Vrådal and the Church

I had seen it on a painting my grandmother had made. It was white, with ochre trim. I think ochre was her favourite colour, but she never said so. It was a traditional church building, a rectangular shape with a steeple and clock tower.

Vrådal kyrkje. Entrance

           My first time there was a few years ago, and I felt a strong sense of belonging. I saw the painted wooden benches - the exact same way of painting as my grandmother had used on many things in her home - wooden or plastic, to give this impression of a reddish wood.

          This room was where my grandmother used to go to church. She sat on these benches, sang, listened, smiled. She talked with people. She was young in this church.

           To me Vrådal had been a land of fantasy, an enchanted place in a far away time, and now I was there. Indeed, I could see why she loved it, why she painted scenes from her childhood, from her village, on doors and furniture, with the soft ochre sky, mixed with baby blue and soft pink. It was real. It was not sentimental. How she must have loved it.

Vrådal kyrkje

          So, I was in Vrådal church, and on my first visit I was puzzled why it was situated so far out of town. It was not in a central location, not on a hill top, not visible for most people. What happened to strategic placement? What happened to the church as a beacon, a strong reminder of the power of God? How was it a gathering place for people?

          This church was built in 1885, because there was a need to house the congregation after a revival, where many had felt the call and the challenge and followed Jesus. It had created a split in the village - where there was a feisty spirit, drunkenness, strong folk traditions in tales, in clothes and in music - the wild and wonderful hardanger fiddle playing - at times demonic in its intensity. The revival sweeping over the valley made some burn their fiddles to break away from the bondage. A teetotaller movement spread together with the spiritual zeal. My grandma was a teetotaller all her life, and she was dedicated to the regional national costumes, and keeping her special dialect to the end. But she was also open minded. We could talk about art.

Great grandparents & co

          The old stave church was situated closer to town. The location was ideal, but it was not large enough. There was a need also for consecrated grounds for burial. Typically we have grave yards around the church. I suppose the idea is that at the day of resurrection, one is closer to Jesus. Traditionally, it was a sad disgrace to be buried outside of the consecrated area; there was no hope for the eternal life with God for that person.

           So, the old church was in disrepair, and through local requests and pleading to the authorities, there was eventually money allotted for building a new church. Still, the farmers needed to provide timber, put in many hours of work, although they had someone working on it full time. Land was granted, an asymmetrical plot of land, close to the lake and to the road, two main means of travel. It was situated between two budding centres, Vrådal and Vråliosen, partly because the mighty men in Vråliosen pluncked down money for it and decided it needed to be so. Later, the importance of Vråliosen withered away.

       

Entry into the sanctuary

   Vrådal church has narthex, or 'weapon room', as we call it. The area was so called because people needed to leave their weapons behind before entering the sanctuary. The sacred space was no room for settling quarrels with violence. In this church, there is also an opening to the stairs going up to the loft, and to the steeple, where the bell hangs.

           The main sanctuary is one large room, a ship - as we are sojourners in this world, on our way to the promised land - there are wooden benches on each side, and no room for walking on the sides. The room gives clear direction: walk on the green carpet towards the altar, find a seat along the way. There are large wood burners installed in the sanctuary. The area where the priest does most of his functions, in larger structures called 'choir', is a raised podium, furnished with an altar, altar ring and altar piece. It is not attached, but freestanding, and there is room for ambulatory acts, when needed.

        

Altar

  The altar is a table in function, but has the shape and size of a sarcophagus, but made in wood. The connection with grave and burial is quite symbolic. We know that in medieval times there was a tradition of hosting relics of saints in the altar, but this was typically not practiced in Norway after the days of Reformation. The altar came from the old church, and can be dated to AD 16 86, according to Tor O. Sanden (Vrådal Krkje, 100 år. Årbok for Telemark 1986). 

          On the table are candles, a bible, and during mass: the bread and wine for communion. There is a strong symbolic connection between remembering the Lord's death until he comes and the shape of the burial chamber. There is a connection to the future hope and life - for the grave is empty (well, apart from the practical storage of candles and stuff, when you peek at it from behind.)

           The altar has an altar piece behind it, and in Vrådal church this is quite interesting: It has a verse form The book of Revelation and from Paul's letter to the Corinthians inscribed, and no further imagery in painting. It is painted with gold and an deep green. In the Orthodox churches the colour green is connected to the Holy Spirit. It would be too far fetched to suggest the connection here. The altar and the altar piece are from the older church and builds continuation in tradition, in people's sense of belonging.

Rev. 2:10

Be faithful until death,

and I will give you

the crown of life.

1 Cor. 11:26

 For as often as you eat this bread

and drink this cup,                                                                                                           you proclaim the Lord’s death                                                                                                                    till He comes.

The crucifix

        

  There is an old crucifix on the wall, from around 1700s, placed to the left of the altar. At one point, I was told, it was mounted on to of the altar piece, but was later removed and placed on the wall. It is the suffering Christ on the cross. This is the only real ornamentation in the room. The crucifix has no particular function in the services, no attention is drawn to it. It is there for contemplation. As such, it is a sample of religious art, and not sacred art with its function in the liturgy.

           The new cross for procession, however, has a function - both in proclaiming the victory of the living Christ, as the young ministers carry it into the church in the beginning of the service, followed by the Word of God in printed version, the Bible.

Processional cross

          The upstairs balcony houses the pipe organ, and on occasion the church choir. I sing alto in the choir, by the way. From the view point of the balcony, a large candelabra - a source of light - obscures the view of the altar.

          There are large windows in the room. They provide light, warmth, sunshine.

          The sanctuary is simple in its interior decorations, and this is quite deliberate. Simplicity was a virtue, and so was being thrifty, careful with money, hard work and humility.

          Today, people in the village still love their church, but they do not come for Sunday worship. They will come for the great holidays, and they will fill the church on special family occasions, like child baptism and confirmation - all dressed in their national costumes. On Sunday it will happen again: Confirmation Sunday. May they all be confirmed in their hearts, confirmed in the faith of Him who died and rose for them.