After a 'Did not Find' on St. David's Head, Pilgrim's Rest was a welcome cache find. I deposited the 'Anglophile' Travelbug (attached to the US flag thing), and the geocoin, previously featured.Pilgrim's Rest Cache occurs in one of the most beautiful places I know - near St Non's chapel, on the coast near St David's.
The cache was found on a visit to St. David's. During the visit, I visited the Cathederal and happened to sit in on a morning service. The Church service reminded me of my CofE days as a boy.
Some aspects of Anglican church are completely contary to my own faith. The Necine creed for starters. Also the church-state link in the UK - including the ritual prayer for the Queen.
Nevertheless, there are some particular aspects which really have stuck with me from childhood. Not least, four traditional English hymns:
Abide with me - an evensong hymn which I remember well as a child. I have always been fascinated with its singing at the F.A. Cup final every year. I vividly remember the singing of the hymn in the aftermath of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster and for that reason the hymn awakes a lot of emotion.
The day thou gavest Lord, is ended - again, an evensong hymn which I would have heard as a very small child. In my musical career, the hymn developed a place on my regular repertoire.
He who would valiant be - a school hymn which I learned in Welsh. Linked to John Bunyan's epic 'Pilgrim's Progress'. The Welsh first line of the hymn - 'A fynno dewrder gwir' - is featured on my geocaching profile logo. I also developed an arrangement of Vaughan Williams' 'Monk's Gate' tune as a musician. The idea of the pilgrim (faith / travel / something else?) is something which fascinates me a lot.
We plough the fields and scatter - a barnstorming harvest hymn which I loved as a child and still do now. As I attend Welsh chapel, I never get to sing the hymn anymore! So it was great to har it on Radio 2, played by the Rev. Roger Royle on a special harvest thanksgiving programme.
Strange that I should enjoy the harvest hymn so much - as it seems to be a no-holds-barred anthem for a narrow, Adam-and-Eve take on creationism which I reject. For me, 'We Plough the Fields and Scatter) suggests the idea of God - in whatever form - being reflected in the diversity and miracle of the natural world around us now.
It has crossed my mind at several points since I was a teenager to become some form of religious minister (probably in the limited role of lay preacher). If I were to take that decision, it would be as an 'untamed' Unitarian. If so, I would make the English 'blockbuster' hymns a central part of my services alongside my (hopefully not too long) Welsh sermons!
