As we break for Easter, Reverend Fields shares his reflections on the term past and, in light of the religious origins of the holiday, what worship means to him.
In these precious days when Passover, Ramadan, Lent, Easter and Eid coincide, we have an opportunity to stand, to stare and to wonder at the sheer majesty and wonder of it all. Worship!
A few days ago, I was a lucky witness to a stunning sunset above Sandy Lodge, with a crisp new moon high above. This might canvas provided a magnificent backdrop for a scintillating performance of Handel’s Messiah on Monday evening. Handel’s deft placing of the ancient Hebrew texts with later Christian writings is something of a theological tour de force; his music seizes both imagination and soul. And with those remarkable skies, who wouldn’t be looking to the heavens? This is worship indeed.
As people of faiths we affirm the power of God’s words for us all. God speaks into chaos and life finds its footing. God’s words are quite a contrast to the words of our human lips, which all too often evince doubt or require verification. Handel’s oratorio knocks all that on the head, for in his music, the Creator’s promise of redemption glistens and holds true.
A few days previously, and by contrast, the Philosophy Society tantalised us with the opportunity to consider the motion: “If God exists, he doesn’t deserve our worship”. There were no lightning strikes or claps of thunder to accompany an energised debate which had its roots in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, a novel infused by the author’s grief over the death of the his son, Alyosha, at the age of only three years.
We are incomparably fortunate to share our quest for wisdom in a school where words are not worshipped but rather, hallowed and honoured. To honour is to bestow trust in it. Trust in the personal and public domain is a necessary component to a moral life – it doesn’t mean we have to agree on every matter, but suggests through sensitive engagement we can honour and love those around us.
As the Phil Soc debate drew to a close, we each left the room reflecting on what was said, feeling grateful for each other’s company. We paused, considered, listened and wondered… and after, got on with living! To borrow the words of Geroge Herbert:
The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage … something understood
Theologian, Priest and Philosopher, Don Cupitt’s words have often informed my own pilgrimage. He died in January this year. He observes:
I am suggesting that we can and do regain eternity when we are so immersed in life,
in aesthetic contemplation, that we completely forget about time and anxiety.
I wonder if that might be a good definition of worship?
We live in times where it’s hard to predict what the skies might be telling us. At this time of year, Merchant Taylors’ throws the whole colourful kaleidoscope of colours at us, from deep clear blue skies to the intense yellows of daffodils, followed by the pinks of the cherry blossom which always succumbs to late winds that catch us all by surprise. As winter gives way to spring, it’s appropriate that the great festival of Easter is celebrated, where light conquers darkness and life outwits death.
This Easter, I’ll be driving on some familiar roads on the West of Scotland. One of them is known affectionately as The Rest and be Thankful. It’s a winding road that climbs through steep terrain and is sometimes impassable because of rock falls. When you get to the top, there is a place where you can pull over, look back over the ascent and draw a breath … and offer your worship!
This Easter, let’s rest and let’s be thankful for the journeys we share. And let’s all take some time to be immersed in our own lives. They are precious and they only come by once.
May the hope and joy of Easter be yours
James Fields (School Chaplain)
