What is church?
I recently visited a large and very modern church. An impressive building with lots of light, open spaces as a part of its eye-catching design. It had hundreds of people of all age ranges in attendance for the evening service. The music could be heard from outside the building, it was upbeat as well as loud! As I walked in, I was warmly greeted by genuinely friendly people. We were shown to our seats and were hit by the lights, smoke and sound that was coming from the front. The room had a large floor space and then banked upwards on each side away from the vast stage to create a huge auditorium. The stage was full of singers and musicians including several guitars, a drumkit, keyboards and a grand piano. The giant screen behind added effects as well as the words to join in, and the screens to side of the stage gave a live feed of everything that was being filmed as it happened by a camera crew that moved amongst the congregation. The quality of the music, sound and lighting all reflected the building. It was obvious that a lot of thought and effort had gone into creating an unforgettable experience. Children were dropped off before the service and catered for and entertained, before being picked up at the end. A large café offered hot drinks and pre ordered pizzas for those that needed to eat after the service. University students were picked up and dropped off in a minibus. It seemed that everything was thought of in order to make church easy and pleasant.
A far cry from the experiences many of you may have had of church in the past. We might think of grey buildings and hard pews. My wife visited a more traditional church as a part of a memorial service, she claimed that despite it being a particularly cold day, the church actually felt colder inside than it was outside.
I visited Bristol Cathedral a few months ago. A stunning building, full of history and a testament to those who built it. At Halesworth Community Church we meet in a converted farm workshop. Whatever our experiences of church, whether we are regular attendees or the occasional wedding or funeral, we recognise the place it still has in society. It is an undeniable presence in our cities, towns and villages. My youngest sister lives in Barcelona, a popular destination for tourists. The number one visitor attraction is the famous church building, Sagrada Familia (the holy Family). Nearly four million people a year choose to visit a building designed to represent Jesus and His family.
What was the point of church? Where did we get our ideas from, and what has it become?
Church was always meant to be about the people. A group who could support each other in anyway that they could. Rather like an extended family. A family is held by the same blood, a church can be held together by a shared belief.
A church will represent the people in it! When the church is functioning as it should, it has the ability to meet the needs of every human heart. The world needs what the church has but doesn’t always know it. Sometimes the church can obscure and contradict the message it is trying to communicate. Sadly, this has too often been the case, and many are understandably sceptical about church. Don’t let the building or people put you off from the simple message of God’s idea for an extended family.
A far cry from the experiences many of you may have had of church in the past. We might think of grey buildings and hard pews. My wife visited a more traditional church as a part of a memorial service, she claimed that despite it being a particularly cold day, the church actually felt colder inside than it was outside.
I visited Bristol Cathedral a few months ago. A stunning building, full of history and a testament to those who built it. At Halesworth Community Church we meet in a converted farm workshop. Whatever our experiences of church, whether we are regular attendees or the occasional wedding or funeral, we recognise the place it still has in society. It is an undeniable presence in our cities, towns and villages. My youngest sister lives in Barcelona, a popular destination for tourists. The number one visitor attraction is the famous church building, Sagrada Familia (the holy Family). Nearly four million people a year choose to visit a building designed to represent Jesus and His family.
What was the point of church? Where did we get our ideas from, and what has it become?
Church was always meant to be about the people. A group who could support each other in anyway that they could. Rather like an extended family. A family is held by the same blood, a church can be held together by a shared belief.
A church will represent the people in it! When the church is functioning as it should, it has the ability to meet the needs of every human heart. The world needs what the church has but doesn’t always know it. Sometimes the church can obscure and contradict the message it is trying to communicate. Sadly, this has too often been the case, and many are understandably sceptical about church. Don’t let the building or people put you off from the simple message of God’s idea for an extended family.
Tim Sparkes
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