Listing?

The current church I serve is Listed. Thankfully it’s not listing like the aptly-named leaning tower of Pisa. It means that it is on a list of historically and architecturally significant buildings and has to be preserved in historically accurate condition. As you can imagine that carries a significant financial cost because major repairs have to be carried out by specialists (and we have to use historically accurate materials for repairs) and significant changes or improvements have to be approved by external committees.

Being a Listed building also conflicts with our aims. We hold a Bronze Eco-church award. We’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and our impact on the planet. We have done what we can, but being a Listed Building constrains us from doing more. For example, that we’d have to get permission to install double-glazed windows to reduce our significant heating bill (not that we could afford it with over 50 windows on these premises). And I have been told (unofficially) that permission is very unlikely to be granted for that.

Don’t get me wrong, I love our building. The first phase was completed over 150 years old and we have lots of space here to do the things we believe God wants us to do, and to serve lots of local community groups. And the buildings are rather striking, aren’t they. They stand out on Mutley Plain in Plymouth, where we’re located. I don’t think there’s another building like this anywhere in the country with our iconic towers (neither of which are leaning). That’s one reason why the premises are Listed.

(I wonder whether there is any link to the Wacky Races cartoons I loved in my childhood – each episode being a race between eleven wacky cars driven by even wackier characters. One of the key characters in the cartoons is Dick Dastardly (the baddy) and his dog Muttley (yes, spelt slightly differently). But do a web search for a picture of the Creepy Coupe, driven by the Gruesome Twosome and see if the tower on the car looks familiar. (I can’t post a picture here as I don’t have the usage rights). I wonder whether the creator came along Mutley Plain or saw a picture of our church as they were thinking about the cartoon…)

Anyhoo, back to the bloggage theme. As much as these buildings are a blessing, being a Listed Building is a bit of a burden. But this is an active church: have a look at our website and you’ll see what I mean. We have to take special care of the premises, but we’re not living in the past or a museum. We are building on the legacy left to us by previous generations and looking to leave a legacy for future generations. And we’re seeking to use these buildings as much as we can to carry out our purpose of loving God and loving people.

So what? I hear you ask. Well, I wonder if sometimes some of us feel like we’re listed (not listing). Perhaps health, wealth, or other constraints mean we can’t do everything we want to (or even need to). Perhaps we wonder if people look at us and think we’re past it, from a different generation, and all we’re good for is reminiscence about how things used to be. But just as, even though we have Listed Building constraints, our premises are being used in so many different ways, so God can use you in lots of different ways. How can you bless others despite or even because of those constraints?

Another way of looking at having a Listed Building is to realise that this is worth preserving, it’s important. And when God looks at you I suspect there’s an echo of the slogan from a well-known cosmetics brand: “You’re worth it!”

Be blessed, be a blessing