06/03/2025
A few weeks ago I was in a local grocery store when I ran into a man I've known for 40 years. He's a retired businessman, a devout Christian, and when I was much younger, we sang in the same church choir. We chatted for a bit, and the topic quickly turned to matters religious. The congregation he attends isn't doing very well: attendance is down, costs are up, and the "new way of preaching" leaves him shaking his head. "But I hear you do your own thing on Sundays now," he said (I suppose he meant Patmos), "and I don't blame you. That way you can make sure things are how you want them to be."
I didn't say too much at the time--other than acknowledge that I heard him--but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that "doing my own thing" is precisely what Patmos is NOT about.
While a certain amount of ingenuity was required when we built the chapel in the the old barn five years ago, the architecture (i.e., the way the place is laid out) and the liturgy were not exercises in creativity. They were attempts at being faithful to the great tradition of the Church. For instance: one of the eucharistic prayers we use is that of Hippolytus of Rome, who died in 236 AD. Some of the prayers we use come from The Didache, an early Christian document which may well be earlier than the Gospel of John. We do use a modern lectionary, one that is used by the majority of Christians around the world, and modern English translations of the Scriptures. We observe the seasons of the church year: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, the time after Pentecost, and the major festivals and saints' days.
We didn't invent any of this, but we have inherited it; what we use at Patmos is part of the common treasure, the rich resource, of the Church Catholic. Doing "my own thing" is precisely what I am NOT doing! We're simply trying to do what the church has always done!
For five years we've kept our light under the bushel basket (cf. Matthew 5) mostly because we don't want to draw a lot of attention to ourselves, lest we be mocked, or condemned, written off as quirky, or simply thought to be "cultish." Patmos is a free association of persons who want to be there to enjoy the simple elegance of the space, and the timelessness of the liturgy. There's very little money involved, although there's a lot of "sweat equity." We pray together and we work together. Ora et Labora!
If an expression of the Christian faith that tries to be orthodox in its theology, faithful in its witness to the Gospel, and true to the tradition of the church is of any interest to you, then our little community might be what you're looking for. We're "open for business" every Sunday, although it's always a good idea to check the time of the service.
+WLE
