The fun part of my job is dreaming up ways to reach out to all these different groups of people in a meaningful way. What needs do people working downtown have? How can we connect with the young students and professionals who live in these blocks? There is no single program that will reach them all. Nevertheless, in Lent we are trying something new to reach out to our neighborhood.
A few years ago, I visited the Danish capital, Copenhagen. In the height of Northern European winter, the Cathedral is open three nights a week. They call it Night Church. On the night we attended, an artist had created an installation of images and pathways weaving through the aisles and small side chapels. Hundreds of young people wandered in and out of the building as a choir of a dozen sang soothing tones that echoed in the massive sanctuary. We came away feeling we had truly encountered the Holy.
Here at Westminster, we are attempting a Night Church of our own. Our version will have a mixture of silence and readings with music at 10-minute intervals. Worshipers will have the opportunity to visit interactive prayer spaces throughout the sanctuary or just sit quietly and pray. They can come for a few minutes or for the whole hour.
Please join us in praying for this new endeavor. Pray for the people who wander by or who are looking for God in their lives.
You are welcome to attend and see what it is all about. Who knows what will result from this experiment. As long as we are open to the movement of the Holy Spirit, we take this risk in faith.