“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27
We’ve been home from our trip to England for over a month, spending our days once more in the small town that I love. This town, with one main street, a bypass where you can find most modern conveniences and one ‘tallish building’ downtown that rises six stories above the ground, has been my home for the past twenty years.
At home we worship in a church that was built about 30 years ago, a modern structure with no windows in the sanctuary portion. The sanctuary boasts high ceilings for the sake of playing volleyball in between services; a multi-purpose structure to attract people who are not quite certain they are interested in God but might be willing to play a game.
Our days in London were filled with huge buildings; old and new, tall and massive, stone and glass. From the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben to Westminster Cathedral and St. Martens of the Field to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, imposing structures define the city of London.
On the banks of the Thames, a beautiful new sparkling glass building points heavenward. It is called The Shard, and at 1,016 feet tall it is Western Europe’s tallest building. Conceived in 1998 by Irvine Sellar as a vertical city, work was completed on the elegant building in 2012.
It took fourteen years to finish a 95-story glass and steel building that houses a hotel, offices, restaurants and a visitor viewing gallery that offers 360* views around London and up to 40 miles away on a clear day. Sophisticated and striking, The Shard is a marvel of modern technology, and attracts thousands of visitors a year who pay willingly for the swift ride to the top to see dizzying views of London and her surrounds.
We spent a late afternoon at The Shard, and while fascinating, it was enough. We saw it all, read the history of the construction, “oohed and aahed” over the mechanics of the delicate glass panels gracing the top of the tower, and moved on to the next sight.
An hour southeast of London, close to the sea in the countryside of Kent lies the small town of Canterbury. Famous for many reasons and considered a bustling city in its heyday, Canterbury’s tallest building is her cathedral. Founded by St. Augustine in 597 AD, Canterbury Cathedral has endured a few fires, several wars, and multiple building and rebuilding projects. Even today restoration efforts clothe the cathedral in scaffolding and safety netting. From 1391-1498 AD major modifications were made to the cathedral and the famous central tower was completed.
Thousands of visitors per year travel to Canterbury to marvel at the spires that have withstood bombs and natural disasters, still pointing people to the heavens. For over a hundred years artisans worked on the massive stone structure that houses a nave and high altar, quire, and burial space for the famous and not so famous. Even today craftsmen are working on this structure, now a living museum where worshipers meet daily after the onslaught of sightseers that tour the church all day for a fee.
We spent the better part of a day wandering the cathedral, peering at the site of the slaughter of Thomas a Becket, reading the parting thoughts of Edward the Black Prince, silently taking in the crypt, studying the stain glass window portrayals of Scripture, and ultimately buying a few Christmas cards from the cathedral gift shop. The sheer volume of information made me want afternoon tea or at least an opportunity to digest the history and intrigue of this politically entwined house of God.
I needed to digest the contrast between The Shard and Canterbury Cathedral. Buildings. Built at great cost with much time and effort, both to a purpose, though very different purposes. The Shard, light and airy, commercial, fun, built for the sole pleasure and prosperity of man; Canterbury Cathedral dark and imposing, full of death and life, murder and rebirth, technically built for the glory of God.
Our discussion over tea and scones left me more convinced of the twisted nature of man as we rehashed the murder of Thomas a Becket who had displeased the king and was thus dispatched in the cathedral. Both buildings experienced a short fall of funding and needed to recruit ‘donors’ in order to reach completion. Western Europe’s tallest building was completed by and is partially owned by the State of Qatar. Canterbury Cathedral’s financing is a long history of give and take between the church, the populace and the king, often with the people believing they had been taken.
History proves the sin nature of man. Still, I wanted to go back to the cathedral. I wanted to see it in action, not as a tourist but as a worshipper. We had been down at the White Cliffs of Dover but made it back to Canterbury in time for Evensong; a time when no paid entry is allowed and you can only enter to participate in the service.
This time we were allowed to sit in the quire seats. For whatever reason, the quire was packed. A choir from the states led the singing; clergy in long robes read Scripture and offered prayers. In the quiet and in the music and prayer, the cathedral transformed for me.
Still majestic and a part of history, the resiliency of the structure and the people who love it, the people who love the God this building was built for, struck me. People spent their entire lives building this church. People died during the building of this church; people gave all they had for the building of this church. Even today, people sacrifice to keep the church going. This building that could so easily have been destroyed during WWII, offers multiple chances for people from all around the world to hear the Word of God daily. And isn’t that what this building is all about, people?
As voices all around me sang praise to God I realized that the corruption and sin of man can never overcome the love and power of God. I am convinced that some worked on the cathedral out of pure, devoted hearts for God. I am equally convinced that some worked on the cathedral out of greed and self preservation. But God will be glorified despite man’s motivation. And His church, not the building but the people, will stand.
Edward the Black Prince, so called for his ferocity in battle, is buried in Canterbury Cathedral. He lived a life of wealth and bloodshed, that in the words by his casket, profited him little.
“Such as thou art, sometime was I.
Such as I am, such shalt thou be.
I thought little on th’our of Death
So long as I enjoyed breath.
On earth I had great riches
Land, houses, great treasure, horses, money and gold.
But now a wretched captive am I,
Deep in the ground, lo here I lie.
My beauty great, is all quite gone,
My flesh is wasted to the bone.“
Buildings rise and fall, people live and die. What are you building your life on? I will be worshipping God this Sunday in a modern building with no windows. You may be in a church with stain glass windows, or a cathedral in Europe or a clearing in the woods. You may have decided to never enter a church again. The building is not the issue. Your heart is the issue. What are you building your life on? Will it stand the test of eternity?
As we leave September, I wanted to share one more scone recipe with you. This is modified from a little cookbook called Simply Scones. It makes a great autumn addition to any soup night!
Gingerbread Scones
- 2 cups Gold Medal Flour
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp loves
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup – 3/4 cups milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 375*. Grease a scone pan, or baking sheet.
In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients. Cut butter into this mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Dough should be sticky. If using scone pan, drop batter evenly into all triangles. If using baking sheet, pour batter onto a floured surface. Flour hands and knead dough enough to make workable. Pat dough into a 10″ diameter circle. With a serrated knife cut dough into 8 wedges. Place wedges in a circle on greased baking sheet.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm with butter or maple butter.
This is an exceptional writing. Please continue to write & share with the world Deb. You have a gift. Much love. Mom