I wrote this post in the autumn, but clearly forgot to actually put it on the blog. The last few weeks have been full of moments to reflect on the work here, in preparation for our mini UK tour in May. Some of you have been asking if we are still available - the answer is "we are" but it may be difficult to work out how to get around the UK as we are already booked up every weekend.
Anyhow, with the soft spring sunshine (and in the middle of removing mildew from the terrace), here is a reminder of Harvest time:
One Sunday in October (2010) we joined the forces of Florence Methodist Church (Chiesa Evangelica Metodista di Firenze), the nascent Tuesday night international english methodist worship and Florence Gospel Fellowship International for a unique harvest worship and supper.
Harvest celebrations are unusual but not unknown in Italian Protestant Churches, but this time the bilingual service, which attracted around 90 people, involved music, dance and creative prayer. The Florence Gospel Fellowship International is one of six churches that rent the premises each week, on Via de’ Benci, close to Santa Croce Church. The Fellowship works mostly with American students, offering a “church from church” experience to any english speakers. The Methodist Church is trying to re-attract its lapsed members and hearing frequent feedback that Sunday mornings (10:30am) are a difficult time for families to attend together, decided to offer an evening service. Not wanting to “evict” the Fellowship from their regular 6:30pm slot, we met the greater challenge of bilingual worship and a mix of worship styles, bringing together the traditional Methodist chiesa with the informal Fellowship. The response was excellent, with great willingness to sing in each other’s language and to heed the challenge to care for the earth and to view our faith-sharing as part of our desire for justice, peace and the integrity of creation,
It is entirely true that Italians are passionate about food and the chiesa embraced the challenge of feeding 60 people from a small kitchen, serving up pasta e sugo (with a meat sauce), arrosti (different roast meats), and even puddings, including the autumnal schiacciata (literally meaning ‘crushed’)a bread pudding made with squashed freshly harvested grapes. And of course, a couple of bottles of Chianti did appear.
Worship, laughter, conversation across generations, cultures and languages, all helped down by good food. That’s my kind of Church!
