“Ulster says NO!” is a well known slogan which many in this community have heard and said. The question is, what do we say “No” to? Here are three suggestions: Firstly we say no to creeping secularism. There is something like 36 churches around the Shankill but how many are full on Sunday morning? How many have a significant number on Sunday evening when the opposition is the TV? Secularism is when we say no to God and declare our independence to God. Secularism is when we believe we can do as well, if not better, than God.
Secondly we say “No” to the retreat of the Church. The church has allowed herself to be intimidated by those who say that Church and politics are to be kept separate. We have been intimidated into a retreat into our places of worship, closing the doors behind us and going into the safety of the sanctuary. The Great Reversal of the early part of the twentieth century resulted in a walking away from our calling to incarnate the Gospel. The well known theologian Carl Henry said that the Church was central to the well-being of any society and Jeremiah and Nehemiah and many others in the Old Testament agreed. He went on to say that “it is time for church-goers to take a rightful place in American society.” Saying “No” to secularism and to the retreat of the church means that we decide to take our rightful place in Ulster society.
Thirdly, saying “No” means an end to Christian flight from our streets. We have to say that this is not the time to retreat. Not the time to stay in our locked churches. It is time to be pro-active and to engage with men and women that we may serve them as Christ served the church.
Why would we do this? Quite simply because Christ has called his people to a live of love and service. Quite simply because this was what he did himself. For a while he lived among us and became one of us. We are living at a time when Britney Speers is considered more inspirational than Jesus Christ and we, the Christians, are to blame because we have remained asleep on the job. We have taken our eyes of the ball and allowed secularism to be crowned sovereign.
Someone has said that Christians are literally “lucky bastards” because they have received forgiveness and new life. No longer illegitimate but now legitimate sons of God. Too true we are but this gift is not for the in-crowd, it is to be shared with others. While politics has let us down Christ has not and he wants his church to get her hands dirty in service. Can you say “No” to this?
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