From the January 2010 Magazine
Rector's Letter.
“It was no summer progress. A cold coming they had of it, at this time of the year; just, the worst time of the year, to take a journey, and specially a long journey, in. The ways deep, the weather sharp, the days short, the sun farthest off in solstitio brumali, the very dead of Winter.”
As the winter of 2009/10 looks set to become one of the coldest for years, these lines echo in my mind and are worth exploring. Some of you will be familiar with T. S. Eliot’s poem, The Journey of the Magi, often read at Christmastime, but may not realise that the passage was taken from one of the finest sermons of the 17th century, preached by Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester (1555–1626), before King James I and the royal court on Christmas Day 1622. The good bishop was probably the chief contributor to the King James Bible of 1611, and was the king’s favourite preacher; with good reason.
The sermon contrasts the summer progress King James often made around his two kingdoms of England and Scotland with the journey of the kings in Matthew’s Gospel. For King James, the summer progress was a pleasure and he could expect lavish entertainment and courtly masques in the country houses of the aristocracy; for Matthew’s kings, the journey to the manger was perilous and uncomfortable. Some commentators have criticised [both Eliot and] Andrewes for a lack of understanding of 1st century Palestinian climatology, but that misses the point because neither poem nor sermon is really about the weather.
The true focus of the sermon is on the hearers, for this is also the journey of Everyman or every Christian. We require the virtues of fortitude and endurance to complete our life’s pilgrimage to the fullest. It is possible for us only to be, “summer progress” Christians and that can be very enjoyable, but without the commitment to persevere through, “the very dead of Winter”, we will never reach the manger throne.
Now, that, “very dead of Winter”, will be different for every Christian: it may come at those times when we find churchgoing dry and empty; at times of personal sorrow, illness or bereavement; those times when we find it hard to pray; it may sometimes even be what the Christian mystics call, “the dark night of the soul”. The paradox is that we should not shy away from this but actively embrace it.
The version of the psalms most familiar to Andrewes was that of Miles Coverdale, Bishop of Exeter (1488-1569), which was retained in the1662 Book of Common Prayer. Psalm 84 echoes this idea.
[Those] Who going through the vale of misery use it for a well :
and the pools are filled with water. (Psalm 84.6)
If we do not shy away from, “the very dead of Winter”, then God will provide the sustenance we really need, although seldom in a way that we expect, anticipate or desire.
Christmas at the minster and at Wressle was a very happy affair with numbers well up on last year, especially at the Crib Service which continues to grow in popularity. We welcomed well over 400 people to services on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.
This was in addition to packed school services in the minster the previous week.
Many people remarked on the quality of the minster music this Christmas under the leadership of our new Musical Director, Matthew Collins. Well done all Minster Musicians!
Thanks to the flower ladies for their magnificent displays and all those who helped beautify the minster for Christmas and clear up afterwards.
Incense was restored to minster worship in time for Christmas, following the generous loan of all the necessary equipment from some Nottinghamshire churches. It will now be used on special occasions, usually restricted to choir and sanctuary.
We now have an outside notice board to be proud of.
Future Sundays
Plough Sunday will be observed on 17 January, a week later than usual, when an historic plough will be blessed, symbolising God’s blessing on all honest human labour during 2010.
The Conversion of St Paul (one of our two patron saints) will be observed on 24 January, led by Kate Burgess.
On 31 January the whole Howden Team will gather at the minster to celebrate Candlemas. There will be Choral Evensong at 5:30 later on the same Sunday.
Ash Wednesday falls on 17 February 2010, marking the beginning of Lent.
We will be following the diocesan Lent Course, “A Way Ahead”. More details to follow.
The Bishop of Hull, the Rt. Rev’d Richard Frith will be joining us again at 10:45 on 18 April 2010.