The Henson Journals
Sun 23 January 1921
Volume 29, Page 129
[129]
Septuagesima, Sunday, January 23rd, 1921.
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I got up feeling very dilapidated, but bent on carrying through my programme for the day. The "sheath", as Gordon called it, is a poor thing at best for "the sword of the Spirit" to inhabit. I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel at 8 a.m. All the household communicated.
After breakfast we motored to Willington, where I instituted the new Rector (Duncan). There was a large congregation. A guard of honour was provided by the Church Lads Brigade. I preached from I. Corinthians IV.1. After service we all returned to the Castle.
At 6 p.m. I attended evensong in Shildon church, and there I preached to a large congregation. The parson, Watts, is said to be at cross purposes with the people, but he himself asserts that this is not the case. There was a numerous choir including a number of young women. I have got through today's preaching with some difficulty.
The poisonous atmosphere of the churches makes for clerical inefficiency, and congregational restlessness. No attention at all appears to have been given to the ventilation of the churches built, as so many of the churches in this diocese were built, about the middle of the XIXth century, in the "Gothic" style (!), and on the principle of a cheese–paring economy. The clergy are commonly quite indifferent on the subject, & the church–attendants too lazy to open any windows that will open. The people only fear a draught!