The road conditions today would make my plan of taking the bike for a spin just a little too accurate a description. And next door's cat has taken up residence underneath the cover. So today I'm leaving the cat in peace and taking a walk to my local church.
We've been living in Minehead* for about ten years now, but this was the first time I had been to Sunday worship at the Parish Church. It's at the end of the street, and it's likely that, wherever Mrs G ends up, the manse is going to be further away from her kirk than we are from the Parish Church. Like so many other people, the church I'm a member of is a good few miles away, in the next presbytery. We've never really got round to finding a more local church of our own. We've been to the end of the road a few times to vote, and we did the Watch Night service there once, but never actually visited on a Sunday. Should we take more time to support our local congregations, even though we might want to worship elsewhere?
The Church is very similar to, but a mirror image of, one along the road. The sanctuary is trapezoidal in shape, and the three sides that are in front of you are brick with small skylights at the top. To me it feels pretty uncomfortable. I like curves, or ninety degree bends, not funny angles. I worked in an office building that was a series of stacked hexagons, and it was a relief to leave there to move into an office with precise ninety degree bends.
Like many congregations, this one was in vacancy, and the service was
conducted by an Auxiliary Minister I had last met when he was a
probationer, some time in 1993. He's a pleasant chap that spoke in a
very broad Scots, and was great with the children, inviting them to
dance in the aisles during their hymn.
The welcome was good, both at the door, inside by the Session Clerk, and later by members of the congregation. I have heard some interesting gossip... But the person was chatting with over a brew told me that they had plans, but they had put everything on hold until they got a new minister. I've never been in a vacancy situation, but I did say that they shouldn't stop everything, and they should still try to be an active congregation. He also complained about the website looking a bit dated, but I told him that they had got that right. The front page of their website had the important details of where they are and when they worshiped. And it seemed to be updated weekly with the latest news and the order of service. I told him that it's all very well having a flashy front page, but if the content isn't there, then people find it frustrating.
So they are an active congregation, keen to do things, if feeling a little on hold. Will I go back? Probably, but it's unlikely to become my regular place of worship. At least I'll be assured of a warm welcome.
*Another Minehead, not this one.
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