Carving Up Windermere

The Westmorland Gazette excitedly reports that two women became the first same-sex couple to get wed in a Lake District church. Complete with pictures of the happy couple beside the lake, the accommodating chapel was given as Carver Uniting Church. I thought this a curious name and conducted some basic online searches. It would seem that ‘Uniting’ refers to a union between the Windermere Methodist church and the United Reformed church, which was once congregational, like ourselves. Quite when the ‘uniting’ becomes ‘united’ I am not sure. Perhaps this word is what makes it such an appealing wedding venue. Its website declares:

Public worship has resumed at Carver at 10:45am each Sunday.  Covid regulations will be observed.

Which Covid regulations, I wondered? And at what point will they be dropped? Further down, I was told:

We are an open and welcoming Church for people from all walks of life who would like to explore faith a little more. If you are new to church, or if you are looking for a church, or if you simply have questions about life we think you might find a home with us. Why? Well, we are people who have questions about faith and life and we have found that thinking about things together is better than doing it alone.  Seeking God together helps us to notice things we might otherwise miss, it helps us to support one another in good times, bad times and times when we struggle. We know that God is calling to us and wants us to know God more than we do now. We come together on Sunday seeking to connect with God and each other. (Emphases mine).

So join them to ask your questions, but do not, evidently, expect many answers. God certainly does want them to know more than they do now. Gee, if only we knew where to find the answers and know Him more? Now what’s that word…Bobble? Bubble? Babble? Ah yes- BIBLE.

If churches spent a little more time offering answers and teaching God’s word instead of merely questioning, they might have more coming to listen.