UK #12: God Gathers, Protects, and Preserves

I wrote this on the plane, somewhere over the Atlantic off the coast of Greenland, and my way home (where I did arrive safely).  I have lots of specific stories to share in the coming days, but for this post I am going to focus on a theme that I have found again and again on this trip.  

A cross on the island of Iona, with the parish church in the background

 People have said the church in Europe is dying, or even dead.  When I talked to Rosie, she said that people have questioned why she is going into ministry, since the church is going to be gone in ten years.  And the church certainly doesn't have the cultural prominence that it once did.  But the church is not dead.

As I visited churches, from York Minster's Gothic arches to cushions on the floor at Holy Trinity Brompton in London (more on that in another post), the words of the Heidelberg Catechism echoed in my head: "God gathers, protects, and preserves [the church] for himself" (Q&A 54).  This is one of my favorite phrases in the Catechism because it reminds me that the church doesn't belong to me, or my congregation, or denomination.  We are God's church, God's people gathered in the world, and God is sovereign.

York Minster

God has been gathering the church for thousands of years.  Most of a thousand years in Britain alone.  God has passed down scripture through the ages--I saw Codex Sinaiticus at the British Library, which is the earliest manuscript of the complete New Testament from the middle of the fourth century (and it has the earliest and best witness for some Old Testament books).  It was all copied by hand in Greek.  It was moving to see how God passed his word from generation to generation.  God isn't going to drop the church now.  

So yes, the church looks different than it did 100 years ago.  
Yes, there are empty church buildings.  
Yes, it is not easy to be a Christian in Britain these days. 

St. Margaret's Chapel, the oldest building in Edinburgh

But no, the church is not dead.  In fact, the church is growing in places.  I think because Alpha courses at starting now (or Christianity Explored at All Souls), many of the Sunday services I attended interviewed a member of the congregation that was a new Christian because of these courses.  So I got to hear a number of stories of how the church is growing because of evangelism. It was encouraging to see these new brothers and sisters in Christ and hear about how Jesus has changed their lives.

The church is not dead because God is not dead.  God is alive, and he continues to gather, protect, and preserve for himself the body of Christ. 

Worship at Holy Trinity Brompton in London

This is just as true of the church in the U.S., too.  I have heard that denominations are going to be gone in 10 years.  Our culture is changing.  It isn't as easy to be a Christian as it once was.  But I trust that God is still in control. Maybe the church will look different in 10 years.  If it does, I hope that we are as creative as some of the British churches.  I hope that we become as welcoming to different sorts of people without knowledge of the church. And I hope that we will see people of all ages being found by God and entering the church.  I look forward to serving this church and watching how God will continue to gather, protect, and preserve us.

UK #11: Two Different Churches in York

After Edinburgh, I headed south, back to England.  My destination was the ancient city of York.  York is strategically placed where two rivers meet.  The Romans built a fort here in 71AD.  Constantine was in York when his father died, and he was crowned emperor in York.  

Ruins of a tower of the Roman city

In the 600s, the Pope sent a bishop to York, Britain's second bishop.  During the next several hundred years, Christianity grew and many churches were built in York.  Then the Vikings invaded and settled in York.  Eventually the surrounding Anglo-Saxon kings defeated the Vikings, but then 1066 came, and Britain was defeated by William the Conqueror.  By 1070, William appointed a Norman Archbishop of York, who began to build a large church.  In the middle ages, they used the Norman foundations of the church to build the York Minster over the course of 250 years.  They also started St. Mary's Abbey with French monks.  This was dissolved by Henry VIII when he split with the Roman Catholic Church. 

Me (at a strange angle) with the ruins of the abbey church behind me

 York has a long and interesting history with many interesting historic sites, with the most magnificent being the York Minster.

York Minster

The York Minster is BEAUTIFUL.  Words can't describe it. My point-and-shoot camera was pretty inadequate, too.  The building was built in phases over hundreds of years--generations of craftsmen spent parts of their life working on this building.  Their goal was to bring heaven to earth in this building.  While we don't know exactly what heaven will be like, I think that we last least get a glimpse in a building like this.

Interior of York Minster

The York Minster is still a working church. The tour guide said that their Sunday Services are still fairly well attended and they have programs for children.  They also have daily services.  I wasn't in York on a Sunday, so I went to a weekday Evensong service, which comes at the end of the work day.  Much of it is sung by the Minster choir. It is a liturgical service of prayers and sung and spoken scripture.  York Minster is an Anglo-Catholic Church of England church, which basically means they are as close to Roman Catholic practice as you get on the Protestant continuum. 

At the service I attended, there were plenty of tourists, who were very obvious because they weren't following the order of service by closely (one of the people in front of me gave me a strange look when started to say the creed).  But there were also people who belonged.  Mothers with kids in school uniforms carrying instrument cases like they were on their way to or from lessons.  The worship and the prayers were very heartfelt.  It was a very formal setting, which gave a sense that this is true and important, but it was also living.  God is here.  And God has been caring for his church for centuries.

York is a city full of churches.  These days, there are plenty of empty ones that aren't used as churches any more.  But right next to the Minster is a smaller church that is in active, thriving use.  It is called St. Michael Le Belfrey.  It is also a Church of England, but from the evangelical/revival stream, more like St. Mary's in Poole.  In fact, it was an early leader in this movement of church revitalization in the 1960s and 70s.  The story of those days is told by the pastor at that time, David Watson, in the book You Are My God (out of print, but I read it from the Calvin library).

St. Michael Le Belfrey Sign

Today they are still a vibrant church with a number of different services.  I went to their Wednesday noontime service.  Because it is winter, it was held in their church hall, not the church building itself.  It was about 50 people, mostly retired folks, it seemed.  It was a simple service--a song, a prayer, scripture reading, and teaching sermon.  There was a lunch after the service.  It was obvious people knew and cared for each other.

One thing that struck me was that the leaders made sure to explain things as we went.  They didn't assume that everyone had been Christians their whole life.  And the gentlemen that sat next to me, that I was able to chat with for a few minutes said he had only been a Christian a year and a half.  He said he is still learning new things all the time.  Thinking about this, it is probably more welcoming for someone who is a bit older when they consider Christianity to come into a place where people don't assume you know things because you have been a Christian all your life.  I think this is a challenge for us in the CRC and West Michigan in particular, because the vast majority of people in our churches 60+ have been Christians all their lives and probably went through Christian schools.  They are fairly well-educated in Christianity.  How do we make space for their colleagues and neighbors who didn't grow up in the church or left it long ago?  

In most of the evangelistic/renewal churches I have visited, there is careful attention to making sure things are explained so people with less church background can join in.  Even simple things, like after announcing that the reading is from the book of James, saying "that's near the end of the New Testament" to help people locate it in their Bibles.  When I attended Monroe Community Church, a CRC church plant at that time, the pastors were pretty conscious of this.  They always introduced themselves when they got up and introduced the way we did things.  Sure, those of us who were regulars didn't need to be told that we could get up and get a Bible from the table by the pole, but it made space for the visitors among us.  In a way, it says that our borders are open, we,re prepared to welcome new people in.  It seems that many established churches are less conscious of this--we just do what we do.  I think that we have things to learn from the British church about how to present Christianity and the church to people without any background in it, and that number is rapidly increasing in our society.

UK #10: Worship in Edinburgh

I was in Edinburgh on Sunday, and I worshipped at two different churches.  I started with St. Giles' (John Knox's church) 8am Communion Service.  It was only 10 people (it was eight o'clock in the morning....).  It met in one of their side chapels, and it was a simple, quiet service.  There was no music, just scripture, prayers, a short sermon, and Communion.  The congregation did not have a printed liturgy, which nice in its simplicity, but not very hospitable to visitors.  They had some different wording than I am used to, so I was saying slightly different words at a couple of points.  I don't like that feeling, so I always want people to be able to follow a written version if there are communal responses.

Interior of St. Giles, although not where I worshiped

I really appreciated the sermon delivery.  It was very simple, which fit the setting.  He basically stood in one place and didn't use his hands.  But he didn't stand behind a pulpit and he didn't use notes.  It felt almost conversational, but it was clearly well thought-out and researched.  Then pastor was nearing retirement age, so his experience gives him a certain gravitas, as did his Scottish lilt.  But it felt doable to me--I could preach in that style and still feel like myself, which I often don't with no-manuscript preachers.  I appreciated this service for what it was, although it probably didn't give me the best feel for what the congregation is like.

Welcome to St. Pauls and St. George's!

At 11am, I went to St. Pauls and St. George's Scottish Episcopal church, on the recommendation of someone from COS.  I had a wonderful experience there.  I ended up not having any interviews with pastors in Edinburgh because a couple things didn't work out.  So Sunday morning, my prayer was that I would have some kind of a good conversation with someone.  God answered that prayer!  P & G's (as they call it) was a very friendly congregation.  I was there pretty early because I wasn't sure how long it would take to get there.  I found a seat while people were mingling over coffee between services (also in the worship area).  A woman noticed I was there and came over and talked to me, which was really nice.  Then, shortly after that, the woman who came to sit in the row in front of me introduced herself.  Her name is Rosie and she is attending seminary now, headed for ordination in the Scottish Episcopal Church.  She was excited to find out about my trip and invited me to come and sit with her and her family.  This is a wonderful example of how to extend hospitality at church!  I am used to sitting alone, and wouldn't have felt bad doing so, but being asked to sit with someone made me feel like I belonged in a much deeper way.  I think a lot of people are not very comfortable sitting alone, so imagine the way you could welcome someone by inviting them to sit with you!  This probably goes couples or families, too.

The worship was contemporary in style.  It was thoughtful contemporary with very good musicians, and the congregation sang well.  Other than the sermon, the service was led by a young, female associate pastor.  The service involved a baptism that she led beautifully.  I don't have a lot of opportunities to see other young women in action, so that was a nice bonus.

View of the sanctuary from the balcony, after the service

During the service, she interviewed a man who was a participant in their last Alpha course to encourage people to attend or invite someone to their course that starts this week.  The man was probably around 60 years old, and he described himself as a cynic about faith.  He happened upon P &G's because he was trying to find the church across the street for an event.  He talked to a church member who said that he would be welcome at P &G's, and so he came once.  He also attended the Alpha course to explore Christianity.  Jesus met him through this course and he is now a Christian and attending P&G's.  I was thankful to get to hear his story and see one way God is working.

Rosie and I talked about the ways that the church is changing, but not dying out.  She pointed out that in the middle Ages everyone was Christian, but it wasn't a personal faith.  People trusted the priests to do the work of faith for them.  In later eras the number of people attending church remained high because that is what you did.  But now, it is a choice people have to make.  The number of people that attend church are smaller, but it is probably a more committed group of people.  She also shared that in Scotland, most young people have had no church exposure, so they are starting from scratch with Biblical knowledge, but people are interested in learning.  Her husband goes regularly to their son's school to teach Bible stories to interested students.  Half of the students attend to learn the stories.  They and their parents are wanting to learn more.  Rosie has had people question why she is entering the ministry because "the church is going to be dead in 10 years." But she sees new life and trusts that God is still working through the church in Scotland, even if it looks different than it did 100 years ago.  That resonates with what I have observed other places, and what I think is true for the church in the U.S., too.

More Edinburgh pictures on Facebook, and you don't have to be a member to view them.

UK #9: My Reformation Conflict in Edinburgh

It is probably almost heretical for me to admit this, but after spending a couple of days immersed in Scottish history in Edinburgh, I have mixed feelings about the Reformation.  

I started my historic tour at the famous castle.  It is an impressive fortress and told the story of centuries of war or fragile peace between Scotland and others, mostly the English.  The castle mostly eliminated references to the religious forces shaping many of the conflicts (which is an interesting observation by itself), but other sites were more balanced.  In the 1500-1700s, many of the conflicts were at least influenced by what was happening in the church.

Edinburgh Castle from the outside

I visited St. Giles Cathedral, which despite the name, is known as the "mother church of Presbyterianism".  John Knox was the pastor here from 1559-1572, as the Reformation conflict roared in Scotland.  It is an interesting church because it has a number of side "aisles" which are sort of like large alcoves off the main sanctuary area.  On one side of the church is the Chapman Aisle, which has a memorial to James Graham, who was loyal to the crown and Catholicism.  He was executed and later buried in a crypt beneath the church.  On the other side of the sanctuary is St. Eloi's aisle, which has a memorial to Archibald Campbell, a supporter of the reformers and a bitter enemy of James Graham.  He was executed too.  Many wonderful things resulted from the Reformation, but they came at a high price.

Center of St. Giles Cathedral

Then I went farther down the street to John Knox's house.  Historians think he only lived here the last few months of his life.  Before that, it belonged to one of Mary Queen of Scots' jeweler and goldsmith.  In the fighting that surrounded the Reformation (which led to Mary being forced to abdicate the throne for her son James VI), the goldsmith stayed loyal to the queen and the Roman Catholic Church.  He became part of a revolt to return her to the throne, but they lost and he lost his worldly goods as well.  The house was empty and Knox's health was failing, so he probably lived and then died here.

Dressed as John Knox for a photo

Today the house is a museum.  It captured much of the complexity of the Reformation and the pain it caused the nation.  It has early copies of Calvin's Institutes and a portrait of Knox by Theodore Beza (who knew he was an artist?  I missed that in Church History).  It shares the tremendous impact Knox had on the church, and his illustrious ideas for education for all and care for the poor.  

But it also shares the story of the original owners.  Although we might say they were on the "wrong" side, I suspect they too were trying to do the right thing, and paid the price.  The Reformation wasn't just a war of words waged through the books, letters, and confessions we read today, it was a war.  People died for their beliefs--on both sides.  And that makes me sad.

I also went to the National Museum of Scotland.  It is huge, beautiful, and informative.  I could have easily spent an entire day there.  In their galleries about Scottish history, they had sections about how Christianity came to Scotland and the effect it has had.  I was a bit horrified to see some of the effects of the Reformation, like instruments of torture used on suspected witches.  Instead of feeling proud of being a product of the Reformation, my time in Edinburgh left me wishing there was another way.  

Inside the Museum

At my classical exam (last step for ordination), one of the questions was something like what do you love and hate about the church?  I remember saying that I hate how the church is fractured into pieces and we continue to fight about things, if not on Reformation scale, on the local-church scale.  And I do hate how things divide us into different Christian branches and denominations.  I hate how some Christians can't take communion with others.  I hate how we judge and say this is the only way you must practice faith.  

And yet at the same time, I am so thankful for the Reformation.  I am thankful that I can read the Bible in my heart language and so can people from Nepal and Burundi.  I am thankful for our passion for God's word.  I am thankful that I don't have to go through anyone (and no one has to go through me) to communicate to God.  I am thankful for the Reformation's emphasis on the priesthood of all believers, so we all have important parts to play in the church.  I am thankful for our confessions that help us to teach and learn our faith.

I just wish that it didn't come at such a high cost.  I wish that Protestants hadn't reacted so harshly on so many occasions.  

I hope and pray that in my lifetime I will see parts of the church come back together instead of splintering more.  I hope that we can worship and serve together with brothers and sisters of different Christian background.  I hope that we can all have the humility to learn from each other and not just assume that our way is the way.  And I long for the wedding feast of the lamb where I hope we will all get to take Mass/Eucharist/Holy Communion/Lord's Supper together as one body.

UK #8: My Iona Reflections

Going to somewhere that is known as a "thin place" sets some expectations.  I hoped this would be a time away and that I would experience God in a closer way.  And there is something special abut this place where people have been worshiping  in special ways for thousands of years.  And perhaps it is an easier place to pay attention to God than the pressure of every day life.  But I didn't hear any new messages from God.  Instead, in gentle whispers, God reminded me that he is faithful.

The first whisper came as the ferry was approaching Mull--a partial rainbow.  When I arrived at the B&B, I saw another.  Rainbows remind me of Noah and God's promise to never destroy the world with a flood again. God has remained faithful to that promise, and so many other promises.  It is part of who God is.

And then, the first two nights I was there, the sky was clear and the stars were amazing.  The sky was covered with them.  That reminded me of God's promise to the barren Abraham, and God's reminder of his faithfulness through stars earlier this fall (sense a theme?).  I did a Bible search for other places the Bible talks about stars, and found Psalm 147: "He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.  He determines the number of the stars, and calls them each by name.  Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit."

And then, as I was visiting sites around the island with a book from the Iona Community that provides reflections and prayers for each stop, I visited St. Martin's cross.  It stands at the front of the abbey, and has for 1200 years, "through Viking raids, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Age of Reason, the industrial revolution, the world wars, the cold war"  (Around a Thin Place, pg. 17). And through all of that, God has remained the same.  Faithful.  

The cross, the stars, and the rainbows were all reminders that God cares for his people and is faithful to his promises.  In a world and time of life that often seems uncertain and out of my control, it is a reminder that I need.
God is faithful.  He is in control.  And he cares for all of us.

If you want to see more Iona pictures, see my Facebook album.  

UK #7: The Iona Community

Iona Abbey

One of the reasons the Isle of Iona has contemporary significance and is well-known in some Christian circles is the Iona Community. I think in North America we sometimes think of them as being the whole island, but they are not. In fact they share the abbey with Historic Scotland who cares for and manages the site. 

In the 1930s, in the midst of the Great Depression, a pastor named George MacLeod came up with the idea to restore the abbey using unemployed craftsmen and young pastors (so they would have training before they went to urban missions). In addition to their construction work, they practiced living in community. Today the Iona Community is "an ecumenical Christian community of men and women engaged together, and with people of goodwill across the world, in acting, reflecting,and praying for justice, peace and the integrity of creation; convinced that the inclusive community we seek must be embodied in the community we practice." It is a sort of untraditional monastic order. Members commit to live by a shared rule which includes daily prayer and Bible reading, mutual accountability for use of time and money, meeting together, and action for justice and peace. There are about 300 members, mostly in Britain. They are divided into geographical family groups. There are also 1450 associate members and 1250 friends scattered across the world "from Michigan to Malawi." 

The abbey on Iona serves as a sort of base. There is a core group of resident staff, and from March to October they offer week-long experience of living in community for people from around the world. They also maintain daily worship at the abbey, which is open to the public. I joined in a couple of their morning prayer services while I was on the island. They were small, quiet gatherings with a few songs, prayers of confession and intercession, and a scripture reading. Each day in their intercessory prayer, they pray for specific countries, specific needs, and specific members of the community (on a cycle that all members follow). 

Chapel where worship is held in the winter

 Before coming, I was probably most familiar with the Iona Community's publishing and especially liturgical resources. I think that is probably what has made the biggest worldwide impact. We have used some of their liturgies at ÇOS (an excerpt I shared). Many songs we sing regularly come through the Wild Goose Resource Group: "He Came Down, " "Take, O Take Me As I Am," "Your Will Be Done On Earth," "Come Now, O Prince of Peace," "Come All You People" and more. 

 What I knew less about was the Community's commitment to advocate for social justice and peace. In the Abbey church, they have some displays about different justice issues. Their shop is completely fair trade (much of it local). It was a great place to do a bit of shopping. I am not exactly sure what this commitment looks like in the everyday life of a member, but I would be curious to find out some day. Looking at this ancient building and place and seeing Christians confront modern problems and experiences is inspiring. Throughout my trip so far, I have noticed that trend--communities breathing new life into old places and practices without demolishing the old. 

Displays on social justice issues

I am fascinated by the idea of living in community, while not actually living together. Things like their rule bind them together, but they can actually be spread apart. I wonder what this could look like in other situations. I am thinking especially of pastor-types who make friends and have community, but move often. This question of how to have community when people keep moving or getting married and moving, knowing there is a good chance I'll be moving this summer has been on my mind in the past few months.

St. John's cross (modern replica)

 I wonder if we could create a community for ourselves based not on living near each other, but on a rule that we would create and a commitment that we would continue to support each other. I think our rule would look a bit different than the Iona Community, but I think it could work. I would be interested to try.

UK #6: Pilgrimage to Iona

From Glasgow, I really started my journey to the Isle of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland.  This small island has been a place to go on a pilgrimage for centuries.  People have described it as a "thin place" where only a tissue paper separates the material from the spiritual (Around a Thin Place, Jane Bentley and Neil Paynter, 2011).  In my original itinerary, I wasn't going to come to Iona, because it is January and many things are closed down.  But many people asked if Iona was on the itinerary.  A friend who lived in Scotland for a few years said go even though it'll be January.  I updated my itinerary and started thinking about this as the "adventure" portion of the trip.



I left Glasgow on the train to a port city called Oban.  The three hour trip is part of the West Highland Line, which has been voted the most scenic rail line in the world.  I didn't know that until I saw a sign at the train station--I was just taking it because it was where I needed to go.  But it was beautiful.  The most beautiful train ride I have taken in my life!  

View from the train to Oban

Welcome to Oban!

When I got off the train, in Oban, I walked the five minutes to the ferry terminal.  I got on a ferry to the island of Mull.  That ferry was about forty five minutes, and the sky was clearing up, so there were some beautiful interactions between grey clouds and sunlight.

View from the ferry

Me on the ferry

On Mull, I got on one of the waiting buses.  It took an hour long route across the island on a basically one lane road.  It was also beautiful.  

The one lane road part 

The beautiful part

And then, at the end of the bus ride, I got on another ferry.  This one was a short ten minute ride across the Iona Sound to the island of Iona.  I finally made it.  Once on Iona I've been doing a lot of walking.  It isn't a huge island (3 1/2 miles long by 1 mile wide), but you have to be more intentional about walking than driving.

In this place of pilgrimage, that still isn't exactly easy to get to I've been thinking about the idea of pilgrimage.  It isn't a common spiritual discipline these days like it was in years gone by.  But two things stand out to me.  First, space is important.  Second, the journey is important.

St. Columba in stained glass

Going somewhere is obviously an important part of pilgrimage.  You don't take a pilgrimage to no where.  People came to Iona because St. Columba, an Irish monk came here in 563AD.  He set up a monastery, which prospered.  Historians believe that the Book of the Kells, a richly illustrated New Testament was probably started at the abbey on Iona.  Iona became a place that tradition says royals, including Shakespeare's Macbeth, were brought here to be buried.  Around 1200, a Benedictine abbey replaced the Columbian one (on the same location).  Today, the Iona Community makes Iona their base.  This little island has seen generations of faithful Christians, worshiping and working in the world.  It is a special space.

The restored abbey from the road pilgrims took

And space and place are important for our Christian lives.  For one, it is part of being an embodied human.  God did jot create ethereal spirits to live in a spiritual world.  God created humans with bodies--male and female bodies--in a garden.  And he looked at all that he had made and said it is good.  And so special places matter.  Pilgrimage to those places is one way that we can connect with God and grow in faith.

But it isn't just the space.  The journey is important, too.  Since I've traveled a bit in life, the image of life as a journey resonates with me.  I don't always know what the next leg of the journey will be like.  Sometimes it is monotonous and you just want to get there already.  Sometimes you get lost and you really don't know where you are.  But the journey can also be beautiful.  The work of the journey can make you appreciate where you end up even more.  And the journey is important for itself--on it we develop patience and persistence.  It shapes who we are.  Sometimes I need a reminder, that it isn't just getting to the next landmark (milestone) in life, but the way I live on the journey to that landmark.

And so I have joined Christians from the past and present in making a pilgrimage here, and finding that God does seem nearer on this rocky slab in the sea.  I pray that I will take these reminders and images and allow them to inspire and strengthen me as I return to ordinary life of work and worship.

UK #5: Adelaides in Glasgow

Monday marked a transition in my trip.  I left Poole and people I knew or got to know and set out on solo travel across the UK.  I started by traveling north, to Glasgow, Scotland.  I wasn't in Glasgow for very long, sadly.  But I enjoyed the time I had.

When I was preparing for my trip, one of the accommodations listed in Rick Steves' Great Britain 2013 is Adelaides Guesthouse.  It is in "a multitasking church building."  A tiny bit of internet research showed me that they are in the same building as Adelaide Place Baptist Church.  The guesthouse had an opening for the night (I turned out to be their first guest of 2013, as they'd been on a holiday break) so I made a reservation.  Then I sent an e-mail to the pastor of the church, telling him about my trip and asking if he would be available to meet with me the afternoon or evening I would be there.  To my surprise, he quickly wrote back and said yes.

So Monday afternoon, I spent some time with him, hearing how it came to be that their church building also houses a guesthouse and nursery (day care center).  The congregation has been worshipping in this building since 1877, and it is in the city center.  Like many such churches, members started into move to the suburbs, and membership started declining.  

About 18 years ago, they discovered dry rot in their building, which would cost a significant amount to repair.  They had to grapple with what to do about their building.  At about the same time they did a survey of areas of ministry need.  They found that there were six areas of need, and they couldn't address them all.  They decided to focus on the business community, partly since it is less common than ministering to the urban poor or students.  They thought creatively, and decided to start  business, Adelaides.  They mission would be to extend the kingdom of God through profitable enterprise.  They raised the money to renovate the building.  Now it houses an eight room guesthouse and a day care center to 6 week-olds-5-year-olds.  They also rent out their auditorium and other meeting space for a variety of events.  When they started they also had a cafe because there weren't many lunch places in the area, but that didn't seem to take off, so they have since closed it.

The businesses are formally seperate from the church, but the board of directors is made up almost entirely of church members, so they work hand-in-hand.  It isn't an easy mission.  Just managing the businesses takes an incredible amount of time and energy.  The pastor has been a key piece in getting this started and keeping it together.  They have sown lots of seeds and come into contact with lots of people who wouldn't otherwise have contact with a church.  But they haven't had many conversions (at least that they know of) because of this venture.

The pastor was honest that this is unique and it is a hard road.  They have had to sacrifice as a congregation--time, space, being able to use their space spontaneously, and probably other things.  Personally, I would not want to do what he has done with managing a business and being a pastor, because I'm pretty sure in would be bad at it and it just wouldn't be a good fit for me. But I am thankful for the congregation at Adelaide Place Baptist.  For their creativity to try something new.  For their commitment to keep working at it and making it better.  And for their passion to serve the people in their community.  I pray that God will bless them, and that they will see the fruits of their labors.

And the guesthouse was a fun place to stay, complete with a manager who lived up to Rick Steves' description of a "quirky sense of humor." He called me the "American vicar" and was shocked to learn I didn't realize that Kim Kardashian is now pregnant by Kanye and she's still married to the other guy (basketball player?).


Map image in public domain, from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scotland_map.png

UK #4: The Wedding

Wedding Flowers

While I was in Poole, I was privileged to attend J's wedding.  J and I were teammates when we were both English teachers in China.  We left China the same year, and she moved to England shortly after while I started seminary.  A bit over two years ago, she met a British man and they decided to get married.  It was an pleasure to see her so filled with joy on her wedding day, and I am thankful that I was able to observe a British wedding.  This post is a collection of reflections on the experience.

A wedding is an example of both the great similarities between British and American customs, but also the great differences.  We hold many core customs in common (as opposed to say, China, where customs are drastically different).  But there are also differences.  For example, in a British wedding, the bridesmaids walk down the aisle ahead of the bride, but then sit in the first row of seats, along with the bride's parents.

With other China friends at the reception

Overall, it seems like a British wedding may be slightly less of a production, and less commercial than an American one.  It is possible that isn't a fair statement, since I only observed one wedding and it wasn't completely typical, but that was my overall impression.  Things like napkins printed for the reception aren't done.  There is less emphasis on the bridesmaids and groomsmen.  There are fewer parties before the wedding.  One of the parents often makes the wedding cake (a fruitcake is traditional), in this case the groom's mother--and it was really good.  

I really appreciated the Church of England wedding liturgy.  One of the things that struck me about it is how thoroughly Trinitarian it is.  There was no mistaking what this marriage is founded on and what it is about.  I also really appreciated that in the very beginning of the service, the congregation was asked "Will you, the families and friends of G and J, support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?"  I think it is an important reminder that no couple should enter a marriage alone, but they must remain rooted in a community that will encourage and support them.  I will be borrowing this or something similar when I do a wedding.

First dance

I was also impressed with the way the wedding was planned and led when they knew that a significant portion of the guests are not practicing Christians.  It was a profoundly Christian in liturgy, songs, and readings.  Nothing was watered down.  Some of it might not have made complete sense without some knowledge of Christianity.  But the officiants didn't use it as an occasion to evangelize explicitly.  They let people enter, in a way, the life of faith.  To observe what it looks like to start a marriage as "a cord of three strands." I hope and pray that everyone sensed the love and joy of the bride and groom, but also their church and faith community.

UK #3: Outreach at Saint Mary's Longfleet

 SML is a traditional parish church surrounded by a cemetery

As you may remember from my previous post, I spent time with my friend J's church in Poole.  I would say a central part of this church's current DNA is reaching out to people without a church background or a very minimal church background (maybe their parents had them baptized, but they didn't attend church).  As you probably know, there are many people in n Great Britain that fall into those categories, and there is a negative pressure on Christianity and the church.  But SML has developed ways to make connections with people in a number of ways.  

One thing I noticed was that on Sunday, they talked about sharing faith in a number of ways.  They prayed for the seeds that were planted over Christmas, and the vicar shared a conversation he had last week with a bank teller after she had come to a Christmas service with a friend.  There was a real sense that this is just part of who we are. 

They also have a number of outreach programs.  They run an Alpha course, a course that introduces Christianity and builds relationships over a meal, one semester a year.  It has been steadily growing over the past four years and last year they had about 100 people.  They are starting again in a couple of weeks and are excited to see what God does this year.  They use Alpha as a way to follow-up with people that attend their Christmas services, and they follow Alpha with more traditional small groups that basically go through the Alpha material again. 

Another thing they do is called Healing on the Streets.  They work in teams of three and go out to a public place.  They put an empty chair on the sidewalk with sign that says "healing" on it and they have similar cards to pass out to those walking by.  Then they wait to see what happens.  If people sit down in they chair, they pray for them.  They have prayed for over 400 people in the last three years. I actually saw another church doing this when I was visiting the city of Winchester on Saturday.  This program reminded me of the prayer walking I did with the team at Madison Ave. CRC in Paterson, NJ when I did an internship there.

The neighborhood around SML

There are some other things they do, but these seemed the most interesting to me.  I wonder if that's because they tend to be more overtly Christian than many of the things we do at COS.  I wouldn't give those up, but I wonder how we could build some more explicitly Christian pieces in?  Or have them available?  And how could we be more intentional about talking about what we do in the congregation, so it is something that is the part of all of our discipleship, not just the core outreach volunteers? 

I am especially wondering about some kind of prayer ministry.  I wonder what would happen if we took some chairs out into the neighborhood and offered to pray for people?  Or even if we just started prayer walking in the neighborhoods around us(including Calvin's campus), praying for the people whether we interacted with them or not?  

UK #2: Worship at Saint Mary's Longfleet

I am sorry I haven't posted much.  I have not had a lot of internet access, particularly on my tablet.  I expect to have more for the rest of the trip.  I have lots of ideas of things to write!

Outside of SML

In this first week, I spent a lot of time in one place and with one church community, St. Mary's Longfleet Church of England in Poole.  This is my friend J's church.  The wedding was here, with lots of people from their church.  I stayed with a friend of J's who also goes to this church.  I also met with a couple of their staff members.

As is typical in the Church of England, there has been a church on the site for hundreds of years.  In the last 20 years or so, this church has been revitalized.  It is part of the charismatic/new wine stream of the Church of England.  They have three services a Sunday, with vibrant activities and fellowship.  It is probably not as well-known as some of the other churches I will visit on this trip, but it was a blessing to get to know a more ordinary church.  I worshipped at all three services Sunday in order to get the flavor of each.  The next couple of Sundays I will probably go to a couple churches each day, so this was my opportunity to just stick with one church.

The 9am service is their traditional service.  It was the smallest of the three--maybe 100-150 people.  Most of them were in the 50+ category, although there were a few kids and other young people.  They used a traditional prayerbook service, although they had a self-contained service printed so you didn't have to flip from place to place in the prayerbook, and it was all projected as well.  The components and order of service were very similar to COS, including communion.  The music was contemporary and led by a band.  It was the least expressive service of the three, but it was heartfelt.  People clearly enjoyed being other to worship and fellowship together.

Worshiping at the Evening Service

The second service is at 10:45am and it is the family service.  There is a nursery and children's and youth activities at this service, so most families attend it, but there was a nice mix of people and generations.  The kids worship with the adults for the first part of the service, and then after a "children's song" that everyone sings, they go to the church center across the street for their classes.  The sermon is the same at these two services, although it was called a "talk" at the second service.  The liturgy was less formal, but it still moved through most of the components, except for communion.

Coffee, tea, and fellowship after the evening service

The third service is in the evening.  It is the most contemporary and least formal.  It is focused towards 20 and 30 something's, but there were also a few families and middle aged folks.  For most people, this is the only service they attend, not a second service.  It was refreshing to be at an evening service with lots of other young people!  I really appreciated contemporary worship in a historic space.  Even though the songs were new, the space reminded us that our faith is not new, but an ancient faith.  It is a very different feel than contemporary worship in a generic auditorium style space.  This service bordered into slightly more charismatic worship.  There was no speaking in tongues, but when the pastor led a time of prayer after the sermon, he was more prophetic.  Personally, this was my least favorite worship style, but the service where I heard God speak to me the clearest.  That is a good reminder that it isn't all about what we like or think is best--our God is a God of surprises!

SML is also doing cool things in the community that I will write about another time.  I am really thankful to have been able to meet them and worship with them, and I pray God blesses their ministry.

For some other pictures Of things I've been doing, see my Facebook album.