Thought for the week “Downton Abbey”

The last time I went to the cinema was when Leonardo De Caprio and Kate Winslet made that ill-fated sea voyage which resulted in total disaster.  That was in 1997 when ‘Titanic’ took all the awards. Last Christmas I was given the box set of ‘Dowton Abbey’ and watching this ‘upstairs-  downstairs’ saga brilliantly written by Julian Fellows really grasped me, so when the long-awaited film version arrived in Llanelli last week we went along. Walking into the dimly lit cinema I had little expectation that ‘going to the pictures’ would have changed at all – how wrong I was.   Digital technology was unheard of in my days of going to the cinema and now with wide screen and all-round superb sound I was transfixed for the two or so hours we were there.It reminded me of how when growing up in Llanelli there were four cinemas.  The then Odeon, Palace, Hippodrome,and ‘Llanelli Cinema’ where we would mischievously overstate our ages just to get in and we always did! The Saturday morning film shows at the Odeon saw hundreds of us singing ‘We come along on a Saturday morning’ and with exciting westerns, adventure stories and the inevitable serial making sure we were back the following week.

I have met many people who once attended church and chapel but with the passing years have let their attendance just slip away.Disillusionment or even a crisis of faith could well have been the reason. Family or work commitments may have had to take priority and we just haven’t got around to going back. As youngsters,the whole experience of ‘church’ was so ‘boring’, but looking back most things we were forced to do at that time of our lives fell into the same category!Going along to the cinema after 22 years was enjoyable and I’m sure we’ll go again soon.  How much more exciting is the experience of worship – of finding again something so precious that somehow became lost. If there had been a crisis of faith the passing of time may have brought a new perspective.We might well have thought of returning not realising that a real warm and genuine welcome is waiting the moment we come through the doors.There’ll be no digital technology or wide screen HD to compare with the latest cinematic technology – but very much more – Friendship, fellowship and acceptance grounded in the love and praise of God who in Jesus remains the joy and delight of all who worship him – Welcome home!