So yesterday I mentioned de-consecration, my nearest Christian Church (as opposed to Synagogue, or Temple ) is St Stephen's here you can see the old St Stephen's (de-consecrated) and the one that's now working.
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| (1) The Old Church of St Stephen's |
And this is the new one - it's probably more 'fit for purpose' and looks a bit like a Youth Club (which it probably hosts) - I don't know how I'd feel if I'd been part of the congregation for 1 and now moved to 2?
I'm not a ' believer' but I wonder is the building relevant to the worship, can you get the same awe in such a functional setting?
In fact I see someone (a religious person who also has some of the discipline of an anthropologist) has asked and provided some answers to some of the questions about the nature of 'formal' worship - from this it seems off putting doesn't it?
I suppose this could be characterised by some as a form of noise and interference - others would see it to be more about getting in the zone and avoiding distractions.
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| (2) A Church for the 21st Century perhaps |
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| So now £36.51 |
I see that St Stephen was made a saint as a result of his Martyrdom (he was stoned to death) -The Saint's day of St Stephen is for many branches of Christianity 26th December (Boxing Day).
There's a connection too to the idea of a place of worship -as
St Stephen says God does not live in a dwelling "made by human
hands", referring to the Temple, he is using an expression often
employed by Biblical texts to describe idols
It appears that St Stephen was a defender of the rights of widows.
A 'Special' Door
This ones a bit different and if Samaritans interest you take a listen to BBC radio programme where a Samaritan gives a bit of chat about what 'Listeners' do
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| 26 Junction Road London W5 - In fact the entrance is at the side |
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