Here is a sonnet for Ascension Day, the glorious finale of the Easter Season.
In the mystery of the Ascension we reflect on the way in which, one sense Christ ‘leaves’ us and is taken away into Heaven, but in another sense he is given to us and to the world in a new and more universal way. He is no longer located only in one physical space to the exclusion of all others. He is in the Heaven which is at the heart of all things now and is universally accessible to all who call upon Him. And since His humanity is taken into Heaven, our humanity belongs there too, and is in a sense already there with him.”For you have died”, says St. Paul, “and your life is hidden with Christ in God”. In the Ascension Christ’s glory is at once revealed and concealed, and so is ours. The sonnet form seemed to me one way to begin to tease these things out.
Please feel free to make use of this, and my other sonnets in church services and to copy and share them. If you can mention the book from which they are taken that would be great.
As always you can hear the sonnet by clicking on the ‘play’ button if it appears in your browser or by clicking on the title of the poem.
I’m grateful to Oliver Neale for the image above, the image below was taken as we launched rockets to celebrate Ascension day at Girton College:
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place
As earth became a part of Heaven’s story
And heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted
He took us with him to the heart of things
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness
And sing the waning darkness into light,
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,
Which all creation waits to see revealed .
If you are enjoying these posts, you might like, on occasion,(though not every time of course!) to pop in and buy me a cup of coffee. Clicking on this banner will take you to a page where you can do so, if you wish.
Here is a sonnet for Ascension Day, the glorious finale of the Easter Season. I’m posting it a day in advance, in case anyone would like to use it in a service, either on the day itself or else this Sunday.
In the mystery of the Ascension we reflect on the way in which, one sense Christ ‘leaves’ us and is taken away into Heaven, but in another sense he is given to us and to the world in a new and more universal way. He is no longer located only in one physical space to the exclusion of all others. He is in the Heaven which is at the heart of all things now and is universally accessible to all who call upon Him. And since His humanity is taken into Heaven, our humanity belongs there too, and is in a sense already there with him.”For you have died”, says St. Paul, “and your life is hidden with Christ in God”. In the Ascension Christ’s glory is at once revealed and concealed, and so is ours. The sonnet form seemed to me one way to begin to tease these things out.
Please feel free to make use of this, and my other sonnets in church services and to copy and share them. If you can mention the book from which they are taken that would be great.
As always you can hear the sonnet by clicking on the ‘play’ button if it appears in your browser or by clicking on the title of the poem.
I’m grateful to Oliver Neale for the image above, the image below was taken as we launched rockets to celebrate Ascension day at Girton College:
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place
As earth became a part of Heaven’s story
And heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted
He took us with him to the heart of things
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness
And sing the waning darkness into light,
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,
Which all creation waits to see revealed .
If you are enjoying these posts, you might like, on occasion,(though not every time of course!) to pop in and buy me a cup of coffee. Clicking on this banner will take you to a page where you can do so, if you wish.
Here is a sonnet for Ascension Day, the glorious finale of the Easter Season. I’m posting it a day in advance, in case anyone would like to use it in a service, either on the day itself or else this Sunday.
In the mystery of the Ascension we reflect on the way in which, one sense Christ ‘leaves’ us and is taken away into Heaven, but in another sense he is given to us and to the world in a new and more universal way. He is no longer located only in one physical space to the exclusion of all others. He is in the Heaven which is at the heart of all things now and is universally accessible to all who call upon Him. And since His humanity is taken into Heaven, our humanity belongs there too, and is in a sense already there with him.”For you have died”, says St. Paul, “and your life is hidden with Christ in God”. In the Ascension Christ’s glory is at once revealed and concealed, and so is ours. The sonnet form seemed to me one way to begin to tease these things out.
Please feel free to make use of this, and my other sonnets in church services and to copy and share them. If you can mention the book from which they are taken that would be great.
As always you can hear the sonnet by clicking on the ‘play’ button if it appears in your browser or by clicking on the title of the poem.
I’m grateful to Oliver Neale for the image above, the image below was taken as we launched rockets to celebrate Ascension day at Girton College:
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place
As earth became a part of Heaven’s story
And heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted
He took us with him to the heart of things
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness
And sing the waning darkness into light,
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,
Which all creation waits to see revealed .
If you are enjoying these posts, you might like, on occasion,(though not every time of course!) to pop in and buy me a cup of coffee. Clicking on this banner will take you to a page where you can do so, if you wish.
Here is a sonnet for Ascension Day, the glorious finale of the Easter Season. I’m posting it a day in advance, in case anyone would like to use it in a service, either on the day itself or else this Sunday.
In the mystery of the Ascension we reflect on the way in which, one sense Christ ‘leaves’ us and is taken away into Heaven, but in another sense he is given to us and to the world in a new and more universal way. He is no longer located only in one physical space to the exclusion of all others. He is in the Heaven which is at the heart of all things now and is universally accessible to all who call upon Him. And since His humanity is taken into Heaven, our humanity belongs there too, and is in a sense already there with him.”For you have died”, says St. Paul, “and your life is hidden with Christ in God”. In the Ascension Christ’s glory is at once revealed and concealed, and so is ours. The sonnet form seemed to me one way to begin to tease these things out.
Please feel free to make use of this, and my other sonnets in church services and to copy and share them. If you can mention the book from which they are taken that would be great.
As always you can hear the sonnet by clicking on the ‘play’ button if it appears in your browser or by clicking on the title of the poem.
I’m grateful to Oliver Neale for the image above, the image below was taken as we launched rockets to celebrate Ascension day at Girton College:
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place
As earth became a part of Heaven’s story
And heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted
He took us with him to the heart of things
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness
And sing the waning darkness into light,
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,
Which all creation waits to see revealed .
If you are enjoying these posts, you might like, on occasion,(though not every time of course!) to pop in and buy me a cup of coffee. Clicking on this banner will take you to a page where you can do so, if you wish.
Welcome to this brief service of Thanksgiving for Graduation, the last of our series of services for this Academic Year. Usually we would be gathered at College, with all the excitement of robing for the ceremony and bringing parents and supporters to show them round. Then, before we processed to the Senate house for the graduation itself, we would gather in chapel for this service, in which we would celebrate each other’s achievements, and thank God for the blessing of our time together at Girton. Following a beautiful ‘first fruits ceremony’ from the Old Testament, I would bring a basket to the altar as a thanksgiving for all you have shcieved, enjoyed, and received during your time at Girton. This year we shall do our best to give you a flavour of that before, we hope, you will return to college, when circumstances allow for a more in person celebration. There are all kinds of videos, celebrations and encounters, live and recorded on the college’s main ‘Graduation’ website but here is a little annexe, as it were, in virtual chapel, in which we can mark the day with grateful praise.
So to begin with we will hear our choir sing a hymn we often have on this occasion and I am including the words here so that you can sing along together with whoever you are with as you keep this day ‘virtually’ wherever you are:
Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.
Come almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve thee as thy hosts above,
Pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
Glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation,
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation,
Perfectly restored in thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love and Praise.
Girton gardens aflame with blossom – photo by Liliana Janik
Now let us here an excerpt from Courtesy byMicheal O’Siadhail read by the Chaplain
Just some of the choir, fellows, and musicians who make all these beautiful things happen! Photo by Jeremy West
Welcome to the Girton College Chapel Page for this final service of term. Whereas our other services have followed the pattern of Evensong, today’s service has its own form, hi-lighting all we have to be thankful for in this past Academic Year. Today’s service will also include, as it does each year, the announcement of the winners of the Tom Mansfield Prize for contribution to the college’s musical life. Today’s service, themed around thankfulness will also bring to a conclusion our series of reflections on The Lord’s Prayer
We begin this service, themed around thankfulness and blessing with a prayer and a poem:
We thank you Lord that we can gather together in prayer, that even though we are outwardly and visibly scattered in many places, even though our eyes cannot meet nor our voices join, nevertheless we are gathered in your love and your Spirit makes us one. May we who are praying through this page be lifted by the prayers of others as we lift one another up to you in thanksgiving
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord
Amen
Now I will read you a sonnet which gives thanks for our community, for the webs and threads of interconnection that run between us all however physically distant we may be:
Thanksgiving starts with thanks for mere survival,
Just to have made it through another year
With everyone still breathing. But we share
So much beyond the outer roads we travel;
Our interweavings on a deeper level,
The modes of life embodied souls can share,
The unguessed blessings of our being here,
Threads of connection no one can unravel.
So I give thanks for our deep coinherence,
Inwoven in the web of Gods own grace,
Pulling us through the grave and gate of death.
I thank Him for the truth behind appearance
I thank Him for his light in every face
I thank Him for us all, with every breath.
And now, for our first anthem from the choir, we have a real treat. Gareth Wilson has been able to put together a virtual choir video of the Anthem Lead Me Lord by SS Wesley, and it is a joy, and a technical miracle, to see, as well as hear, our choir singing it.
After such beautiful music it is appropriate that we come to the awarding of the Tom Mansfield memorial prize. Tom was a brilliant young man, a first year student whom I got to know in my own first term here as chaplain. He arrived from Harrogate bringing with him an enthusiasm for music of every kind and soon had a little Girton brass group going as well as playing jazz trombone in other venues. And then, tragically his life was cut short by a traffic accident. Many of us travelled up to Harrogate for his unforgettable, and musically rich memorial service and the JCR instituted a prize in his honour for students who like him, had enthused others to make music in college. So here is a message from Riva Kapoor, the JCR President introducing the prize and announcing the first of this year’s joint winners:
Congratulations to Rachel! Here is Rachael’s reply:
And here is the announcement of our second joint-winner:
Congratulations to James! Here is James’ reply:
A little glimpse of Girton stillness, photo by Liliana Janik
We come now to the first of our two readings from the letter to the Colossians, read for us today by Sandra Fulton, the Senior Tutor
5 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in[i] him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Our second Anthem is the Missa Laudate Pueri by Ingegneri, from the choir’s acclaimed CD:
Our second reading from Colossians is read for us by The Mistress:
‘Sing the waning darkness into light’ Photo Martin Bond
Now we come to our prayers which will include the special prayer thanksgiving for music and musicians which I first prayed on our behalf at Tom Mansfield’s memorial service:
Let us pray:
We thank you Lord for this academic year. We thank you for all that we enjoyed with one another in the two terms we were together, but we also thank you for all the love that has been shown and shared in the term of our Covid exile. For the many messages of mutual support, the Zoom supervisions, the virtual events and celebrations. May we who have passed together through these historic times, be bound more closely together in the future through our shared experience, suffering and resilience
V: Lord in Your Mercy
R: Hear Our Prayer
We thank you for all who have served us throughout the year in this college, for all the college staff, the cleaners, gardeners, kitchen staff, porters, and administrators. for the Mistress and fellows, the college officers, the nurses, tutors and councillors, and all through whose care, seen and unseen we have been brought to this day and to this celebration.
V: Lord in Your Mercy
R: Hear Our Prayer
A Thanksgiving for Tom Mansfield and a prayer for Musicians:
Father we thank you for the gift of music and for the gifts you give to those who play that music for us.
Today especially Father we thank you for Tom as a musician,
we thank you for his talents, and for his joy in making music, for the pleasure he gave and received when playing.
And Father we thank you for music itself, for its power to express the heights of our joys and the depths of our sorrows.
We thank you especially for those moments when hearing and making music seems to bring us to the brink of heaven,
when we hear behind the music the echo of your call,
we get a glimpse of your glory, and our hearts yearn for more than they can imagine.
We thank you that the promise at the core of our music is true
that one day in heaven we shall ourselves be made your music.
Father we pray that Tom is finding now with you the true meaning of every note he played and taking his part in the music of heaven.
Finally Father we pray for all the musicians of Girton,
for the choir and organists, for the Girton Music society, the Gir-ten, and all the informal musical gatherings and combinations that enrich our college life.
Father be with them when they take up their instruments to play,
May they play boldly and clearly, may they sound a note that tells their sorrow,
but may they also hear, as they play, that promise hidden in music,
that there is a joy with you beyond this world and that one day we will share that joy together..
We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ Amen
We gather these prayers together in the words of the prayer on which we have been reflecting throughout this term:
OUR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen.
my rising and my rest, peaceful seat in the fellows garden Photo by Jeremy West
Now, as our service comes to a close, and I come to bid you farewell and give you my final blessing, I reflect that this is the last End Of Year Thanksgiving Service in my time with you as chaplain, and I give thanks for the honour of serving this chapel and college over the last 18 years. I thank God for all the Girtonians who have worshipped here over those years and whom I have come to know and love and I speak this blessing for all of them as well as for of you who are gathered around this page:
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his son Jesus Christ our lord, and the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you and those whom you hold in your hearts, this day and always, Amen
Finally, to lead us out and let us go in peace, the choir will sing the Nunc Dimities in Gareth Wilson’s wonderful setting:
The NuncDimmitis from The Girton Service(Wilson), sung by Girton choir
LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace :
according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen :
thy salvation;
Which thou hast prepared :
before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles :
and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
In any other year we would process from the chapel into Woodlands Court and enjoy some celebratory sparkling wine together, but perhaps you will join me now in lifting a glass and toasting the college and one another, wherever you may be
Gazing out into Girton’s Beautiful gardens. Photo by Liliana Janik
Welcome back to Girton’s ‘virtual chapel’ Evensong page. After the two big feasts of Ascension and Pentecost we are returning to our termly theme, which is a deep dive into The Lord’s Prayer. As we have missed a couple of Sundays and are coming towards the end of term we are going to look at two petitions from the prayer today, ‘Forgive us our trespasses’ and ‘Lead us not into temptation’, or as another translation puts it, ‘ do not bring us to the time of trial’, but as there are deep links between these two parts of the prayer I hope it will be helpful to handle them together.
As always, our readings, music, and reflections develop our theme in different ways. The choir, once more accompanied by the Conservatoires’ Cornett & Sackbutt Ensemble directed by Jeremy West, will bring us music from Ingegneri and from our own Gareth Wilson, and Once more we will enjoy responses and prayers set for us by up and coming composer Rhiannon Randle, ! (You can find the choir’s CDs Here)
V:O Lord, open thou our lips. R:And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise. V:O God, make speed to save us. R:O Lord, make haste to help us.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; R: .As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. V: Praise ye the Lord. R:The Lord’s Name be praised.
our wonderful choristers
Since our reading and sermons this week touch upon the passion, let us read psalm 22 together. You may like to read this psalm ‘antiphonally with someone else in your household:
MY GOD, my God, look upon me; why hast thou forsaken me: and art so far from my health, and from the words of my complaint?
O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not: and in the night-season also I take no rest.
And thou continuest holy: O thou worship of Israel.
Our fathers hoped in thee: they trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them.
They called upon thee, and were holpen: they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded.
But as for me, I am a worm, and no man: a very scorn of men, and the outcast of the people.
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot our their lips, and shake their heads, saying,
He trusted in God, that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, if he will have him.
But thou art he that took me out of my mother’s womb: thou wast my hope, when I hanged yet upon my mother’s breasts.
I have been left unto thee ever since I was born: thou art my God, even from my mother’s womb.
O go not from me, for trouble is hard at hand: and there is none to help me.
Many oxen are come about me: fat bulls of Basan close me in on every side.
They gape upon me with their mouths: as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart also in the midst of my body is even like melting wax.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my gums: and thou shalt bring me into the dust of death.
For many dogs are come about me: and the council of the wicked layeth siege against me.
They pierced my hands and my feet; I may tell all my bones: they stand staring and looking upon me.
They part my garments among them: and casts lots upon my vesture.
But be not thou far from me, O Lord: thou art my succour, haste thee to help me.
Deliver my soul from the sword: my darling from the power of the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth: thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorns.
I will declare thy Name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
O praise the Lord, ye that fear him: magnify him, all ye of the seed of Jacob, and fear him, all ye seed of Israel.
For he hath not despised, nor abhorred, the low estate of the poor: he hath not hid his face from him, but when he called unto him he heard him.
My praise is of thee in the great congregation: my vows will I perform in the sight of them that fear him.
The poor shall eat and be satisfied: they that seek after the Lord shall praise him; your heart shall live for ever.
All the ends of the world shall remember themselves, and be turned unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him.
For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the Governor among the people.
All such as be fat upon earth: have eaten and worshipped.
All they that go down into the dust shall kneel before him: and no man hath quickened his own soul.
My seed shall serve him: they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation.
They shall come, and the heavens shall declare his righteousness: unto a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made.
A little glimpse into Girton, photo by Lilia Janik
Welcome back to Girton’s ‘virtual chapel’ evensong page! This Thursday was the feast of the Ascension, the glorious finale of the Easter Season, so today’s service, takes a break from our series on The Lord’s Prayer, to take up the theme, and explores the mystery of the Ascension, and all our readings, music, and reflections develop it in different ways. The choir, once more accompanied by the Conservatoires’ Cornett & Sackbutt Ensemble directed by Jeremy West, will bring us music from Lassus and Ingegneri, and this week, I am happy to say, they will also sing our psalm for us! (You can find the choir’s CDs Here) Once more we will enjoy responses and prayers set for us by up and coming composer Rhiannon Randle, and I will offer you a sonnet and reflection for this great feast in the church Calendar
V:O Lord, open thou our lips. R:And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise. V:O God, make speed to save us. R:O Lord, make haste to help us.
V: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; R: .As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. V: Praise ye the Lord. R:The Lord’s Name be praised.
Psalm 19 is set by Gareth Wilson and sung for us this week by the choir:
THE heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
One day telleth another: and one night certifieth another.
There is neither speech nor language: but their voices are heard among them.
Their sound is gone out into all lands: and their words into the ends of the world.
In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun: which cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course.
It goeth forth from the uttermost part of the heaven, and runneth about unto the end of it again: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple.
The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, and endureth for ever: the judgements of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey, and the honey-comb.
Moreover, by them is thy servant taught: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Who can tell how oft he offendeth: O cleanse thou me from my secret faults.
Keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me: so shall I be undefiled, and innocent from the great offence.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart: be alway acceptable in thy sight,
O Lord: my strength, and my redeemer.
Glory Be to the Father, and the theSon and to the Holy Ghost
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen
Jeremy West gives us a glimpse of our bluebell woods!
As it is Ascension Sunday our first reading is taken from the end of Luke’s Gospel and is read for us by Maureen Hackett Official Fellow and Junior Bursar
Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,
and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’
The Ascension of Jesus
Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them.
While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.
And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy;
and they were continually in the temple blessing God.
In place of the Magnificat we hear Surge Propera by Ignegneri
Just some of the choir, fellows, and musicians who make all these beautiful things happen! Photo by Jeremy West
The Epistle for Ascensiontide is read for us by Gareth Wilson, director of Chapel Music
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason
I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,
so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,
which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
V:The Lord be with you. R:And with thy spirit. V:Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
OUR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.
V:O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us. R:And grant us thy salvation. V:O Lord, save the Queen.
R:And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee. V:Endue thy Ministers with righteousness. R:And make thy chosen people joyful. V:O Lord, save thy people. R:And bless thine inheritance. V:Give peace in our time, O Lord. R:Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God. V:O God, make clean our hearts within us. R:And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
‘Sing the waning darkness into light’ Photo Martin Bond
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his son Jesus Christ our lord, and the blessing of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you and those whom you hold in your hearts, this day and always, Amen
Here we are gathered last year as I launched our traditional three rockets for ascension!
One of the joys of being at Girton is our thriving poetry group. We meet once a fortnight (alas, of late only by Zoom) and read out and discuss the poems, on a chosen theme, which we have all submitted anonymously. Recently our theme was Girton itself, and just for fun I wrote a mock-gothic ballad about “The People’s Portraits‘, the wonderful collection of portraits of ordinary work-a-day people that we have hanging in our halls, imagining that in this lockdown they came to life and complained about how much they were missing the students! Anyway the poetry group chose it to be one of the poems on the Girton Youtube Channel for our ‘poetry fortnight’ and I thought I would share it with you here.
Ive included the words of the poem after the video.
Portraits By Moonlight
Beyond old Girton College tower
I watched the sun decline
And soon on all its empty courts
The moon began to shine.
The bright moon shone on hearth and hall
Where students used to throng
And on the empty chapel choir
That once was rich with song
It shone through casements high and low,
Through panes of leaded glass
And where the magic moonlight fell
A strange thing came to pass
Down all the lonely corridors
The people’s portraits hung
And as the moonlight touched each face
It seemed a faint chime rung,
A faint chime rung and then, behold:
Each portrait sighed and stirred
The walls that held them echoed round
As each one spoke a word.
And such strange murmuration rose
When each one spoke to each
That I came near so I might hear
The tenor of their speech
‘Alas’ said one, (the tramp I think)
‘I miss our students so
I loved the way they looked at me
I hate to see them go’
‘They should have been back weeks ago’
The Oarsman soon replied
‘There’s something that has held them back
There’s something wrong outside!’
‘There’s something wrong outside indeed’
The biker girl put in,
‘Time was when all the roads I’d ride
Were full of traffic din
But listen how strange silence reigns
Afar on land and sea
No traffic brings the students back
Wherever they may be.’
And all the portraits sighed and said
‘Alas that this should be
How much we miss the merry throng
That kept us company’
And then I heard a voice ring clear
From down the dining hall
A voice of true authority
Was summoning them all.
Turning her folded hands a while,
Showing her kindly face,
Emily Davies spoke aloud,
The foundress of this place:
‘Fear not my fellow portraits, now
Be still and hear me out
For I have vanquished many a foe
And banished many a doubt.
It may be we will have to wait
A little longer yet,
It may be many a moon will rise,
And many a sun will set,
But I am sure the day will come,
Our watch is not in vain,
When these old halls ring out with life
And Girton thrives again!
I waited many years myself
To bring about my dream
But our endurance won the day
And realised our scheme.
And then we waited all those years
Till women got degrees
This absence is as nothing, when
Compared with waits like these’
And then the moon was hid in clouds,
The portraits all were still,
But each one seemed to keep for us
Unconquerable will.
I slipped away, to ponder on
The strange tale of that night
And when the sun arose today
I knew we’d be all right.
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Here is a sonnet for Ascension Day, the glorious finale of the Easter Season. I’m posting it a day in advance, in case anyone would like to use it in a service, either on the day itself or else this Sunday.
In the mystery of the Ascension we reflect on the way in which, one sense Christ ‘leaves’ us and is taken away into Heaven, but in another sense he is given to us and to the world in a new and more universal way. He is no longer located only in one physical space to the exclusion of all others. He is in the Heaven which is at the heart of all things now and is universally accessible to all who call upon Him. And since His humanity is taken into Heaven, our humanity belongs there too, and is in a sense already there with him.”For you have died”, says St. Paul, “and your life is hidden with Christ in God”. In the Ascension Christ’s glory is at once revealed and concealed, and so is ours. The sonnet form seemed to me one way to begin to tease these things out.
Please feel free to make use of this, and my other sonnets in church services and to copy and share them. If you can mention the book from which they are taken that would be great.
As always you can hear the sonnet by clicking on the ‘play’ button if it appears in your browser or by clicking on the title of the poem.
I’m grateful to Oliver Neale for the image above, the image below was taken as we launched rockets to celebrate Ascension day at Girton College:
We saw his light break through the cloud of glory
Whilst we were rooted still in time and place
As earth became a part of Heaven’s story
And heaven opened to his human face.
We saw him go and yet we were not parted
He took us with him to the heart of things
The heart that broke for all the broken-hearted
Is whole and Heaven-centred now, and sings,
Sings in the strength that rises out of weakness,
Sings through the clouds that veil him from our sight,
Whilst we our selves become his clouds of witness
And sing the waning darkness into light,
His light in us, and ours in him concealed,
Which all creation waits to see revealed .
If you are enjoying these posts, you might like, on occasion,(though not every time of course!) to pop in and buy me a cup of coffee. Clicking on this banner will take you to a page where you can do so, if you wish.
Here is a sonnet for Ascension Day, the glorious finale of the Easter Season.
We have lift off!
Malcolm Guite 