Last evening my husband and I went to Bury St Edmunds to the theatre. We were there quite early so visited a local pub for a drink and bite to eat beforehand….(it was an ecclesiastical place “The One Bull” so felt justified). Whilst we were sat sipping our drinks, we noticed several people (mainly women of a “certain age”,) passing the window wearing florescent leggings, accessories, mini skirts etc. We thought nothing more of it until we left to walk up to the theatre.
The queue outside Bury cathedral snaked all the way along Angel Hill with security guards controlling the pathways and traffic. How often do you see people queueing to get into church?!?
After enjoying a couple of hours in the theatre we made our way back to our car, once again passing Bury cathedral. It was silent, yet through two tiny windows in the west door we could see a packed church, with laser lights and a DJ in the area of the altar. Everyone was wearing headphones, dancing and several were singing along to the music. It was fascinating to watch.
On further investigation I found out it was one of a string of “Silent discos” being held in churches in this country and beyond. This one was an “80s” disco….so being a woman of a “certain age” was I tempted to hunt out my florescent leggings and join them?
I know this issue has stirred up much debate amongst the church community on both sides of the argument. I’m not proposing to start a debate here but it made me think of how Jesus stirred up controversy, how he “rattled cages”.
Will those revellers remember the holiness of the place they were in this morning? Will they see the church in a better or worse light as a result? (Or a multicoloured laser one?)
I don’t know but I know that the Lord I worship sees and knows all, and we are told to trust in him and his Holy Spirit…who moves in mysterious (and multicoloured?) ways!