Gloomy St Denys, Sleaford

Simon Jenkins, while admiring the Church of St Denys’ at Sleaford, Lincs, described it as ‘needlessly gloomy’. I entered on a bright, sunny July day at noon, so the contrast between the dazzling exterior and the darker interior should have been pronounced. Yet I never thought it was gloomy at the time. Perchance he called on a dull afternoon in mid-winter, during which the contrast between the inside and outside was even more palpable. St Denys’ possesses two sets of those high, clerestory windows, designed to flood the nave beneath with light. Now I have reviewed my pictures and rekindled my memories, I think “Yes, that Jenkins might have had a point after all”. The power of suggestion!

Readers may judge themselves the gloominess or otherwise of Sleaford’s grand parish church. Yet the comment may refer to individual Christians as well as their buildings. It also refers to me, for I frequently fall into the trap I am about to describe. When we assess the state of the world, we feel anxious. When we see the declining churches, we feel troubled. When we listen to much that passes for preaching, we feel like despairing. When we see what pretends to be worship music, we feel despondent. When we see false religion blossoming, we feel morose. When we hear of our persecuted brethren suffering under the Islamic or Communist boot, we feel melancholic. There is so much to make us all 'agloom'. But these things we are not to keep in our vision nor the forefront of our attention, but rather

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, and despised the shame, and is set at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Christ Jesus endured the Cross not because of its pain, but despite its pain, and for the joy of reconciling us to the Father. So we too should look to Him, the source of all joy, and not the grim and gloomy world through which we are passing.