“ . . . On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18)

The Lord is building His Church, just as He has been doing for over 2000 years. The first Christians knew church as an organic and life-sharing body, and Paul and John both caught a glimpse of it as the radiant and beautiful bride of Christ. (Eph. 5:25; Rev. 19:7-9)

But what is the view for those of us living in the here and now? And, more to the point, for our non-believing friends and neighbours? A ‘glorious’ bride ‘without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish?’ (Eph. 5:27) Any headlines featuring the Church rarely tell a tale of glory.

‘The gates of hell shall not prevail against it . . .’ But have not many actually entered the gates of hell through the Church as a result of the gross sins committed against them, and as a result of reading reports of such things that have sickened them to the point of turning them all thought of Church completely?

This is deeply, deeply grievous.

In the wake of the Makin report and the resignation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury, we have heard apologies being made to victims and their families; we have seen public statements accepting wrongdoing, and reviews investigating how we can learn from our mistakes, alongside the promise to implement ‘robust safeguarding procedures.’ All these things are right and absolutely necessary.

But what is there to show by way of repentance toward the Lord? We are not a public institution but the Body of Christ. How is it possible that these things could even be contemplated in the Church, let alone enacted? How can it be that the Church – the holy people of God – can embrace a place where such terrible sins can be occurring barely out of sight? What does it say about our capacity to carry the presence and light of the Lord if abuse is able to happen, let alone continue unnoticed and undealt with? Does not even the sin of Ananias and Sapphira seems small in comparison? Yet their lying to the Holy Spirit was such anathema in the sight of a holy God that it brought about their death. ‘And great fear came over the whole church and all who heard about these events.’ (Acts 5:11)

We pray for the coming of the Lord, but how many of us are ready for the weight and expanse of His holiness? The stories of revival are also the stories of repentance. From my reading of revivals, it stands out that it is often only when God comes in great power that such sins are exposed in all their ugliness. Will it not be thus and more in the eternal searchlight of God? Zephaniah suggests it will be so:

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad. (Zeph. 1:12)

May our prayers in response to these things be those that He can hear and honour. They are highly emotive issues, but over a period of time you might like to lead the Lord to lead you more clearly, but here are some possible starter suggestions, together with a piece of music I wrote called Lament and Light. The ‘work’ of lament is powerful because it enables us to move beyond having a view on a situation, to allowing the Holy Spirit to move and lead us into the heart of God to prayer the prayers that He longs to answer. I hope the music will bless and inspire you as you pray.

Pray for a profound spirit of prayerful repentance to come upon those who have compromised the Church.

Pray for those who have turned their backs on God because of what has been done to them in the name of the Church.

Pray for those who have sought to commit suicide because of it, or been otherwise deeply, deeply damaged.

Pray for those who, like Mark Stibbe, have found their way to God’s heart, but who still bear the scars of another man’s sin.

Pray for people who look at the Church and see hypocrisy and ugliness.

Pray for those who are suspicious and cynical now about anything to do with the people of God, and as a result with Jesus Himself.

Pray for Justin Welby and his family as they work through all the implications and changes that must come.

Pray for ‘all bishops and curates that they may both by their life and doctrine set forth [the Lord’s] true and lively Word, and rightly and duly administer His holy sacraments.’ (From the Book of Common Prayer)

Pray for righteousness and no compromise in the decision making to come for the next Archbishop of Canterbury. This is by no means an automatic matter.

Pray for protection over those who are preaching and pastoring faithfully despite all the swirling and churning storm clouds the Church faces in these days.

Pray that the Church might be all that God intends for her to be in our own day.

Wind of holiness, come as deep as needs may be to purify us, we pray.