Background Passage: Mark 7:7
Drive into any city or town in the United Kingdom and the dominant structure visible from miles away is the cathedral. These amazing structures were built centuries ago with one purpose in mind–to serve as a place of worship and praise to God.
A group of friends from our church spent time over the past 10 days touring, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. We’ve walked through many of these towering buildings with artful stained glass, vaulted ceilings and spires stretching to the heavens. Yet, far to many of them now serve as museums and concert halls.
I read this week that some of the most prominent churches in England now have less than 50 members to support a cathedral that would seat more than 2,000. I’m not sure I could explain well the secularization of Europe, but I wonder if the United States is not far behind.
Jesus shared with his disciples in Mark, “In vain to they worship me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.”
Maybe, it’s that simple. We quit listening to God and started doing what men wanted us to do. We abandoned worship because faith demands too much energy and effort.
We walked today through the beautiful cathedral in Belfast. Because membership is so low, most of these old cathedrals must charge an entry fee for tourists to continue to keep the doors of the church open. A news article just this week in London said that most people in Great Britain would call themselves Christian, yet fewer than 10 percent of them attend church at all.
I thought about that article today as I stood in the back of the Belfast Cathedral. I could only imagine what it would sound like to hear Amazing Grace sung by a congregation filling that old building.
So as I prepare for sleep tonight, I will share this thought as sung by the Irish Tenors. Thank God for his amazing grace!