Good Afternoon my friends,
Is it just me, or have we all got no end of things to do before yesterday?
(I hate it when I am in a rush.)
We keep Remembrance Sunday this week, and like so many things it will be different this year.
Some services are cancelled, some folk will stay at home for any number of reasons, and those of us who manage to gather will be wearing our masks, and singing quietly.
There will be an Act of Remembrance on the radio at 11am on Wednesday 11th. Pure Gold 94.1 fm or www.puregold.fm
At our church service on Sunday we will finish by singing
I vow to thee, my country, All earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, The service of my love:
The love that asks no question, The love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.
I wanted to spend a few minutes unpacking this stunning hymn. Written by Cecil Spring Rice, and put to music by Gustav Holst in 1921.
Cecil Rice re wrote the first verse, and it became a very patriotic hymn about how we owe our loyalties to both our home land and the heavenly kingdom. It is very much about Love and sacrifice in the first verse, and gentleness and peace in the second.
My feeling is that if it were not for the second verse we would not be singing this hymn.
We need to reflect on how we feel now rather than just accept what was written then.
Cecil Spring writes that he vows to his country all earthly things above, and this is referenced as ‘The service of my love.’ This love asks no questions, and that is where some folk would struggle these days. We want those who make decisions to be accountable, and how can we be sure that the state knows best. But during the 14 – 18 war, which was the background to this poem, the People offered themselves without question. They gave of themselves in a sacrificial way for the benefit of the whole of human kind, and that giving cost the dearest and the best to be laid upon the altar.
It is heartbreaking for us to contemplate what went on, and this poem is reminiscent of Jesus words from John’s Gospel ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’
This powerful poem moves into a beautiful and different plane when in verse 2 it reflects on the kingdom of heaven where all the souls referred to previously have gone. It is a ‘Dear’ and ‘Great’ place known by many. But it is very different from the world. No armies, the King not visible (So no pomp and ceremony) but protected by the faithful heart of those who with pride accepted their lot. The way of heaven, the way of God, and thus our hope for the way of the world is Gentleness and Peace.
For me this poem which became a greatly loved hymn is patriotic, but it is so much more about offering that unquestioning love, that sacrificial obedience and that completeness of our giving of ourselves to God for the furtherance of his Kingdom. This is not a call to arms, but a call to prayer, that our lives may reflect something of the glory of heaven.
Bless you, Bless you, Bless you,
And join me in praying for peace in our troubled world.Merciful God, we offer to you the fears in us that have not yet been cast out by love: May we accept the hope you have placed in the hearts of all people, and live lives of justice, courage and mercy; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord. Amen