joke that the second time, they too were carried there especially men.
Except for My Fair Lady's Eliza's dad. He was so anxious to " So get me to the church on time."
This is at 429 Upper Queen Street. The Baptist Tabernacle or The Tab was our home church for more than ten years before we left for Singapore.
We were married in this church,
We were baptised here, and sadly we had our son Andrew's funeral service here.
We made live long friends here.
The organ is a beautiful instrument.
***Pix were taken by our friend Paul Khor***
This Church is worthed a million. Do people still built them like this? Then it is sharing it's premises with other churches. Located along Dominion Road, just before the Balmoral Road junction. One would not normally see it if you are riding in the car as it is located down the valley and hiddened by giant trees. I was on my on mission to photograph buildings and things I could use for my blog when I saw this. In 1885 James Paice donated the land where the original wooden part of the church was built in two months at a cost of five hundred pounds.
http://www.saintalbans.org.nz/
At the geographical heart of Auckland City, tucked up against Dominion Road, we find a quietly beautiful church, an historic building. This is the Church of Saint Alban Martyr, Balmoral. This is a good place to spend time, praying, reading, growing closer to God, browsing through pictures of our forebears who wielded pick and shovel to build our foundations, learning our history, or exploring our roots, or wander outside beneath the gracious oak trees, or under the homely shade of the pohutukawa. Best of all share the worship of a small hospitable people who love God and seek to know him and each other more deeply. This is an Anglican church built by Pakeha. Rather fittingly it now extends open arms to congregations of emigrant families. Other Anglicans from Tikanga Polynesia, Hindi speaking Anglicans whose Parish is called Anugrah (Grace), Tongan Anglicans who call themselves Ngoue Iteni (New Eden), but also Serbian (Holy King Milutin), and Indian Orthodox (Saint Dionysius). This is a place which lives in a timeless tradition of hospitality and outreach in the world wide Christian communion of faith and hope.
Think history, religious ancestry and a building that holds together the joys and sorrows of more than six generations of worshippers.
The large brick front, tall Norman tower and Gothic arches — it almost looks like two churches joined together. As you approach the front of the church you see a fine Romanesque-style sanctuary while the nave at the back is so typically Gothic of the Victorian period. Made in the architectural likeness of the ancient St Alban’s Cathedral Abbey in England, its no wonder that this historic monument has been called for preservation.
In this little grave lies a loved child at Okahu Bay. The parents must have chosen this to represent themselves. It is heart breaking to have to bury your child. I know, I did this 21 years ago.
This is a very old Chinese Grave found next the Sarawak Museum in Kuching. You don't find many of these big graves today especially in land scarced Singapore and Hongkong. In these two countries, the dead are exhumed to make way for the living.
These graves are called armchairs, It looks like a sofa seat. It is the chair of a very important official of the king's court. It is commonly believed that when a man is alive, he may be lowly peasant, but when he dies he can still be an official of the king. Therefore, no expense is spared to build the grave.
The other reason is the Chinese used to ( they still do) worship their ancestors, and pray to them to look after them and bless them. My Grandfather used to tell us, when a disaster had been avoided, it is because our ancestors have been seated high up, so he could see afar and take care of us. The dead doesn't sleep, so he is sitted in the arm chair. if he was sleeping, he couldn't be taking care of us. A good grave site is high up the slopes of the hills where he could see far far away.
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