We have had an excellent time in Cornwall staying with Andrew and Sarah in Porth. While there we had lunch in Cafe Irie which was a wonderfully beautiful place. I would say this was a highlight of the short trip, but that would imply there were lowlights … and the whole time was fantastic.

Cafe Irie, though, is a special place that I would love to visit again. A cafe with great staff, good atmosphere, great drinks (Banana and Peanut butter smoothies which just have to be tried because they are amazing!!!) Irie itself means ”to be at total peace with your current state of being’

I was not there long before I said ‘this is what I think church should be like’. There was a strong community feel about the place. People had opportunity to participate or just eat and drink. Board games were available to play, as was a piano with a note saying play us a tune if you’d like to. The decor of sofas and drapes gives a wonderful relaxed feel and the interesting collection of local art brings things off to a tee and brings a smile to your face. There was a certain individuality about the menu which I think invited people to be creative and try things anew …. in a way it was some kind of implicit challenge to be yourself, the person you were always meant to be; and I think this has something of what church should encourage.

Church … a place where you can be, and are allowed to be, at total peace with your current state of being. By that I don’t mean we become complacent. Nor do I mean that we are refusing to change … but that I have a dream of church being a place where we are at total peace with who we are because we are able to say we are totally at ease with what God is doing within us and with integrity say we are allowing God to work within us and allowing God to be God.