Sermon from Departing Chorister Stephanie Wade
Stephanie Wade
Chorister
I have been in the Choir here for almost seven years and I have been a pupil at PGS for almost 11. I have had an association with this Cathedral for my whole life and often get people, some whom I know and some whom I have absolutely no recollection of whatsoever, coming up to me and telling me that they remember my parents bringing me to evensong here when I was just a few days old. My Brother was a member of the choir before me and this was also my Grandfather’s regular place of worship. My grandparents were also married here in 1964.
Within my time being a chorister here I began to develop my religious beliefs and I was Baptised and Confirmed here in 2017, I was unaware of the true scope of Christianity at the time but since then I’ve taken Philosophy and Religious studies as one of my A-Levels (and I also began listening to readings and sermons!) which opened my mind to some of the problems many have with Christianity as well as some of the deeper meanings behind scripture and key themes within Christian teachings.
When Canon Jo gave me the readings for today I instantly connected them to part of my A-Level philosophy course: the theodicies, which are questions about God’s justice, of Augustine and Irenaeus which are arguments in response to the problem of evil and suffering as a denial to the existence of God.
The main argument they respond to is the idea that God is all loving and all-powerful, yet evil exists.
Augustine rejects the idea that evil is a ‘thing’ for God to create and, instead suggests that evil is simply a privation, or lack, of good in the world caused by the initial betrayal and fall of humanity in the garden of eden. This idea of evil as a privation of good can be understood as light and dark. Dark is not a ‘thing’, it is simply a lack of light. Just as evil isn’t a ‘thing’, it is simply a lack of good.
My favourite theodicy, and the theodicy which I most relate to in response to evil and suffering is Irenaeus’ vale of soul-making. This suggests that we were not created perfect, but were created with the potential for perfection. The suffering we go through in life allows us to use the free will God has given us and make decisions through which we can develop perfection and are moulded into the likeness of God so that we can be united and spend eternal life with God.
This idea relates to the readings today. Our first reading suggests that there is purpose behind suffering, which cannot be known to us but is intentional and helps us to reach the God who can do all things. Earlier in Job, we see Job’s internal struggle with God and his beliefs. Job is relentless in his search for answers from God, however, in the reading we have heard today Job reaches contentment with not fully knowing answers to the questions he asks and accepts that there are aspects to life which will cause internal conflict, but the rewards following these struggles and the realisations from exploring these conflicts are beneficial. For example, Job’s internal struggle leads to greater revelation; ‘I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you’. It was Job’s spiritual encounter with God and God's loving and powerful presence which truly relieved his struggle.
Our second reading highlighted that God gives unfailing, eternal hope. This hope was seen in Christ and his sacrifice to remove the sin from the world and in doing so, granted humanity access to eternal life with God in heaven.
Not being able to see or experience a physical God often proves difficult for many as there is no empirical evidence for faith to be based on. This may lead to the rejection of the existence of God or the rejection of God’s all-loving and all-powerful nature, which is often referenced in scripture. Peter recognises this within this passage and suggests that keeping your faith in God and loving him unconditionally will lead to a beneficial outcome. The prophets knew that Christ was going to suffer but they also knew that what followed this suffering was far greater. The suffering of Christ brought about the forgiveness of the sins of humanity and opened up an endless amount of blessings including the potential for unity and eternal life alongside God.
Today is our patronal festival, thus it seems fitting to mention St Thomas of Canterbury. His faith journey deepened and developed while he was in the post of Archbishop. This development of faith is often a difficult journey in itself as one moves into unfamiliar territory. Alongside this, he also campaigned against the King and the secular influence that (funnily enough) had secured his position in the church. Thomas Becket faced both interior and exterior struggles, the struggle of inner spirituality and outward struggles brought about by the intervention of earthly powers, both of which shaped him into the significant figure we see him as today. We are encouraged to follow in his footsteps and embrace our religion and defend and love the church in face of times of struggle thus Becket remains an important figure throughout the church forever inspiring us to be brave in face of the struggles in life.
Being a member of the choir has been an invaluable experience for me which has shaped me into the person I am and has given me the confidence to take up new challenges
Many from the choir are going on to face new chapters and challenges next year; including moving schools, year groups and other new adventures. Myself and some of the choral scholars are going onto university next year and others such as Daisy, my fellow head chorister, who unfortunately can’t be here today as she is on holiday in Portugal, are taking gap years to explore opportunities available to them.
I’d like to say a massive thank you to Dr Price and Mrs Price, Mr Gunga, Canon Jo and the whole cathedral team for making my time in the choir so memorable, fun and for providing a safe space, and for helping me to develop new skills both within my musical education and giving me a new level of confidence to help me through life. I would also like to thank my fellow choristers, both those who are here today and those who have come and gone before me for the valuable friendships and encouragement they have given me over the years.
I’d like to end with the chorister’s prayer so, let us pray:
Bless, O Lord, us thy servants who minister in thy temple: Grant that what we sing with our lips we may believe in our hearts, and what we believe in our hearts we may show forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.