On the pulsing High Street, in the heart of London's Kensington district shops, offices and other meeting places attract a constant stream of hurried pedestrians. It is a busy place that never seems to come to rest. The corner flower seller charms us with bouquets that reflect each season, and the stand hides a special secret. Just behind the colorful flower displays is the entrance to an ancient arched passageway. Step into it and you also enter another world; it leads directly to an old and very beautiful church, a venue where generations have worshipped and where Princess Diana occasionally visited. A clue as to its age is that the tree roots have grown over some of the surrounding graves, and the gravestones themselves date back hundreds of years.

St Mary Abbots Church in Kensington describes itself as the venue where "babies are christened, lovers marry and the elderly are laid to rest". This in itself describes the family life span as taught in family studies; from cradle to grave. At this geographical location, the community has worshipped for over a thousand years. The architecture supports and shelters the community by providing holy ground, and by bearing witness of life cycle and historical events of individuals and an entire nation. The churches become the memorial and burial places of the rich and famous, but also of the poor and humble.

Nevertheless London's churches are also in transition, changing to accommodate the altered needs of this city's inhabitants. Some of the inner city churches can no longer support a Sunday congregation, as the city dwellers have moved to the suburbs. These places of worship have responded to varied community demands. Some have become educational venues, some offer weekday noon services to inspire the business crowd, some are meeting the varied life span needs and challenges of a new kind of city dweller. They may serve preschoolers, the elderly or the homeless for instance. Others add a strong musical tradition with concerts and choir performances to complement worship services. St Martin's in the Fields, just off Trafalgar Square is home to the famous chamber orchestra bearing the same name.

The churches of London immortalize history. Plaques on the walls and graves in crypts under churches and cathedrals bear witness to generations who passed serving their church, their community, their nation. The crypt under St Paul's Cathedral represents a world of its own and the entrance is guarded by two beautifully sculpted angels. Particularly touching are the memorials to the fallen from two world wars and other conflict zones. They paid the highest price by serving their country. As one enters Westminster Abbey, the grave of an unknown soldier is surrounded by the red poppies of remembrance or other floral tributes to remind all of us who enter, that many have fought and sacrificed for the values they hold dear.

Places of worship then become witnesses to humanity's joys and sorrows. They are the spaces where we celebrate new life and new love. They are also the spaces where we can weep in despair and mourn our dead. In this way the architecture of these sacred spaces serves to support us in all our fragile humanness, and this holy ground shelters and sustains us so that we can regain strength and hope to continue life's journey (Kilge, 2008). Much like a family system shelters an individual family member, the places of worship provide both the emotional and spiritual shelter to families and communities. Through ritual they contribute to marking transitions in the family life cycle. A place of worship can become part of the fabric that connects us. Just as our sacred spaces reflect some of our individual belief systems, they are also shaped by the needs of those they serve. It truly becomes a bidirectional relationship with many of the attributes we recognize from a well functioning family.

This summer Clara Gerhardt is teaching a course in England on "Sacred Spaces" focusing on churches in London and environment. She has taught this course before and the many places of worship in London provide continued inspiration.

Reference

Kilde, Jeanne Halgren. Sacred Power, Sacred Space: An Introduction to Christian Architecture and Worship. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.