Janice Todd reports on an alternative worship opportunity at an Edinburgh church.

PARISH NEWS

SOUL space seeks to provide a sacred place in the heart of Edinburgh, a space to find stillness and refreshment. A place to chill, relax or unwind. A space to explore, reflect and pray. No pressure, no word filled service – no charge.

soul space is held at the front of the Sanctuary of St Cuthbert’s in the space in front of the pews. The church is situated at the foot of Lothian Road. The area between the choir stalls is used to set up a display which depicts the topic being explored as does the PowerPoint presentation on the screen to the left. Soft music plays and in the Anam Chara Chapel to the right and at other points tables are set up with displays and materials with which people can engage if they so wish.

soul space is held on the first Wednesday of each month between September and June (not January). The church is open for you to come and go from 12.30pm – 8pm with short led reflections at 1pm and 7pm.

soul space is for anyone and everyone who wants time to pause and reflect, to be silent, to be calmed by the background music, to view the PowerPoint presentation, to pray, to listen for God’s voice, to sit still or view the various displays or light a candle, to just do nothing and absorb the atmosphere, or to be part of the led reflection which makes no demands whatsoever other than to listen.

Visitors from other parts of Scotland have started similar events based on our model. As the result of a recommendation by two people, who come from Paisley and belong to ‘The Friends of St Cuthbert’s’, friends of theirs have started soul space in their church in Johnstone. More recently, one member of our soul space team, Iona Pringle who is the Parish Assistant at St Kenneth’s Church in Kennoway, Windygates and Balgonie in Fife started a soul space in her church which has been very successful. To find out more about St Kenneth’s soul space please take a look at their website at www.stkenneths.org.uk.

Further afield, and with our permission, our soul space material is used by St Katherine’s Church in London in their ‘Reflective Yurt’. Do have a look at their website and maybe visit when you are down south. We are greatly encouraged in our soul space ministry by feedback we receive from both ends of the age spectrum and from far and wide.

Two recent examples came, respectively, from a theology student at New College who chose soul space for her dissertation and got a First and from a retired Scottish Presbyterian minister living in the USA who ‘happened onto’ soul space on St Cuthbert’s website and who wrote to say ‘I am deeply grateful… and want to continue contact with soul space’.

The soul space team in St Cuthbert’s, as well as helping each other as required, meet once a year when they enjoy a meal together and decide on the general theme for the forthcoming Session. The general theme for the 2016/17 Session was “Meals with Jesus” and in 2017/18 “To Everything there is a Season, a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

For the coming year, the general theme is ‘Jesus has always been a compelling person for people of many faiths and none’ and will reflect on Jesus in his various roles as teacher, provider, healer, gift, lover/friend, human/divine, fool, saviour (in Holy Week), shepherd and carpenter.

For more information about soul space please visit http://www.st-cuthberts.net/soulspace.php

We would love to welcome you at soul space worship and, in the event your church would like to introduce soul space to its worship, to give you all the help you need to get started.