Search for a Spiritual Home (Part 2)

 


This Sunday, after encouragement from my old pastor, I decided to try a different path to find a spiritual. Being the second Sunday of the month my village Anglican church was holding a Sunday service so I went along. The church is a beautiful, ancient, and somewhat raggedy building and when you enter you sense the prayers of the saints that have been laid down for over a century in that place, like one of those "thin places" that Andy Freeman and Peter Grieg talk about in their excellent book Punk monk : new monasticism and the ancient art of breathing.

I sat in the pews (said it was an old church) not a little apprehensive about what was about to happen then looked towards the 'altar' at the front of the church and there emblazoned on the wall was the passage I Know that my redeemer liveth, taken from Job 19:25. If you are a regular reader of my blog or know me a little you will know that this is my favourite passage from scripture and one I turn to often for solace and comfort. Indeed, I even have it tattooed on my left forearm in Hebrew. I asked God if this was a sign, if this was where he wanted me? I believe the answer may have come in the form of the came in the Old Testament reading which was Deuteronomy 26, a passage that I had read and studied the day previously. Further affirmation came perhaps at the end of the service when the final hymn we sang was based on this passage.

Now the service was very liturgical, some of which was even sung, and the hymns were 19th and 18th century in origin, yet everything felt as if was done "in the Spirit", even the liturgy was new and refreshing. There were only 17 of us there but it was great that the Rector and his team were making the effort to keep this ancient and beautiful place of worship, together with 8 other similar churches alive with God's word, worship, and prayer. I think I might stay for a while.

PS: Perhaps you can put new wine into old wineskins?






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