'I think we have a problem here,' said Geraint Jones. Next moment: 'BIG BANG'. It was the accident that they said could never happen. A series of extremely improbable human errors had caused the Cwmhedllan Nuclear Power Station to explode.., taking with it the nearby town of Pwllhefydd and all Pwllhefydd's people. There were no survivors. All were propelled to Eternity and came before the judgement seat of God.

And God had before Him a book -- the Annual Report of Pwll-hefydd Chapel. This report contained the names of those who had pledged allegiance to that particular chapel (one of the more prosperous) in that particular town at that particular time.

Amongst them were 2 farmers, 3 road labourers, 6 bus drivers, 13 clerks, 2 printers, 4 P.O. workers, 1 coal merchant, 6 students, 7 teachers, 3 nuclear engineers, 2 cooks, 6 bakers, 5 nurses, 1 policeman, 11 power station staff, 4 publicans, 2 hairdressers, 15 shop assistants, 1 bailiff, 6 local government workers, 6 unemployed, 3 newsagents, 1 butcher, 43 housewives and 29 retired folk.

And God was sifting out the sheep from the goats - finding out those who loved Him and knew Him and those who loved Him not and knew Him not. He noticed that in this chapel there were 324 members - only 182 of whom had attended a worship service during the last few months.

'So' He said, 'I shall call before me first of all all those who have been unable to attend a worship service in the last few months and ask them to give an account of themselves.  but to be fair, I shall only quote to them passages from the Bible.' (a book that everyone of them had in their homes and which everyone of them had a chance to read and digest in their lives)  And so all the members listed on the books of this particular chapel came before Him, and He questiioned them about their lives and their attendance at the chapel. (They had all sworn when becoming members to be faithful to and involved with the place.  They must have made that promise at some time in their lives in order to have their names on the roll.)

27 of them came before Him and said, 'Oh, we don't go there any more. We don't get anything out of it. The church doesn't deal with my problems. It's out of touch. But we send the children.'
And the Lord said to them 'You don't get anything. What did you ever put in? Have you not read that a man reaps what he sows? You say the church doesn't deal with your problems; when were you humble enough to admit that you had a problem, when were you ever open enough to share your problems with others? You send your children along to something you don't believe in? As for the church being out of touch, what about you! When were you last in touch with me? Because you have never confessed your sin before me or believed that my Word is truth I can have no fellowship with you. Be gone from my presence.

21 of them came before Him and said, 'Oh, well, you see, I've not been to church because I've not been too well for the last few years. I mean I hardly go out at all nowadays, well except to the top of town, shopping, visiting friends, Bingo, you know, important things.'
And the Lord said to them, 'Well isn't it strange that your illness is mainly confined to Sundays? And I notice you haven't been to a doctor for the last few years anyway; isn't that strange for somebody who is too ill to struggle to church for an hour or two on Sundays? Have you not read in my Word how I am the Healer and Restorer of all things, how is it you never came to me for healing? Because of your dishonesty before me and because you have not believed that my Word is truth I can have no fellowship with you. Be gone from m presence.

19 of them came before Him and said, 'I haven't been for a long time. I had a quarrel with one of the other members. So and so can't be a Christian, I wouldn't worship under the same roof as them!'

And the Lord said to them, 'I seem to remember a time when you attended worship services in this chapel of which you are a member, fairly regularly. Remember, every service you used to sit and pray, "And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us". Well these people have hardly trespassed against you, all they've had is a disagreement, and you haven't been prepared to forgive them. And forgiving means forgetting that it ever happened. How would it be if I forgave you something, then suddenly turned around and said, "Oh -- but remember that time . . ." No. Forgiving means forgetting. You say you cannot worship under the same roof?. How stupid and foolish you can be, using another persons sins to excuse your own. Surely all worship under the same sky, the same heavens, the same Lord? How does a roof make any difference? Because you cannot forgive others I can not forgive you and because you cannot worship me then you can have no part of me and no fellowship with me. Be gone from my presence.'

8 More came to him. 'We don't agree with what the minister preaches. We don't worship there any more. It's too evangelical/ liberal / charismatic / ritualistic / etc. We go elsewhere to worship now.'

And the Lord asked them, 'Why have you not kept the promises you made when you became a member? You only want to hear from the pulpit what you want to hear. You only want to listen to things that you agree with. So why have you passed judgement on this congregation? Judgement belongs to me. I hear you criticising members of this chapel. Since when was it your right to put others down? You say you had theological differences with the minister, yet you never gave him an opportunity to seriously discuss them with you. Because you have passed judgement on others, so I will pass judgement on you. Be gone from my presence.'

13 said, 'Oh, I get fed up of seeing the same people all the time. I work with people all week, then I see them again on Sunday. Isn't the Sabbath a day of rest? I mean, you had a rest on the Seventh Day. That's why I haven't been.'
The Lord said to them, 'People are like mirrors. You see in them the shortcomings of your own lives. When, in Christ, I was amongst you as a man, I came to serve. How can a servant isolate himself from people? Obviously eternity won't suit you, spending your days with others. Anyway, the idea of going to church was to worship me, to spend time with me. Where do the people fit in? I should be your reason for attending chapel, not to meet people. If you had spent your Sabbath day resting in my presence, I would have been pleased. But your excuse is too feeble to even consider. Be gone from my presence.

12 more came and said, 'I find Sundays are far too busy. I only have time to wash the car, see the relatives, make the dinner, play a round of golf... I just haven't got time to read the Bible or attend chapel or anything like that.'
The Lord said, 'I'm sorry, but I've got a lot of people to see today. Be gone from my presence.'

17 said, 'They are always begging for money to keep the place going, it's just a social club, real Christianity isn't in the church, it's outside of it, that's where I practice my religion.'
The Lord said, 'An honest man only asks for what he needs. I ask for your life. Am I a beggar? No -- and you are no servant. Show me your 'Real Christianity outside the church'. Have you not read my words? 'By their fruits shall you know them.' Show me then the fruits of your real Christianity. Have you not read my words? 'I was hungry but you never fed me, I was thirsty but you never gave me a drink, I was naked but you never clothed me'. Be gone from my presence.

14 came to Him saying, 'Oh, we don't believe religion any more, it doesn't change a thing. Socialism/Capitalism / This-ism/That-ism will bring the only lasting change to society. We don't need all that spiritual nonsense.
And God said, 'Ironic, don't you think? You never believed I could change things and so put your trust in your fellow man. Look where your human error has now led you! Yet despite denying a belief in me, you kept your name on the church register. Why? Was that some kind of insurance policy just in case your views were wrong? There were times when you felt my presence but turned away. You have chosen to dismiss me and dismiss my people. You foolishly put your faith in your own ability and shut out my grace. You cannot save yourself. Be gone from my presence.'

Having now dealt with the majority of people who were members but never attended, the Lord turned His attention towards those who had attended during the last few months. He asked them a simple question. 'Why did you go to church?'

44 said, 'Oh, we only went for the sake of the children.' A nearby angel almost dropped his harp in astonishment.
'Only for the children,' said the Lord, 'Do you want them to grow up as hypocritical as you are? Did you not read that I love my children and that "Whoever does the will of God is a child of God, whoever does not do the will of God is a liar, deceiving himself'. As you sat in the pew, sometimes with tearful eyes at nativities and anniversaries, did you not think for one moment that through their joyful songs and stumbling readings I was trying to teach you something? Did you honestly believe I was only interested in your children? When I teach things, I do so by example. You were to follow my example in life. But you never listened. You chose not to follow. Would not your children eventually do the same? Did you not know that children follow their parents example? They would see your shallowness and realise the things of my love were not a reality in your life. It is with joy I receive your children into my Kingdom, but with sadness I can only say to you who have not known me. Be gone from my presence.'

26 said, 'Oh, we used to enjoy the singing, there's some lovely tunes to some of those hymns.'

The Lord said, 'Let me show you some verses from the mouth of one of my prophets, Jeremiah: "I will not listen to your songs, I will not accept your offerings". You did not come to my house of worship with the intention of serving me. The only joy you found was not the joy of my Spirit but the joy of the sound of music. You never turned to me from your sins. You sang songs for your own pleasure, not for mine. Since you sang only for your own satisfaction, your songs were painfully out of tune with my will for you. You may not have fellowship with me because you could only sing about me and never learnt to hear my voice and sing to me, sharing in the harmony of all creation. Be gone from my presence.'

There came to Him 70 people who said, 'We went to chapel because we'd always gone. Our fathers went before we did, often three times a day and in the week as well. I feel we owe the place a bit of respect. It's just a habit really.'
The Lord said to them, 'How right you are, your fathers were devout men. But they came to chapel to worship me, because they knew me and loved me. You neither know me nor love me. You did not study my word when you had the opportunity. Just because you habitually enter a building set aside to worship me does not mean you belong to me. To belong to me means listening to my words and obeying them. You cannot justify yourself before me by saying that you went to chapel, no matter how regular you were. You are justified before me only through you faith in me. I gave you every opportunity week by week, day by day, year by year, to come into a living relationship with me but you would not listen. You were happy going along in the same old way, as was your custom. Did you never read the words I wrote to a rich chapel like yours in Laodicea? "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. So because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth." But would you listen? I keep my word. Be gone from my presence.'

A few more came before Him with many different excuses. 'I went because I was sent', 'I went because it was expected,' I went because my boss went,' 'I went because my friend went.'

At the end there were only 30 people left, 'Ah,' said the Lord, 'And why did you go to chapel?'

'Why,' they said, 'To worship you of course! We know we haven't always listened to your Word, we know when your Spirit has challenged we haven't always responded, but we worship you because you have forgiven us and held us in your love. You are the Lord, Our God.' Some of them apologised for not being able to go because they were genuinely unable. Others looked surprised to see the Lord, others were crying for joy; the God they had known in their hearts they now saw face to face.