By Reina Free
I remember so well the ‘hongerwinter’ (Hunger Winter) of 1944-45, when as a little girl I lived in the North of Holland, the last part to be liberated by the British, the Americans and the Canadians. What a time that was.
Now we live in times of a different hunger – a spiritual hunger.
I have just read the leaflet about the financial problems of the church of St John the Baptist in The Lee.
In the world in which we live there are many needs and problems of a similar kind. Such as: losing a job, rising debts, the breaking up of families, the rise in crime, drug taking and alcoholism, gross injustice and dishonesty, just to mention a few that can cause disillusionment and hopelessness.
And yet our own village church, among others, is not full and is now running into financial problems.
The question must be asked – why do the people in our villages not want to go to church?
So many things often take priority – the Sunday morning lie in with the papers, the gardening, jobs about the house, shopping and so on.
I am not a goody-goody passing judgement for I do sympathise.
So does the problem lie with the church itself or the people who go there, including me?
Yet on the other hand some people are sincere in their faith and work hard to keep the church going.
The stone throwing of elitism is easy but a real change needs perseverance and hard work.
Sometime ago I had the joy of joining a Sunday School service in the Little Church. Judy Hart is generally in charge assisted by Gilly Haffner, Rachel Rolfe and a few mothers.
The atmosphere was happy and relaxed. The children were singing what are often, condescendingly, called ‘happy clappy’ songs. Jilly Haffner read from the Bible the story of the First Pentecost. I was asked how I experienced The Holy Spirit in everyday life. Rachel Rolfe led the children in prayers and encouraged them to say a little prayer themselves.
To run this children’s church needs a great deal of preparation and organisation but with success the children love to come. I very much enjoyed being with them.
I was aware of something new, quite special, like the flying about of small sparks, a kind of New Pentecost. It was special and very wonderful and it made my day.
My prayer is that these small sparks may grow into flames of fire descending on us all.
Then money will be the least of our worries!