The church is the people

Sadly, recent events regarding St George's Tron in Glasgow (the church where I was christened by Rev Tom Allan) clearly demonstrate the Church of Scotland's determination to continue its dog in the manger attitude towards congregations which wish to secede. Presumably they hope to send out a clear message to the likes of Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh, which has recently undergone a similar refurbishment paid for in large part by the congregation. I can only hope that Holyrood, Gilcomston and others send a clear message back to 121 - get back to the Bible or we're off. It is not now just a matter of the denomination's stance on homosexuality which is the problem - it is also the petty, spiteful way in which Presbyteries are acting towards congregations who reject the way the denomination is heading and who want to remain faithful to God's word. Rev David Robertson of the Free Church challenges us, both inside and outside the Church of Scotland, not to sit on the fence. I stand with my brothers and sisters who have been evicted from the Tron and I pray that their witness in Glasgow city centre will continue. The church is the people, not the building.

Here is the church
Here's the steeple
Open the doors
Look - no people!
(from an old children's action rhyme - adapted to suit Glasgow Presbytery)

Great is thy faithfulness

Why, oh why, do some churches feel that they have to modernise everything in order to appeal to people? I am not a die-hard traditionalist however I also do not believe that the decline in church attendance has been caused purely by the use of old-fashioned English and can be reversed simply by replacing all instances of 'thee' and 'thou' in our prayers, worship and bible readings by 'you'. Such language was already out of date when I was a child but that didn't stop me from understanding what was meant, at least most of the time. It also didn't stop me from becoming a Christian.

The English of the King James Version, although beautiful, can be impenetrable and so I personally use the NIV for Bible study. Being of a certain age (ie over 50) I do, however, prefer to keep the old language of 'Our Father' which I learnt as a child and I really, really object when people try and modernise the words of favourite old hymns. Do we modernise Shakespeare? Do we update John Donne? Or Chaucer? Hymns are poetry set to music. When you alter the words you spoil them. Churches which do this also run the risk of alienating older people who know many old hymns off by heart and who become confused when the words are changed. Such relentless modernisation makes me feel that old people are being forgotten when it comes to evangelisation. Everything is aimed at the younger generation and yet pensioners have an even more urgent need to hear the gospel because their time is short.

The vast majority of the over-50s in this country grew up with the King James Version and the Church of Scotland Hymnary 2nd Edition with the Scottish Psalter. That is what they are familiar with. It therefore makes sense that that is what churches should use if they want to reach the over-50s. You have only to look at the faces of the residents in an old-folks' home when old hymns are being sung to see how much they enjoy them. I'm not saying that we can't have modern songs. I'm just saying that we should have a mixture of both old and new and that we shouldn't try and update the old favourites. "Great is your faithfulness" just doesn't sound right any more than "wherefore are you Romeo".

The problem of feelings-based legislation

I have already talked in an earlier post about the dangers of relying on feelings when it comes to interpreting God's Word. I am also very concerned about the current tendency for individuals and groups to press for changes in legislation based on feelings. No-one who watched Tony Nicklinson on TV could fail to have been affected emotionally by his struggles, however that does not mean that we should change the law to allow someone to kill a person in Mr Nicklinson's position with impunity. Thankfully the judges in the case decided that they were not able to change the law. The problem is that politicians are, and they are being actively lobbied by the pro-euthanasia groups both at Westminster and Holyrood. I have said before that we cannot impose Christian values on society however that does not mean that we can't encourage society, by all methods at our disposal, to live according to God's law, thereby protecting the weak and the vulnerable. Having rejected both the Judeo-Christian tradition, and the Greek tradition of rational thought, our nation is now floundering on a sea of emotionalism. As Christians we need to be throwing it the lifebelt of God's word to bring it to safety on the rock which is Christ.

Watered-down christianity doesn't work

There is a school of thought that says that we should back-pedal on the harder teachings of Christianity in order not to scare away seekers or new christians. The theory goes that it is better to get and keep such people in the church, where they can hear a (watered-down) gospel rather than frighten them off. What rot. If anyone has any lingering doubt that such a philosophy works, they have only to look at the experience of seeker-friendly Willow Creek. The results of a multi-year study on the effectiveness of their programs and philosophy of ministry reveal that most of what they have been doing for these many years, and what they have taught millions of others to do, is not producing solid disciples of Jesus Christ. Numbers yes, but not disciples.

I think people need to know exactly what they are committing themselves to before they make a decision to follow Christ. "Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and few find it." (Matt 7:14) "He who puts his hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for service in the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) Better a few really committed christians who understand what it is all about than a load of wishy-washy touchy-feely felt-led sort-of christians who still have one foot in the world and who will probably run away at the first sign of persecution or hardship. In the meantime, they are infecting our churches with their worldly views on everything from homosexuality to new age therapies. That is why the church in Scotland (and the Church of Scotland in particular) is in such a mess. Preaching a watered-down gospel just doesn't work.

When the rich young man came to Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, did Jesus make it easy for him? No, he didn't, even although Mark's gospel tells us that Jesus loved him (Mark 10:21). Actually, Jesus asked the young man to do the same as he'd asked the other disciples to do - leave everything and follow him. The result was a failure, in the world's eyes, but why should Jesus have asked anything less of this particular would-be follower? Would we really expect Jesus to make an exception just because someone was rich? The way to eternal life is the same for everyone - through faith in Christ. The cost is everything we have. There are no shortcuts, no easy way, no privileged path. It's a pity Pilgrim's Progress is not more widely read these days.

Yes, it is harder for those who have a lot invested in the world to become christians (Mark 10:23). Sometimes they need to lose their wordly wealth before they will turn to Christ. Our job is not to make it easy for them but to preach the gospel, omitting nothing. To do otherwise is dishonest and unfair.