Bournville Friends' Meeting House

The Bournville Friends’ Meeting House was an inevitable feature of that Midlands townscape seeing as the Cadbury family were Quakers and wished to model their perfect village according to their pious principles. It was intended also to serve other Christian denominations, too, so it was equipped with an organ, which would have been surprising for any other Meeting House. On account of a friendly lady waiting for her daughter’s Pilates class to begin, I was allowed a brief internal inspection between sessions. On a three-step platform is found an inscription:

“GOD IS A SPIRIT AND THEY THAT WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH”

This may have been a favourite maxim of the early Quakers, who considered the contemporary puritan scene one of stiff formality and spiritual torpor. Nevertheless, those who worship in spirit but not in truth, if such were possible, are wasting their time. Organ or no, we come to God the Father through God the Son by God the Holy Spirit. We find such in His word. Any other approaches are deadends, any other authority is a pack of lies. Modern Quakers are known for the waywardness regarding the scriptures, but Jesus Christ is well known for finding lost sheep.

And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. John 5:40

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