The Saltbox Christian Centre

Time for the Church to put its own house in order

It's so easy to blame other people isn't it?

Our natural instinct when things go wrong is to look at the failings of others and see why they are to blame.

Unfortunately, our inclination is to judge others by their actions, but ourselves by our intentions; we think, 'I could never do that' and so we reinforce a blame culture that is always looking for easy targets and easy solutions.

As Stoke-on-Trent continues its self-examination in the light of the findings from last year's damming survey that placed us at the bottom of the national heap, it's too easy to look for simple answers. Who's to blame? The council, police, education authorities, the Government, pottery manufactures or social services? Of course, there are no easy answers. Putting a whole city right is a complex issue and will require a long-term multi-organisational approach.

But where in all this can we find the Church? Representing the largest voluntary sector grouping in the city, amazingly it has almost 150 'branches' in Stoke-on-Trent alone (over 210 across the whole of North Staffs). It is located in every community, and is often active in supporting many of the weakest and isolated members of our society.

However, it's time for the Church to take a good hard look at itself. In the Old Testament, God reminds His people that when society starts to go bad it is a direct result of a decay in spiritual health. It may be that when the Lord looks at Stoke-on-Trent, He does not hold responsible either the council, the police, the judicary, or the 'bad people'. It may be that the Church is more culpable in the decline of our city that it could ever believe possible.

And the issue for the Church isn't just the occasional rogue priest arrested for some serious crime, or the occasional adulterous affairs between choir members. In the life of Jesus, he reserved his severest judgments for many of the religious people who were like 'white-washed tombs', thinking that outward, religious appearance was sufficient to please God.

It may be that God is more concerned that the 'religion of the Potteries' has hidden true spiritual life to be found in Jesus. It seems that many people reject the Church rather than Jesus the Saviour and Lord.
So how does the Church begin to put its house in order and begin to play its part in the renewal of our once-great city? I believe that the answer is to be found in a quotation found in 2Chronicles7 v14:

"If my people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face.
Then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land".

It is time for the Church to unite in crying out to God for His forgiveness for our aparthy and our pride. It's time to ask him for His mercy. It's time for us to pray for the welfare, peace and prosperity of Stoke-on-Trent.

An article written by Saltbox director, Lloyd Cooke.
Published in the Sentinel Newspaper (Feb 2002)