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September 15, 2004
A contrast with the Abbey?
This is a picture I took in 2002 on a visit to my mother-in-law's in Australia; it is a special little church, even though the churchmanship is at the other end of the spectrum from my own!
Some of my readers may even recognise it, the little church at the end of Church Lane, Castlereagh, New South Wales. It stands on a promontory looking across the Nepean/Hawksbury River towards the Blue Mountains. It was here that we worshipped as a family and it was from here that we buried my father-in-law in 2000.
While it lacks the soaring grace of the Abbey, and the solemnity of the "High" church practice, God is present here as He is in the Abbey and elsewhere. This little church may not win a place in a book on Australias 1,000 best churches, but it will certainly have a place in my list of "best places I have worshipped."
Just goes to show - one really doesn't need much to feel at home in a Church. A friendly congregation, the presence of God in the worship, and the time and space to appreciate it all.
Posted by The Gray Monk at September 15, 2004 11:36 AM
Comments
That is a nice looking church. One of the problems with religion in general over here in America is the predominance of "McChurches." Our churches all look like shopping malls or small businesses. None of them look or feel like churches anymore, except for the older ones. There's no spirituality there, and it's hard to find God there.
Although I differ from many (I'm actually proud of our culture, and don't feel any qualms about exporting it), this is one piece of our culture that I truly hope we don't export to the rest of the world.
Posted by: Russell Newquist at September 15, 2004 08:54 PM
As someone who has also worshipped in that church, I thought you might like some more details. The church as it currently exists has stood on that site for over 100 years. Earlier it lived on Church Street - first as a wooden building (which was burnt in a bush fire) and then as the stone church you see here. For some reason that escapes me now, they decided to move the church to its current site (the graveyard is still on Church St but it is now closed). The men dismantled the church bit by bit and labelled each block. It was then taken in wheelbarrows to the current site and built in reverse (left to right swap). There were only two stones/blocks left over which are out the back near the dunny.
Posted by: NeverYouMind at September 16, 2004 05:54 AM
Thanks for that bit of information, I seem to recall being told that the church had moved sometime back and had forgotten.
Yes, I too find the modern churches a bit soulless and utilitarian. I think you can go too far down the "multi-function space" road in places of worship.
Posted by: The Gray Monk at September 16, 2004 02:44 PM