Why religion still matters to many in the U.S.
(The Christian Science Monitor) It could be hard to make your way to pray at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Manhattan on Sunday mornings. There’s the distraction of New York City pulling you elsewhere. Then there are the diversions of the St. Bart’s community itself: the outdoor cafe, the homeless shelter, the Thomas Merton books in the lobby. There are invitations to programs including mindful eating, Bible study, yoga, and tai chi.
Nevertheless, hundreds do find their way to pray on Sunday mornings at the imposing complex on Park Avenue. They filter into the vast space, gradually replacing the tourists who have been tiptoeing down the side aisles, taking pictures of the Byzantine-style interior. Soon, richly vested clergy, cross bearers, torch holders, and choir members begin making their way up the center aisle in an entrance procession 30-strong.
In the congregation are people of all races, men and women, old and young, singles and couples, families with carefully dressed, well-behaved children in tow.
