Hillside Parishes Magazine

April 2000 Reflections ..... and now in Lent

The practice of one’s faith prompts strange contrasts. Once again I was in London for a Memorial Service, this time at my spiritual home of St Bride’s Church in Fleet Street. I was struck by a series of contrasts. Firstly we celebrated the life of a staunch churchman, Peter Valpy, late Master of the Worshipful Company of Woolmen. Secondly, the busyness of Fleet Street and the whole City was just outside - but here we were giving thanks to God. Thirdly, the music and singing, as ever, was superb - the extract from Cavalleria Rusticana of The Easter Hymn by Mascagni served well to illustrate how even opera, drawing on the seamier side of the everyday, could still touch sublime heights. Here was a cameo within a cameo as we drew aside to celebrate, and to give thanks within the everyday, whilst our material drew on the same sources.

Our own Elsie Kirby so well embroidered the Company of Woolmen badges on my scarf, which you can see at any Hillside service.

Some of the debate at the round of parish A.G.M.s this year has centred around falling numbers, lack of support and a shortfall in income when costs have risen steeply. Oh yes, people want the parish church there, but it is more than an insurance policy. Rites of passage make their own impact and demand their own response, but in this materially well-off age (shades of Amos here!) recreation is seductive rather than spiritual. It seems that only when people are brought to their knees does worship have any relevance for them. Perhaps the irony is that then their prayers are the more genuine and heartfelt ...............

Yes, the Hillside parish churches will continue while I’m around! I have noticed, though, that in the past few years my role is much more sacramental. If I’m not taking Holy Communion or rites of passage then I’m the priestly presence at other events, via a series of chaplaincies. Here the challenge is to summarise where we are and what we are doing in prayer, or to preach and try to illustrate the relevance of our faith to our activities.

The traditional visiting of the Church of England that I learned with my grandfather as a boy has been overtaken by other demands - mostly those of now serving several parishes, in contrast to his one parish. As priests are less numerous we have to double up on other jobs. Yes, we are professionals. Perhaps it should leave room for the priesthood of all believers, whereby we all exercise a part in ministry and whereby we all do a bit of visiting and encourage our neighbours. (More so if you are likely to encounter them when they both get back from work, for I seldom find them in during the day!)

I hope the trend away from the church is only passing. I hope that there is not a catastrophe that pulls people back. I hope people are in church because they want to be and they want contact with their God through ordered, tried and tested worship. (Try our Lenten Holy Communion variations on Wednesdays!) I also hope that we will not be reduced - as my paper tells me about some synagogues - to introducing some sort of loyalty card that also offers in-house reductions. We’ll be selling indulgences again next!

May your Lent be enriching and your Easter enlivening! The Easter Message will be proclaimed from the pulpits on Sunday 23rd April.

Peter Francis Valpy, June 1938 to November 1999 (from Debrett People of Today, 1997). Memorial Service at St Bride’s Fleet Street, EC4, March 15th 2000 (Toddy, as Chaplain, led the prayers). The Times, 16th March.