Settle Church

Holy Ascension Parish Church in the North Yorks village of Settle looks like a typical, nineteenth-century construction in the Early English stye, with its thin, lancet windows and plainer style. Apart from the tower with its side steeple, there is nothing here that is out of the ordinary. Within, however, and one sees the usual Victorian features like marble pulpit and oversized font, though it also appears rather modern at the west end, as though some architect from the 1960s or 70s decided to have the last laugh. A gigantic and, in my uninformed opinion, unpleasant artwork hangs upon it, which at least has the advantage of not being able to distract the laity.

Much as I love a church building keeping its architectural integrity, by which I mean preserving the one original style with which it was initially constructed, few meet this expectation. Even Salem Chapel has an 1830s extension to which an even later Edwardian extension was tacked on. Almost every medieval church is a mishmash of styles, and few, other than exceptions and a number of nonconformist chapels, have been left unmolested.

The same might be said for our theology. Much as we evangelicals claim to be Bible-based and scripture-bound, we too bear influences from others times and ages. Martyn Lloyd-Jones complained about the Victorian heritage which determined our churches’ character, but the puritans and reformers are still very much at large. I consider this a good thing, of course, but other influences are less helpful. Holy Ascension is a more interesting church as a result of its architectural infidelity, though I cannot vouch for its theology. May we guard our hearts and minds, our pulpits and lecterns, from influences and styles which are dated, degenerated and diversionary.

And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them. Deuteronomy 17:19