GREMLINS

Gremlins, we used to call them. They were mischievous sprites that frustrated engineers who found that a beautifully designed piece of equipment, like a thousand horse-power aero engine, had its deficiencies – a traditional carburettor for example. But glitches turn up everywhere.

The person has yet to be born who has not received a slap on the wrist from a computer. Its owner has not been exact enough. It requires unremitting respect for precise keyboard work. If it fails to get what it wants, it plays up. In a former world of spokes and felloes, of spindles and shanks, of bits and bridles, there was room for some give-and-take. In today's world precision and accuracy rule. We have multiplied our productive capabilities and at the same time we have opened the door to more and more ever-alert and imaginative gremlins.

Gremlins test the patience. They elicit expletives. They produce furrowed frowns and heart-ache. They demand a tribute of time and effort that should, we think, be put to better use.

When we turn to the New Testament to see whether there is any help in dealing with these pests, we find that apostles and common believers alike were vexed by gremlins – gremlins, that is, of a human rather than mechanical kind.

Things did not go altogether according to plan in the early days of the Christian community. Peter had to deal with a troublesome couple who tried to hoodwink their fellow-Christians. They weren't quite honest in their monetary activity. When Peter found out what was going on, he looked Ananias and Sapphira in the eye and told them they were not just trying to fool their fellow-believers. They were playing games with God. This amounted to a head-on attack on gremlin activity. In a matter-of-fact way we are told that Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead. The comment from the narrator that follows is something that today's generation would recognise as a sound-bite: 'Great awe fell on the whole church and on all who heard of this' (Acts 5.11).

'Great awe'. We don't find much of this about today. ‘Awesome’ has joined ‘fantastic’ in the tired vocabulary of adulation.

PENNY PLAIN

Rodbourne Cheney parish church is exceptional. Not only is it the only medieval church in Swindon; it eschews pictures on its website. It demonstrates that this can be done effectively. It comes across as a busy, no-nonsense church. It has a choir affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music and a music group that welcomes singers, instrumentalists and technicians. It has ringers active on Sunday mornings. It is a strong supporter of Christian Vision for Men. And its penny plain website has the uncompromising question: ‘How do I become a Christian?’

AFTER TEULON

Equally reserved in the matter of pictorial content, Christ Church, Croydon has a multi-cultural congregation and a church building with a history. Designed by Samuel Teulon, the so-called rogue architect since his designs were unconventional, it was built in 1851 and became threated with demolition when it developed problems. Part of it survived a fire and a new worship-area was added in 1991. The church, which now has a business-like centre, says it is Evangelical, open to renewal and is inclusive. The Vicar is Les Jesudason.

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