I've visited a nearby Catholic church four times this week. They hold a mass at 12.15 every day for half an hour. This is not my normal church or even my normal denomination but I'm glad I got over any trepidation I might have felt.

I've not joined in the Eucharist. I've been forward with everyone else but keeping my arms crossed in front of me to indicate you just want a blessing rather than the bread - sorry, wafer. But in fact I spoke to one of the staff there and he took the pragmatic view that I would have done, which was that it would be fine to join in if I take it in my own church. My boss is actually the chair of their pastoral committee and she said the same thing. But I wasn't sure I wasn't doing it for the wrong reasons, so I refrained. Perhaps another time.

But it was a marvellous space for quiet and contemplation. Even though the liturgy was sometimes identical to what I'm familiar with and sometimes just a little different, it was easy to pray and listen to God (and find that he spoke there as well!). You could genuinely sense the devotion. Right in the heart of the city, in the middle of a busy day, in a week in which I really needed such a space.

Thank you to the friend who guided me through my first visit and most certainly stretched my comfort zones.