In my previous post on an experience at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney, I discussed what had happened.
Further thoughts on possible opportunities:
I've had the occasion to visit a number of cathedrals in Europe and North America (and parts of Asia, come to think of it), and at all, particularly those in the UK, I have pondered on the great ministry centre a cathedral might be.
Most of the cathedrals I've visited have been of a more liberal theological persuasion, and so seemed to exist for the aesthetic of the place, almost. The opportunities for ministry have not been obviously taken.
In Sydney I think we are heading in a different direction, but in stepping towards the cathedral as a ministry centre, we've also lost some richness in seemingly restricting ministry to an almost reflexive evangelical verbalism, missing out on wider opportunities to the poor, the not poor but spiritually needy, to workers and business people, as well as city residents.
I'm all for efforts like the city ministry school (apart from teaching people to 'lead' instead of perhaps, convene or serve Bible study groups: more biblical usages, in my view) and overcomers outreach (although I do wonder if it is really 'overcomers indrag': outreach services I've been involved with professionally, whether in marketing, human services or education have gone to where the client is, both physically and culturally; churches tend to think that tricking people to come to the building is 'outreach'; its not!), Bible study groups themselves, and the corporate meetings and the like. But I think there is far more that will meet people's more immediate felt needs as a path to showing them Christ.
One symbolic step back has been to shift the front door of the cathedral to the more architecturally and liturgically correct western end. Great, but why not put ministry first: the door facing the east, opening onto the city's main street made the cathedral far more inviting and accessible. Now it just looks like the assembly hall of the cathedral school!
