Dear Friends,
At one of our evening services recently someone commented on how lovely Caistor Church looked at night with the lights on in church and shining through the stained glass windows. I have to say, I totally agreed with that person for the building looked almost magical with the moon shining behind the tower, the cross on top of the tower lit up and the windows all aglow. Of course when we left at the end of the service, it was a different picture because we had turned the lights off in church and the building looked quite dark.
But it set me thinking about our church. I read a criticism of the church recently on another churches website which meets in each other's homes and in village halls, The article commented that they believe that the church is the people and not an ancient building. And in a sense, I couldn't agree more because that is what we believe too. The church is the people who meet together no matter where that may be. However, we have been left a legacy of ancient buildings to maintain with little or no help from the state.
And they can be a burden to us at times - but also a joy. And we ought to be grateful to those few who maintain our wonderful buildings and heritage.
But that comment about the beauty of the church at night offers a good message to us. For it tells us that what we do together can and should affect the world around us. It's only when the church is busy and active does it shine out to the world around us.
If we put up curtains at our windows, we might do all sorts of wonderful things in our buildings, but we wouldn't be letting the light of Christ shine out to our world.
Perhaps, we aren't that good at "blowing our own trumpets" but I hold onto the phrase in the Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion Service - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven"
May all of our lights shine out no matter who or what we are.
Ian R