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One country, two religions and three very telling pictures: The empty pews at churches just yards from an overcrowded mosque

Posted by Unknown Kamis, 30 Mei 2013 0 komentar

Two photos show Sunday morning services in churches in East London

The third shows worshippers gathered for Friday midday prayers outside a nearby mosque

The difference in numbers could hardly be more dramatic.The photo on the left shows St Mary's Church in Cable Street while the photo on the right shows worshippers gathered for Friday midday prayers outside a nearby mosque in Spitalfields, both in East London
What they show are three acts of worship performed in the East End of London within a few hundred yards of each other at the end of last month.
Two of the photos show Sunday morning services in the churches of St George-in-the-East on Cannon Street Road, and St Mary’s on Cable Street.

On Sunday October 1, 1738, St George’s was packed twice during the day to hear the great evangelist John Wesley, who then preached at the church for the following week explaining, as he put it, ‘the way of salvation to many who misunderstood what had been preached concerning it’.
Today, there are no John Wesleys to fill up the pews. The church does its best, offering, for example, a monthly ‘Hot Potato Sunday’, during which the few congregants can discuss the readings of the day over a baked potato.
Canon Michael Ainsworth of St George’s puts on a brave face when he says: ‘What we are saying now is it is not just a matter of numbers. It is about keeping faith with the city and hanging in there — being part of the community.’
At St Mary’s, meanwhile, Rev Peter McGeary cannot explain why the numbers are so low: ‘It’s impossible to say, there are so many variables.’
When he is asked if he tries to boost his congregations, he simply replies: ‘We are not a company, we are a church.’
In contrast, there seems a remarkable energy attached to the mosque on Brune Street, which has been described as the ‘Mecca of the City’.
Here, come rain or shine, members of the Bangladeshi community perform the Friday prayer of Jumma under the open sky. It is a communal act which will surely only grow in popularity.
Sadly, that’s not something that can be said of the two nearby churches, and unless they can reinvigorate their congregations they may finally end up being deconsecrated.
When that happens, such large buildings will be attractive spaces for those who can fill them.
One day, in a few decades, St George’s may well again be packed with worshippers — but they will not be Christians.

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Judul: One country, two religions and three very telling pictures: The empty pews at churches just yards from an overcrowded mosque
Ditulis oleh Unknown
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