An Unlikely and Unexpected Sunday

Bangarang is at dock, in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, in the Bahamas. Being at dock means making new friends and participating in social events sponsored by the marina for boaters and the surrounding community. We enjoy the potlucks and special meals there, the music, the dancing, and of course the Jib Room Bar. 

 

Great BBQ at the marina's Jib Room Wednesdays and Saturdays

 

The Jib Room Bar

 

A view of the marina from above, with the swimming pool at lower left

But today was a particularly special day here. A couple of weeks ago, the marina posted an invitation to a church service and potluck brunch, scheduled for today, Sunday. All of the marina guests were invited to join local church members for a service, baptism, and potluck brunch. It was to be held at the Jib Room Bar and Restaurant here in the marina.

The invitation to the church service, baptism and potluck brunch

What??!!?? A church service in a bar? And a baptism (actually two). Where?? In the swimming pool next to the bar, of course! Water is water, so why not?

It turns out that a new church has been established in Marsh Harbour. It calls itself Th3rd Space: "living space, where one lives; work space, where one works; and the th3rd space, where it all comes together." The church's goal, according to its website, is to combine faith and culture, where lives are enriched through relationships and community. Members of Th3rd Space meet in a storefront and when I happened to pass it a couple of weeks ago, it had chairs for about forty people. 

 

A woman's purse at our table held a beautiful gold-edged Bible

Now, I come from a pretty conservative church background and the churches I've attended in the past are very traditional. It is highly unlikely that those churches ever hosted a service in a bar at a marina! Th3rd Space says its goal is "not to bring people to the church, but to bring church to the people." Well, today, they certainly did that! 

So, this morning, for the potluck, Kent and I grilled pineapple, stuck our toothpicks in, and drizzled our platter with maple syrup. Then we walked down the dock to the marina and joined about 50-60 churchgoers in the Jib Room Bar. This Sunday was particularly meaningful because two young boys were to be baptized. About two-th3rds of the group (sorry, I couldn't resist the pun) were from the church family and the rest of us were from boats in the marina.  

The service lasted about an hour and a half, including the baptisms. There was a band playing contemporary Christian music, singing, prayer and a storytelling-type sermon by a relaxed young pastor with an accent (Maine?) and big tattoos. Very engaging and meaningful.

 

The band/choir, with guitars and drum

 

The boys who were going to be baptized sang and played drums with the band

The marina has a swimming pool which was used for the baptisms.The pastor invited all to gather around the pool, put on his bathing trunks, and climbed into the (freezing) water with the two young men. 

 

Brrrr! 65 degrees in damp, cloudless skies and freezing water in the pool. Cold for the Bahamas!

 

Maddox was first to be baptized...

 

And Roman was next. (If you look closely at the top of the picture, you can see three wine glasses, one half-full, left by a bar patron last night.)

After the service, everyone congratulated the boys and crowded back into the bar for potluck brunch, Mimosas and Bloody Marys. The food and company were excellent.

 

Filling plates and ordering Bloody Marys in the brunch line at the bar

Our Sunday morning was full of worship and community--but in a marina bar, not a church! With swimming pool baptisms and Bloody Marys. Unlikely and unexpected, but just as meaningful. Amen!