Pilgrim

Today we are asked to remember John Bunyan, preacher, pastor, writer and author of Pilgrim’s Progress. I remember reading Pilgrim’s Progress as a teenager and then again when studying for a paper on literature and theology as part of my degree. A few years later I found myself lecturing on Bunyan and the book at North Thames Ministerial Training Course and was surprised by how few of the ordinands had read Pilgrim’s Progress or appreciated it. One of the main concerns seemed to be Bunyan’s allegorical approach, yet, I treasure that as part of the beauty and power of the book. I also picked up that many of the students were not that keen on Bunyan’s Puritan faith, though I suspect few had taken the time to understand what Puritanism was about. I wonder how many of us would be prepared to go to prison for preaching the Gospel as Bunyan did?

He who would valiant be ’gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round with dismal stories
Do but themselves confound - his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,
He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit,
We know we at the end, shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away! I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labor night and day to be a pilgrim.

In celebration of Bunyan and Pilgrim’s progress, here’s After the Fire’s excellent Pilgrim from the album Signs of Change.

laser love worship

St Peter-on-the-wall, Bradwell-on-Sea, was the ideal setting for an evening of worship led by After The Fire. The band is in the middle of a series of festival gigs, but took time out to lead what has become an annual pilgrimage to the beautiful Bradwell chapel. I saw ATF at Greenbelt in 1979 when they headlined the festival along with Cliff Richard, Randy Stonehill, Larry Norman and a host of other Christian bands and artists from that classic period. The band became persona non grata at Greenbelt for a while after overrunning the curfew and finishing a barn storming set accompanied by a spectacular firework display.

This was a more low key affair with acoustic instruments and voices unaided by a pa system. The natural acoustics of the chapel provided all the amplification necessary, as the mixture of hymns, classic ATF songs and other material resonated from the ancient stones, complimented by bird song from the chapel’s residents. The worship took the form of Evening Prayer with familiar prayers and responses complemented by the music. There was a reflection from J B Phillips circa 1974, a Bible reading from Ephesians and a powerful testimony from Carly and Rob Lucas.

The Music framed the worship with the congregational singing of the classic hymns Love Divine, What A Friend We Have In Jesus, Here Is Love and a moving solo rendition of O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go from Rob Halligan. Other material included REM’s Everybody Hurts, Seven Days from Show of Hands, Coldplay’s Fix You, I Will Follow by Martin Joseph and Elvis Costello’s What’s So Funny. Then there were the ATF songs I Don’t Understand, Sometimes and the highlight of the evening a creedal version of Laser Love!

Pete, John, and the rest of the crew were all on good form, leading in a relaxed but prayerful manner and making sure that the worship never became just a performance. The evening was rounded off by a lovely walk back to the car as the sun bathed the chapel and the surrounding fields with a golden glow. 'Perfick' as Pa Larkin would have said.