Church Welcome

I recently received a very warm welcome, and a disappointing one.  One was in a church, the other in a pub.  Guess which was which!

The disappointing one was in a place of worship (which I won't name).

A friend and I met to catch up.  And what do ministers do when they get together?  Well, we went to a cathedral hoping to sit quietly for a few minutes, talk about stuff and pray for one another.

But the entire worship space was blocked off by a series of partitions.  A young guy in a black coat told us we couldn't go any further without paying the entrance fee.

Really?  People can't just sit in a section  near the back, enjoy the quiet, lift a prayer book and get down on a kneeler?  We didn't want the run of the place, just two seats in a house of prayer.

Now I'm reasonably sure if we'd told this guy we're clergy in that denomination, we would've got in for free.  But 'Do you know who I am?' - nobody wants to be that guy.

I totally understand charging for tours and even self-guided visits to cathedrals that need the money to keep functioning.  And of course there should be a jar for 'offerings'.  But surely places of worship can let worshippers and seekers take a pew for a few minutes without buying a ticket?

Mainline churches complain that we can't attract people through the doors these days.  So, isn't it counter-productive to put off the curious by asking for money just to get past the door?

Cathedral worship is a significant growth area these days.  It appeals to post-moderns, whether for the sense of mystery or anonymity that big, dark, old buildings seem to foster.  Shouldn't we be encouraging drop-ins?

I mean, what is the church for in the first place?

We didn't pay.  We went to the pub instead.

Hanging outside a church in DC

We were greeted warmly, and shown seats.  OK so the drinks weren't free, but we found a space in the city centre where we could talk and pray. 

On holiday in the USA a while back, I was struck by the consistent strapline: 'The Episcopal Church welcomes you'.

Pretty much every Episcopal church, high or low, displayed the word 'welcome' somewhere prominent.  And most places allowed you to wander in, wander around, sit and pray.  Often, there was someone volunteering on the 'welcome desk' (not ticket desk), greeting people as they entered, encouraging visitors to take a walk around.

I liked the 'welcome' idea.  The displaying of signs in English and Spanish - not forbidding trespassing on private property or warning that CCTV is installed or reminding people not to make a mess.  No, telling the homeless when they could come to pick up a 'brown bag lunch', or just reassuring visitors that everyone is welcome for some time out with God, wherever they currently are in their journey.

For example, Saint Bart's on Fifth Avenue, NYC.  A homeless guy having a sleep on a back pew, beside a big, unambiguous sign reading 'Everyone needs a place'.

I like that.  Everyone needs a place.

We found one that day.  But sadly, not in the church.