Today I went to my last service at Trinity College (Anglican college) for the ascension day service, and Rev. Dr. David Wenham preached on ‘Christ has gone, Christ will come again so now get on with it.’ He used this as his refrain and reminded us that Christ has gone, and we are left His Spirit empowering us as the body of Christ in the world. Although I didn’t then go off and evangelise, I did continue with an essay I’m writing on evangelistic social action in 19th century, and came across a Baptist Minister called F.B Meyer (1847-1929). What struck me when I was reading about him was that some of the things he was involved with has been some of my experience, and things I’ve been tustling with during my time in Bristol.
Meyer was committed to finding ways in which the gospel could be ‘incarnated’ in the community. He struggled to bridge the gap between the church and the common people. So he opened a coffee room each evening in Melbourne Hall in Leicester, and opened the church to be used for other organisations. The church partnered with social services and the local church became the hub of these activities. He believed the gospel was social as well as a spiritual.
My time in Bristol has opened my eyes to the ways in which we can ’incarnate the gospel’ and the need to show people in tangiable ways, how the gospel is relevant for them. The churches in urban areas are small, struggling, and the majority are middle class – it seems they had similar problems in 19th century. We use similar methods that Meyer used in 19th century – some churches in Bristol open their doors and provide coffee and a place to chat, and welcome people from the community into the church. Many churches have partnered with other orgainsations such as pre-schools, or debt advice centres. Perhaps we need to be reminded of our past, that these aren’t actually ‘new, trendy, post-modern’ ways but they are actually tried, tested, ways even if its ‘new’ to that context! Even though I’m not a traditionalist this might help some folks in our churches who are or at least struggle with change.
Melbourne Hall was my church’s mother church! You have hot a very importnmat nail on the head but it is one many churches still struggle with. Its like telling them the organ was thought of as an instrument of the devil and guitars were the thing, or we used to use wine not fruit juice and we sued to have church meetings on a Sunday!
Church should be what we grew up with! (or not as the case may be!)