in Connecticut.
Their aim is to embody a message among the most powerful in the story of Jesus: there is value in reaching out to the marginalized and oppressed. “We strive to create a community that celebrates with you, supports you and challenges you,” Smith added. The ministry is funded by a two-
Worshipers—primarily young adults and the homeless—gather in Northampton, Mass., for the weekly “Cathedral in the Night.”
A cathedral in the night
Outdoor worship calls young adults into ministry with the homeless By Virginia E. Strahan
T
o some, churches can seem intimidating, even unwelcoming. With that in mind, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Our Savior, South Hadley, Mass., joined with the Epis- copal Church and the United Church of Christ to offer a weekly outdoor evening service called “Cathedral in the Night.”
The Sunday service is held on the front steps of First Churches of Northampton, a stone Gothic cathedral on the busy main street of Northampton, an eclectic col- lege town in western Massachusetts. Known as an artistic, musical and countercultural hub, the city also has a high percentage of homeless people. The space is accessible to all—a setting reminiscent of the way Jesus moved and taught among the people. This ministry seeks to create a Christian community where young adults feel safe to explore, question
Strahan is an ELCA deaconess and The Lutheran’s New England Synod correspondent.
and live out their spiritual beliefs as they worship with the marginalized and fight the causes of homelessness. Another component is “Common Ground,” where young adults gather midweek in a coffeehouse to discuss spirituality and the messiness of life. Community is at the heart of this
ministry, said Stephanie A. Smith, pastor of Our Savior. “It’s not service to or outreach for, but church and community with everyone. We’re creating ‘church’—the body of Christ coming together, looking out for each other, struggling with faith issues together,” she said.
The ministry is a partnership among Smith, a former campus min- ister; Christopher Carlisle, associate priest of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Northampton, who is involved in campus ministry; and Eric Fistler, former Christian education director at Edwards Church, Northampton, who now serves a Congregational church
year, $60,000 grant from the national Episcopal Church, plus $5,000 in seed money from the Mission Develop- ment Fund of the ELCA New England Synod.
The worship style is an integration of contemplative worship (modeled after the communities of Iona, Holden and Taizé) and contemporary con- text (multisensory and participatory, using the talents of local musicians, poets, artists and lighting engineers). It’s a place and activity that fosters spiritual curiosity and exploration in order to create a community of sup- port, challenge and deeper faith. The concluding eucharist leads into a meal provided under the direction of Manna Soup Kitchen. Congregations and restaurants donate, prepare and help serve the meals.
Graduate students in the archi- tecture program at the University of Massachusetts designed a worship space that provides a physical center in the open air. They made portable lampposts decorated with paper cranes (symbols of hope in Japanese Shinto temples) and benches that come together to form a lighted cross that support a mylar canopy to provide shelter and capture heat. They also set up propane heaters, a true sign of welcome for the 50 people at the first service on Jan. 23, one of the coldest nights of the year in Massachusetts. “We wondered if anyone would show up,” Smith said, “but it just shows how much we all yearn for community and relationships.” M
Learn more at
www.cathedralinthenight.org 38 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
DEREK FOWLES PHOTOGRAPHY
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