st lydia’s dinner church

st lydia's church

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.

someone has to care coveri 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.