The sign above an English Church

I was out and about yesterday, and I noticed the new sign over the gate of a village church. This church is beautiful looking, and very old – the stuff of picture postcards in a tranquil idyllic setting. It is not one to have trendy signs with clever messages like some churches do. It is what it is, and has been the same way for years – on the outside at least. I have been inside there, and sadly it is a typical Church of England that has lost its way and doesn’t know what it is anymore. It preaches an all inclusive gospel without the uniqueness of Jesus, and preaches a message of ‘lead a good life and everyone will get to heaven’. Books in its tiny religious lending library include one sound Christian book, an obviously still unopened Good News Bible with a rainbow on the front, and the rest is a scattering of Catholic and New Age books.

It has a very strange ‘tangible’ spirit inside that church: it is filled with a fragrance that is not the fragrance of God. Coincidently it is in a community surrounded by Celtic Druidic influences in the natural landscape, and has one of the highest levels of witchcraft in the area. A witchcraft cult is in that village that is known but not talked about openly.  But then the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is a Druid (see here), so so what when the New Age and Occult and Christianity can dwell side by side like they do merrily on this church’s bookshelf?  

I noticed yesterday that the church had a new sign wrought out of ironwork put over their gate, so I am guessing it is a permanent feature. The sign arched above its Medieveal Gate has been specially made and said: ‘Putting a Stop to Poverty’. 

I am all for social justice, and real Christianity has never not  included feeding, clothing and housing the poor BUT when that becomes all  the church is about, or even its main focus and outreach, the church has lost its way.

At the moment (in general) we have a dichotomy in ‘Christianity’ with a so-called ’spirit-filled’ side of the church that is selfish, inward looking and self-obsessed. And an apostate heretical side that is charitable and outward looking. When can we have a spirit filled church that is also genuinely charitable and gives a monkeys about anything other than themselves?