Intimate at Lazonby

I smiled as I called at Lazonby’s Parish Church of St Nicholas in Cumbria. It is a nice place, and I have written about it already, but I was struck by a rather peculiar electrical lamp, of the sort which might be purchased at Ikea, shedding its light over a couple of Bibles and two fairly comfortable, padded chairs. As Lazonby seems to be a fairly active parish, I did not conclude that the congregations had shrunk to such an extent that these chairs were an anticipation of the coming Sunday’s weekly congregation. They are likely there for the incumbent’s ‘daily office’, ie prayers, or is a place for parishioners to participate in some personal devotions of their own.

Corporate worship is essential and expected of every believer by God’s word. Yet sitting in a body of people allows us to hide, to vegetate, to be little more than a bottom on a pew or chair. May our devotions be real, our prayers genuine, our worship sincere, even when we gather in larger groups. And let us not negelect our own, private devotions, performed when none see save the Lord Himself.

There was something really quite winsome about two chairs pulled together under a homely light that a couple of folk, even amidst a parish church, may quietly read and meditate upon the scriptures.