We’ve recently received attention for a poster pinned on our own external noticeboard since June which says “We don’t celebrate Pride, we preach Christ crucified”. The poster has created some controversy in our much loved village. We desire to give an explanation.
As a church we believe that we are commanded by God to love Him and to love our neighbours, even those who disagree or actively act against us. We have done our utmost to exhibit and reflect this love for you our neighbours, helping feed dozens of families through the foodbank, delivering food parcels to the needy through COVID, assisting addicts through detox for rehab, helping fundraise for the lower recreation ground play area equipment and for the jubilee hall windows fund. We’ve done GriefShare courses for those suffering through grief and are looking for ways in which we can help the most vulnerable in the community through the cold months during the current energy crisis. We love you our neighbours.
As a Christian church, it should come as no surprise that we love God and His Word, the Bible. We cannot separate our love for you and our love for God—the two walk hand in hand. In the Bible we see discussion of a lot that displeases God and simultaneously ruins our lives—it’s called sin. The Bible shows that all sin is rooted in pride. “Pride comes before a fall” is a popular proverb found in the Bible. We all are infected with and affected by pride and it harms us all regardless of ethnicity, socio-economics, or sexuality. In a more specific sense, God’s Word outlines the proper boundaries for human sexual relationships as between one man and one woman in marriage. All sexual engagement—outside this boundary is rooted in our proud human condition that so often chooses to ignore or actively rebel against what God says is right. We are tragically in a world that is seeing the impact of this pride. The sexualisation of children, adultery, pornography, objectification, homosexual practice, harassment, and public nudity all are in contradiction to what we as Christians who believe the Bible stand for and so we cannot celebrate ‘Pride’.
We are all sinners in need of salvation and the good news as a church that we celebrate is Christ, crucified and risen, who is the antithesis of pride and the perfect example of humble sacrificial love to all who believe regardless of their sin struggle.
All those who turn from sin to Christ, receive forgiveness and a new life in him—that’s his promise. There is forgiveness and life eternal which starts today, if you turn away from your sin and believe in Jesus.
As a church we love God and we love you—We hope that this love is mutual but regardless we will keep doing both! Anyone and everyone is welcome to come and hear more of the good news we have to share!
August 2022