麻豆社

Sunday Worship 鈥� A Jane Austen Celebration听

Music: Pride and Prejudice 鈥� Main Theme听听

Carl Davis听

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra听

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From its very first note I am there: transported to a world of drawing rooms and dances, of eligible bachelors with five thousand a year and genteel young women determined to marry for love. A world where respectability and pride about rank and position or prejudice about manners can prevent people from seeing the truth that they are made for each another. Andrew Davies鈥� 1995 adaptation of Jane Austen鈥檚 Pride and Prejudice is justifiably a classic and its success, captured in that brilliant theme music we鈥檝e just heard, surely rekindled the modern obsession with All Things Austen.听

I鈥檓 standing at the end of a long, elegant drive, catching a first view of PEMBERLEY鈥�.well it鈥檚 not quite Pemberley but it is a "large, handsome stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills"鈥�It鈥檚 the Pemberley of that 麻豆社 production, Lyme Park in Cheshire.听

This 250th anniversary year of Jane Austen鈥檚 birth has provided a wonderful opportunity to revisit not only her lasting legacy as one of the world鈥檚 greatest and funniest writers, but to reflect on her life in all its richness and to examine what she means for us today.听听

One area of her life that, sadly, has been relatively neglected is her Christian faith. It is easy to forget that, behind the modern obsession with Jane Austen 鈥� an obsession that has produced an industry through which you can buy everything from Austen themed soap to jigsaws 鈥� that Jane was a faithful Christian, a daughter and sister of clergy. This special Sunday Worship during Advent celebrates not only the religious light and hope found in her work but also imagines what her experience of a Georgian Advent and Christmas might have been.听

CAROL: HARK THE GLAD SOUND听听

Cantus Vocum Chamber Choir听

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PRAYER: (READ BY AMANDA ROOT)听

Give us grace, Almighty Father, so to pray, as to deserve to be heard, to address thee with our Hearts, as with out lips. Thou are everywhere present, from Thee no secret can be hid. May the knowledge of this, teach us to fix our Thoughts on Thee, with Reverence and Devotion that we pray not in vain. Amen.听

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A prayer that, according to her sister Cassandra, was written by Jane, and throughout this service we shall using other prayers attributed to her (read by actor Amanda Root, who played Anne Elliot in the 1995 麻豆社 adaptation of Persuasion). Jane wrote of her home life, 鈥業n the evening we had the Psalms and Lessons, and a sermon at home鈥� [Jane Austen,鈥疞etters, Oct. 24-25, 1808]听听

But her鈥檚 was no grim puritan upbringing. Alongside these important religious practices, Jane adored plays and playfulness, and the Austens loved going to the theatre. Indeed, her profound gift for identifying and skewering the foibles of human nature were honed by her love of watching others perform both on the stage, at home, and among friends.听

Equally, we might imagine that our Georgian forebears were better at keeping the season of Advent than ourselves. That they took those weeks for sober and righteous reflection, quietly preparing for Jesus鈥檚 return at the end of time and on Christmas Day. However, for someone like Jane Austen, as for most middle- and upper-class Anglicans, the arrival of Advent signalled the start of a great run of socialising: parties, balls and dances, with a focus on people enjoying time together. Alongside the dancing, there would also have been singing.听

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PRAYER: Read by Amanda Root听

Be thou merciful, oh Heavenly Father! 鈥� we bless thee for every comfort of our past and present existence, for our health of body and of mind and for every other source of happiness which thou hast bountifully bestowed on us. Amen.听

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We must be careful not to overlay modern ideas of Christmas and Advent onto Jane鈥檚 experience. Contemporary traditions emerged during the Victorian era and our love of putting up and decorating trees or giving gifts were not part of a Georgian Christmas. Nor was there a great focus on children. The Austen family, like countless other families of her day, were much more interested in the social elements of the season.听

In Emma Mr. Elton observes:听

Read by Oliver鈥疍'Souza听

鈥淭his is quite the season indeed for friendly meetings. At Christmas every body invites their friends about them, and people think little of even the worst weather. I was snowed up at a friend's house once for a week. Nothing could be pleasanter. I went for only one night, and could not get away till that very day se'nnight."听

INTERVIEW: PAUL KERENSA听听

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CAROL:听 WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS (Cranbrook)听

The Parley Of Instruments听

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READING: Matthew 5:3-10 (The Beatitudes)听

Read by Amanda Root听

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.听

鈥楤lessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.听

鈥楤lessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.听

鈥楤lessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.听

鈥楤lessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.听

鈥楤lessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.听

鈥楤lessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.听

鈥楤lessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness鈥� sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.听

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Jane Austen was not impressed by what might be called 鈥榬eligious enthusiasm鈥�. She was suspicious of those evangelical clergy who she felt made great displays of their religiosity. Jane鈥檚 faith was of a quieter, more discreet kind. She was as anti-slavery as someone like William Wilberforce, but her picture of religion and of the ideal cleric were shaped around her belief that a good Anglican resisted showy displays of devotion. Rather, one demonstrated one鈥檚 faith by being committed to moral duty and virtuous behaviour within one鈥檚 community. Jesus鈥檚 Sermon on the Mount, part of which we鈥檝e just heard, models those Christian virtues of peace, mercy, grace and love of which Jane approved.听

Austen adores characters who grow in virtue and good sense like Lizzie Bennet and Mr Darcy or those who, like Fanny Price, show a virtuous resilience in the face of those who would pull her off course. If one were to dare suggest, on behalf of Jane Austen, a fresh beatitude to add to Jesus鈥� wonderful and challenging list it might be 鈥楤lessed are those who embody virtue for they shall know Love.鈥櫶�

CAROL: THE ANGEL GABRIEL听

The Ebor Singers听

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INTERVIEW: The Rt Rev Dr Bishop Christopher Herbert听听

CAROL: GOOD CHRISTIAN MEN REJOICE听

Guildford Cathedral Choir听

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PRAYER: READ BY AMANDA ROOT听

Incline us, oh God! To think humbly of ourselves, to be severe only in the examination of our own conduct, to consider our fellow-creatures with kindness, and to judge of all they say and do with that charity which we would desire from them ourselves. Amen听

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We鈥檙e now in the grounds of Lyme Park鈥�and it鈥檚 not difficult to see how gardens like this could have caused Lizzie Bennet to answer her sister鈥檚 鈥渧ery serious鈥� enquiry as to how long she had loved Darcy with the less than serious鈥� 鈥淚t has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly know when it began; but I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley.鈥澨�

If I were to ask a person on the street what popped into their head when they heard the name Jane Austen, I suspect most would be likely to say marriage and romance. And in many ways, they would be correct. However, it is not quite so simple. My imagination as much as anyone else鈥檚 is populated with visions of Mr Darcy鈥檚 glistening chest full of romantic ardour for Lizzie as he leaves the pond at Pemberley (the very pond I鈥檓 looking out on right now) or of other Austen heroines and heroes catching a glimpse of one another across a crowded dance floor. But the famous Darcy moment from the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is no more in the book than the double wedding which ends that adaptation.听

Indeed one of the fascinating things about Austen鈥檚 novels is how little focus they give to marriage itself. Yes, Lizzie gets Darcy, Anne Eliot her Wentworth, and so on.听听

Jane Austen is interested in so many other things than romantic ideas of love or sentimental pictures of marriage. The marriage between Fanny and Edmund in Mansfield Park is no heated romance a la Bridgerton; it brings healing to the social and family order damaged by the corruption of money made by Edmund鈥檚 family off the back of slaves.听听

Should we be worried that we鈥檝e misunderstood Austen? I don鈥檛 think so. We need to remember that it is a token of her genius that we remake and reinterpret her for our present age. Like Shakespeare we can see almost what we want in her writing. She can also be interpreted as required by the needs of each era. We see new things as her novels are interpreted by our time 鈥μ�

INTERVIEW: Amanda Root听

MUSIC: Messiah, Pt. 1: 2. Recit "Comfort Ye" (HANDEL)听

Dunedin Consort/John Butt/Nicholas Mulroy听

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Ultimately, while Austen is interested in love and flourishing relationships and marriages, at a deep level she is fascinated by hard-won happiness, full of wisdom, experience and love tested across time. This is not romantic love served up on a plate through two young people in the first flushes of mutual fascination. It is a Christian love shaped around self-sacrifice, deep mutual respect, and constancy even in the face of pain and trouble.听听

For me, it is the relationship between Persuasion鈥檚 Anne Eliot and Captain Wentworth which represents Austen鈥檚 most considered view on love. Anne and Wentworth have been tested by life and each other. They fell in love when Anne was nineteen but then she rejects him, persuaded by her family that he is unworthy of her exalted family. When Wentworth comes back into Anne鈥檚 life years later, she is tired and has lost her way. He is a seasoned sea captain. It looks like they will never find their way back to each other, such is the level of disappointment each feels. Slowly, they bridge the vast gap between each other, recognising that their love, though tested to the limit, has remained constant. Finally, Wentworth writes this to Anne:听

READ BY OLIVER D鈥橲OUZA听

鈥淚 can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant 鈥� For you alone, I think and plan.鈥澨�

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鈥榊ou pierce my soul.鈥� It is such an extraordinary line. It is a reminder of love鈥檚 abiding and decisive power: true love goes to the very heart of human identity; it can undo us and even pierce our very souls. This is not sentimental or merely romantic but an echo of the love God has for us in Jesus Christ; a love that means Jesus would lay down his life for his friends; a love that comes down at Christmas in which God comes to dwell among us as one us of, a child born of Mary who is the saviour of the world.听

PRAYERS听

UNDERSCORE: Marianelli: Dawn From "Pride & Prejudice" Soundtrack听

Let us pray 鈥μ�

Faithful God, when we are tempted to turn away from you, lead us back home to Jesus through the love of your Holy Spirit.听

Gracious God, all things that we have come from you and of your own do we give. Grant us the courage and grace to always follow your Son Jesus Christ.听

Loving God, abide with us when we face times of trial and may your Spirit raise us up with praise and longing for you in our hearts 鈥μ�

Let us pray with confidence the words which Jesus himself taught us:听

Our Father, who art in heaven,听

Hallowed be thy name.听

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done听

On Earth as it is in heaven.听

Give us this day our daily bread听

And forgive us our trespasses听

As we forgive those who trespass against us.听

And lead us not into temptation听

But deliver us from evil.听

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory,听听

forever and ever. Amen听

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I鈥檝e scaled the hill at Lyme and I鈥檓 looking out at the most spectacular winter landscape听 - or as Lizzie Bennet might say鈥�MAGNIFICENT.听

As this service celebrating Jane Austen鈥檚 legacy draws to a close, we shall sing O Come All Ye Faithful, a carol which captures so much of her faith in Jesus Christ, as well as her her focus as a novelist on the love that will not let us down. Two hundred and fifty years on from her birth, we rejoice that Jane鈥檚 gift for insight, humour and timeless characters continues to inspire. More than than that we give thanks for her faith in the one who more than two thousand years on from his birth in a stable, our Lord Jesus Christ, brings hope, love and the promise of peace to the world.听

And May God himself, the God of peace,听

make you perfect and holy,听

and keep you safe and blameless, in spirit, soul and body,听

for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ;听

and the blessing of God almighty,听

Father, Son and Holy Spirit听

Be with you and all those whom you love and pray for,听

This day and always. Amen.听听听听听听听听听听 (Blessing from Church of England)听

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CAROL: O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL听

Recorded at the Daily Service Carol Concert 2024听

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