Church buildings dominate the landscape
demonstrating the power of religion
over the people of the past.

Often the buildings are beautiful and valued.
They carry memories of past occasions,
the celebrations of life and time:
weddings, funerals, baptisms,
even confirmations.

But the buildings also carry the baggage of the past;
of a theology and a churchmanship now rejected
even by those who live by Christian principles,
often without acknowledging its source.

Do these buildings still support the purposes of God,
even if they ever did so in the the past?

Yet they continue to absorb the time and resources
of the Christians that meet within them, weekly,
those who need somewhere to meet together.
These buildings are not fit for purpose
but still divert much Christian effort
from what they should be doing .

So should the ancient buildings be discarded, allowed to rot,
whilst effort is put into finding another centre
in which to meet or from which to operate?

Could each parish offer solace, gossip, coffee, tea and home-made cake
in an place devoid of sacramental overtones, yet filled with love?
Could we banish archaic architecture along with ancient ideas?