Two Churches, eight swedish vicars, one waffle and an accordian

Sunday so off to church twice with our wonderful Swedish host who continues to be reflective and open. Everybody we meet seems to be employed by the parish, we have not met many who volunteer their time but some must. The reasdon for this is that "only" 75% of the population of the parish is a member of the swedish church and as such they pay 1% of their salary to the parish. The "only" word is there because it isn't that long ago that it was 99%. Given the resources they have leads to the staff they have, professional organists, several clergy and much youth and community work. The also have a beautiful church, and an enormous building that reminded me of the best civic buildings which is the parish office, cafe and community hall. Once I got over the shock of the style of it I realised it wasn't too different to what we had. The clergy are different matter, paid a salary which exceeds that of a secondary teacher, going into the church is a reasonable option for a young person to aspire to.
Here we are then in a parallel universe where everyone is a professional in the church: what do they gain, what do they lose? The gain is quality, everything is fantastically slick, from the music to the brilliant coffee, to the sound system, to the liturgy, and the result for the congregation of sixty or so was lovely. Another gain was the collection going to help a drugs program in the town, because the church didn't need any money, it comes from the church tax. It began to feel like heaven... The second church we went to was equally moving this time it was coffee and waffles after the 3.00p.m. service. Talking to teenagers at the service the were baffled by the idea that they might have any hassle at school because of their attendance at church. Coffee and waffles with the elderly members of the congregation with a concert which would have been completely at home n my village church, but this was the city like heart of the town. More like heaven, then not just for me, for everyone I know.
Before I seek assylum in Sweden what have they lost? Difficult but something intagible is missing. Something about lay engagement, something about the willing amateur, something about struggle, something about community connection. Something about the very resource that make faith communites such an asset in regeneration.
Asside to that the coffee is ace, and every Swedish church has sofas, two things that we can take from our Swedish friends!