THE BRESSAY KIRK - A SIDEWAYS MINIATURE

 

It was first seen from the ferry when leaving Lerwick – see: https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2019/01/passing-thoughts-leaving-lerwick-harbour.html The surprise was the typically distinctive pair of southern windows: it was a sideways kirk on Bressay. On discovering this, one only wanted to visit this church to inspect it more closely, but the advice was that it was in a poor state of repair.#

The kirk viewed from the passing ferry leaving Lerwick - centre bottom of image.

Telephoto view of the kirk.

The first glimpse of the twin southern windows.

A couple of years later, a small booklet on this Kirk was discovered in a Lerwick charity shop; it was purchased. This tiny publication, edited by the Rev. James A M. Dowswell, and titled A Brief History of Bressay Church, its Ministers and its Bell, (circa 1999 - the end of the book published a schedule of ministers 1909 - 1999), was published to raise funds “to maintain and conserve our inheritance;” in particular, “to restore the bell.” The great irony is that the church is currently for sale. The cost of maintenance has been given as the reason for this dispersal of church properties; it seems that the commitment to history has been dropped; forgotten. Apparently the surrounding graveyard and its association with this place of worship, means very little for today’s church. There seems to be something disrespectful here; something a little rude to those past and present, with this sale of hallowed ground.

View from southeast.

View from southwest.

The text describes the classic sideways kirk as “the auld Kirk in miniature . . . the typical 18th early 19th Presbyterian church” that “dates from 1814.” Surprisingly, the booklet records that this Kirk “accommodated 370 ‘and no free sittings.’ ” What these last few words mean is uncertain; they are not explained; but the number that could be accommodated in such a small building is astonishing: such is the efficiency of this sideways planning.

The booklet notes that over the years, various changes were made to the Kirk: the choir and organ in front of the pulpit were relocated in 1957 and replaced by a table; and stained glass windows were installed either side of the pulpit. Also in 1957, it is recorded that work on the rear eastern gable end showed evidence of an external stair similar to that at Lunna. It was a stair that gave access to the gallery, made redundant in 1895, when internal stairs were fitted. The booklet further notes that electricity was eventually installed and the floor carpeted. With the reduction in congregation numbers over time, the gallery finally became used as a storage area.

The external stair was on the eastern wall.

The external stair at Lunna Kirk - the only access to the gallery seating.

In spite of its current state of disrepair, one would still like to see the interior of this “miniature” Kirk that could hold so many people. These sideways kirks are amazing examples of Presbyterianism – see: https://voussoirs.blogspot.com/2017/04/shetlands-sideways-churches-creativity.html: they do not express any grand display and are truly effective and efficient, both practically and symbolically. One could say that they are 'moral,' being equitable and having no waste, remaining both modest and democratic - committed and rigorous. We could learn much from them. It is a shame that the only thing today’s church can think of doing with them is to sell them off to avoid the challenge of maintenance. The cunning spin is that money will be better spent on God’s work rather than on maintaining old buildings. It is as if history doesn’t matter, and has no relevance. The booklet records the Kirk’s history in better times when the congregation thought it had a future.

View from the north.

One wonders what the dead might think of this change in attitude? What might be the response of those in the nearby graves and those who donated memorials in memory of loved ones? These folk must have thought that the memories would live on forever, and not ever be flogged off to the highest bidder. The community had to work hard to raise funds to purchase Lunna Kirk, a place that one might have thought was already a communal centre that the church could have donated to the local residents to care for: but no – graveyard or not!

Lunna Kirk.

Sadly, the booklet records that this little Kirk on Bressay once used communion cups engraved with the name of a past minister, William Umpray, dated 1628 - 1653. Now these too have gone out of use too. What is wrong with the church today? Little wonder that it seems to be losing its relevance.

Tingwall Kirk - listed on online property auctions.

Does one purchase the graveyard?

#

17 NOV 24

An Internet search has finally revealed a set of images of Bressay Kirk and its interior, along with a short statement of its present condition: see -

https://canmore.org.uk/site/163091/bressay-kirk-burial-ground-and-kirkyard-wall

The actual state of the interior is difficult to gauge as the building is cluttered with stored items.

THE PHOTOS

The eastern door, like the main entry, is off-centre.

The stored goods make it difficult to see the interior setout.

It would be interesting to see a floor plan.

One might assume that there are some small rooms either side of the front entrance,

given that the southern arrangement of openings is slightly off-centre.

The west elevation shows that the main entry is, unusually, not at the centre of the building,

but appears to align with the interior circulation in front of the pulpit.

The pulpit seems to sit on the north-south axial passage that links to the northern annex.

The text notes that the kirk was sold to a local family for 12,000 pounds.

It is currently being used for storage.

The intention is to refurbish the building for community use.

The stored items make it difficult to interpret the interior setout,

that seems to be the typical sideways arrangement.

The axis of entry is off-centre and seems to align with the interior circulation.

An interior stair can be seen on the left in the typical corner location.

One might assume that, as with other sideways kirks, that there are two interior stairs -

one in the northeast corner, and one in the northwest corner.

This site schedules all of the kirks that the Church of Scotland is closing down: see -

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-45889756

IN OUR OWN IMAGE

Why do we work so hard to create robots that look and act and move as we do?

Why struggle to devise humanoid forms to do our work: to walk with legs like ours; to lift with arms like ours; to look with eyes in a face like ours; to talk like us? Are we really the most efficient form to get work done, or are we just intrigued to see if we can replicate ourselves - but with what aim? Are we interested in knowing more about ourselves, or just lazy? Are we, at heart, all really interested in having slaves do our work for us, with as much enthusiasm as we decry slavery?

Perhaps we are trying to overcome all the subtleties in human relationships and every complication and challenge that this brings? Are we keen to resolve everything with the throw of a switch to OFF for our own convenience?

We already spend much time and money on motor vehicles, both ICE and electric, because we see this as an efficient way of moving around, more efficient than walking. So, if the aim is efficiency, why do we make our robots walk? Why not give them wheels?

As for lifting, we have devised numerous more effective and efficient ways of lifting things than a pair of arms, so why do we struggle to replicate our limbs in robots? It would seem that efficiency and effectiveness has nothing to do with our intentions.

Surely this is more than vanity; but perhaps not? The situation appears to be so irrational that one does wonder about the ambitions. Surely this anthropomorphism is not driven by self-importance and power, like that which can be perceived with envisaged relationships with sex dolls. Here, the ability to respond emotively has gone, or, with AI, has been carefully programmed to suit the intention, leaving the sex master in total control of all emotions without having to wonder or care about any other. One can indulge in whatever fantasy one wants, without having to be concerned about, or to have to respond to another in any way.

Given the impact of social media on individuals with its concentration on the self, this latter proposition causes one to be concerned about things humanoid and robotic; to be worried about attitudes to relationships; to the simple cooperation and the love, care, concern, and responsibility this involves.

We learn much from others with what Martin Buber called the ‘I/Thou’ relationship; isolation and control are the antithesis of this situation, making everything self-centred; singularly less with its emphasis only on ME.

We need to become more accountable in every way. Our fixation with humanoid robots and AI is a serious concern: it tests the very basis of our social responsibility by ignoring it in favour of one's own interests and preferences.