"There is little point for Christians to pine for a return to the good old days when Christianity was more dominant in Western culture. Furthermore, there is little point in blaming the Enlightenment or science or technology or urbanization. The way forward is both to recognize that the church in the past has also failed and that the present difficulty may well be a blessing in disguise. There is a new opportunity for the church, stripped of a previous power and influence, to exercise the power of authentically living the gospel. A humbled church, like the humiliated Christ, may be able to be a greater witness in our world than the church as the guardian of Christendom."
The true power of the gospel is revealed in our weakness. When we are weak the Glory goes to God. When we are powerful we don't need God. When we have everything we need and when we are in control life is easy ... but it is also easy to drift away from the Father. When we are crying out to him and clinging to him and depending on him we are spiritually connected.
As members of the Church of England we inherit a history of social domination of the masses by the elite. Many of the wealthier elite, and many of the clergy in the past were from the landed gentry or from that sector of society. These people wielded their financial and social power in the name of God for generations. Over the past 200 years the working classes have gradually shaken off these shackles. Sadly they have thrown the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to Christianity.
I would like us to pray about this issue which afflicts our nation and our neighbourhood in particular. Maybe we need a healing of the land with some form of public repentance by the church?
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