Niki Gorick: Religion in the City

Niki Gorick's aim in her ‘Religion in The City’ photo-project is to capture as much as possible of the spiritual life of The City and the day-to-day work of its clergy

Niki is a UK fine art photographer specialising in black & white images of London. She wants to find out what’s going on with religion in The City of London? How do these historical beauties survive today? Are they still a spiritual force? How do they work as non-parish churches without resident congregations? And how do they relate to the financially-obsessed community surrounding them? What exactly is the contemporary clergy up to?

Niki says, "Already, in my new ‘Religion in The City’ photo-project, I’ve come across a diversity I never expected — pop-up art exhibitions, huge wet fish displays for Harvest Festival, a Chinese choir rehearsing, high-calibre debate about policing in Britain today, jazz bands leading congregations into hidden gardens to eat jerk chicken … all I can say is that modern-day ministering appears to be both thriving and full of surprises.

Niki recently photographed the investiture of a new knight by the Grand Priory of England of the Knights Templar at St Stephen Walbrook. Here are a sample of her images:

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Alexander Skrjabin: Le poème de l'extase.

Niki Gorick: Religion in the City

Niki Gorick is a UK fine art photographer specialising in black & white images of London. She aims to capture the true character of the city, from its famous landmarks to its vibrant street-life. Her current photo-project is entitled 'Religion in the City' and, as part of this project, she photographed the Thanksgiving Service held at St Stephen Walbrook on Wednesday evening for the Lord Mayor of London.

Niki writes:

'What’s going on with religion in The City of London? Intrigued by the extraordinary concentration of Wren churches and other places of worship in The Square Mile, I decided to find out. How do these historical beauties survive today? Are they still a spiritual force? How do they work as non-parish churches without resident congregations? And how do they relate to the financially-obsessed community surrounding them? What exactly is the contemporary clergy up to?

Quite a lot, as it turns out. Already, in my new ‘Religion in The City’ photo-project, I’ve come across a diversity I never expected — pop-up art exhibitions, huge wet fish displays for Harvest Festival, a Chinese choir rehearsing, high-calibre debate about policing in Britain today, jazz bands leading congregations into hidden gardens to eat jerk chicken…

Over the next year or so, my aim is to capture as much as possible of the spiritual life of The City and the day-to-day work of its clergy – so far, all I can say is that modern-day ministering appears to be both thriving and full of surprises.'

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John Stainer - God So Loved The World.

Meme on 'Why clergy blog'

Judith Schultz is currently taking a degree in Pastoral Care & Psychology and one of her assignments for the next module is to conduct a small research paper on a chosen topic. She has decided to look at why clergy, in particular, blog.

These are my answers to her questions in relation to her research paper entitled ‘WHY DO YOU BLOG?’:

1. Why do you blog?

To get my thoughts, ideas and writings out 'there' (wherever 'there' is on the web!). To inform others of activities I'm involved in.

2. What do you blog?

Mainly I blog on art, church, faith, inter-faith and social action themes. My blogs often include articles, meditations, newletters, photos, poems, publicity for events, sermons.

3. When do you blog? (Is it every day, once a month etc)

I often blog daily (but not religiously!).

4. Where do you blog? (From home, office, anywhere)

Mainly from home.

5. Who are you blogging for? (Your intended audience)

In reality, mainly friends, family, Church members and others in my wider networks.

6. Do you publicise your blogs?

There are links on a Church webpage and on my facebook page but that is all.

7. Do you check your blogs for comments? if yes - do you find the comments helpful?

Yes. Comments are always interesting and I try to reply to them all.

Having sent these answers to Judith, she came back with a supplementary question:

By blogging Sermons etc - do you feel that this makes the time spent in preparation more worthwhile by being able to reproduce it and hopefully to wider audience?

Yes, and it is interesting to get comments from outside the congregation too. Having said that, one fellow blogger thinks that sermons are too specific to a particular congregation to be suitable blogging material. I pick and choose those which I post.

I tag Philip, Paul, Sam and Tim with this meme.

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Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - My Bag.