175 Years Old and Looking Forward

Time seems to move on ever faster! Such a short time after celebrating the season of Easter, when the focus was on new life, we’re celebrating our church being 175 years old and, at the same time, opening a new chapter in our story with the arrival of a new Vicar. So we enthusiastically welcome Richard and Brenda to Norbury and look forward to many years of us all working together as a team furthering the growth of God’s kingdom in this parish.

Those wanting to read more about the past at Norbury can do so easily by visiting the church’s website at http://www.norburypc.org/ and following the pages indexed under History. Suffice it to say the church building of today is very different from that of 175 years ago in size and design. It’s been transformed in stages from what was essentially a meeting room with a pulpit, by the addition of a chancel as the sacrament of Holy Communion became more valued by the congregation and, much later, by the building of the narthex.

But the most important part of the church is the people rather than the building. This was brought home to me very vividly during a recent holiday, when I undertook a walking tour of a part of central Italy. My wife and I visited several churches, principally to look at the wonderful art work with which they are decorated. The one that stood out well above all the others for me was the Basilica of St Francis at Assisi. This was not because the frescoes were so much better than those anywhere else, although they certainly were very good, but because the atmosphere in both parts of the church (it has upper and lower churches in the building) was so different from anything else we encountered. The reason? People were using the building to pray, not just as a spectacle. This affected our reaction not just to that particular church but to the whole town. Clearly this place was very special.

If we are to develop the full potential of our church building perhaps this is where we should start. I’m not suggesting that there is any prospect of Hazel Grove becoming a place of pilgrimage that is in any way comparable to Assisi. We don’t have the history or the special qualities that Assisi has, neither do most places. That does not mean we cannot develop our church building as a place where people want to come to pray, not just in services but on their own or in small groups.

Two important moves have been made over recent years in that direction. Firstly the church is open on a number of mornings each week so that people who want to come in for a time of quiet may do so. These may be people visiting the churchyard or people passing through Hazel Grove, just needing some place to reflect quietly on their own. They may be folk who live here or perhaps just here for a brief visit. They may have some particular problem of their own that they need time and space to grapple with or they may just be weary and in need of a break from activity. Those who man the Open Doors and make sure that everything runs smoothly, providing cups of coffee for those who need them, do an especially valuable job helping here.

The building can seem very large and impersonal at times when it’s empty, which is why an area at the top in the chancel near the eagle lectern has been set aside and designated “the Retreat” to support those using the church in this way. It is simply furnished with somewhere to sit and a few simple aids to prayer. Those who use it find it very valuable. It could be used more without becoming overcrowded. Why not make a point of calling into church if you happen to be passing and see the “Church open” signs displayed at the gate? You can be sure of a welcome. If you want to spend time quietly on your own, fine! That is why it is open. If you want to talk to someone, there will be someone there who may be able to help even if only by providing a sympathetic ear.

The important thing is that the building is used for prayer and that the congregation are actively praying for each other and the whole community in which we live and operate, as well as for wider, more general concerns.

A further development in the last few years has been the development of our Prayer Visiting activity, when we collect from the parish topics that people need us to include in our prayers. This is bringing to the attention of those who live here that we are a people of prayer who have their worries, concerns, and needs constantly before us, and that we are actively doing something to help them. We have a serious need for additional people who are prepared to spend about an hour and a half up to once per month on a Sunday afternoon joining this activity if the work is to be maintained.

If we can build our prayer life into a major activity that makes the church as a whole, building and people into an entity that is effectively supporting and improving the quality of life in this district, we really shall be building God’s kingdom here.

Alan Brown