Entering the Kingdom: Husthwaite Church

This autumn, I called at St Nicholas’ Church at Husthwaite in North Yorkshire. In these times of Covid scares, one can never be sure if churches would be left open for folk to enter, or be kept miserably shut up in order to save the bother of opening, oops, I mean to keep us safe. There was a wonderful Norman doorway to access the church. A little instruction about opening the door was taped onto the wood. I attempted to follow it but I could not persuade that great door to yield. I was a little disappointed; not only had I driven some miles to see it, but outside the porch it was tipping down, and I was loathe to get wet again so soon. In a pique a frustration, I returned and pushed my fingers inside the lock and pushed. The door opened. I was delighted, not just by my pluck at re-trying the door, but by the imposing Norman architecture within.

The Lord does not always make the gospel easy to access. Although salvation is free of all charge and available to all who will call on Him, there are often barriers and hurdles in the way, the existence of which the Lord tolerates. Churches often meet in cold buildings, run by imperfect people, whose explanations of the truth are often distorted by hobby-horses and personal peccadillos. Still, the brave and the determined will gain entry to the Kingdom. Knock and the door shall be opened, but knock hard and keep knocking till it moves.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jer. 29:13