Churches and Faith Communities as Third Places/ Third Place Stories
My third place is a cinder block room in the basement of Clear Creek County Jail in Georgetown, Colorado. The room’s appointments include harsh overhead lighting, a folding table and a dozen uncomfortable molded plastic chairs. The echo in this sparsely furnished space carries the shared prayers, stories, laughter, tears, regrets and dreams of the men who gather there on Thursday nights for an Evening Prayer group led by my sister, Ruth Hamilton. I live in Massachusetts, but I’ve been part of this weekly gathering for more than 6 years: in person, when I’m making one of my many visits in the Rockies and virtually, on a weekly basis.
The order of prayer here is simple: the “lighting” of a battery powered candle; a call to prayer and a song; a scripture and a prepared meditation and another song, followed by shared reflections; and closing with open intercessory prayer and a blessing. I write the prepared meditation and when I’m not in Colorado, I record it along with some introductory comments and email it to my sister who calls me on Fridays to share the fruits of the gathering.
This spartan, make-shift sanctuary is a real third place in my life: a home away from home for me, my faith and my prayer. It’s a place where folks can be themselves; where they know they’ll be welcomed and accepted without scrutiny or judgment; where whatever they share with the group will be reverenced on its own merits and sincerity. It’s a place where all believe that the Lord is moving and working in their individual lives. Thus, there’s a genuine, humble mutual respect for shared contrition, admitted powerlessness, dependence on the Divine and freedom to rejoice in the power of God’s grace.
In other words: my third place is precisely what church should be, what church should provide and what church should offer. My third place is a real home for me, my faith and my prayer. The prayer of these men feeds my soul. Their faith makes mine stronger. Their hope deepens my belief in God. Their honesty shines a light in my soul. Their hearty, off-key singing lifts my heart. Their mutual trust is a gift of grace. Their gathering is a refuge, a haven, a chapel for my faith and prayer. And in this sacred space, I’m invited to share in their communion of prayer, presence and peace.
For this retired priest, my third place is both a home away from home and a church away from church. I am blessed and grateful to have found this holy place.
-Rev. Austin Fleming