We got back from the weekend away (more about that in the next couple of days) just in time for tonight’s service at St Silas, and were greeted by protesters.

The placards were not the result of an invasion by Richard Dawkins and friends – fun though that would have been to see.

Instead, tonight’s service was about the oppression and persecution that Christians around the world often face for their beliefs, such as from the the media, political groups, militant atheists, and governments. The placards were a way of making us think about the societal pressures Christians and Christianity sometimes experience, and the service featured a thought-provoking and very well-delivered sermon from Nick.

A surreal picture, don’t you think? People standing in church with signs saying “Jesus Freak” and “God is Dead” was too off-beat and controversial a sight not to grab a photo.