Charles Simeon (1759-1836) did not have an easy time of it. An Anglican bishop appointed him vicar (pastor) of Trinity Church in Cambridge, England in 1782. The congregation didn’t want Charles, they preferred his associate, Mr. Hammond. They decided to make life miserable for Charles to drive him away. They locked the doors to their pews and stayed away in protest. Undeterred, Charles set up chairs in the aisles. They refused to allow him to preach at the Sunday afternoon service, giving the position to–guess who–Mr. Hammond! When Mr. Hammond left after five years; the congregation called another preacher to assume duties for the Sunday afternoon service. Charles attempted to start a Sunday evening service, but the congregation locked the doors to the sanctuary. He arranged for a locksmith to open the church, but when it happened a second time, Charles abandoned the service. The controversy spilled over to the university where Charles taught. His faculty peers and students slandered and ridiculed him. Students sometimes took to the streets outside the church to disrupt worship.
Yet Charles persevered! He outlasted his detractors and went on to serve the church fifty-four years! His friend Joseph once asked him how he endured the persecution. Charles responded, “My dear brother, we must not mind a little suffering for Christ’s sake. When I am getting through a hedge, if my head and shoulders are safely through, I can bear the pricking of my legs. Let us rejoice in the remembrance that our holy Head has surmounted all his sufferings and triumphed over death. Let us follow Him patiently; we shall soon be partakers of His victory.”
I have reworked Simeon’s words about prayer to draw us to God today: