From here we proceeded through an historic but chronically run-down corner of our city, to Rosemary Street and arguably what is the oldest place of worship in
the original town boundaries of Belfast, having been founded in 1644. The current
building merely dates to 1783, by which time there were 3 Presbyterian Churches
in Rosemary Street, a second formed because the first building wasn’t big
enough to contain all who wanted to attend and then a third because of a
theological split. But as such, the original building and congregation goes back to the days before
splits in the Presbyterian church over doctrine culminating in the rise of
Henry Cooke, whom I mentioned earlier, and the ultimate formation of the
Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church to
which this congregation is affiliated… “Subscribing” has nothing to do
with financial subscriptions, but rather ministers and congregations refusing to accept the 17th
century “Westminster Confession of Faith” (dating from the era of the English Civil War) as an absolute confession
of faith, preferring to embrace prevailing Enlightenment principles. Indeed many went further in rejecting all formal confessions of faith as requirements for membership. As such
they have members and ministers who are trinitarian and non-trinitarian… Historically,
particularly in the late 18th and early 19th century they
were also centres of political revolution with a blue plaque marking the birth
here of William Drennan one of the founders of the United Irishmen and later
Royal Belfast Academical Institution.
Laudably
the current congregation want to play down the perceived divisive, negative
side of their history and emphasise their status as “First Church.” They were also
one of the first in the city to practice a radically inclusive approach to
sexuality.
An early visitor to this building was a certain John Wesley who on his last visit to Ireland in 1789 said in his journal for the 8th June 1789 that is was “the completest place of worship I have ever seen…” describing it as “beautiful in the highest degree.”
But against the background of this history my mind went back to the foundations of THE first church and a dialogue I wrote for a previous conference in Ballymena many years ago, based on the format originally devised by John Bell and Graham Maule and a number of passages of scripture, including Matthew 16: 13-20 and 1 Peter 2: 4-10, which I have posted here before.
Peter:
Eh... Jesus...?
Jesus:
Yes, Peter?
Peter:
Its about that church...
Jesus:
What church Peter?
Peter:
The church... your church... the one
you’re going to build on me.
Jesus:
Oh that church... What about it?
Peter:
I was just wondering what it was going
to be like...
Jesus:
That depends...
Peter:
Depends on what?
Jesus:
The building material...
Peter:
Oh right... See I fancied a big
cathedral, a basilica... Made out of marble. I’ve been and seen the architect
and he says...
Jesus:
No I think you misunderstand me
Peter...
Peter:
Oh, you fancy something smaller...
More cosy and comfortable... Made out of bricks and...
Jesus:
No Peter... What I’m saying is that my
church will not be made of bricks and mortar, or polished stone, but from
living stones...
Peter:
Living stones? Is that some sort of
environmentally friendly stuff... Biodegradable building materials?
Jesus:
I suppose you could put it that way...
But I’m actually talking about people...
Peter:
People!? Oh, I see, “living stones”
that’s one of your parable things again, isn’t it... I like it... Very
poetic... have to write that down to use that myself some time...
Jesus:
Recycling my words... You are getting
to be environmentally friendly!!
Peter:
So you’re not really going to “build”
a church building... You’re really going to form an organisation... Can I be
the Chairman... John could be secretary... he writes well, but should we have
Matthew or Judas as treasurer? And what about the constitution? Do we need to
get legal advice? The lawyers aren't too keen on you, you know...
Jesus:
No... its not an organisation either,
Peter.
Peter:
What? If its not an organisation or a
building what is it then?
Jesus:
Well, I suppose you could call it a
body... or maybe a family...
Peter:
Well, how can you become part of this
family?
Jesus:
Same way as ever... You’re born into
it...
Peter:
Oh so this church will only take
people if they have the right father...
Jesus:
I suppose you might say that... When
you are born again as a child of God...
Peter:
Born again?
Jesus:
Yes... Go and ask Nicodemus... I
explained all that to him...
Peter:
So can anyone be part of this family,
this church?
Jesus:
Yes.
Peter:
Gentiles as well as Jews?
Jesus:
Yes.
Peter:
Women as well as men?
Jesus:
Yes.
Peter:
Children as well as adults?
Jesus:
Yes. Yes. Yes. Everyone. Anyone. All
sizes, shapes, colours, cultures, languages and inside leg measurements...
Peter:
No restrictions?
Jesus:
No.
Peter:
But then how do you keep the riff-raff
out?
Jesus:
They are the very ones I want in...
Peter:
Sounds like a pretty dysfunctional
family if you ask me...
Jesus:
I didn’t...
Peter:
But Jesus... You said you were going
to build this church on me... Yet you haven’t given me the slightest clue how
its supposed to work... You haven’t told me how it should worship... What songs
it should sing... How it should be run... What we will call its leaders... What
costumes we should wear...
Jesus:
What does it matter?
Peter:
What does it matter? Well, what
happens if you disappear off the face of the earth, and I drop dead? What will
happen then? Will the whole thing just disappear in a puff of smoke?
Jesus:
Well, that would be an interesting way
of choosing your successor?
Peter:
What?
Jesus:
Never mind... And never mind about the
church... You’re not the builder... God is. Just you concentrate on following
me.
Peter:
That’s hard enough...
Jesus:
I suppose it is... But its only when
each living stone is following me, that they will fit together into a church
which is useful and attractive.
Peter:
A church that is useful and
attractive... That’s a nice idea... A multipurpose building with pastel
colours, soft seats...
Jesus:
Peter... How many times do I need to
tell you? the church is not a building...
Peter:
Sorry Jesus... Its hard to think of it
in other ways...
Jesus:
You’ll not be alone in that Peter...
Peter:
But I do like the idea of it being
made of living stones...
Jesus:
I’m glad... Actually, that reminds me
of a joke... What would you say to a member of the church who practices
medicine if you met him in the jungle?
Peter:
I don’t know, what would you say to a
member of the church who practices medicine if you met him in the jungle?
Jesus:
Dr. Living Stone I presume...
Peter:
I don’t get it...
Jesus:
Don’t worry, it’ll make sense in about
2000 years...
Peter:
Yes but will this church you’re talking
about still make sense in 2000 years?
Selah
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