4 February 2013 2 Comments

From the pages of the Methodist Recorder (and every time I write those words, I can feel my 20 year old self address my 46 year old self and say ‘You don’t read that…?!‘) last week, there was an article about a visit to a school:-

‘….the tremendous gulf between these academically gifted young people….. and the Church is tremendous and alarming.

We in the Methodist Church must ask ourselves….has the typical Methodist service of five hymns, often containing archaic expressions, and [an] OT lesson sometimes meaningless and sub-Christian, a NT lesson without a proper introduction is of little more value, and a 30- minute sermon, addressed usually to the elderly, anything to offer these sixth-formers?

I do not pose this question in ager but in sorrow…’

I could pick apart some of these statements, but I haven’t got the space right now (equating ‘church’, solely with ‘worship’ for example?). It is worth noting, however, that this article was not written last week, but 50 years ago in 1963.

Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose….