If there is no one at the altar rail in the mornings in these churches, no one performing their public office as Christians, these churches are no longer our house of prayer. Then they are just museums which memorialise a past that now baffles us. When God’s worship is not sung and the buildings are empty and silent the people are left stumbling around in the dark. Of course they go straight to their televisions for light and comfort. As a consequence our society is stumbling around in the dark. The darkness grows with the huge amount of artificial lighting emitted by every electronic device, every screen and every building. As a result no one can see where they are going. They are future-blind. Those who do not pray to God unwittingly direct themselves to other forces which are only too ready hear and take advantage. Those who appeal to anyone other than God are surrendering themselves to forces without pity. Every electronic screen is an altar across which many mischievous gods dance. Only the altar with the cross on it, with a candle, with no electronics, is our rendezvous with the Lord. The Lord who meets us there is determined to do us good. Only the Christian hunched over bible and then singing and praying before the altar lit by one candle can see where we are all going.
Let us get back to morning and evening prayer.
