The Empty Church

I went to church today in Fulltofta in Sweden. The Lutheran church in the vicinity has gone to only having services every other week, so one often has to drive to other churches. I love the little church in Fulltofta, though, the ceiling paintings have been nicely restored. I really like the little devil painted above the chancel - they say that he is there so that he can hear the sermon best of all.

Anyway, usually there are not many people at the services. Today I was the only one not connected somehow to the service. There were: the preacher (an older woman who has just been ordained), the woman playing the piano and singing, the caretaker of the church and her husband, the woman collecting the offering, the district preacher and his wife, and the widow of a church member who died this past week and was blessed during the service.

In the announcements we heard that there had been 3 (three!) baptisms and 2 (two!) weddings in this church in the past week. But not one of the baptismal families nor the wedded couples were in church today. I get the impression they just like the church as some fascinating scenery for their own happenings. I wonder if they pay a good fee for using the premises.

Anyway, there was passable coffee and great pepparkaka after church, even if it took a long time for anyone to speak to me, they all had lots to tell each other, it seemed. One would think that with the church this empty, they would be all over the one guest, although I have been there numerous times before, and they did remember me when they got around to speaking with me.