This is inside a decommissioned church in Dublin. It has spectacular ceilings and beautifully sculptured wall decor. The centrepiece is a bar, adorned with an array of spirits beaming with colours that create a warm inviting ambiance.

On an ordinary Wednesday evening this place is bustling with life, laughter and dance, dare I say much more than it did when it was a church. Interestingly, it trades as “The Church”.

This setup had me wondering, how did we end up with “churches” as buildings anyway… the Church of Acts never had church buildings, I think even for a few centuries after that.

Anyway, whatever purpose church buildings may have been intended for initially, I am increasingly persuaded that buildings may actually be standing in the way of the Church’s effectiveness.