Message from David Firth

Dear Friends

I don't usually bother to read articles by the journalists who earn their living by giving us the benefit of their opinions week by week in the national press. However, this morning my eyes fell on an article which was clearly about God and the Church and so I read further.

Most of what was being said was the sort of ill-informed and downright silly comment which is all too prevalent nowadays: perhaps we should look at ourselves and ask to what extent we are to blame for allowing this situation to come about? However, one remark did strike a chord. The journalist told us that "My mates told me they accept God exists; they just don’t think he needs to be worshipped in an organised fashion." I suspect that her "mates" speak for many people today when they say that.

But are they right? Certainly I cannot believe that God needs to be worshipped only in a certain form of words or in a particular place or even at a particular time. Worship of God should not be confined to what we do within a certain four walls for one hour on Sunday mornings. Our whole life should be an offering of worship to God. Everything which we do and say should be an acknowledgement that we believe that we owe our existence to God and that he loves us and wants us to love him in return.

Does that mean, therefore, that we can forget about meeting together for worship and instead just concentrate on pursuing our own relationship with God in our own way and with no reference to anyone else? No! The Christian faith is not alone in being a faith in which we are called into community. God needs us, but even more we need God and we need each other. God calls us to love and support one another. We cannot do without the support of our brothers and sisters however it is offered. In the words of Charles Wesley, "he bids us build each other up." We may meet together in a "traditional" church building, or in someone's front room, or under no roof at all: we may use elaborate ritual or simply sit together quietly waiting upon God: but we do need to come together. This is not just a duty, it is a privilege: we will be blessed!

With best wishes

David Firth