St Jude's Church, Knarsdale

St Jude's Church in Knarsdale, Northumberland, is a pretty little place with an interesting interior. Lots of reds complimented the wood of the pews which gave a warm feel. Oddly, behind the pulpit, was a curtained area. I wondered if it was a patron’s pew, but the parson could hardly turn his back on such a one, even while he dozed during the sermons. Indeed, I poked my head into it and could not even see a doorway, concluding that it was just a place where junk could be conveniently hidden. Every home has one, be it a box room, a cellar, an attic or a large cupboard, which we called a cubbyhole when I was growing up. St Jude’s junk was not terribly interesting, but there are certainly some things which are best kept out of view and out of mind. This does not mean we must throw them out but neither must we display them.

There are unpleasant aspects of our lives and facets of our personalities which will not disappear until we reach glory, but neither must we keep talking about them and showing them off like an old lady’s crockery set.

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

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