I find the guidance in Matthew 6:6 instructive; I feel like it’s only in silence that I can possibly hear an answer to my prayers. i’m always listening for God as I go about my life.
I just read your nyt Empty Church essay . I lived in NYC eons ago. If walking past St Patrick’s I’d slip in , put some holy water on my forehead , make the sign of cross and sit , ever so quietly in a side pew. Raised Roman Catholic. Educated same. I questioned the Churcb from age 8 catechism classes. I exasperated the nuns . Marymount class of 69 on sunset blvd. Misfit Jenn. I’m a believer something more powerful than we exist . Not the Holy Trinity. Your writing is palpable. I read every word. Agree St John The Divine is mighty fine.
Thank you for this article. You could have been me. I find sitting alone in church on a back pew so quiet and peaceful. I silently sit with God. Praying, even silently, disrupts the warmth. Just sit wrapped in silence, alone. And I leave the church whole. Thank you.
I,too, came here from the Times essay! The unexpected pleasure I received from walking the Camino de Santiago in spring of 2022 was stopping at every ‘iglesia’ along the St Francis and lose myself in the beauty of the space,the carving in the retablos and the magnificent light. It was empowering and inspiring. Thank you for this lovely essay.
I have quit entering churches. The noises emanating from churches today have driven me toward Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins despite being at an age when my peers are looking for the comfort of the possibility of an afterlife.
I was surprised to learn that I'm not the only person doing this. I too, have a church that I visit, alone... and during the day when it's completely empty. I sit. It is heavenly. I felt that you were writing this article about me.
What if churches (priests/pastors/rabbis) actually preached and practiced a message of a place and a space for spiritual growth through contemplative practices? “Stop by anytime for a little peace and quiet.”
I find the guidance in Matthew 6:6 instructive; I feel like it’s only in silence that I can possibly hear an answer to my prayers. i’m always listening for God as I go about my life.
I just read your nyt Empty Church essay . I lived in NYC eons ago. If walking past St Patrick’s I’d slip in , put some holy water on my forehead , make the sign of cross and sit , ever so quietly in a side pew. Raised Roman Catholic. Educated same. I questioned the Churcb from age 8 catechism classes. I exasperated the nuns . Marymount class of 69 on sunset blvd. Misfit Jenn. I’m a believer something more powerful than we exist . Not the Holy Trinity. Your writing is palpable. I read every word. Agree St John The Divine is mighty fine.
hi Jennifer. I’m Marymount class of ‘96 🙂
Olivia. WE. 1969 . 90 percent nuns. I could or perhaps will create a short Substack story. Wild ones we were.
I love that y'all made this connection!!
Yes, the NYT article brought me here. I like it a lot.
Thank you for this article. You could have been me. I find sitting alone in church on a back pew so quiet and peaceful. I silently sit with God. Praying, even silently, disrupts the warmth. Just sit wrapped in silence, alone. And I leave the church whole. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this.
The Empty Church essay hit me right where I needed it. I thank you for touching a sore spot that needs to be addressed. Very happy to hear more.
Allison in the Presidio SF
I,too, came here from the Times essay! The unexpected pleasure I received from walking the Camino de Santiago in spring of 2022 was stopping at every ‘iglesia’ along the St Francis and lose myself in the beauty of the space,the carving in the retablos and the magnificent light. It was empowering and inspiring. Thank you for this lovely essay.
I have quit entering churches. The noises emanating from churches today have driven me toward Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins despite being at an age when my peers are looking for the comfort of the possibility of an afterlife.
Beautifully written! Just zoomed over here from the NYT!
Loved your Times article, and your compelling thoughts about what you find in the solitude of your church-building experience.
“A church is….the precise architecture for what we humanly want, when no human being can fully know what it may be, or what will happen next.”
Thank you.
I was surprised to learn that I'm not the only person doing this. I too, have a church that I visit, alone... and during the day when it's completely empty. I sit. It is heavenly. I felt that you were writing this article about me.
Loved this piece. I like your Dasein — and the Dasein you write about.
Lovely. Can’t wait to find some time in person to talk about it! Come over soon in 2025?
Thanks, Sammy. I would love to!!
I just read your piece in the Times; thank you for the insights.
What if churches (priests/pastors/rabbis) actually preached and practiced a message of a place and a space for spiritual growth through contemplative practices? “Stop by anytime for a little peace and quiet.”