Come and See

Here's the Sermon I shared in the All-age Eucharist at St Mary’s Runwell this morning:

Andrew says to Jesus, ‘Teacher, where are you staying?’ Jesus says, ‘Come and see.’ After spending the day with Jesus, Andrew goes to his brother and essentially says to him, ‘Come and see Jesus’ (John 1: 29-42).

What Andrew does is essentially what Jesus wants us to do, to say to others ‘Come and see’.

That’s also my offer this morning as we gather here together. ‘Come and see’. I wonder if any of the children here would like to ‘Come and see’ some interesting parts of the church.

[Invite someone to come and see with you]

Here’s a copy of our Reflective Tour of the church which enables us to pray our way around the building. We’ll use some of the information and prayers in it as we come and see what’s by the font first.

So, come and see 'The Baptism of Our Lord' by Enid Chadwick. Enid Mary Chadwick, who was known for religious art and children's religious material, lived in Walsingham for more than fifty years and her paintings appear in the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. Peter Kwasniewski has written that Chadwick’s work is “simple enough for young children, and yet at the same time full of complexities for those who are attentive.”

What do you see in this painting?

With its flat, outlined style and use of gold leaf, ‘The Baptism of Christ’ has the feel of an icon without having been written as a traditional icon. Christ is framed by John the Baptist on the left, angels on the right and above, the hand of God the Father and the dove of the Spirit. In this way, Chadwick has created a simple, yet unified design, centred on Christ and the significance of baptism as a doorway to faith. The painting was gifted to the church by Fr David John Silk Lloyd.

Come and see the altar table and cross in our side chapel. Local woodworker David Garrard crafted Stations of the Cross using the motif of the Runwell Cross (which is found originally on the Prioresses Tomb) which have been placed around the church. David Garrard also built this altar for the side chapel together with the inscribed cross above.

What do you notice about the cross and the altar?

The words carved on the cross encourage us to reflect on our start in life, our own personal mortality, and the ways God has been present with us on our journey through life and will be with us into eternity.

Finally, come and see what’s in the sanctuary.

This tomb is known as the Prioress’s tomb because it may have been the tomb of the last Prioress of the Nunnery alongside the running well which is located a couple of miles away and may have given Runwell its name. If you look closely, you’ll see the Runwell Cross on the tomb. Reflecting on the Runwell Cross, we notice that it is formed by four circles in a square; the instrument of our redemption is set within a sign of the perfection of God. So, here we can pray that we might know God more fully in his divinity and his humanity.

I hope we’ve seen the value of coming to see for ourselves. When we allow others to show and share what and who they know, there is much that we can learn and much on which we can reflect.

That was the lesson that Andrew learnt in today’s Gospel reading and which he then shared with his brother Simon Peter. He came to see Jesus and, in doing so, realised that Jesus was the Messiah they had been expecting. In the Prologue to John’s Gospel, we read that Jesus is God the Father’s only son become flesh and blood and sharing the fullness of his Father’s glory. No one has ever seen God, we read, but through God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, he has been made fully known.

That is what Andrew realised by coming to see; he was not seeing another ordinary man, instead he was seeing God in Jesus.

As Andrew invited his brother to also come and see Jesus, so we can do the same for our friends and family. Jesus calls us to make that same invitation. We might make that invitation my inviting them to come to church or by taking them round the church on a reflective tour that introduces them to Jesus or by giving them a copy of John’s Gospel to read. However, we do it our part in the process is to be the one who invites others to come and see Jesus. What happens after that is always down to God. 

Andrew said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, where are you staying?’ Jesus said, ‘Come and see.’ After spending the day with Jesus, Andrew went to his brother and said to him, ‘Come and see Jesus’. I invite you to go and do likewise.

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Graham Kendrick - We Worship At Your Feet (Come And See).

Reflective Tour: St Mary's Runwell

St Mary’s Runwell: A reflective tour of its art and architecture

St Mary's is a magnificent mediaeval building which boasts an interesting and mixed history. The church is often described by both visitors and regular worshippers as a powerful sacred space to which they have been drawn. This powerful impact comes in part from the art and architecture in the space. This leaflet provides information about that aspect of the building and suggests reflections and prayers as you view the building and its artworks.

To find out more about St Mary's Runwell or to visit click here.

Art and architecture

The modern rood screen in the perpendicular style is by W.F. Unsworth (1909). The figure of Our Lord on the cross is suspended from a tie beam, west of the rood screen, is in memory of Paymaster Lieutenant John Rochester Graves, RNVR, who died in HMS Hood in 1941. The colouring of the screen at St Mary's and the murals the one pillar in the south aisle dates from the 1930s-1950s and was undertaken, by his sons, under the guidance of then Rector, Revd John Edward Bazille-Corbin to 'reproduce as closely as possible' the decoration of the medieval church.

The painting of St Peter and the crucifix below it were by Anthony Corbin and are 'restorations of medieval work which had been well and truly scraped out, but the traces of which could, at that date, still be faintly seen.' Two modern olive wood statues depict Our Lady and Our Lord, the latter given as a thank-offering for the remarkable survival and recovery of a son of Bazille-Corbin, from injuries received during service in the 1939-45 war. The statue of Our Lady was carved by a Carmelite Sister who had carved a similar statue for the Shrine Church in Walsingham.

The chancel is entirely perpendicular in style. The original fifteenth century East window with three trefoiled lights in four centred heads with a moulded hood, was reset in the east wall when the chancel was lengthened in 1907. A slim one-light cinque-foiled east window high over the chapel altar contains the only surviving fragments of medieval stained glass. The rest of the stained glass is modern and is entirely taken up with memorials to various members of the Kemble family with the exceptions of the east window of the chancel and the west window in the tower. This is in memory of the mother of the Rev. H.K. Harris, Rector 1891-1912. The figure of Gabriel, the Archangel, is in the west window.

A large painting of 'The Baptism of Our Lord' by Enid Chadwick of Walsingham was gifted to the church by Fr David John Silk Lloyd. Local woodworker David Garrard has crafted Stations of the Cross using the motif of the Runwell Cross (found originally on the Prioresses Tomb) which have been placed around the church. Garrard also built an altar for the side chapel together with an inscribed cross on the side chapel wall.

The south door ‘unusually wide and large’ has an original, fifteenth century oak door with original hinges and strapwork. The timber has a curious burn-like mark said to be the mark of the ‘Devil’s claw’. An interesting feature is the medieval scratched sundial on the west jamb of the doorway. The south chapel contains two original piscine and a squint.

Reflective tour

Inscribed cross: Reflect on your start in life, your own personal mortality, and the ways God has been present with you on your journey through life and will be with you into eternity.

Annunciation windows: Reflect on the possibilities that always exist for new beginnings and fresh opportunities in life. Pray that God will break into your life or those of others just as Gabriel suddenly appeared to Mary.

Nativity window: Reflect on Jesus moving into our neighbourhood. Pray for your neighbourhood that Christ may be recognised there.

‘The Baptism of Our Lord’: Reflect on your need for turning away from what is wrong in your life and finding new direction. Hear God speaking to you, as to Jesus, saying, “You are my beloved child.”

Statues of Our Lady: Reflect on Mary's lifelong commitment to God. Pray for inspiration from Our Lady and for your own commitment to be strengthened.

Peter (window and mural): Reflect on Peter’s courage and fallibility in walking on water and then sinking. Pray that you might be used by God, as Peter was, despite your own fallibilities.

Stations of the Cross: Reflect on the many ways in which people suffer throughout the world. Pray for people, countries and situations of which you know where people are suffering today.

Crucifixion: Reflect on Christ’s sacrifice of his life for you. Pray that you may know Christ through participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

Resurrection window: Reflect on the transformation that Jesus’ resurrection brought to the disciples. Pray for resurrection in any circumstances where things seem to have come to a dead end.

Devil's claw: Reflect on the ways in which evil manifests itself today. Pray that goodness may always be stronger than evil and love than hate.

Gabriel window: Reflect on the meaning of Gabriel’s name – “strength of God.” Ask that you might be strengthened by God and God’s angels in whatever challenges you currently face.

Prioress’s tomb: Reflect on the Runwell Cross, formed by four circles in a square; the instrument of our redemption set within a sign of the perfection of God. Pray that you might know God more fully in his divinity and his humanity.

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Walsingham Way - Hymns To The Virgin Mary.

Upcoming arts events

Details of arts-related events that may be of interest:

Compassionate Art: talk by Nick Garrard in aid of Hospice Ethiopia UK January 18th, 7.30pm

An introduction to the concept of compassionate art through some famous and lesser- known examples, in which artists provide inspiration, protest, reflection or transformation, expressing grief or offering hope.

To register for your Zoom invite, please phone 01508 538014 or send an e-mail via https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/7440/get-in-touch/. Admission is free but donations warmly welcomed to a locally-based charity supporting Ethiopia’s only hospice via its website www.hospiceethiopia.org.uk.


Faith, Gospel and the Blues: An American Story

As America enters another turbulent period, Bloomsbury Central Baptist church welcomes two guests from the United States to discuss faith, gospel and the blues. They will be hosting two online meetings in January 2021, in which they will consider how songs which have their roots in an era of slavery and oppression can speak to today’s situation.

On Wednesday 13th January at 7.30pm, they will be joined by Rev. Travis Adams, Director of Youth Ministries from Flossmoor Community Church on the outskirts of Chicago. Music plays an important part in his ministry with a diverse, multiracial congregation. He was previously a member of the ministry team at Bloomsbury.

On January 27th at 7.30pm, the special guest to discuss blues music is Dr. Dina M. Bennett, the Curatorial Director for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville. She will trace the links between blues and gospel.

The sessions will feature videos of well known songs, to which you are invited to listen with fresh ears. Both events will be moderated by Duncan Bartlett, a Deacon at Bloomsbury Baptist Church and a former presenter on the BBC World Service.

To join these sessions, please contact Bloomsbury's Minister Simon Woodman (simon@bloomsbury.org.uk) for the Zoom link.

You can watch again the previous sessions in this series:

• Stand By Me - with Naveen Arles of the London International Gospel Choir - https://youtu.be/Vr-lLoWtRlY.
• Hold On - with Udoka, a member of Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church - https://youtu.be/BT5pieSV5Ss.
• Mary Don't You Weep - with The Revd Stephen Hance - https://youtu.be/yx6BTBWu4UA.

Art and social impact: 

Tuesday 26 January, 14:30 GMT. Register for a zoom invite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/art-and-social-impact-tickets-134763030853.

A conversation with artists whose work has a social impact dimension in order to explore the question of art and social change.

Includes discussion of personal journeys in addressing issues of social concern, approaches used, and expectations in terms of impact. The session will also explore ways in which churches can engage with such art and use it for exploring issues with congregations and beyond.

Jonathan Evens will be in conversation with André Daughtry (http://www.andredaughtrystudio.com/), Micah Purnell (https://micahpurnell.com/), Nicola Ravenscroft (https://nicolaravenscroft.com/) and Hannah Rose Thomas (http://hannahrosethomas.com/).


Lifted: art, faith and mental wellbeing

Art, faith and mental wellbeing are explored through the lives and creative output of:

• Unity Spencer, painter and teacher, Quaker, author of 'Lucky to be an artist' (published 2015)'
• Eularia Clarke, two of whose works feature in the Methodist Modern Art Collection;
• David Jones, First World War soldier, Roman Catholic artist, poet and calligrapher; and, quite remarkably,
• Vincent Van Gogh, who preached in Methodist churches when he lived in London in the 1870s.

James Smetham provides the focal point. A friend of the artists Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Ruskin, Smetham was Drawing Master at the Wesleyan Westminster College and a devout Methodist Class Leader. His prolific visual ‘squarings’ (postage-stamp-size pen and ink drawings) annotate his personal bible and hymn book, recording his daily activity both in celebration of and search for God’s blessings. He also produced literary ‘ventilators’, which might be described today as a method of therapeutic journalling.

Bible study will be accompanied by the opportunity to create personal ‘squarings’ or other responses to these artists who struggled variously with their mental health.

Weekly for six weeks, starting 22 February 2021. The course will require approximately four hours study a week. Cost £175. Course booking: https://smetham.eventbrite.co.uk.

The Wesley House Cambridge online booking link is at https://www.wesley.cam.ac.uk/study/onlinelearning/lifted/ with the closing date for registration being 15 February.

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Andra Day - Amen.

Egbert Modderman & The Art Cafe

The Barn at Rockland Rectory, home of the former Burning Bush project, is a centre for Arts and creative Christian spirituality. Their virtual Art Café explores a different work of art, and talk about life, spirituality and all that intrigues and inspires. The Café takes place on Zoom, starting at 10.30am for an hour.

November sees two meetings packed with interest. They are delighted that their final November meeting will be a live conversation with award-winning Biblical artist Egbert Modderman. Egbert recently won the BP Young Artist award and will be joining the Art Cafe to discuss his role as a religious artist and share some of his works. A perfect way for Art Café to approach the season of Advent.

• Nov 11th Portraits Old and New
• Nov 25th Conversation with Egbert Modderman

Phone Nick Garrard, Bishop’s Officer for Christian Spirituality through the Creative Arts, on 01508 538014 or e-mail NickGarr39@aol.com for more information and the Zoom link.

Barn Owl is an email circulated by Nick with resources designed to help you investigate various forms of art as a means to reflect on aspects of Bible stories and our Christian faith. The current edition includes information about another creative HeartEdge partner, The Chapel in the Fields.

The Chapel in the Fields is a place of creativity, spirituality, hospitality, worship and a resource to the wider church. Close to urban south Manchester, Sinderland Green Methodist Chapel is a small church in the countryside which has recently undergone significant refurbishment in 2016. The result is 'space' that embraces the heritage of the building and brings out the best of the Chapel, its beauty and simplicity.

The Chapel in the Fields offers a safe space to church and non-church people alike and has become a safe place for Quiet Days, retreats, and a venue for visiting groups. Over the last three years we have welcomed people from a wide area to come and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

The refurbished Chapel also has a wood workshop where beautiful things are being made for sale. We also reach out to folk who have been referred to us to come and enjoy some time of making and creating, over a sense of well-being and therapeutic activity

The project is sponsored by the Manchester and Stockport Methodist District, and has the support of the North West districts through the regional chairs’ covenant relationship and of the North West Learning Network.

Since restrictions began, it has been unable to host quiet days or invite visitors to its wood workshop. Instead, the Chapel is sending out ‘postcards’ with visual images and Biblical reflections that you can find here - https://www.chapelinthefields.org.uk/postcards/X9l9wf1DHGo.

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U2 - Gloria.

CompassionArt & Deanery Youth Service

In January 2008 twelve of the best-known writers in the gospel/Christian music scene - Michael W. Smith, Darlene Zschech, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Paul Baloche, Israel Houghton, Graham Kendrick, Steven Curtis-Chapman, Andy Park, Stu Garrard, Martin Smith – got together in Scotland to spend the week writing songs that could impact on issues of poverty in some of the poorest parts of the world on a long-term basis. They wanted to be people that can make a change rather than just singing about it.

As a result CompassionArt was born, a charity dedicated to seeing works of art generate income for the poorest of the poor. When we sing a song in church it actually makes money. A royalty is paid to CCLI – the global body that oversees the process. They take out a small percentage to cover their administration costs and then pass the remainder of the royalty on to the songwriter's publisher who take a cut themselves and then pass what remains to the writer of the song who then splits it with a management team. But everyone involved in these songs from writers to publishers, managers to the team at CCLI have waived all their rights and allowed CompassionArt to own the copyrights. So the songs that were written in Scotland are now owned by the charity meaning that every penny will come to it and the trust will own these copyrights forever.

Our young people at St Johns Seven Kings heard about CompassionArt during a Youth Group session about Christian music and decided that they wanted to base a Deanery Youth Service on its work and music. They have come up with some great ideas for leading prayer and worship and their service will be held at St John’s on Sunday 5th July at 5.00pm.

By supporting our young people and coming to this service you can help CompassionArt support projects restoring choice and hope to people's lives. CompassionArt is a charity that joins the dots between art and poverty. It raises money to help breathe life into the poorest communities, restoring hope and igniting justice.

They provide funding to projects working with children in Uganda – some of whom have already endured the brutality of life as a child soldier – as well as children of sex workers in Indian slums. There are homeless shelters in the middle of wealthy western cities and orphanages in the middle of developing nations that are helped financially - as a result of the sale of CompassionArt albums, songs and books - all of them breathing hope back into lives that have been conditioned to believe that life may never get any better.

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CompassionArt - Friend Of The Poor.