Broken Wholeness

Day three
07-18-2010
Northampton

This morning (Sunday) we attended services at Coventry Cathedral and spent some time visiting the cathedral grounds which include the ruins of the old church. Following lunch we departed for Kenilworth Castle, a short ride away.

Coventry Cathedral bears some explaining. There have been three cathedrals in the city since within the past 1000 years. St. Mary’s, the first, fell into decay following the dissolution of the monasteries and removal of the cathedral to another city in 1539. St. Michael’s church, organized as a parish in the 12th century, had built a tremendous church beginning in the 14 century. This church became the cathedral in 1918 when the diocese of Coventry was created. The beauty of this 700 year old church crumbled in one night during World War II.

From the cathedral’s website: “The majority of the great ruined churches and cathedrals of England are the outcome of the violence of the dissolution in 1539. The ruins of St. Michael's are the consequence of violence in our own time. On the night of 14 November 1940, the city of Coventry was devastated by bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe. The Cathedral burned with the city, having been hit by several incendiary devices.” www.coventrycathedral.org.uk

Immediately following the destruction, the people vowed to rebuild both the church and the city. What emerged from the ashes was a civic and religious identity of peace, reconciliation and the restoration of hope. Building the new St. Michael’s cathedral began in the fifties and finished early the next decade. The bombed out remains of the old church rest immediately adjacent to the new. New/old, broken/healed, hobbled/healthy- this is the stirring context for life and worship in Coventry.

To worship and walk in this Holy Place is to witness the resurrection. And it often left us speechless, drawing deep breaths with tears in our eyes. Brokenness and wholeness often dwell in the same place.

For many of the choir, the youth especially, this was a first feel of cathedral worship. The large proportions of the church are similar to that of Ely, where they will sing evensong tomorrow evening. Contemplating filling such a large and holy space with their voices gave them pause, and called them to consider the task soon at hand. We enjoyed the service, and were warmly welcomed by the clergy, lay leaders and members of the church.

After lunch in Coventry we made our way to Kenilworth Castle. It is an amazing site and we had beautiful weather for our afternoon outside. Again we found ourselves amidst broken buildings, hearing the stories of God, empire and power and the endless capacity for humanity to render ruin in most every era. And yet the day was lovely, and the recently restored Elizabethan gardens (the originals were built for her by friend, and sometime suitor, Robert Dudley) were spectacular. Once more- wholeness in the midst of brokenness.

Tomorrow is our travel day. We arrive in Ely in time for lunch and a quick settle in at our lodgings. By 3:00 the choir will be in rehearsal and 5:30 is the first evensong of the residency. Blessings to all, and peace.

- Jonathan

p.s.- If i have time I will post picture tonight. If not, you'll see them tomorrow.

“One Body”

Day two- July 17, 2010

Northampton

After a blessed night’s sleep we spent our first full day of touring in the Cotswolds. Considered somewhat the ideal of English country culture, the region is renowned for its natural beauty and quiet villages where time seems to have stood still. Rolling hills, yellow with ripened wheat, striped with green rows of trees, green pastures where sheep, cattle and even rabbits graze. It really is as beautiful as it sounds.

We stopped in three Cotswold towns: Bibury (pron: BYE-bury), Cirencester (pron: SHY-ren-shester) and Burford. Each town is filled with lovely, well-kept homes,tidy, narrow streets and winding waterways. Each also has a lovely parish church and each church is a treasure.

From the small parish of St. Mary in Bibury to the larger St. John’s in Cirencester, and mid-sized and very vibrant, youthful feeling St. John’s Burford, each church is a unique expression of beauty. Of course they are old…our 150 year old St. Mark’s Church seems newborn in comparison. Travelling with architect and architecture professor Michael Conner, chorister Anne’s husband, is an added bonus. His exegesis of churches and local buildings is a great asset along our pilgrimage.

At St. Mary’s, Bibury, we found the Gospel reading from the past Sunday’s liturgy sitting on the lectern. It was the same reading we heard at St. Mark’s on the same Sunday. Sharing the schedule of lessons with the broader Anglican Communion, and most other Christian denominations, is a subtle reality easily glossed over in our common life. But the young people with whom I am traveling picked up the deeper significance immediately…”We are united,” said Harris. This simple observation, this profound truth, this hopeful prayer for the church, settled deep into me for the rest of the day.

We are one body.

We are one body. Is this a present reality, a hopeful prayer or a desperate, broken plea for survival in the midst of crisis...or perhaps all three?

So we continue as youth and adults, singers and hangers on (I among the latter) seeking to be one body. And we do so knowing that we are all very different from one another. Young, old, experienced and not. Our hope is that the strength of our voices and the conviction of our hearts may somehow mix with the Grace of God and provide a glimpse of the depth and diversity of God’s own voice. And perhaps, just perhaps, in the days to come we will find that sacred moment where pilgrims from Texas, from England and from all over the world will stop, take a deep breath in, sigh gently….and become the One Body that might provide a small measure of God’s Peace.

-Jonathan

Arrival

Friday, 11pm, Northampton, England

We arrived at Heathrow Airport safe & sound at 12:5o local time. For those of you keeping track at home, we are six hours ahead of central daylight time. The flight was 9 hours long and uneventful- unless you count attempting to sleep sitting upright and adjusting to the time change along the way. That being said, all luggage and people arrived well. For that we are all grateful.

From Heathrow we went to Woburn Abbey (http://www.woburn.co.uk/abbey/) which is near Northampton, arriving a bit later than planned. Woburn is an 18th century estate build on the ruins of a Cistercian Abbey. The Abbey was disbanded and destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monastaries under Henry VIII. Since 1574 the Abbey lands have been the home of the dukes of Bedford.

The estate is beautiful and awe-inspiring in its grandeur. Countless works of art and valuables line the halls and rooms of this amazing estate. Our tour was self-directed and very flexible. Most of us had time for some tea and biscuits in the tea room on the grounds. For me the beauty of the estate and grounds is juxtaposed with the knowledge that this sacred ground had been brutally wrested from a religious community by a king hungry for power, wealth and religious influence. This same king many credit with creating the environment necessary for the English Reformation- a reformation that birthed the church we know and love today. Cross and crown are never tidy bedfellows.

Now we are settled into the hotels in Northampton. I am with the Youth Choir in the Holiday Inn and the Parish Choir are in the Marriott nearby.

The transforming power of this pilgrimage is already present in our group. Through the crucible of small seats on a crowded plane, extended hours without the proper rest and arrival in a strange new land inhabited by people with strange accents, traveling on crowded highways, the group has begun to take on the character of a faith community. Like travelers, pilgrims, before us we have found that the journey is as important as the goal.

Friends become deeper friends-new insights are gained into people we thought we already knew so well. Acquaintances become friends- conversations lead to deep understanding and new connections beyond the Sunday morning handshake relationships. These are the beginnings of the fruits of this journey...and there will be many more to come. The journey has become the destination.

- Jonathan, traveling with the Youth Choir

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Dear Friends and Family -

This Thursday evening, July 15th, at 6:30 p.m. the Parish and Youth Choirs of St. Mark's depart on a pilgrimage to England, including a week's residency at Ely Cathedral. Sign-up here to receive the updates to this blog directly in your email box! Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated!

This post composed by Assistant Director of Music, Kristin Roach. Who will the next blogger be? Sign-up to find out!