6/24 - New sights and sounds

What I did:

I woke up, but too late for breakfast. I did have plenty of time before morning worship though, and eventually made my way down there. It was just so much nicer to know faces and names when I walked in. The other guy named Patrick was leading it this morning and we sang some dance-y songs and some other songs and had some good time of prayer. It was over before I knew it, so I headed back up to my room to continue to get caught up with stuff.

At around 11:15, I went to find Veronica, the receptionist, to try to find the office of the guy I was supposed to meet with today. I met her as she was coming up the hill and she showed me. I waited until it was time and went in to meet with Phil. He was great and very helpful in getting me to think about my project in its original terms of fundamentalism and globalization. He seemed very interested in that and kept everything he said related to that in some way. It was a great meeting and he gave me a lot to think about as far as what does it really mean to be “fundamental?” We met for a pretty long time, and as I left his office, I realized I missed lunch too. So I dug into my tuna stash for a quick lunch before I packed up and headed out to Manchester.

I went to visit Sanctus1, one of the most popular and longest running emerging churches, today. I had been in contact with one of the leaders, and although I knew he would not be there, I went to check it out. I got into Manchester pretty early intentionally and did a little more work before heading out to check out the city. My first impression of Manchester – It is like a condensed London on crack. That probably deserves a little unpacking, but take it as my initial reaction with my limited experience of both cities. My hotel is right by the Piccadilly Gardens and in the center of the city. So, I walked out among the chaos of moving people and cars. First I found the Nexus café, which is where Sanctus would be meeting later. Then I walked around the ‘Gardens’ some, which is really just a grassy open area with a fountain and some statues that was filled with people. I kept walking around through the Arndale shopping center (gigantic mall). I walked past a huge ferris wheel and down to Manchester Cathedral. I looped around again and it was about dinner time, so I backtracked to a place I passed by.

I had my dinner at Barburrito, the British Chipotle! Then I sat in Piccadilly Gardens for a while before Sanctus started. I made my way over to Nexus and walked in. I think I may go back there for lunch tomorrow, because it seemed like a really cool place. I met a few people who had already arrived. I talked with some people, including Chris who is a leader and would be running the service tonight. More and more people trickled in and eventually we got started. It was a very interesting and different service. Chris was the only one that spoke at all, and it was very centered around images and videos that were projected on a screen and music that played behind that. The focus was on the phrase, Love your nieghbour as yourself, which Chris dissected word by word looking at how God loves us, how we should love ourselves, who our neighbour is and how we should love them.

There were some really interesting images and funny clips (including a scene from Forest Gump). I really enjoyed it and could definitely see myself going to something like this. They also had communion and Chris explained that it was his last time leading. I realize that they do very different things each week, and even have people from the ‘congregation’ lead some (I think). After the service, we cleaned up and went to the pub, which they do every week. It was a good opportunity for me to meet with some of the members and talk with them. We talked some about past services, American politics, Texas in general, my research, the differences in pronunciation and definition of words (I got made fun of a little bit on behalf of all America), and British things that I absolutely have to experience. It was lots of fun and I really got along with all the guys that were there.

Unfortunately, the time soon came to go. I feel like going to one Sanctus service gives me absolutely no idea about the whole picture of what they are about. I didn’t really get to talk to any of the leaders either. All in all, I wish I would have some more time with them, but I don’t know if that will be able to happen or not. Maybe.

What I learned:

You haven’t lived until you have heard a British man try to imitate Forest Gump.

Don’t pronounce the ‘h’ in Birmingham.

Fannie means something different over here.

We (being any church I have been a part of) haven’t even begun to enter into creativity in worship compared with Sanctus1.

Manchester is crazy (but filled with some really good people).