Dalehead Chapel

Dalehead Chapel otherwise known as St James’ Church, sits on the lane between Tosside and Keasaden, deep in Gisburn Forest. It is a 1930s’ rebuild of a previous, 1850s Anglican church, which had been demolished on account of the new Stocks Reservoir, the remains of excavated foundations freely displayed near the public carpark. The new building, a little farther down the road, was constructed from the old’s fabric, and quite rightly. It reminded me, quite predictably, of resurrection. To what extent will our current bodies and minds contribute towards our newer, resurrection models? “Nothing”, you might insist, and yet we shall be surely recognisable and in possession of memories supplied by our current mind (do you really think you will get there and forget that you were redeemed, and from what terrifying status you were so graciously rescued?).

Even if this is so, these current bodies shall age and decay, die and disintegrate. Our new bodies shall rise, but better, greater, brighter and livelier than ever they were before.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 1 Corinthians 15:42

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