The Day of Saints - Day 20, Other Saints, on the Way to Elsewhere.

I've visited quite a few churches on my way around Cornwall, so far. Some have felt austere, others welcoming and homely, some cold and little cared for, the odd one or two a bit self-important, and here and there some that were deeply moving and spiritual places to be. Below is a picture of one I went in to last week on my way to somewhere else. It wasn't one I had planned to visit, but going through the village and not being in a particular hurry I thought, well, why not. This is the interior of St Mabyn.

Why I am featuring this one today is that I immediately felt it was a church I felt at home in - and gave a strong sense of it being a welcoming church. I actually have no idea what the congregation are like, or the ministry other than what I saw around the building, which was empty except for me. There was a coffee bar/kitchen area, compostable toilet, a set of tables at the back with magazines, a church borrowing library, a children's area, a colourful banner and an art tryptych, a puzzle half completed on a table obviously for people who just wanted to help, a prayer tree, a 'Thy Kingdom Come' exhibit, and more. It just felt like a place that was alive, and I wanted to pay tribute to the church - the architect had certainly done a great job when it was refurbished not so long ago, but I felt that the people and their clergy were very likely doing a great job - right on the ball. So good to see.

(Looking now, after I'd written that, at their website (below), gives more indication that is the case.) Visit at the link below:

http://www.stmabynchurch.co.uk/index.html

A poem will emerge on Mabyn some time, I think.

On the way to elsewhere (An Amble between saints!)

Later, hoping to catch some end of the summer wave action (well, bodyboard a bit!), I stopped at Tubestation, and looked up at the surfboards on the ceiling while I drank my latte, ate a pastry and thought about writing a poem.

Poetry and good coffee at Tubestation, Polzeath

Reading the history of the church, for it is a converted Methodist church which still holds weekly services, as well as being a cafe for surfers etc, I felt so much at home there too.

Disciples on Surfboards

Tubestation's website is here: https://tubestation.org/

The publicity says, "Just... be" (read for yourself below). So important that we allow people that space whilst also giving them the clues as to where else they might be on the way to... with God.

Just... be.