Anglican priest and blogger Andii Bowsher (Nouslife) outlines a service of worship conducted around a table, say at a cafe or restaurant. The key is low-volume, shared participation. Which isn’t too strange: people hive off to coffee shops for meeting all the time here.
I don’t know if I’d come up with what he did, but the idea of worship in a shared public space is good theologically and practically, and may be an early way for bootstrapping congregations to get started, when even the cost of a room rental would inhibit it. If you have experience in this kind of worship — or even practical tips for holding meetings in a restaurant — please comment.
(That said, I’ve preached to congregations in venerable churches that weren’t any larger than a kaffee klatch.)
Oh, but if you do that, plan on spending money on food or drink or both. And don’t forget the waitstaff. ‘Cause you know the difference between Christians and canoes, right?
Canoes tip.
Int’resting. Because some Christian colleagues and I were just discussing the practice of praying together before a meal when meeting together in restaurants or cafes. We weren’t sure if maybe it was inappropriate as a kind of showy display of piety. I think it depends how you do it. Food for thought.
A Quaker Meeting has been holding a meeting for worship at Speakers Corner Hyde Park London for a couple of years now. I was quite nervous the first time we did it but we have had very little trouble or even heckling-” you’re very quiet” being about the size of it. And its a really cool experience- the noise and confrontation all round and then a prayerful stillness,I just wish I could get up there more often