'Greatest Anglican Mind of 20th Century' is Conference Focus
Episcopal News Service. October 26, 2004 [102604-1-A]
Daphne Mack
Captured by the Crucified: A Conference and Spiritual Life Workshop Celebrating Austin Farrer’s Lived Theology in the Centenary Year of His Birth will be the theme of a conference and workshop at St. James Center for Spiritual Formation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, November 4-7.
Part of Farrer’s most lasting legacy -- and the part which this conference and workshop will celebrate in the centennial year of his birth -- is the practical spiritual direction into which his rigorous and faith-full theology was translated in sermons and books. The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has called him "possibly the greatest Anglican mind of the 20th century."
The following is a sample of Farrer's words:
I do not know what the difference between ‘plain practical religion’ and theology is supposed to be.
It is possible for God to live and act in our idea of God and our faith trusts God to do precisely this–to become in us an active, living truth... When I pray, let my heart ask God to speak through my heart, that my prayer, continued by his inspiration, may become the answer to itself.
We know on our knees.
O God, all that I tell you about yourself is empty and false, but what does it matter? You are no set of words, you are the living God. I do not grasp you, but you grasp me and will not let me go. You are here, or rather, you are that place where I am when I say that I am here. I am with you and you are yourself, and for what else would I care? I cannot think of you, but you can think in me, or keep silence in me; above all, you can love in me.
When you come before God, fix your eyes on God and on those for whom you pray. The more you look outwards, the more you will be yourself. For love is the substance of character, and love is self-forgetfulness.
We can . . . experience the active relation of a created energy to the Creator’s action by embracing the divine will. Everyone who prays knows that the object of the exercise is a thought or an aspiration or a caring which is no more ours than it is that of God in us. . . . We know that the action of a person can be the action of God in him or her; our religious existence is an experimenting with this relation.
[Christ] takes us; he loves us for what we are, and loves us into what we must be; he takes us, incorporate with him through his death and resurrection, and gives us back ourself, that is himself, in the communion of bread and wine.
The beautiful rhythmic freedom of the dancers. . . . What a release and yet at the same time what a control! What a release and what a control; and the marvel of it is that the release and the control are one and the same thing. That is what releases you, something to dance to; but what is it that controls you? Why the very same thing; you dance to the music. The control is the release, the music lets you go, the music holds you.
Drums and tambourines are illuminating parables of true religion. For the whole mystery of practical religion comes down to that familiar phrase of our daily prayer, ‘whose serve is perfect freedom’. God our control and God our release. There is no end indeed to God’s making of a person. But God has not set the goal of the process in an imaginary future, where we cannot see it. He has set up the goal; it is revealed, it exists, the work has been finished in Christ. What never ends is our receiving the grace of Christ, our growing up into the image of Christ, until we see the face of Christ. [Christ] lifts us into fellowship with God, shares with us the Society which is the divine beatitude, and causes us to hang on the skirts of the divine eternity, to drink immortal joy forever.
My God and my All
My beginning and my end,
My sole and everlasting good,
My God and my All.
Broken into two parts, the conference portion will have participants explore the practical dimensions of Farrer’s theology and that of such friends as Dorothy L. Sayers, C. S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. The workshop portion will aim to assist participants in deepening and strengthening their lives of faith. It will combine meditations with exercises of reflection, discussion, music, solitary prayer, the labyrinth, and corporate worship.
Presenters for the conference are the Rev. Dr. David Brown, van Mildert Professor of Divinity, University of Durham, and Dr. Ann Loades, C.B.E., Professor Emerita of Divinity, University of Durham. Designer and leader of exercises for the workshop is the Rev. Kent Ira Groff, Adjunct Professor of Spiritual Development at Lancaster Seminary and Director of Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
For further information and registration contact Robert Odom at 225-387-5141 or visit http://www.stjamescsf.org/.
Note: The following title is available from the Episcopal Book/Resource Center, 815 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017; 800-334-7626; http://www.episcopalbookstore.org/.
* To Read: THE SACRED ART OF CHANT: Preparing to Practice by Ana Hernández (Woodstock, Vermont: Skylights Paths Publishing, 2005; 162 pages; $15.99.)
From the publisher: The Sacred Art of Chant invites you to use your own voice to create sacred sounds—no matter your religious background or vocal ability. Drawing on chants from several different faith traditions, this invigorating guidebook is ideal for anyone who wants to enliven their prayer experience in a unique way and navigate a path to a conscious relationship with God. Chant isn’t just about monks or ancient Hindu gurus—this dynamic spiritual art continues to be developed and practiced today. Like other spiritual disciplines, chant can lead to limitless and unexpected benefits. With a steady practice and an open mind, you may find that chant helps you to: Cultivate clarity, focus, and compassion in your daily life; Improve your listening skills; Raise your energy level; Improve your receptivity to other people; Transcend the limits you impose on yourself; Feel more comfortable in your own skin and Ultimately, lead a more complete spiritual life.
Ana Hernández, assistant manager of the Episcopal Book/Resource Center, is a composer, arranger, and performer of sacred music. She is also a member of the recording group HARC. For more than a decade, she has conducted workshops that encourage people to explore the effects of rhythm and chant on their bodies. She can be contacted at 212/716-6118 or visit http://www.anahermusic.com/.
Hernández will sign her book on November 5, from 3-6pm at the Episcopal Book/Resource Center.