The Henson Journals

[177]

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5th Sunday after Trinity, June 30th, 1929.

CONFIRMATION IN CHAPEL

A dull, warm morning with no sign of the much–wanted rain. Ought I to order prayers for rain in the Churches? I shrink from doing so, but how to justify my dislike of such prayers on any Christian ground I find it hard to see. "If it be Thy Will" is a formula which suffices to remove any arrogance of direct petition, but hardly serves to justify the direct petition itself. For the Divine Will certainly prevails apart altogether from our wishes and fears. To what end, therefore, should we pray, since we cannot affect the course of events, and cannot seriously desire to do so? for what pious Christian would wish that the Divine Will should not prevail? The duty of praying is clear enough, but the practical value of praying is not.

"Prayer is the heart's sincere desire uttered or unexpressed."

It comes to this. We can't help praying, and He allows us to pray.

[178]

I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel at 8 a.m. We were only 5 communts including John, but the service was greatly comforting.

I prepared notes for the Confirmation and then fell to work on the sermon for next Sunday morning, when I am to preach in the Cathedral at the service of Thanksgiving for the King's Recovery. I wrote the complimentary part, which is the least difficult.

More than 100 adult candidates from more than 20 parishes came to be confirmed. The chapel hardly gave accommodation to them and their friends. Parry Evans "presided" and brought his choir. Among those whom I confirmed was Irene, Alexander's daughter. Boutflower brought from Sherburn Hospital two of his bedesmen, who looked as ancient and decrepit as himself. Braley brought one of his students to be confirmed, and an old man named Hedger, who used to attend the man's meetings in Ilford, which I conducted more than 30 years ago. Birney of Whitten Park told me that he had been offered the living of Castle Hedingham in Essex.

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