For most of the world's two billion Christians, Holy Communion is an essential part of life.
For billions of others, coffee plays a similar role.
And now a Leamington restaurant is offering both - thereby perhaps monopolising the pick-me-up market, spritual or otherwise.
Seasons, in Warwick Street, runs its Holy Communion and coffee sessio
ns on the first Friday of every month. They consist of a half-hour service, followed by the administration of bread and wine, followed by the administration of caffeine.
The ritual is the most sacred in the Christian faith, re-enacting the Last Supper, where Jesus commanded his followers to eat his flesh and drink his blood in symbolic form. It is often heralded by the ringing of bells and preceded by lengthy prayers, invoking an air of solemnity, and can be taken only after making a public commitment to the faith.
But blending the imagery of the chalice, which represents the Holy Grail, with that of the mundane coffee cup poses no theological problems for the Rev Christopher Wilson, vicar of Leamington churches All Saints and Holy Trinity, who celebrates communion at the restaurant.
He said: "As Sunday becomes like every other day, I'd like every other day to be more like Sunday.
"Communion at All Saints may be fairly formal in approach, but when I take communion to people in their homes, the setting is going to be different. What's important is not the building, but the atmosphere of prayer. We have a short service, but say everything we need to. The Christian faith is for every day of the week."
Although the restaurant is not much frequented on Friday mornings, the sacrament is occasionally observed by men bringing to the premises deliveries of food and drink - albeit of the secular variety. The sessions have been running for about three months, last week attracting 13 worshippers.
Seasons co-owner Pam Iredale came up with the idea after a particularly stirring sermon at St Mark's church, Milverton, where she was an administrator until four years ago.
Mrs Iredale, who now attends Holy Trinity in Beauchamp Avenue, said: "I was inspired by a service where the bishops of Coventry and Warwick were talking about reaching out to the community.
"My husband and I haven't been able to go to communion services much in the past year because we're so busy, so it seemed right to have it in the restaurant instead.
"At the moment we get Baptists and Anglicans, so we're quite ecumenical. Anyone can come - providing they usually receive communion, of course."
The services start at 10am. Call 424340 for more information.
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