Today CJ and I went to Chester Cathedral. Parts of the Cathedral (admittedly a very small part) date back 2000 years. The present church, however, was not built as a cathedral but as a monastry in 1092 - over a thousand years ago. So it's seen quite a lot happen over its lifetime. I used to go to the Cathedral when I was in my late teens/early twenties. Chester has always been very important to me and at one time the Cathedral was, briefly, too. What surprised me today was that I didn't remember the inside of the building at all. Of course the main body of the church has changed little but the infrastructure for visitors (who have to pay an admission charge) has made considerable changes. There were far fewer visitors than I recall and I suspect that the charge is a substantial contributory factor. The building is a historical edifice and regardless of the religious significance today it has played a hugely important part in the life of Chester.
I am sure that on this Blog and on CJ's Blog there will be many posts on our visit and doubtless a lot of duplication.
I thought that I would start my posts with a very modern addition to the Cathedral: a sculpture by Stephen Broadbent entitled Water of Life and installed in the Cloisters Garden of the Cathedral in 1994. I think it is one of the most beautiful things in the Cathedral
Jesus said the water that
I shall give will be an
inner spring always welling
up for eternal life - John 4:14
A superb sculpture. I will have to visit Chester.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure Jesus said that? Nice sculpture and lovely building. Consider though how many people could be fed by the maintenance costs.
ReplyDeleteInteresting sculpture. I'm not sure I totally 'understand' it, but I like the double image of the giving vs receiving. In the context of that quote Jesus asks a Samaritan woman for a drink of water but also tells her of the 'living' water he has to offer.
ReplyDeleteIs the cathedral still used for church services as well or is it just like a museum? It sounds odd with an entrance fee to a church. On the other hand, I guess not many churches nowadays are kept open all day/week.
They still have active services in the cathedral - visited the cathedral August 2017 and their is no entrance fee although they do suggest a donation of 3 pounds. (Donation helps with the cathedral upkeep)
DeleteThat is interesting, isn't it?! I sound like my mother, saying that :)
ReplyDeleteA beautiful sculpture in a beautiful setting. And, unlike a lot of art I see, I 'get' it, a lovely significance. And I like that, as a symbol of life, it sits so close to the gravestone, with just a path between. Isn't life like that?
ReplyDeleteSnap - that is my first post as well (scheduled for tomorrow). Ironic that in a building so old we both were so imporessed by something so new.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. The sculpture is wonderful but I also love those fabulous windows in the background :-)
ReplyDeleteI really liked those hands... Receiving and giving...simultaneously.
ReplyDelete