Karen and I spent a delightful morning recently at the Methodist Heritage Centre at Wighton near Wells in North Norfolk, where a small group of volunteers have worked diligently to gather memorabilia from Methodism to display in the old chapel, which has now been repurposed. I spent time looking around and as I did memories of the past were reawakened for me.
I can remember sitting at the kitchen table with my mum and my brother emptying the World Missions boxes and counting the pennies, thrupenny bit and sixpences and getting excited if there was a half crown in there. Sure, enough there is a world missions’ box in the shape of a globe on display, along with a JMA box shaped like a cream, red, and blue church, and the National Children’s Home “league of light box in the shape of a lantern.
All kinds of memories were awakened as I looked at the old Sunday School hymn book, old preaching plans from bygone days, I was in my element and was transported back to days long past, and faces popped into my mind of people who were so central to my childhood. If you ever find yourself in this part of north Norfolk on a Tuesday or a Friday during the summer, why not pop in and have a look for yourself.
Following a picnic lunch, we ventured to the picturesque village of Walsingham where even today this continues to be a place of pilgrimage where people come to visit the shrine to Mary and the two monastic priories. As we drove into the sleepy village there were people milling around who appeared to be from different nationalities. Our reason for being in the village was to attend a special service at the Methodist Chapel to mark the two hundred and thirtieth anniversary to the day. This little chapel is also visited by people from around the globe and is yet another step back into the history of Methodism, the Chapel was built three years after the death of our founder John Wesley, but he visited the village during his lifetime, which speaks volumes about the history of the place.
Am I just a bit nostalgic? Is this all just history and of little importance in the modern world? I don’t think so. I believe that this is all a part of my DNA, part of my history and I believe that whilst churches struggle in the modern world and the majority of people see very little relevance in all of this, we are all the people we are today, good and bad, because of the experiences that have shaped us and I don’t think that there is anything wrong with a bit of nostalgia.