Turistkyrka
Katrina, Miguel and Melody
Turistkyrka
Turistkyrka is a simple but elegant Scandinavian church next to the Post Office (Correos) opposite the now derelict Bus Station (estacion de gua gua) en Puerto de la Cruz en Tenerife.
On Thursday, noon to 3pm, it is a Swedish tradition to serve Pea and Ham Soup. It is of variable quality and probably depends upon who makes it. Crispbread to die for, but why serve with margarine? The crispbread cries out for butter. Mantequlla! Also waffles, tea and coffee.
I am reminded of when I was in Sweden. In a shop a row of delicious bread, another row of crispbread. Also when I was in a restaurant, a fantastic choice of crisp bread.
On a Sunday a Scandinavian service in the morning, followed by English Service at 11-30am, followed by a Spanish Service in the afternoon at 3pm. The English service is followed by tea, coffee and biscuits and once a month a simple shared lunch.
It was discussed my giving a sermon, a novelty for me, but was vetoed by the Pastor. Not out of personal dislike of me or what I had to say, but he had not met me. The problem as he told me later was that they had ‘Christians’ coming out from England who had no understanding of Christianity. I know the feeling! We had quite an interesting chat. He had read Dostoyevesky and Tolstoy, writers he said gave great insight into Christianity. I said I agreed and suggested Philip Yancey and Paulo Coelho two authors he had read.
Turistkyrka has two libraries. One Scandinavian, one English. The Pastor told me the library had books by Canon Andrew White. I donated a copy of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (see BCID 9686339). I would have liked to have donated a copy of The One Big Question on suffering by Bishop Michael Baughen which I had read whilst in Puerto de la Cruz, but could not, as the copy I had with me was a signed copy, a birthday present for my lovely friend Sian.
I recommended Jesus Wars by Philip Jenkins on early Christianity, and The Gospel of Thomas.
I borrowed from the library Why I am a Christian by John Stott, which I highly recommend.
Beautiful music by Miguel and Katrina and what a pity they do not play every Sunday.
An interesting Communion. Two silver dishes, with a lids topped by a cross. The smaller one held bread, a slice on top with broken bread beneath. The larger one held small glasses filled with what tasted like cranberry juice. A pity not wine! The dish containing the bread was taken around first, followed by the ‘wine’, ie one did not go forward.
Synchronicity: During my chat with the Pastor, The Grand Inquisitor mentioned by Dostoevsky cropped up. I had just read this in The Valkeries by Paulo Coelho which I also recommended for their library.
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