The Henson Journals
Sun 27 May 1917
Volume 21, Page 57
[57]
Whitsunday, May 27th, 1917.
1028th day
A brilliant warm morning. I celebrated at 8 a.m. The School was there in force, & quite a squad of choirboys, & old choir boys, so that the communicants were very young. Two wounded soldiers in their conspicuous blue uniform added another & sterner suggestion. Colonel Darwin & a few older men were there also. There is something infinitely pathetic in the spectacle of all these youngsters coming to the Sacrament. If only one were not oneself so tragically unworthy! "We have the treasure in earthly tabernacles." I preached at the Choral Eucharist from Eph: iv. 3, "Giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace", and at the end of my sermon I read the "Call to United Prayer" issued by the "World's Evangelical Alliance". It is a stilted and rather turgid composition, far too long & involved to be effective. There were not many communicants, but the number of people (mostly maidens) who stayed through the service was, I think, larger than on previous occasions.
I preached again at Evensong, when the Mayor & Corporation attended "in state" to hold what they called an "Empire Day Celebration". The municipal company was, I think, considerable, but the general congregation was rather disappointing, perhaps owing to the mid–term holiday, & the holiday–making tradition of Whitsuntide. My text was, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (2. Cor: iii. 17.) In the course of the sermon I worked in a eulogy of the King, who has been rather severely treated of late. Lord Durham brought his sister, & his sister–in–law, to the service, and afterwards came in to tea. He told me that H.M. is rather depressed about the state of feeling in the country. I cannot wonder at this, for revolution is very infectious, &, when it is succeeding in Russia, the minds of many in other countries will certainly be affected. Miss Christopher brought her brother into the Deanery.
After our guests had departed, we walked up Observatory Hill together, & drank in the beauty of the Cathedral, set like a gem in its circle of green hills. The weather continued warm & brilliant to the end. If only the shadows of War were not over everything, one could be well content today.