Ancient church a house fit For God

Transcription

1 Ancient church a house fit For God My earliest memory of St. Michael and All Angels is its splendid medieval spire pointing to the sky like hands pressed together in prayer. When Dan and I settled in Langtoft, our first evening walk took us past the ancient stone wall surrounding the church. We unlatched the wooden gate and strolled through the tombstones in the churchyard. Most of the names and dates had worn away. There were no flowers growing to extol the glories of an English spring, but lively green, thickset ivy gripped the rugged stones. The contrast of life and death gave voice to the church s rich history. We marveled at the idea of attending services at a "Church of England" built in the Middle Ages, a time when society was divided into kings and commoners, lords and serfs. In its 750-year history of worship, our church, like others throughout England, has survived wars, famines, floods and plagues, and has also been blessed with peace and prosperity. 1 / 5

2 I ll never forget the first Sunday we walked through the massive arched door, with a keyhole the size of my fist. We received a friendly welcome, then slid into a pew near the front. Ancient hymns spilled from hearts as streams of sunlight poured through the windows. We did our best to join in, all the while gazing in awe at the clustered pillars, elaborate window patterns and exposed timbers on the ceiling. What fascinated me most were the rows of graceful arches along the nave, adorned with life-like little faces of medieval men, carved centuries ago and seemingly gazing at me in awe! Our vicar, Rev. Janet Beadle, climbed the winding steps to the 17th century pulpit and kept our ears perked while sprinkling bits of humor into one of the most inspiring sermons we'd heard. After the service, the congregation gathered for coffee, tea and biscuits. We were asked to stay, an invitation that was like a heartfelt hug inviting us into the fold and its colorful personalities. One Sunday, Janet painted a vivid picture of the villagers who built our church, a haven of faith and hope, stone by stone. These peasants were owned by feudal lords and lived in single-room, wattle and daub homes with thatched roofs. If they were lucky, they shared their dwellings with a few animals and had a little garden. When they weren t toiling in fields for the lords, their 2 / 5

3 energy was spent helping stonemasons at the church site. Although their bones were weakened by rickets, they quarried colossal stones and brought them by oxcart to the site. Not much was made of stone in those days, but they chose to put it into the church, so God could have a house fit for Him, Janet said. Today, when so many comforts and conveniences are taken for granted, it s hard to imagine such backbreaking dedication. The church was built at a time when villagers couldn t read or write. They depended solely on priests to teach them the Word of God. More often than not, they were taught to fear God, and dark superstitions were often mixed with religion. So perhaps building a church was like the glory of salvation itself, right at their doorstep. Since attending the Church of England, Dan and I have learned so much about the country s history because there s rarely been a line between church and crown. Janet explained, One of the biggest differences from American churches is that we are the established church in England and the Queen is our supreme governor. Every vicar swears an oath of allegiance to the Queen, and it s our legal duty to serve everyone within the boundaries of our parishes. Our village friends are eager to share their country's history, which isn t always pretty. It s surprising how often the religious persecution and bloody turmoil of years past still come up in conversation. When a new king or queen came to power, people were often forced to change religions or face death. Although it s a history we ve studied as youngsters, it all comes to life here in England. We ve grown to appreciate, even more, the religious freedom we ve always known in America. 3 / 5

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5 To read more about England's medieval churches, see "Chubbing, from church to pub." 5 / 5