29.06.2015
Crinken Church Family Gathers to Celebrate 175th Anniversary
175 years of worship and witness at St James’ Church, Crinken, were celebrated yesterday (June 28) with a wonderful service which rejoiced in the past and looked to the future with hope. Many former worshippers returned to Crinken to mark the occasion with current members and they were joined by two former rectors, Dean Charlie Combe and Bishop Ken Clarke, who preached.
The current rector, the Revd Trevor Stevenson, noted that 175 years to the very day, on June 28 1840, the church had opened and God’s word had been celebrated there ever since, through the Sacraments, countless witnesses going out from the church and numerous souls coming to faith there.
A history of Crinken was provided by Noel Griffin who said that St James’ Church was established and built as a result of two widows, Margaret Clarke and Georgina Magan, who wanted to set up a church where they could worship more freely. He said that the trustee church had been committed to evangelical ministry and also had a missionary legacy. He also paid tribute to organist, Edgerton Ashmore, who had played the organ at Crinken for 45 years.
During the service members of the church, Anna, Geoff, Lily and Donal spoke of what Crinken means to them.
In his sermon, Bishop Clarke, addressed three groups of people: the young, the middle aged and the more mature. He left it to each individual to decide which group they belonged to, but added that whatever age we are, we are called to be disciples of Christ. He said that one of the marks of Crinken for the last 175 years was that it loved the Kingdom of God. “Is one of the supreme marks of our own life an enduring passion for the Kingdom of God? Or have we lost our way?” he asked. “The problem sometimes is in our Christian lives that we default into snoozing, boozing and cruising.”
Drawing on the reading [2 Timothy 4:1–7], the Bishop said there were messages for the young, the middle aged and the mature. For the young, Paul urges Timothy (an emerging young leader) to be radical, on the edge and counter culture but also to lead by example.
For the middle aged, he suggested that many people needed a mid course correction and needed to be realigned. But Bishop Clarke pointed out that there is so much more to be done in the second part of their lives and urged them not to miss out on it.
For those at the more mature stage of their lives he pointed to Paul’s words: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” and said that it would be wonderful to be able to say that as they approached the end of their lives.
The service was followed by a celebratory barbeque in the church’s grounds.
Photo caption: Bishop Kenneth Clarke, the Revd Trevor Stevenson and Dean Charles Combe outside St James’ Crinken.
More photos are available on the Dublin and Glendalough Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/DublinandGlendalough/posts/862048207164558