Start:Stop offers the chance for busy commuters to Start their day by Stopping to reflect for ten minutes. Starting every quarter hour between 7.45am and 9.15am on Tuesday mornings at St Stephen Walbrook, in the heart of the City of London, we invite people to drop in for as long as they can to hear a sequence of bible readings, reflections and prayers or simply to sit and reflect. For more information visit our website. This reflection is from Tuesday 28th August 2018.
Thank you for joining us for Start:Stop. My name is Phillip Dawson. This reflection will last ten minutes. We begin with a bible reading, which can be found on page 193 in the New Testament section of the Bible.
Bible Reading – 2 Corinthians 5.1-10
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
Reflection
Several of my friends have been spending the bank holiday weekend in tents at Greenbelt – a Christian festival in a field in Kettering. Judging by the comments and photos on Facebook, I think that while they enjoyed the festival, many are glad that their accommodation was only temporary!
In the reading we have just heard, St Paul compares our earthy lives to tents – fragile, transient and weak skinned; the resurrection life is described as ‘a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens’. This passage follows on from St Paul’s description of our bodies as being like clay jars; fragile – and disposable - containers of the awesome power of God’s love that is within each one of us. Chapter 5 of St Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians ends with the famous line “We are Ambassadors for Christ.”
St Paul tells us why we must not lose sight of our faith in Christ; despite the challenges we are faced with in our daily lives (our groans in the tent – a reminder that being an Ambassador for Christ doesn’t let us off the hook when it comes to day to day worries and concerns). The hope offered is that of the promise of the resurrection life.
In the reading we have just heard, St Paul compares our earthy lives to tents – fragile, transient and weak skinned; the resurrection life is described as ‘a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens’. This passage follows on from St Paul’s description of our bodies as being like clay jars; fragile – and disposable - containers of the awesome power of God’s love that is within each one of us. Chapter 5 of St Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians ends with the famous line “We are Ambassadors for Christ.”
St Paul tells us why we must not lose sight of our faith in Christ; despite the challenges we are faced with in our daily lives (our groans in the tent – a reminder that being an Ambassador for Christ doesn’t let us off the hook when it comes to day to day worries and concerns). The hope offered is that of the promise of the resurrection life.
Today many parts of the church celebrate the feast of St Augustine of Hippo. How to live our lives in tension between the transience and impermanence of this world with our belief in the promise of what is to come, is something that St Augustine wrote about in his Confessions. One of the best known quotes is: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” The "restless heart" (which some might think an odd symbol for a religious order) has become the emblem of the Augustinians, the heart is shown enflamed by the arrow of the Holy Spirit and searching for wisdom in the scriptures.
The influence of St Augustine’s writings on European thought and literature cannot be underestimated – and I would add music to that list (Augustine is reputed to have said “those who sing pray twice.”)
The composer Anton Bruckner began his musical career as a choirboy and later organist at an Augustinian Monastery. His biographer Hans Ferdinand Redlich has said "he is perhaps the only great composer of his century whose entire musical output is determined by his religious faith" – a faith which was lived through the influence of an Augustinian spirituality. I was lucky enough to hear his final ninth symphony (dedicated to “the dear Lord”) conducted by Simon Rattle earlier this year. Bruckner’s symphonies have been described as ‘cathedrals of sound’ and Rattle has said that “To understand the way Bruckner works you have to think in terms of an architect as much as a composer.” Perhaps Bruckner was seeking to respond to the tension between this world and the next by seeking to create permanence from the transient, through the form and structure of his music?
During his life, Bruckner's more eccentric expressions of faith were the subject of mockery and fascination in equal measure. Since childhood, he had always knelt to pray the Angelus, whenever he heard a bell toll; even falling to his knees in prayer during the course of giving a lecture. He was obsessed with relics and kept a prayer journal, which he wrote in code. Gaps in his prayer journal were once used to evidence his loss of faith and mental breakdown – and illustrate a perceived deterioration in the quality of his work. The missing entries have since been re-discovered and show Bruckner’s prayers increasing with age, right up to the day before he died. This discovery coincided with a revived interest in and appreciation of his work. Bruckner is now acknowledged to have been a progressive right to the end – stretching the boundaries of the symphonic form.
Bruckner had to endure his fair share of ‘groans’ in life, but instead of repairing his ‘tent’ he remained focused on the heavenly realm - his faith in God remained steadfast throughout. When he began composing, his music was derided by many of the great and the good of the day. Brahms called him a "country pumpkin," the influential music critic Eduard Hanslick defined his work as a sequence of "empty and dull patches that stretch to unsparing lengths”; his Mass in F was declared unsingable - (he had to pay the Vienna Philharmonic eight months of his own salary to perform it) – but, despite this, Bruckner persevered. He said:
The influence of St Augustine’s writings on European thought and literature cannot be underestimated – and I would add music to that list (Augustine is reputed to have said “those who sing pray twice.”)
The composer Anton Bruckner began his musical career as a choirboy and later organist at an Augustinian Monastery. His biographer Hans Ferdinand Redlich has said "he is perhaps the only great composer of his century whose entire musical output is determined by his religious faith" – a faith which was lived through the influence of an Augustinian spirituality. I was lucky enough to hear his final ninth symphony (dedicated to “the dear Lord”) conducted by Simon Rattle earlier this year. Bruckner’s symphonies have been described as ‘cathedrals of sound’ and Rattle has said that “To understand the way Bruckner works you have to think in terms of an architect as much as a composer.” Perhaps Bruckner was seeking to respond to the tension between this world and the next by seeking to create permanence from the transient, through the form and structure of his music?
During his life, Bruckner's more eccentric expressions of faith were the subject of mockery and fascination in equal measure. Since childhood, he had always knelt to pray the Angelus, whenever he heard a bell toll; even falling to his knees in prayer during the course of giving a lecture. He was obsessed with relics and kept a prayer journal, which he wrote in code. Gaps in his prayer journal were once used to evidence his loss of faith and mental breakdown – and illustrate a perceived deterioration in the quality of his work. The missing entries have since been re-discovered and show Bruckner’s prayers increasing with age, right up to the day before he died. This discovery coincided with a revived interest in and appreciation of his work. Bruckner is now acknowledged to have been a progressive right to the end – stretching the boundaries of the symphonic form.
Bruckner had to endure his fair share of ‘groans’ in life, but instead of repairing his ‘tent’ he remained focused on the heavenly realm - his faith in God remained steadfast throughout. When he began composing, his music was derided by many of the great and the good of the day. Brahms called him a "country pumpkin," the influential music critic Eduard Hanslick defined his work as a sequence of "empty and dull patches that stretch to unsparing lengths”; his Mass in F was declared unsingable - (he had to pay the Vienna Philharmonic eight months of his own salary to perform it) – but, despite this, Bruckner persevered. He said:
"They want me to write in a different way. I could, but I must not. Out of thousands I was given this talent by God, only I. Sometime I will have to give an account of myself. How would the Father in Heaven judge me if I followed others and not Him?"
While firm in the knowledge of God’s belief in him, Bruckner questioned his own abilities; spending many years re-writing his works, apparently in response to criticism. However, he showed no sign of angst or anger when conductors later made changes to his symphonies once published - believing that the work first and foremost should be performed. Grace is a subject which appears over four hundred times in St Augustine's writings; perhaps we see in Bruckner's attitude to the performance of his work a glimpse of this grace; freely giving the music, which he believed to have been divinely inspired, to others to do with as they see fit.
While firm in the knowledge of God’s belief in him, Bruckner questioned his own abilities; spending many years re-writing his works, apparently in response to criticism. However, he showed no sign of angst or anger when conductors later made changes to his symphonies once published - believing that the work first and foremost should be performed. Grace is a subject which appears over four hundred times in St Augustine's writings; perhaps we see in Bruckner's attitude to the performance of his work a glimpse of this grace; freely giving the music, which he believed to have been divinely inspired, to others to do with as they see fit.
In Brucker’s response to his critics perhaps we also see evidence of his “Restless Heart”. Maybe the lengthy revisions of his music were not in response to personal attacks by the Viennese musical fraternity; this would suggest he placed the will of man before the will of God. Perhaps these periods of rework were not as a consequence of wounded pride after all, but can be seen as evidence of Bruckner's total commitment to discern God's will – to continue to search for the divine truth in each piece of music?
Spirituality is the way we live our relationship with God. We can learn much from Bruckner’s approach to his life and work – a spirituality inspired by the teachings of St Augustine; his commitment to making time to meet God in prayer. Bruckner didn’t dismiss the criticisms of others – the ‘groans’ of life – but he knew where the real power lay. He walked by faith, not by sight. His restless heart drove a lifetime search for wisdom and truth in his work; questioning his on capabilities, yes, but never questioning God’s purpose – Divine Providence. Bruckner died confident in his faith.
Spirituality is the way we live our relationship with God. We can learn much from Bruckner’s approach to his life and work – a spirituality inspired by the teachings of St Augustine; his commitment to making time to meet God in prayer. Bruckner didn’t dismiss the criticisms of others – the ‘groans’ of life – but he knew where the real power lay. He walked by faith, not by sight. His restless heart drove a lifetime search for wisdom and truth in his work; questioning his on capabilities, yes, but never questioning God’s purpose – Divine Providence. Bruckner died confident in his faith.
Before we spend time in prayer and before begin our working week, let us reflect again on those words of St Paul;
“whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”
Prayers
We begin our time of prayer with these words of St Augustine of Hippo.
A Prayer of Trust in God's Heavenly Promise.
My God, let me know and love you, so that I may find my happiness in you.
Since I cannot fully achieve this on earth, help me to improve daily until I may do so to the full.
Enable me to know you ever more on earth, so that I may know you perfectly in heaven.
Enable me to love you ever more on earth, so that I may love you perfectly in heaven.
In that way my joy may be great on earth, and perfect with you in heaven.
O God of truth, grant me the happiness of heaven so that my joy may be full in accord with your promise.
In the meantime let my mind dwell on that happiness, my tongue speak of it, my heart pine for it, my mouth pronounce it, my soul hunger for it, my flesh thirst for it, and my entire being desire it until I enter through death in the joy of my Lord forever.
Amen.
Since I cannot fully achieve this on earth, help me to improve daily until I may do so to the full.
Enable me to know you ever more on earth, so that I may know you perfectly in heaven.
Enable me to love you ever more on earth, so that I may love you perfectly in heaven.
In that way my joy may be great on earth, and perfect with you in heaven.
O God of truth, grant me the happiness of heaven so that my joy may be full in accord with your promise.
In the meantime let my mind dwell on that happiness, my tongue speak of it, my heart pine for it, my mouth pronounce it, my soul hunger for it, my flesh thirst for it, and my entire being desire it until I enter through death in the joy of my Lord forever.
Amen.
Please join me in prayer. The response to ‘Lord unite us in love’ is
and send us out in faith.
Lord, unite us in love
Lord, unite us in love
and send us out in faith.
Lord, help us to make time to open our lives to your presence today;
to leave behind the distractions and contradictions of our daily lives;
and find happiness in you.
to leave behind the distractions and contradictions of our daily lives;
and find happiness in you.
Lord, unite us in love
and send us out in faith.
Lord, strengthen us when the pressures of life make us groan;
When we experience distrust, uncertainty and dissatisfaction with ourselves and others;
help us to walk by faith and not by sight - let our hearts and minds be filled with the joy of knowing you.
help us to walk by faith and not by sight - let our hearts and minds be filled with the joy of knowing you.
Lord, unite us in love
and send us out in faith.
Lord, grant us patience to follow your calling and discern your purpose for us;
For you have made us for yourself;
And our hearts are restless until they rest in You.
For you have made us for yourself;
And our hearts are restless until they rest in You.
Unite us in love
and send us out in faith.
Blessing
May the Lord Jesus Christ give us
A heart to love Him,
A will to choose him,
An understanding to know Him,
A spirit which may always be united to Him.
And may the God of love and mercy
love us forever.
Amen.
Thank you for joining us for Start:Stop today. Please pick up our latest Parish Newsletter which is on the table at the entrance to the church, which has news about our new Community Choir, new services and discussion groups starting next week.
I hope you have a wonderful week.
The next reflection will begin in a few minutes.
Image
Saint Augustine by Philippe de Champaigne
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