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| Church Turned Art Gallery |
For the past ten days I have wandered up and down streets
first used by Roman soldiers and English villagers thousands of years ago. I
have walked roads first trampled as paths by Constantine the Great and his men
expanding the Roman Empire. I have seen churches that were
established shortly
after William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066, and viewed stained glass
windows that lit the chapels used by Henry the VIII on one of his many wedding
days. I have stood in pulpits filled by John and Charles Wesley and upon ground
where George Whitfield preached salvation to miners as they arose from the pit
of darkness and found light for their souls. I have been on a pilgrimage to a
place that shaped the souls of the world for hundreds of years but has now
become soulless. One of my fellow pilgrims struck up a conversation in a pub
and when asked about the spiritual life in England was told, “It just doesn’t
matter.”
The cities, towns, and villages I visited are filled with
houses of worship. These are places whose grandeur almost takes your breath
away and they were once filled with those seeking to know God and be known by
God. Now in a time when hope is desperately needed in our world so far from
God, these buildings are nearly abandoned. On any given Sunday morning in
England less than 4% of its population can be found in a house worship. Ancient
buildings, once bathed with the prayers and praises of saints, have been
decommissioned and turned into pubs, art galleries, and private homes. What
happened? How did a country that once filled all of these churches abandon its
spiritual heart?
The sacred has become secular. Faith has become a practice
of older people, “proper Anglicans,” and those who are desperate. Both the
British Methodist and the Anglican clergy I spoke to lament the lack of young
people pursuing ministry as their primary vocation and the crisis their
churches are facing due to lack of leadership. Like in America, clergy are no
longer seen as community leaders in most places. They are viewed as relics,
much like their churches, who have their place in society but are largely
ornamental and rarely useful. To survive, every historic church we visited has
a gift shop, most have cafés, and some even charge admission when worship services
are not going on. Everywhere you go there are boxes soliciting contributions
inviting spiritual pilgrims to keep the place alive.
When the sacred becomes secular, the secular becomes sacred.
“Whoever says England isn’t an overtly religious country hasn’t considered the
sports mania that’s descended here.” (Kindle loc. 286, Foder’s Travel: England 2014) Our souls seek solace. We desire
something to believe in. In a country with a huge income disparity, a
struggling economy, and a difficult political situation, where the churches no
longer serve as the soul of the people they have turned to sports to fill in
the holes in their souls. Much like games in Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium,
sporting events in England are religious affairs with liturgy, vestments, and
accepted practices. The teams battle on the court or field for the chance
represent their region and bring hope to the masses. The sacramental drink is a
nice pint of cask ale served cool, but not really cold. The chants and songs
are sung lustfully and religious fervor is evident. The rivalries are fierce.
The victories are sweet. The losses are crushing, but there is always hope that
next time the victory will be yours.
In the midst of the decline of English spiritual life, there
is hope.
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| Wesley Memorial Methodist, Epworth |
I visited a thriving Methodist Church in Epworth where the
pastor willing to do whatever it takes to reach his community with the gospel.
He speaks of “full family worship” led by a band where
he preaches without a
robe and not in the pulpit (gasp!) to almost 250 souls each week. In a
three-hundred year old sanctuary, tucked behind a beautiful arch, is an
electric screen that lowers to show words to praise songs and videos he uses
each week during worship. They also have “messy church,” a place for parents and
families to come together and learn the basic stories of God. This congregation
in a tucked away corner of Christendom is doing dozens of adult baptisms a
year. This radical pastor is quietly sowing the seeds for a new Methodist
revival.
St. Martin’s in the Field, pastored by former Duke Dean of
Chapel Sam Wells, is a historic Anglican church serving the heart of the city
of London right in Trafalgar Square. It has community ministries that serve the
least, last, and lost of London. There is a homeless shelter that houses and
assists thousands every year. Tucked in the long abandoned basement crypt is a
crowded café that provides income for ministry and food for the body. It breaks
down the barrier some people have about coming into a “church” by providing a
place of entry for them. The church sponsors some of the best classical music
concerts in the city, utilizing the astounding acoustics of an ancient
sanctuary as a backdrop for Mozart, Bach, and Handel. It is
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| Wesley Memorial, London |
Not too far from St. Martin’s is a Methodist Church that
sets the bar high for embracing diversity. Wesley Memorial Methodist Church,
London, is embracing renewal through the intentional love for those immigrating
into the UK. The thriving congregation has members from around the globe and
there are at least twenty-five different native tongues spoken by its members. The
singing is full, the people are passionate, and the atmosphere is
infectious. This anchor of British
Methodism has emerged from the ashes of decline to become a vibrant and diverse
congregation proving that urban churches can come alive again if they find ways
to connect to the people right outside their doors.
John Wesley gave us a warning nearly three-hundred years ago
when he wrote:
“I
am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to
exist
either in Europe or America. But I am afraid, lest they should only
exist
as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this
undoubtedly
will be the case, unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit,
and
discipline with which they first set out.”
As we face decline in the mainline across the U.S. these
words should ring in our ears. Let us hold fast and recommit ourselves to doing
whatever it takes to reach our community, to connecting with people by selfless
service, and by reaching those right outside our doors and embracing diversity.
There is hope and we serve a God who gives us hope. That is why I am Methodist,
and I remain:
Consumed by the Call,
Marty
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