a good faith experience

When I moved to Cumbria nearly 7 years, I sort of knew that finding a church that I could find a home in would be challenging...and boy was I right! I spent a few years between 2 charismatic churches, that I thought were shallow and middle class social clubs , OK, the problem is more likely to be me and my attitude rather than these churches. So by a completely unplanned route I found myself at Carlisle Cathedral, which gives me the sanctuary that I'm looking for.

Also with my job with this lot, I get involved with all expressions of church, the weird, the wonderful and the wacky! This can make me pretty cynical about modern church life, but 2 experiences last week really renewed my faith in today's church.

Firstly I went to a preview to the latest DVD release from Hillsong London called Hail to the King. Now it's really easy to get very cynical about folk like this, they are very slick, spend lots of dosh on expensive marketing, and their teaching is often challenged by the traditional church. I sat through the preview and was impressed by the production quality and the music, and had a good evening. They gave us a goodie bag with some of the church literature in it which I read on the tube and in my hotel that night. What really amazed me are the values these guys have, the work they are doing, and their heart for the poor.

They connect with thousands of people each Sunday, have established hubs around London. They articulate clearly that, yes, they spend money on slick advertising, but this is the one way that a highly visual, contemporary society will listen, and seeing the response they get, I'm gonna say....keep it up guys, you are really walking the talk!

They are capital city church, and feel like it, they connect with a vibrant buzzingcentral London!

My second experience I'll leave for my next post.