05 February 2008

Cathedrals as canvas

We've found a host for UH02, Seattle First Presbyterian. They meet smack downtown and their space boasts a 1,200+ seat sanctuary that rarely gets use these days. There are fine people running the church now, which has sadly seen its share of hardships in the last dozen years and as a result is a smaller community. It is odd to witness all these incredible structures nestled in the shadows of skyscrapers, still plugging away, serving and loving the people of the city. Their humility and heart are remarkable. They have come to terms with the failures of the urban church at large and recommitted their mission to looking outwards instead of in, no easy task. Harry, their musical director, noted how the church structure itself was a testimony of the bunker mentality common to previous generations of believers here in Seattle. The building is mostly windowless, walled with thick concrete; the architectural narrative being that the outside world is a dangerous and hostile place. So now we shall hope to draw the city into the bunker, throw up lights and art and the biggest music we can muster, all in the name of the beautiful.

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