New wine in old church buildings
This week saw the publication of English Heritage’s first national survey of England's places of worship. This documents the state of 14,500 church buildings from Gothic Anglican confections to nonconformist chapels and Quaker meeting houses. The survey found that fewer than half are in fair or good condition, while ten per cent are at risk of dereliction. While heritage campaigners understandably lament the demise of beautiful, historic buildings, an emerging form of religious life beyond buildings tells a rather different story. This is a tale of change and transformation - one which necessarily involves a degree of pain and loss - out of which church communities are forging a different relationship to the bricks and mortar which traditionally lies at the heart of Christianity in Britain. Examples are offered in the survey of new models of worship, many letting go of the idea that the physical place in which 'church' takes place is somehow uniquely sacrosanct, to be reserved for religious purposes only. Pray: that God’s voice is heard where two or three come together. (Mt.18:20) More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/jun/30/religion-church-buildings-change-decay
Politics and the Gospel
American writer and theologian Wayne Grudem, co-translator of the English Standard Version of the Bible, addressed a packed St. Helen’s Church in Bishopsgate, London, tackling the question of whether political involvement distracts from the Gospel. He said God was calling Christians in the UK to ‘stand against evil’ and ‘threats that would silence the Gospel and remove it from the public square,’ particularly laws passed in recent years promoting homosexuality and attempts to loosen existing abortion regulations. Grudem argued that far from being a distraction from the Gospel, Christian involvement in politics was necessary. He pointed to the proliferation of secularist campaigns and warned that they ‘threaten the voice of the Church and the voice of Christians’ and ‘remove from government God’s teaching about good and evil.’ ‘How can government officials rightly serve God if no one is able to let them know what God expects of them?’ he asked. Pray: for a wider understanding that Christians have a vital role to play in politics and government. (Is.9:6) More: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100625/engaging-in-politics-does-not-distract-from-gospel-says-writer/index.html
Methodists to ‘pay attention’ to God
The Methodist Conference in Portsmouth last Saturday heard a fresh call from the new President to pay attention to God and to those who have been discarded or rejected by society. The Rev Alison Tomlin said paying attention to God meant living with Him at the centre and loving, even enemies. ‘We talk about God as central, except of course that the God we serve tends to spend a lot of time on the edge, on the periphery, on the outside, not within our buildings, not within the places we choose to call home, but out there with those who have been discarded, rejected, those who are distressed and distraught. So if we are serious about paying attention to God at the centre of our lives we have to make sure that we are paying attention far wider than ourselves.’ Pray: for all Christians to renew their commitment to put God at the centre of our lives. (Rev.7:17)
Church appeal over lap-dance club
An Oxford congregation lost its appeal on 30th June 2010 to overturn the variation of a licence to run a lap-dancing club just 50 yards from their church. The Rev Vaughan Roberts, Rector of St Ebbe’s Church, lodged an appeal after Oxford Council’s Licensing Committee granted the variation to Greene King to run Thirst Lodge in Pennyfarthing Place, off St Ebbe’s Street. He said: ‘We still feel that granting the licence to permit lap-dancing at this sort of establishment was totally inappropriate because of its proximity to the church and because these types of clubs can make women feel vulnerable - there are hundreds of young female students who live nearby and women who park their cars in the nearby Westgate Car Park. We wouldn’t be keen to see such a club anywhere because lap-dancing degrades God’s gift of sex.’ Would the licence have been granted had the club been sited next to a mosque Pray: for local churches to stand up for Christian values in the public square. (Mk.16:15)
