Church in Wales

At a glance, the church isn't much. It's an old stone building with a metal fence around it and a painted wooden door. Stepping inside, you would perhaps be surprised by the apparent lack of chairs, and the obvious presence of painted pictures, from the screen in the front to the cool poster titled "The African Saints" on a post in the back. There are candles by the pictures in the windows, candles in the center of the church, candles by the screen. Well, my friend, you would have just stepped into a Welsh Orthodox church - specifically, the Church of All Saints in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

I was blessed, many many weeks ago, with a chance meeting with the Anglican reverend in town, I mentioned I was Orthodox, he gave me a pamphlet with a list of religious leaders, and one of them {gasp} WAS ORTHODOX! I email the priest, Fr. Deiniol, about how to get to church in a town an hour away from Bangor, and he gave me phone numbers to call, both men who live in Bangor and drive to Blaenau Ffestiniog for church. I made the call, and for the first time in a month, I was able to go to church.

It was wonderful. The old, somewhat dilapidated stone church had icons everywhere, on all four walls, and on all four sides of the wooden posts supporting the ceiling. The floor was wooden for the most part, with some colored ceramic tiles in an aisle up the middle and along the sides. There were candles in the middle of the middle aisle, candles in all the windows, candles in front of icons, prayer candles in the front, everywhere. The scent of inscense was also everywhere, a lovely smell, like spices.

Church there is a very intimate thing, especially when there are only four of us in the congregation. Tea after church is also intimate, because...well, there's only four of us.

And, for the first time in a month, I had Communion. What a wonderous feeling it was. The whole experience was wonderful, being in an Orthodox church again, and being again in the Presence of our Lord and Savior. Not just being in His Presence, but being in His Presence with other people. Being a community in His Presence.

I love the church here.