I bring you greetings!
From the Congregational Federation of England and Wales
and from the Congregational Centre Church in the city of Nottingham.
From the Bunyan Meeting Free Church in Bedford.
From the Memorial United Reformed Church in Gainsborough.
From the Old Meeting House Congregational Church in Norwich
From the Witney Congregational Church in Witney.
From Castle Hill Church in Northampton
and Union Chapel in London.
They all send their greetings.
Today, I thought that I would share with you some of what I have learned in the last three weeks. I went to England with an impression. It was an impression that not unlike that of Paul and the early church in Ephasus. Paul writes to the church saying, "I have heard of your faith." I had heard of their faith. I had read their stories and studied their history.
And like Paul, I had thankfully prayed for all they had done to bring us to this place and time where we can freely gather as a church. Centered on Christ, the Bible as our only authority and the freedom to follow the leading of the Spirit of God. I knew that we were here because they wanted us to know the hope of God, the greatness of Christ's power, growing in wisdom and enlightenment as we live out our lives in Christ's church.
I went knowing all of these things, and yet I learned so much more. I went knowing these things in my head, but I came back with a shared heritage in my heart. We had lectures and tours. We traveled many places. And, the knowledge we had when we arrived was deepened by these things.
But what truly surprised me was what I learned as we sat at table with the people of the churches. We worshipped. We shared meals. We were the objects of their great hospitality, on Sundays and during the week. And, we were blessed with their stories. In England, I witnessed the strength and fervor of the Congregational conviction that exists there today, just as it has for the last several centuries. Separatists, non-conformists, dissidents, independents-they were all there, right in front of us, sharing why this way of church was what they chose. It was not just what was right for them, or the way they had been raised. It was they way that God could come first in their lives, the way they could be free from the "institution" of church, and simply follow where the Spirit was leading.
This is not merely their history, it is their present. In their lives, they own the hallmarks of Congregationalism. The church in Witney was a great example of this. To follow the leading of the Spirit and to enable Christ to be the head of the church, this congregation has moved eight times. Eight times! Can you imagine? They are truly God's freely gathered people
I could not help but think of Deuteronomy, chapter six, when I met our brothers and sisters in Congregationalism from across the sea, because it is not only how they came to be, it is how they still live and worship today. In Deuteronomy, we find a strong statement of God as the only Lord. Only God is to be worshipped. Not the crown or the institution of church, but God.
We also find in this passage the affirmation of scripture as authoritative. It is by scripture that we teach others and share our faith. Our lives must be guided by the scriptures, and our living out of God's teachings must be seen, according to Deuteronomy. Our lives are to be a visible reflection of what we believe.
This is the witness that was shared with us by the people of the churches who send their greetings. And yes, they truly did send their greetings, each and every one of them. It was important to them to continue the connection that began with our visit, to nurture the new relationships that God had blessed.
As I experienced this strength of conviction and this truly refreshing hospitality, it gradually dawned on me just how connected we are to those who worship as we do across the pond. We are here because they lived by the words of Deuteronomy and Ephesians. We are here because they were willing to suffer in order to worship God with freedom.
Many of the places we visited were places of death and torture for those who paved the way to this place and time. As I said before, I had read it all. But seeing it and experiencing the Congregational spirit that is present today truly brought it to life for me. In Oxford on Broad Street, there is a spot in the road that is different from the rest of the road. It is a cross made out of brick that marks where Thomas Cranmer and other non-conformists were burned at the stake.
In Bedford, we visited the John Bunyan Museum. Many of you know of Bunyan because of his prolific writings, and his most famous book, The Pilgrim'sProgress. Bunyan's life was a tumultuous one, as he was jailed over and over for preaching the word of God.
And, at the Clink Prison in London we learned of punishments for the poor and those who would not conform to the monarchy's way of doing church. We heard a story of a church that gathered, the first to call their own minister, who were discovered one morning as they worshipped. The pastor as well as the entire congregation were imprisoned. And, as was the norm, many of them perished there.
These things are as real to Congregationalists in England now as if they were living in that time period. They hold the sufferings and strength of belief of those who have gone before them close to their hearts, close to their souls. It defines who they are. If history were to repeat itself and they were to face the same oppression, they would make the same difficult choices. They could do nothing else.
There are many similarities in the way that we do church here today and the way that they do church in England. They face many of the same issues that we do-a shortage of pastors and declining membership being two of the largest. They strive to work to meet the need of their communities by providing social programs-their version of being visible in their faith. They struggle more than we do with a negative public outlook on the institution of church, and all the injustices perpetrated in the name of God through the church. Mistrust of organized religion is a very big problem in England.
And of course, there are differences. They place less emphasis on the value of an educated clergy. Their small churches are truly small-5-12 people-but yet they keep going and hope in the future-always looking at what they can do. At Union Chapel in London, a church with about 20 members, they have daily programs for the homeless. They support and enormous church building and have done so by renovating the building and creating spaces for rehearsals and public performances, making themselves visible in the community. They have a staff of about five full time people, a church of twenty members.
Congregationalists in England do not emphasize local church covenant in the same wayt that we do, and yet the entire church meets once a month to conduct all of the church's business. Their worship structure is very different than ours, we tend to emphasize the Reformed structure. Theirs is much more free flowing and familiar, which all adds to the sense of Congregationalism (I'll speak more about that in Adult Education time next week).
As I said before, I went knowing what I had heard in my head. But when I came back, my heart was filled with a sense of belonging, a strong sense of shared heritage. I am still reeling from their total trust in God's faithfulness and from their persistent reliance on God's goodness. English Congregationalists today are truly confident that they are still being led by the Spirit, just as they were in the 16th century. It is as if they are singing Psalm 97 with all that is in them, declaring joyfully, "The Lord is King! Let all the earth rejoice!" Amen.
Peace,
Rev. Cynthia Bacon
Minister
You may email at:
cbacon@heritagemadison.org
Return to the top of the page.
Back to the Sermon Archives
Back to the Heritage home page.
Certified Web Author and Publisher: R. Dan Nelson
rnelson@madison.k12.wi.us
This page was last updated on August 14, 2003.