Philip Dawson writes that: 'Discover & Explore at St Stephen Walbrook is a beautifully crafted service drawing together fantastic music, sacred & secular readings and intelligent reflection and takes place on Mondays at 1.10pm':
'"Discover and Explore" this Monday lunchtime explored the discovery of the Temple of Mithras on the site opposite the church in 1954, which attracted huge public interest at the time. The service was led by Reverend Sally Muggeridge. The opening responses set the theme of "darkness to light" - a perfect link to the past; Mithras first appears as a God of Light in India before moving through Persia to Rome (via Alexander the Great).
Mithras was associated with righteousness, truth & integrity. The Romans found this warlike, strict & just god appealing. The choral scholars of St Martin-in-the-Fields sang Beati quorum via "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord." The first reading was an account of the discovery & the public interest: 'To see property developers turn pale whisper "Temple of Mithras" - a fact satirised in a Punch Cartoon.
The choral scholars stood at the entrance of the church to sing Bruckner's Locus Iste, the gradual for the dedication of a church. The bible reading (Acts 26.12-18) continued the theme of darkness to light; Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus. The choir then sang Telemann's setting of Ein Feste Burg; Luthers famous battle cry for the Reformation - a choice of music with layers of meaning not only in terms of today's subject - a Roman temple which became the site of a church but also the recent Reformation anniversary.
In prayer Reverend Sally referenced the Mithraic "Daily Salute to the Sun" and we prayed for all affected by the shooting at First Baptist Church in Texas. We finished with Joachim Neander's famous hymn "Praise to the Lord". Neander having given his name to another famous archaeological discovery.'
The next Discover & explore service is on Monday 13 November when we will explore St Augustine of Canterbury - see https://ssw.churchsuite.co.uk/events/hr1qa6pc.
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Anton Bruckner - Locus Iste.
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