2011-12

Broken Promises?
During our lives we all experience
broken promises, and, at some
time, we all break them.
In childhood we learn to come to
terms with this, but when it seems like
God has broken his promise to us it is
much more difficult to accept.
Recently, a group from St Chad’s
went to Doncaster Minster to support
Pauline Johnson as she was licenced
as a pastoral worker. We were
inspired by the powerful building and
assumed it must be very old. In fact it
is only around 150 years old.
The original church was indeed
mediaeval, towering, cathedral-like,
on the banks of the river that gave the
town its name. Then on
February 28, 1853, it
was destroyed by fire.
Picture the scene:
clergy and people
gazing in disbelief at
the smouldering pyre.
Among them, the young
organist Jeremiah
Rogers, searching the
rubble for remnants
of his instrument. But
there is nothing left.
Even the ivory keys are
reduced to ashes and the pipes, along
with the church bells, are just twisted
metal. The north wind blows smoke
and ash into his eyes, but the phoenix
is already beating its wings - the
people of Doncaster resolve to build
an even greater church.
Within seven days a rebuilding
committee was formed and within
14 days the sum of £11,000 was
promised, the most notable donations
being £5,000 from the town council,
£500 from the Archbishop of York and
£100 from Queen Victoria - not noted
for giving her money to charity.
George Gilbert Scott - the leading
architect of the day - was charged
with the task of restoration; choosing
to rebuild it in the mediaeval style of
1280 to 1340 (called Decorated for
architecture buffs).
The rebuilding took only four years
and the new church was consecrated
in 1858. Meanwhile Jeremiah Rogers
searched Europe for an organ builder
to build an instrument worthy of it. An
order was placed in 1857 to with a firm
called Schulze in Germany, most of
the parts arriving in 1860. Much of the
construction took place in the church,
the builder working from 5am until
midnight and sleeping on the bellows.
The organ, still a world-class
instrument, was dedicated at a service
in September 1862 with choirs from
all over Yorkshire taking part. Thus
it celebrates its 150th anniversary in
2012.
And so, due to Yorkshire grit
and determination, the
promised new church
replaced the one which
took 400 years to build,
four hours to burn down
and a mere four years to
rebuild.
Thus, those of us who
went with Pauline, like her,
were moved and inspired.
Pauline said she felt “faith
echoing from the walls
and trust in God from its
foundations”. Perhaps the
most moving part, she felt, was after
the anointing when we all sang the
words “Here I am Lord, I’ve come to
do your will,” and she felt the strength
and encouragement of all present.
So out of what may seem like
broken promises can come new life. A
flower must die before it can produce
seed - that’s the way of the world. Out
of brokenness came come goodness,
out of darkness can come light.
In his book Breaking the Rules,
Eddie Askew says: “When people ask
me how I can believe in the face of so
much evil, all I can say is how can one
not, in face of so much good.”
“He that goes forth weeping,
Bearing the seed for sowing,
Shall come home with shouts of joy,
Bringing his sheaves with him.”
Psalm 126 v6 (RSV)
Sylvia Bennett
St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
Church Offices: 15 Camping Lane, Sheffield S8 0GB
Tel: (0114) 274 5086
Page 24
email: office@stchads.org
website: www.stchads.org