Barnes in Common

the magazine of Churches Together in Barnes
January/February 2008

Home
Current issue
Previous issues
Noticeboard
Discussion board
About CTiB

An evening at Space to Be

by Dennis Barrow

Space to Be is a bit like Cuprinol - it does what it says on the tin! Visitors are offered the time and the space to be. There is an opportunity for visitors to explore their spirituality in an holistic way but there is no pressure for them to do so other than to respect the quiet and allow everyone to experience peace and stillness in this busy world.

After a frustrating few months when I have always been working late on the first Tuesday in the month, when Space to Be is on, I finally got the chance to go along in November.

The space was softly lit with candles and lamps which combined with the darkness outside to give a feel of cathedral vastness and yet still produce a sense of warmth, comfort and invitation. The usual seating had been put to innovative use as room dividers increasing the sense of space. Given the differing use of the spaces created this offered a paradoxical feeling of stillness and activity. Soothing music was weaving throughout, binding the divided spaces together with a sense of wholeness.

I paused in the doorway surveying the scene or rather scenes as my eyes unravelled the picture before me. To my right were tables and chairs where people were talking, reading papers and magazines or eating and drinking. Further away, beyond a tree and a small fountain was an area where one or two people sat by themselves, appearing to be lost in quiet contemplation
In the distance I could see a figure sat on a cushion in front of a stand on which they had just lit a candle.

On the left and further away from where I stood I could see an area where therapists were busy offering various forms of massage. Moving closer I could see another tree, although this one had paper leaves on which were written prayers with a basket of blank leaves at its base.

To my immediate right was a space in which two people sat in deep conversation, one of them wearing a badge identifying them as one of the team.

I say I paused in the doorway and that's all it was because before long one of the team had approached to welcome me and guide me should I choose.
Food and drinks are offered free, with a suggested tariff for those who wanted to contribute. I also learnt that there was a supervised space for children which ran for the first hour and allowed parents to enjoy the rest of the space.

They told me I was free to wander around and make as little or as much use of the spaces as I chose, they were offered free from agenda.

As I wandered around I discovered that there were gentle aromas wafting from the therapy space and from the water feature in the quiet space. Certain members of the team are available as listeners should one wish to discuss something in confidence.

The things that have been achieved in what is genuinely a single space are staggering. It is as if the joie de vivre and bonhomie of a Parisian café, the serenity and contemplative peace of a monastery, the soothing bustle of a Turkish bath and the quiet confidentiality of a private study have all been transported into this single space and mixed together with elements of traditional religion [lighting candles and writing prayers] to offer an holistic and cosmopolitan smorgasbord of opportunities to 'Be', whatever one chooses to be. The voyager travels between these spaces not by footprint-leaving jumbo jet, but carried by their own footsteps. What makes this achievement more remarkable is the fact that the space used has as its day job being a church - none other than Holy Trinity, Barnes.

To find such a haven of peace and space in the midst of our busy and cluttered world was a real tonic. I found two hours in which I could slow down and just be, two hours in which I could slow down enough to let God be. In our fast paced world there can be a temptation to force the pace even with God but Space to Be offers a great counter to that temptation and put me in mind of Psalm 46: Be still, and know that I am God.

Space to Be takes place at Holy Trinity
on the first Tuesday of the month 7 - 9 pm

Back to the top