This sentence first appeared in print in 1602, in an anonymous poem. Later in 1844 Thomas Bayly published his ballad ‘Isle of Beauty’ where he wrote:
What would not I give to wander
Where my old companions dwell.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Isle of Beauty, fare thee well.
As many know, we left Camden in February to experience life in the Cotswolds where we are restoring a crumbling medieval/Tudor house. We needed to try something new. This project we knew we would both enjoy, and it enables us to have a peaceful garden which, far from perfect as it is, is now an Isle of Beauty for us. Covered with snowdrops when we moved in, it warmed and came to life at Easter; the warmth and peace entered my heart and it became my Resurrection Garden, a place where the Risen Lord seemed very present.
This feeling has not changed, though the restoration work has forced us to move out for a few months. We still tend and visit our garden.
But my other Isle of Beauty – both people and place, is St. John’s, and it has needed a separation to appreciate our church afresh having attended week by week for 50 years.
Being away from Hampstead and attending churches with a different ethos challenges the nature of our belief and is making us think deeply about our faith, Anglicanism and the church and especially about St. John’s. We know and understand the ethos here, and it has come as a surprise to us to find how different people’s views and assumptions are in other churches. I have been trying to think what it is that makes St. John’s a special place. Of course part of it is being with friends we have known for very many years, but I think it is more than that. Hampstead is an inclusive church. I believe that God loves each and every one of us unconditionally. All are included and this inclusiveness and acceptance we find at St. John’s. We cannot always make this assumption outside London.
Our standard of preaching is very high, and we are challenged and made to think. We are not afraid of difficult questions and are happy to discuss them afterwards. We miss these good sermons and are happy that we can read them on the church’s website.
We have done lots of singing in many churches, but when we return we hear truly beautiful music again, and our powerful organ so well played. Nowhere have we found a Junior Choir, or indeed a professional choir singing a Latin Mass. This is now a treat for us. However, much to my surprise I am enjoying singing some of the modern hymns and songs
sung in other churches. At Hampstead the Eucharist is celebrated thoughtfully and with great care. The large number of children are made very welcome and we have an excellent sermon. Coffee afterwards is a chance to catch up with people. There might be a Tea Service for the frail or elderly in the afternoon, or a Living Book Club. Sunday ends in term time with a peaceful and beautiful Choral Evensong.
The Classical architecture of St. John’s, built at a time when reading the Bible and preaching the Word of God was paramount, might not feel immediately ‘sacred’ as a medieval church can. However it has been a place of daily prayer as the Morning and Evening Offices are said and The Eucharist is celebrated and the walls resonate with the prayers of 270 years.
This prayed-in-ness makes a place feel holy. The real sacred place in St. John’s is the Lady Chapel where the Reserved Sacrament is kept, and the light burns to remind us of this. My own hope is that one day the Lady Chapel will be glassed in and the seating renewed and reconfigured. This would make a truly holy place for private prayer and worship. This has been done with great effect in Burford church where it has created a calm and peaceful oasis where the Eucharist is celebrated midweek. However, there is no Reserved Sacrament kept there or in any of the country churches that we have found and to me this feels a loss.
We have not found a Fair Trade stall in any church which perhaps highlights our outward-looking attitude to the world and to the vulnerable members of society as opposed to more inward-looking ones of many churches. I am very pleased that we take our charitable giving seriously and give away a substantial sum. There are so many talented people who do so much to make Hampstead a special place and every group is open and encouraging to others to join. There are numerous activities to participate in, truly something for everyone whether young or old. Nothing is hidden and secret, and truly all are welcome. There is very much love and care among the congregation and a real desire to involve people.
However, St. John’s is not, and cannot be, perfect and there are areas where we might grow. In our time in Hampstead we have seen four Vicars and many curates. Now we await the appointment of a new Vicar. Each has brought their own gifts which have deepened our faith and added to our church life and it is an exciting time as we await the next incumbent.
We have found welcoming and good people everywhere we have been, and Christianity taught and expressed in many different ways, some of them good and some less good. However, we might have moved away but St. John’s is where I belong in my heart. We are fortunate that we can return often when it is a joy to join the congregation and to meet with friends that we have known for so long. Absence has made the love I feel for St. John’s and its people increase and my heart has grown fonder and more appreciative.