However, on two Sunday mornings each month the sleepy monster wakes at 9-30 am to the rhythm of contemporary worship music emanating from a hall at the back of these huge premises. This morning, as I followed the sound of music, I found a good cross-section of ages gathered in cafe-style, tucking into breakfast and chattering happily together in a nicely appointed hall. It was explained that numbers where fewer than usual as many had gone down to the Spring Bank holiday festival at Cliff College.
However, despite this, the gathered assembly raised their voices in praise and adoration to God to the accompaniment of two guitars, a keyboard, a Sax and a "drum" the like of which I have never seen before! Even the "more mature" of the congregation joined in with the contemporary worship songs even when we were taught a new one, even joining in with the actions which were led by three children. We were led in a study on the theme of "community" which was linked to Philippians ch 2, with questions for the adults to consider around their tables while the youngsters were in their separate activities. The theme was well brought together by the young Minister who left three challenging points for is to go away and ponder on with regard to our place within the community of the "church".
The "service" wound up with the children performing a rap they has learnt on the theme, prayers and a final hymn. Now this is the sort of gathering which, if it were a weekly event, I would be most happy to make a home here - relaxed, friendly, modern, all-age, early enough in the day to allow for other activities. This is "breakfast@9".
What stood out most was the provision of a simple breakfast at the start (with its echoes of the early church), the cafe-style setting with all words projected on a screen and …. no offering! I am sure I heard the tapping of toes from the foundations of this building as it too sensed the rhythm of praise which it must have remembered from former years.
Interestingly two of the "more mature" attendees admitted that they enjoyed it and felt they could more easily invite others to this, rather than the traditional service (which they then went out to join in the main sanctuary)! It is just a shame that the church does not have the courage to abandon its traditional morning service and support, en mass, this "fresh expression" which is run by others in the local Methodist Circuit. If they did, then maybe, the gentle breeze of the Spirit's work might blow stronger and bring renewed life to this tired old building, and maybe, renewal to the church.
