Changing times

In the '80s our family used to travel from Cork to Killarney for some Sunday services. There was a Methodist church there that only opened for the summer months - to cater for tourists. My mother would preach, my father or sister would play the keyboard, and my brother and I would welcome people and take the offering. In truth I often felt shy and hoped that no-one would turn up. Often only four or five would arrive - tourists from U.S.A., Northern Ireland, England or Europe.

This morning I was in Killarney Methodist again. There was around eighty people there (this was the larger of two morning services). Some would have been tourists but there is now a local church community of around a hundred people. A local preacher was leading - a woman who used to be into the New Age before her conversion. This is a church that has grown out of Bible studies, hospitality, a willingness to get involved in people's lives and a sense of community. The building has been extended for Sunday-school rooms, a Methodist minister has now been stationed in the town, and a new church has been established in nearby Kenmare.

During the sermon Anya and Ronan came back from the Sunday School. I feared that Ronan would distract the preacher so I decided to take him out. We walked to a bookshop where I intended to observe the contrast between the spirituality of the church and what was available in the shop. In truth I saw virtually nothing about spirituality in the shop (there was one dodgy book 'Angels in my hair'). On the way back I wondered if the Republic is like a teenager who has thrown off the religion of his parents and replaced it with nothing more than self-absorption.

There is hope of course. There is the hope seen in the growing number of evangelical churches now found all over the country. There is hope in a community like Killarney Methodist church.

I returned to the church and sat in the car waiting for the service to end. Then as I walked towards the church I said 'hello' to an African man who warmly welcomed me as a visitor- some hings have changed for the better!