Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Proverbs 29:18 (06/08/23)
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TITLE: Is this England? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Nnenna Moneme
06/15/23 -
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“Praise God! My Hubby is coming to England. Yippee!” I screamed and danced, raising my hands in the air with reckless abandon.
Hubby is an Anglican priest who had sensed God calling him to foreign mission like myself so on arrival, Church was top priority.
Our first Sunday visit served as an eye opener to Hubby who believed England was still a Christian nation. The barely empty church appeared deserted with only about twenty elderly folks in attendance.
“Where are the youths and children?” Hubby asked.
“You haven't seen anything yet. I told you they no longer go to church in the West. The best word to describe the current state of the church in England is "Ichabod" because the glory has truly departed.”
At the end of the service, we greeted the minister who welcomed us warmly, inviting us over for tea.
“Where is your wife?” Hubby enquired.
“Well, she doesn't believe so she doesn't come to church. She just left to walk the dog.” Stuttering, he shifted his weight from side to side.
“I am so sorry to hear that.” Hubby’s eyes widened in disbelief. We thanked the minister and left.
As we made our way home, we saw people jogging, cycling or walking dogs.
“Angel, are these people not going to church? Why are they exercising on a Sunday morning instead of going to church?”
“Like I said earlier, they don't go to church. Anything relating to God is old fashioned here. They are adamant on doing life without God. What breaks my heart is that the aftermath of their choices are evident in all aspects of their society. Teenagers get pregnant out of wedlock and the government funds their stupidity with taxpayers money by providing them with free accommodations. Men and women live together without getting married calling themselves partners. I need not mention the stabbing, the gay madness nor the various psychological problems that plague society. Many end up in our hospitals with ailments that could be solved by a simple word of encouragement from the Bible. If only God had a chance, many of their problems would be gone. I honestly don't want to dull your Sunday with what happens in this society yet.” I smiled, squeezing his hands.
“Hmmm. First it was an empty church, then a minister's wife who is neither saved nor interested in church. I am trying to take it all in.” He crossed his arm over his chest, frowning, he continued.
“Is this not the same England that sent missionaries to Africa? According to my grandfather, the church missionary society brought the gospel to Nigeria in 1854 pionering offshoots like mothers union and evangelical ministries that helped spread the gospel throughout our country. Many of these missionaries laid their lives down; dying from malaria. I still cannot believe their children no longer want God.”
“Well, all I can say is welcome to England. My heart has been bleeding since living here. The burden has drawn me to the place of prayer. The main reason my heart bleeds is that I sampled a few churches before you arrived and I made an interesting discovery. The decay in society is strongly linked to the pulpit. Can you believe one minister preached straight from a novel she read in the week instead of the Bible. It was not even a christian novel and the sermon was only five minutes long. There are little or no ministers expounding God's word to the people. You know the Bible says in “Proverbs 29:18a that where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” If people don't know why God sent them here on earth, then they have no sense of vision or purpose. When there is no vision then there will be no restraint in their behaviour. Only a minister who knows God can reveal these truths to the people. I believe if their forefathers laid their lives down to bring the gospel to us in Africa; helping us know Jesus personally, we must do our bit to point their children back to the living God.”
“You're right. Perhaps this may be why God sent us to England.”
Hubby spent the rest of the week surveying the land. The more he saw the brokenness around him, the more his heart was stirred to do something about the situation. This is not the England he was looking forward to. Nonetheless, where God calls, we must follow.
True story.
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I'm curious, though. Why were you in England and husband was in another country?