After a life-time of ‘thinking’ I now understand that what we believe is crucial in that it makes us feel either good or bad about the things we do. I have also noticed how the pulpit attracts certain ideas which last until the theological seminaries move on to more ‘modern’ thinking.
In the USA during the sixties many clerics thought their role was to destroy the complacency which they said infected many Christians, and they coined a phrase to encapsulate the priestly role which was, “To comfort the Afflicted and to afflict the Comfortable.”
I remember thinking at the time that the second part of this phrase simply echoed the fashionable ideas of the day. The sixties were, after all, the time when philosophers were arguing that the old notion of a fixed Right and Wrong was outdated and that everything was relative to its situation. Their reasoning was that an action could be right in one set of circumstance but wrong in another.
This view of ethics spread throughout the world except in Islamic countries. These were also the years when many people were dabbling with drugs, eastern religions and generally turning away from Christian values and the morality of previous generations.
It did not surprise me therefore that church attendance fell. After all in a world of apparent anarchy who wants to listen to a sermon that creates more turmoil in ones own mind? Just as the straps hanging from the roofs of underground trains give passengers a feeling of location and security so too, congregations want to hear of values that are anchored and things which make them feel good about themselves.
It is a curious thing about life that although everything seems always to be changing everything also stays the same. And so, after forty years of apparently wandering in the wilderness of human ethics those churches which today have a straight forward message are attracting more people. So successful are they that even Atheists have copied their format and now hold Sunday morning assemblies, in which they sing secular songs, clap and perform poetry and listen to godless sermons from elevated podiums.
So it seems that those people who want to feel good about themselves are joining the groups which make it possible. But, because we all feel good about ourselves in different ways, attendance is also rising in Cathedrals and in those churches focusing on ancient liturgical ceremony.
In this corner of Gloucestershire, historic Church buildings’ help us to identify who we are and locals need to know their church is open and feel its pervasive influence.
Such need for church buildings brings to mind a fantastic idea. It came from a parishioner in Dymock where a recent traffic survey recorded that in a full week about 30,000 vehicular movements occurred. Of these amazingly only 750 were within the limits, the rest averaged 45mph with a few drivers hitting 86 mph.
These figures make interesting reading and prompt the thought that if Dymock was in the USA it could have elected its own Sheriff. Had he then fined the drivers £60 for each infraction during that one week he would have raised £1.75 million.
Think what Dymock could do with that money! They could employ a Deputy Sheriff and even pay for their own Vicar and a Curate. And it wouldn’t cost a penny.
However, Dymock folk might first want to hear the tale of how traffic built up on a country road in Montana to the point where a local farmer was losing three chickens a day.
He called the sheriff who put up a sign saying, “Slow Chickens Crossing.” But things got worse so he put up another sign, “Slow Children Playing” but nothing improved.
Despairing of the sheriff the farmer put up his own sign. Immediately traffic slowed to a crawl.
The astonished sheriff heard of this change and set out at high speed to see what had done the trick. As he neared the town he saw the sign ………..
“Nudist Colony Ahead”
View from the Pew 