So I’m recording another chapter in the ‘Great Church Trek’ that is my Sundays at the moment. (Maybe I will gain a reputation like the ship of fools ‘mystery worshipper’?!)
Yesterday we started off at an Anglican Church in Putney. It was a newish building, which didn’t look like a church. I thought this made it welcoming and less threatening to newcomers. We entered to the smell of sausages cooking and fresh bread – yum! Every first sunday of the month, the church run something called ‘Easy Sunday’, where everyone sits around tables, eats breakfast together and chills out with a paper. After this there are a couple of songs, a prayer activity and a short talk.
The atmosphere was good and we felt very welcome. It was good to catch up with a few people we knew and also to meet others. It’s also great to see how other people do church and to be inspired from their creativity.
In the afternoon, we had the first of our church gatherings in the new building we’ll (hopefully) be using till ours is built. It is very different from the building we had been using, and that changed the atmosphere a lot I think. It felt friendly, like a real sense of community, it was great. Plus, there were 8 ‘twenty-somethings’ there. I took this as a real answer to prayer. When I rocked up and Wandsworth 3 years ago, I was the only one in this age bracket, and I really felt that! I was so greatful that God has brought along others and increased our church family in this way.
The theme of church yesterday was from John 15, about abiding and remaining in God’s love etc. It was one of those odd cohesive moments, because this was the same passage we studied in Seville. I’m sure God has lots of say to us as a Boiler Room through it.
I don’t know why I read your posts sometimes as it just makes me want to be back where things were more ‘real’ (sometimes painfully so).
But my real comment is the surprise that you would be the only 20something – forgetting that that’s not me any more… In my my day we were ALL 20something (well – mostly)