it was lovely to visit st lydia’s in brooklyn on my visit to new york. it was founded in 2008 by emily scott meeting in homes and then a zen centre before getting a shop front where it is now. i have not read it but there is a book which includes the story of st lydia’s or stories from at least – for all who hunger. they describe it as a dinner church which is fairly apt as the worship is organised around a meal (and the food we had was great). it’s prayerful and conversational. there are two dinner tables so probably works for about 20 people.

i stayed with christian scharen who is the pastor there now. he is delightful! he gave me a copy of a book he has written which is a theological reflection on the roots and hip hop culture someone has to care . i loved it! it is part of a series of short reflections on music – there is another in the series on radiohead and one coming on new order for example. 

i do like churches where the size is constrained by the space to be small – you get more intimacy and a real sense of community. we meet in our home most tues nights with friends over a meal to share life and pray – the table always seems to me a great space for a community of disciples. i also really like church that is in different kinds of spaces – it just shifts the imagination. the worship was simple chants along with a shruti – i had not seen one before but worked well. you set it to play a chord and squeeze it to create a drone ove which the chanting is done. it was advent so the chant i remember gegan ‘honour the darkness’.

if you are in brooklyn call in.