We don’t know all that much, really,
about St. Hilda of Whitby
except that she was born into nobility
and an active, but chaste, member of court
before there was a unified England.
Baptized at 13,
at 33 she went into monastic life.
Aidan, the bishop of Lindisfarne,
recalled her to East Anglia, her home
because he was impressed with her devotion
to Jesus and the monastic life.
After being made Abbess of Hartlepool,
Hilda later founded the abbey at Whitby,
a mixed-sex abbey.
The monks and nuns strictly followed a rule of life
dedicated to justice, devotion, chastity, peace, and charity.
Hilda herself was known to have the gifts
of justice, prudence, and strength
to rule as a wise mother as the collect puts it.
Bishops and kings sought her counsel regularly.
In reflecting on St. Hilda,
I was drawn to the Welsh tune Cwm Rhondda
and the refrain
from “God of grace and God of glory.”
Each verse ends with
“Grant us wisdom, grant us courage”
and then changes
what we need wisdom and courage for.
For the facing of this hour.
For the living of these days.
Lest we miss Jesus’ reign’s goal.
Serving Jesus whom we adore.
Last week or the week before
I alluded to today’s passage from Ephesians.
It’s one of my favorite lines
from the letters in the New Testament.
Paul implores the church at Ephesus,
“lead a life worthy of the calling
to which you have been called.”
That’s us answering the call
of Jesus the Resurrected Christ
who proclaimed
that the Kingdom of God
is at hand.
How do we live that life?
Paul says,
“with all humility and gentleness,
with patience,
bearing with one another in love.”
As we ask for wisdom like Hilda
and courage like Patrick
for the facing of this hour
and for the living of these days,
I think churches are uniquely situated
to “make every effort to maintain the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
We don’t do that by avoiding hard topics
nor do we do it with toxic both-sidesism
or reactionary centrism
that ignores that the center moves
based on extremes
and how power is used.
We make every effort to maintain the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace
with all humility and gentleness,
with patience,
bearing with one another in love
by doing what the church has always done.
We’re just lucky that we have
a normal person –
not only Jesus –
whose path we can follow.
In the past we’ve talked or heard about
St. Hilda St. Patrick
as a church at a crossroads
because we sit at a solid intersection.
We’ve wondered together
how we might be a commons –
a place where people can come and be.
The abbey at Whitby was mixed-sex
and abbey churches were –
in the Celtic experience of Christianity –
an important way of organizing Christians.
Abbots and abbesses could be just as important
in living the life of the church
as bishops.
Sometimes they fought
over who was actually in charge.
As St. Hilda with her wisdom from God
led her abbey,
they did what the church has always done.
They got together
to work
to eat
and to pray.
As we explore
how we might be a commons
for the facing of this hour,
I have an idea
that I’ll be testing out the rest of the year.
It’s inspired by the book
The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking.
I’ll be learning as I go,
and I hope some of you can join me…
as you have time and desire.
Some of you may be familiar
with this Danish art of cozy togetherness.
I’m rereading this book
to build my resilience
for the facing of this hour…
lest I miss the goal of Jesus’ reign.
Whoever gathers will gather,
we’ll start a cozy meal together,
and hang out while it simmers and stews.
Slow food together.
It’ll cook
while we read or knit
or deal with email
or chat casually.
We’ll break for optional prayer
and then eat and clean up together.
Mondays at 11 the rest of the year
unless otherwise announced.
At St. Hilda St. Patrick
we’re at a crossroads.
We’re at an intersection
but the Bishop’s Committee is actively discerning
bringing you all in
to discernment
about our long-term future.
As we follow Jesus
we’ll need to pray for the wisdom
that God gave to St. Hilda
that was sought by bishops and kings,
priests and paupers
alike.
In that discernment, too,
we can’t miss or ignore
the realities of living in these days
for us and those outside the church.
We’ll need to practice –
some of us as Thanksgiving comes up particularly! –
leading a life worthy of the calling
to which we have been called,
with all humility and gentleness,
with patience,
bearing with one another in love,
making every effort
to maintain the unity of the Spirit
in the bond of peace.
The life worthy of that calling
is not one of fear
or overbearing anxiety.
I call my Lexapro
grace in tablet form
so I’m not downplaying
the realities of anxiety.
Jesus has promised to be with us always,
and we together have one another
as we look for others
to walk this pilgrim path with us.
As we follow Jesus on this pilgrim path
praying for wisdom and courage
for the facing of these days
hear the only recorded surviving words of St. Hilda,
an admonition to those in her house
and all who follow Jesus:
Trade with the gifts God has given you.
Bend your minds to holy learning,
that you may escape the fretting moth of littleness of mind
that would wear out your souls.
Brace your wills to action,
that they may not be the spoils of weak desires.
Train your hearts and lips to song,
which gives courage to the soul.
Being buffeted by trials,
learn to laugh.
Being reproved,
give thanks.
Having failed,
determine to succeed.
Amen.