I had a really lovely church experience at Bundeena recently. Bundeena isn’t even 20 minutes’ drive out of Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, yet it has the community feel of a secluded township. I was there for a long weekend with my sister’s family (read: aunty time with my darling niece and nephew). Although I’m not the one travelling with kids they generously suggested a place that was easy for me to get to.
We were thrilled at our unique Airbnb, unconventionally yet tastefully decorated in bright colours, books and retro items. Fun for the kids and more than comfortable for the adults, especially with the frother-equipped coffee machine and hotel-style bathrobes.
And like everywhere in Bundeena, it’s also just down the road from the beach. The beach itself was nothing special by Sydney standards, though it was quite novel seeing Cronulla just across the water and watching the ferry do laps to and from the wharf.
Right on that beach stood a lovely weatherboard building with a eucalyptus green roof. The sign read “Bundeena House” with “Christian Community” in small letters below. Upon verifying via a Google search that it was indeed a church, we decided to check out the Sunday service the next morning.
Our expectations of a small congregation of older people were spot on. It wasn’t quite an organ, but the songs played on the piano were of a traditional style. Lyrics drew literally from the Bible and the melodies were new to me though I’ve heard many hymns in my time.
Even with this style of music, the gathering felt intimate and warm. There were rows of seats – some of them wooden dining chairs, some plastic, some sofas – with a small aisle in between. A couple of the members set out chairs for us and brought out toys for the kids in an adjoining room.
I tried my best with the new-to-me old hymns. True to traditional Anglo church services, Bible readings delivered by different congregants punctuated the service.
But then the service leader, who I assumed was the pastor, did not proceed to deliver a sermon. He proceeded to introduce the man beside him in a wheelchair as his neighbour (literally, not just biblically) and invited him to share.
David had a page of notes that he used for the first five minutes, then discarded. For the rest of the time he spoke as if talking to friends around a table. At times he would lose his train of thought and become a little embarrassed, but everyone would encourage him and help him on his way. Other times he would pause, not lost, just moved by a particular verse or thought. He explained that Parkinson’s can make you emotional when you think about something that means a lot. I hadn’t known that.
The service closed with communion and a hymn I did know: Amazing Grace. Yet even this had its own twist. Opening acapella with medieval Celtic vibes, the harmonica and sudden death metal crescendo at the end made everyone giggle. It was David’s song request.
It turned out the man who I assumed to be the pastor was actually just a regular member who happened to be rostered on to lead the service. They can’t afford a pastor.
After the service, I was amused by a painting that looked like it was supposed to be of Jesus but looked a bit like Nicholas Cage. When I went to photograph it, a man about my father’s age said to me, “I hope you don’t think that’s of someone in particular!” We ended up in conversation, of course, and it turned out Richard was acquainted with the first two pastors of my current church in Crows Nest.
Outside on the porch overlooking the beach, everyone sat and chatted. A church member, Stephen, had made a delicious cherry strudel, which we all enjoyed with tea.
My young niece and infant nephew grew restless so we left the church to their post-service conversations. I felt a little wistful walking away and would have liked to stay a little longer.
I don’t usually attend church when I’m on holidays, but I’m glad we did this time. From the gorgeous beachside building to the salt-of-the-earth (yet kinda bougie) folks and the focus on authentic sharing over abstract theology, I loved it all. Also the cherry strudel and the metal cover of Amazing Grace over communion. I’ll remember this for a while.
