Last week I was struggling to finish the work I needed to before heading off on my Easter break. The office isn't near to my house and as the minutes ticked by, I realised that I wasn't going to make it back to my church in time. One of the benefits of working in a built-up area of London is that I know I'm never far from a church. So, a quick search online and Google map route later, I found myself hurriedly walking – half because I wanted to get out of the rain and half because I wasn't sure what time the service started – towards St John the Evangelist, Islington. It was Maundy Thursday so I was keen to make it to see the priest wash the feet of the parishioners, especially as I had spent a considerable amount of time meditating on John 13 during Holy Week. The homily was inspiring and the brief conversation I had with one of the regulars made me feel welcome. After Mass I realised that, in the office, one of the reasons that I had been so anxious to leave and make it back to my church was because of the sense of familiarity I encounter there. I know where it is, what time it starts, that I'll see familiar faces. Essentially, I know that I will be comfortable there. But the experience of being in an unfamiliar church soon stripped away all the anxieties I had beforehand and it didn't matter that I wasn't familiar with building or the people because I was familiar with the one important thing, God's presence.
Apart from weddings, funerals, christenings and carol services, I rarely worship in a church that's not my own and I'm guessing that holds true for many of us. And that's no bad thing - to be a contributing member of a church you need to show up in more ways than one. But there are some positives that we can take from finding ourselves worshipping in a church that we don't regularly attend.
A powerful reminder that you can feel God's presence anywhere, anytime
Routine can quickly become ritual, preference can easily become prescriptive, and before we know it we have a list of stipulations that must be fulfilled before we meet God. The feeling that we need to be in a certain space (church), surrounded by certain sounds (our preferred type of worship music), with certain people (our friends, family) can all impose boundaries on our relationship with God. Spending time worshipping in another church means that we don't know what to expect in relation to these areas but we can expect God to be there.
A way to reinvigorate your faith
From someone holding the door as I entered the church behind them, to another parishioner's offer to grab me a Mass booklet, to the welcoming smile from a third stranger, each of these kind gestures inspired me to evaluate how welcoming I am to newcomers at my church. You might discover a new way of worshipping, solutions to problems that you're church is experiencing or an innovative take on outreach.
An opportunity to expand your Christian network
Our Christian network is important but sometimes it can be so geographically limiting. If we're outside a certain radius from our home, uni, or regular church, we can also find ourselves out of reach of any physical Christian support. Even an acute awareness of the whereabouts of the churches in the area around your work can be useful if you're ever in a similar situation to me or you find yourself longing for a few moments away from it all.
A moment to re-evaluate your relationship with God
When we go to a church that's not familiar to us we can be assured that we're not there to meet our friends but to meet with God. It removes us from the things that may be distracting us and enables us to refocus and put God back at the centre of our worship. This realisation gives us the opportunity to assess the things that are defining our relationship with God and make any necessary changes.
