The Henson Journals

[31]

16th Sunday after Trinity, October 5th, 1924.

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I awaked with a bad headache, which oppressed me all day, and, together with the atrocious weather, went far to destroy my "enjoyment" of the service. The congregation, apart from the choir and the candidates, numbered about 50 persons. The disregard of Ordinations by the general body of church–people in Durham is very distressing, and argues a low standard of corporate religion. They seem to regard it a purely private affair with which they have no concern. I ordained 4 deacons and 4 priests. Among the former was Ernest, who now, at the age of 37, carries through the purpose which, at 18, he had held strongly, but which he had all but relinquished in the interval. I gave him the "Jubilee" copy of the Bible, which Sir Wm Markby gave to me when I was myself ordained to the diaconate on June 5th 1887, the year in which he was born.

We returned to Auckland immediately after the service, and, after lunch, I sent Ernest back to Sedbergh in the car. He enters on his clerical life at a relatively advanced age, but he has the powers of speech and temperament, which may, if rightly disciplined and directed, carry him far. For the present he remains a school–master.

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