Sylte church

We do not know when there was first a church at Sylte, but we do know that there was a church here in the Middle Ages – Aslak Bolt mentions it in 1432. The old name for this part of the fjord was not Norddal, but Dal, and in 1589 the church was called Dal church. An account from the early 17th century tells us that the stave church in Sylte was taken down and moved across the fjord. Whether Sylte was then without a church for a period, which meant that people had to make do with the chapel in Døving is uncertain. But we do know that in 1812 the chapel at Døving was taken down, moved to Sylte and used as a parish church. The church that can be seen today is from 1863. It is a long church built in timber.

In the second half of the 19th century, demolishing an old church and building a new one became very common. The population of the country increases and in 1851 a new church law was passed which stated that churches must accommodate 3/10 of the congregation. This led to 623 new churches being built in Norway in the second half of the 19th century and 390 old ones demolished. Sylte Church is one of these. With such formidable construction activity, the Ministry of Church Affairs had brought in some of the best architects in the country. They published collections of pattern drawings that the local church builders could use or adapt as needed. With the use of well-known architects and their pattern collections, the international architectural impulses of the time were spread around the country. The Gothic style prevailed as the sacred model and the neo-Gothic white wooden church, as we see it here in Sylte, became the very prototype of a Norwegian church.

When one walks into Sylte church and across the church floor, one can see the altar table and the altarpiece. The altar table itself is hidden under an altar cloth. It is made of stone and comes from the old chapel at Døving. The altarpiece shows a painting of Jesus in Gethsemane just before he is captured. He is afraid of what is to come and he asks his Father to let go. But he adds – "not my will, but yours". This short sentence is written under the altarpiece.

In Norway, it is the stories of St. Olav that form the foundation of the pilgrim trails to Nidaros. In Sweden, there is Saint Birgitta. From her we have a prayer that reads: "Lord, show me the way I will walk, and give me the will to walk it". For many, this is a prayer for pilgrims. We encounter the word will in both of these texts, and perhaps it is our will that is most challenged during a pilgrimage. The will to complete the walk, even though it may present challenges along the way – both the expected and the unexpected. Such is the condition of the outer walk and similarly for the "inner walk", it is a matter of will. Willingness to let the thoughts come, give them time and space during the walk. They can be about ones life as it is or it can be about the big questions; about God and faith and other existential matters. "Do I have the will to go into this?" This is the opportunity and challenge of the inner walk.