Strengthen ye the weak hands
Kitty Price, Evensong
Isaiah 35
Luke 1:57-66
PRAYERS
Let us pray.
As we travel further into Advent, giving thanks today for the prophecy and ministry of baptism of John the Baptist, we pray that we may be bold in the way we live out the good news, that we stay faithful even if we are a lonely voice calling out in the wilderness of complacency and comfort.
Come, Lord Christ,
to restore all that has been lost
through struggle and fear,
in sorrow and in pain.
Come, Lord Christ,
to restore the balance of hope
for those oppressed and hungry for justice,
overlooked and counted of little worth.
Come, Lord Christ,
to restore to wholeness
the image that is tarnished
with sin and shame,
neglect and distraction.
Come, Lord Christ,
in poverty and humility
to raise us to your eternal glory. Amen.
We pray for all doctors, nurses and emergency workers, giving thanks for the medicines that the Lord has created out of the earth. We ask for God’s blessing on those who work in increasingly difficult circumstances, from emergency care in dangerous parts of the world, to the A&E departments struggling to maintain care in another winter of Covid.
May they rejoice in the skills you have given them
which enable them to bring hope,
healing and wholeness to those in their care.
May they also feel your guidance and support
in times of pain and frustration
when their skills are not enough
to prevent permanent injury, disability or death.
Bless each one of them,
that they may be a blessing to others,
this day and for ever more. Amen.
We pray for those affected by Covid-19 and for all suffering in body, mind or spirit; for the sick, the lonely, the anxious, the bereaved and the dying.
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
We pray for the Church locally, nationally and globally. In the Anglican Communion for the Anglican Church of Canada; in the Porvoo Communion for the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham in the Church of England, and the Diocese of Bord in the Church of Norway.
In the Diocese we pray for The Commissary Bishop, Rob Wickham, The Bishop-Elect, Jonathan Frost, The Archdeacon of Portsdown, Jenny Rowley and for the Portsmouth Deanery.
As the Cathedral of the Sea, we pray for all those at sea this night/day/evening and for those whose task it is to support them in their work. Creator and Father of all, we pray for those who go down to the sea in ships and serve upon the waters of the world. Bless them and those who serve their needs, that they may put their trust in you and find in you a strong anchor for their hopes and so be filled with your peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with us all, evermore.
Amen.
“Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come; he will come and save you.”
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Little did Canon Jo know when she put together the rota, but I have weak hands and feeble knees and so it is very apposite that I preach this evening after listening to that anthem. I have suffered from tendonitis in my hands since my teens and my double-jointed kneecaps sometimes pop out when they fancy it, so I chuckle when I listen to this anthem, praying for my weak hands and feeble knees.
William Henry Harris was born in London in 1883 and died in 1973 in PETERSFIELD!!! He was an English composer, choirmaster, and organist. Amongst other posts during his career, he worked at New College, Oxford, the Royal College of Music, in London, and at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. He composed one of my favourite anthems, Faire is the heaven, a beautiful anthem for double choir.
I think ‘Strengthen ye the weak hands’ is remarkable in that both the text and music are powerful. He used verses from Ecclesiasticus, the Book of Common Prayer, and our passage from Isaiah, weaving them together to produce a wonderful advocacy of medicine, its origin in and dependence on God who creates all things, as well as providing a positive prophecy of what is to come, both in terms of John the Baptist and Jesus, but also for us.
At the top of the music, it reads thus “Composed and sung in Canterbury Cathedral for the opening service in commemoration of the science and art of healing – Canterbury Festival, June 25, 1948 or 1949.” The text of the anthem and that tremendously evocative phrase – the science and art of healing – and how we respond to these - are what I wish to explore further this evening.
Musically it starts with a tenor recitative telling us, “The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wise will not abhor them. And he hath given men skill, that he might be honoured in his marvellous works. My son, in thy sickness leave off from sin, and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all wickedness.”
I am a believer in the power of prayer; thus, I happily pray for those on the short- and long-term sick lists. At university I was friends with a Christian Scientist; unfortunately, in a Fawlty Towers “Don’t mention the war” moment, I always found myself sharing my ailments with her. Fortunately, she had a good sense of humour. Unlike Eilidh, I am a firm believer in using medicine. Why? According to Ecclesiasticus 38:4, The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth” …It also says “and he that is wise will not abhor them.” …. It is because of this that I have had my two Covid vaccinations and a recent booster.
I marvel at those who work in the medical profession, but do not worship them because it is God who “…hath given men skill, that he might be honoured in his marvellous works.” I believe that we are all given skills, some of them are the writer of prescriptions, others are the recipients of them, and others research and create the drugs we are prescribed. One of the negatives of the Covid-19 pandemic is how lots of people have turned into armchair experts, some of whom have spread misinformation. One of the silver linings has been how much more we are aware of the process of developing vaccines and rolling them out. We are very fortunate to be living in an age where the death rate from Covid has been 5.3 million, whereas Spanish flu claimed 50 million.
When the full choir come in, they sing the anthem’s title from Isaiah 35:3, “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.” With physiotherapy, immobilisation and drug treatment, my hands mostly recovered. I can’t type for long periods of time, lift heavy bags and my piano days are over. I was never going to be a concert pianist, but I was days away from my grade 7 exam when tendonitis struck. I hope that my heavenly existence will include piano playing with the skill I once had but without the pain I still experience. What will you be able to do in heaven that you can’t do now?
We have a team who pray regularly in the chapel of healing and reconciliation. They don’t produce a 100% cure rate, but healing and reconciliation come in many forms. What they, along with the pastoral care team, can do is to preach the next lines in the text: “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come, and he will save you.” (Isaiah 35:4). You might not be saved in the way you want to be, but that’s why it is called faith.
Moving on, “Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, then shall the lame man leap as an hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing…”
The recovery of sight to the blind (hello, Isaiah 42!), the deaf being able to hear and the lame man leaping as a hart (deer) predict the healing ministry of Jesus. The tongue of the dumb refers to the muting of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, who did not believe that Elizabeth was pregnant, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years?” So the Angel Gabriel made him mute for his unbelief. How does he get his speech back? He confirms to the doubters that he is to be called John.
But these examples aren’t just exploring the science of healing in Jesus’ miracles then and how, but also the art of healing. The theme of the art of healing, of restoration to former ability, or a future of a more equitable existence shines through Isaiah. How should we respond to this now? How does following Jesus make us see things better, hear things better, understand the world better?
In the ancient world Christian doctors would not perform certain medical practices, e.g., abortion, but they would not turn anyone away – it was unrestricted hospitality because they were basing their values on the example of the greatest physician, Jesus. The early Church historian, Eusebius, uses the words of Hippocrates – the Greek doctor who wrote the oath – to describe Jesus: “A devoted physician, to save the lives of the sick…” Throughout history people have seen medicine as a vocation, a calling to help the sick and vulnerable. For Christians, they see it as a use of their skills and a wish to follow the example of Jesus.
Christianity played a central role in establishing hospitals. In the 4th Century, St Basil of Caesarea founded a hospital that cared for 300 people, the first large-scale hospital, where they looked after victims of the plague. Hospitals were built in the shape of a church, with wards in the aisles and nave, and a chapel at the east end. During the Middle Ages, monastic hospitals were founded on the principles of helping people as Christ would. Over time Cathedral cities provided public hospitals, and medical care moved to the secular, non-religious domain. In the 18th Century, there was a new wave of Christianity getting involved in the hospital movement. People like John Wesley were influential in highlighting the need of Christians to remember the needy.
How do Christian denominations get involved in healthcare today? Much missionary work in the evangelical tradition is focused on providing communities in LEDCs with basic healthcare and education. With organisations such as SIM (Serving in mission),
medical professionals live in communities, caring for them, training local people in healthcare jobs, and share their faith as well. It may not be my sort of thing, but I do admire those who do it.
The modern hospice movement was started on Christian principles by Cicely Saunders. Bishops in the House of Lords offer wise counsel on issues discussed, such as medical ethics. One of the things I often say in lessons exploring advances in medicine is “just because we can, it doesn’t mean we should”, an example of which was a mobile euthanasia pod, which was in the news a couple of days ago. During a debate in the Lords on euthanasia, my father warned of the dangers of making life and death decisions whilst heavily medicated.
The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth is a Catholic charitable hospital in St John’s Wood, London, which also runs a hospice. St Luke’s is a former Church of England hospital turned charity “that improves clergy health and wellbeing”. And if you look at the Church of England website, there is a list of organisations offering training and support for mental and emotional wellbeing. Many people in all jobs in medicine do their jobs because they have the skills to do it well, but more importantly, because they believe it is their calling. It is the best way to put their faith into practice.
But there are other ways to strengthen weak hands and confirm feeble knees. In terms of physical and / or spiritual strength, do your hands need strengthening to get out of bed in the morning, to pray, to forgive, to let go? How can we help people be restored to full humanity? What prevents you from hearing, seeing, speaking, leaping for joy because of God? Advent is a good time to ask ourselves difficult questions. John the Baptist shows us this. John the Baptist ruffled many feathers. Perhaps in response to him we could do with shaking off some complacency. Get out there, go strengthen some weak hands, and show that people can “Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come; he will come and save you.” Amen.