Growing sweet peas has become something of an annual ritual for me. In February, when the weather is cold and rather miserable, I buy 2 packets of sweet pea seeds. I sow them in compost in a tray placed on the spare bedroom window sill and wait to see the first signs of growth. By March I have some promising seedlings supported in cardboard tubes and by early May it is time to plant them out in a large pot on my south facing wall, supported by canes. After a few anxious days of wondering if they will survive outside during some chilly nights, they seem to adjust to their new situation and, with regular watering, they continue to grow, producing their first flowers by the beginning of July.
I love the delicate flowers that appear, in a variety of beautiful colours, and the absolute treat is the beautiful scent from them. Summer wouldn’t be summer for me without them.
This year, however, my plants have really struggled. I have had some flowers but they have been fewer in number and will be finished earlier. It’s not hard to work out why this is. The intense heat that has beaten down daily on my south facing wall has made life hard for them, and I realised too late that I should have moved them to a shadier spot. Lesson learned for next year, if we get another long hot summer.
In St Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 2, he writes about Christians being
“The aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing”. But like my sweet peas many Christian churches are struggling to bloom as we once did, feeling the heat of a secular culture that does not favour our views or want to show respect for Christians. We may look back to the days of large Sunday schools and church youth groups and feel that we are fighting a losing battle to win over the younger generation. Is this our fault and how can we stem the decline in church attendance and allegiance?
One thing we can be certain of is that God will not let his church die. God may be resiting his church, meaning that young people can worship in the way they want to in converted warehouses, schools and cinemas, but it is still God’s church if Jesus.is preached. Hard decisions are having to be made about some of our old buildings, both non-conformist chapels and village churches that have stood for centuries. Some old loyalties may have to be relinquished but the church of Jesus Christ will continue.
The churches one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is his new creation
By water and the word.
From heaven he came and sought her
To be his holy bride,
With his own blood he bought her,
And for her life he died.
Prayer – Our loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for your church on earth that has survived many ups and downs over the centuries. We recognise the challenges the church faces in this secular age but trust you to guide and lead it through your Holy Spirit in the years to come.