Hymns – Photos – Art – Thought – Poetry – Theology
A challenge to the church to change – ‘When the church, afraid of changing’
A challenge to the church to change – ‘When the church, afraid of changing’
Hymn writers sometimes ask questions of the church and then flesh out the consequences of the actions they have described. Fred Pratt Green’s - ‘When the Church of Jesus shuts its outer door’ is one such hymn (perhaps too challenging, or near to the bone, to be in Hymns & Psalms or Singing the Faith?) As we live out the time through lectionary readings from resurrection to Pentecost we have a chance to reflect on what the church is, and what it might be expected to be. Remember that Jesus death was partly a consequence of his challenging people to change their perspectives of faith.
When the church, afraid of changing, clings to glories of the past, holding fast to long lost memories, sure that it will always last, lost in time, devoid of spirit, know this truth, its fate is cast.
When the church no longer welcomes people other than it's own, when it thinks its understanding stands complete, is fully grown, love is rarely seen in action, grace is only, thinly, sown.
Jesus challenged expectation, turning tables upside down, those who once were thought as holy he confronted with a frown. When, then, will we learn the lesson, own that cross, that thorny crown?
2 thoughts on “A challenge to the church to change – ‘When the church, afraid of changing’”
My family arrived at Sutton Trinity (the church after which Fred Pratt Green named the tune that he wrote for “When the church of Jesus shuts its outer door”) he had just moved on. Lots of people told us how unlucky we were not to have been there while he was their minister. (We felt rather sorry for the new minister who clearly had a hard act to follow!) So I never met him, but I did recognise what I assume was his inspiration for the opening lines. The church stands on a busy, and noisy, cross-roads. when the service was about to beginm the stewards would close both the outer door (to the large porch) and the innner door (between the porch and the church), and then draw a heavy curtain across the inside of the inner door. This kept out both noise and draughts, but it also made it difficult for latecomers to come in and join the service.
I could never understand why this hymn never made it from “Hymns and Soings” into H&P or StF. I have often used in in services that I was leading, usually suggesting that we use the tune to “Summer suns are glowing”, rather than “Sutton Trinity”, which was usually unfamiliar to congregations.
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My family arrived at Sutton Trinity (the church after which Fred Pratt Green named the tune that he wrote for “When the church of Jesus shuts its outer door”) he had just moved on. Lots of people told us how unlucky we were not to have been there while he was their minister. (We felt rather sorry for the new minister who clearly had a hard act to follow!) So I never met him, but I did recognise what I assume was his inspiration for the opening lines. The church stands on a busy, and noisy, cross-roads. when the service was about to beginm the stewards would close both the outer door (to the large porch) and the innner door (between the porch and the church), and then draw a heavy curtain across the inside of the inner door. This kept out both noise and draughts, but it also made it difficult for latecomers to come in and join the service.
I could never understand why this hymn never made it from “Hymns and Soings” into H&P or StF. I have often used in in services that I was leading, usually suggesting that we use the tune to “Summer suns are glowing”, rather than “Sutton Trinity”, which was usually unfamiliar to congregations.
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Thanks for that story. No relative of mine which I think you know but I admire him even more as time goes on.
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