No hope for the Church of England?
Early in January a leading Church of England historian wrote: ‘It is a sad, gloomy, and mournful place where our Church currently finds itself. It has not been in such a bad place for centuries. Its standing, as an institution, in society, and the local community has plunged. Its moral reputation has been wrecked. There is a pervasive sense of organisational incoherence, dysfunctionality, dishonesty, and betrayal. Instead of leading the way, as it often has done in the past, the Church of England has lost its way. But (the writer added), although the morale of the faithful in their parishes has been severely dented, many still carry on as best they can and deserve enormous gratitude for that.’
This article prompted quite a backlash in the Church Times. Some acknowledged with a sense of shame and humility that the behaviour of many, including leaders, has been found wanting, and in some cases seriously so. Others pointed out that away from the headlinesthere remains evergreen evidence of authentic Christian faith seen in the lives of God’s ‘ordinary’ people. Untrumpeted, and missing from the annual Honours Lists, such ‘salt of the earth’ individuals display (unselfconsciously) simple goodness, love and integrity. They live it out in family, neighbourhood and community life at ground level. Perhaps if you stop and think for a moment, some such individuals will soon come to mind.
Let’s remember, Jesus taught that the ‘kingdom of God’ (for which we pray day by day) grows unobtrusively, like yeast in a batch of dough or like seedlings which emerge unnoticed. And that St Paul discovered that only in our weakness and reliance on God’s help would the goal be achieved.
The Rev’d Dr Richard Hines
Rural Dean for Wisbech Lynn Marshland