sarahness

In Albuquerque, there is a one-of-a-kind, a church without preaching and without prayer.

The Church of Beethoven gathers a congregation every week. There is something spiritual about its Sunday services but it is not affiliated to any god or religion. Instead, it comes from music, from spirited renditions of works composed by Brahms, Bach, and Beethoven whom the church is named.

The service also features poetry, visual art and other types of music. Each week the church’s performances draw a committed group of art-loving locals.

According to the founder, Felix Wurman, most regulars at the Church of Beethoven are not religious but are simply “people looking to be uplifted on a Sunday morning.”

But of course, it is not really a church. Its intent, Wurman said, is part entertainment, part spiritual awakening.