Visit Your Local: 40acts Day #7

Day Seven’s task involved going to a pub, the point being to gather in a casual environment to connect with God and with one another, to start a conversation.

I like pubs. I like connecting with God and friends. Clearly this was a task for me!

A colleague and friend had an idea that for this 40acts task a few of us ministers get together and go out to a local pub wearing our clerical collars. No details confirmed I nevertheless wore my clerical shirt, collar tucked in my pocket at the ready just in case.

Yesterday also marked the beginning of Lenten Lunches hosted by an ecumenical lectionary group that I’m a part of. These are casual lunches during lent when members of various churches in the area (United, Presbyterian, Lutheran) gather together for worship and a simple lunch of soup, bread, coffee, tea and cookies. There is prayer, a time of reflection, and the singing of hymns.. It all happens at a local church in the downstairs hall.

The church it is held at doesn’t have a lot of parking and there was a traffic jam as car after car stopped to drop off Lenten Lunchers. I had to laugh as a car behind me became impatient and honked the horn, obviously tired of waiting for me to turn left. Granted, I could have turned. It just would have meant running down a group of old ladies trying to make their way to the church. I can see the headlines now….

When at last I managed to find a parking spot a few blocks away, I had just enough time to make it to the church before lunch started. I was directed downstairs to a hall where tables had been set up, family-style. There was a hum of activity as people gathered. Friends chatting with old friends and meeting new acquaintances. Soup bubbled. Music played. Chairs filled. We prayed, ate and shared.

Aside from my colleagues from the lectionary group I didn’t know anyone there. But I was welcomed at a table with some lively and lovely Presbyterians. We broke bread together, shared our names and a bit of our story.

40acts still on my mind, when I got back to the office I checked my email to see if a few of us could still get together at a Pub. No such luck. Everyone was busy.

Oh well, I thought. I’ll just have to wait for another time to connect with others and God in a casual environment.