good morning and welcome to the dinner garden on this thursday the 12th of august the dealery garden at canterbury cathedral and wherever you are in the world join us on this lovely summer day in the southeast of england with the sun shining down on us here we're looking at an olive tree in the garden here and that becomes of course an important symbol in our story of noah as we go on through and at the same time we have some dates and also other incidents which will feed our reflection when we come to our reading from the book of genesis and so be welcome wherever you are we all know as we say the areas of the world that there are many who are in serious serious danger from fire and from flood in some places and from the pandemic and our prayers go out to all of them and the people who often at risk of their own lives and particularly we remember the tragic situation in algeria with the fires and the loss of life there people who will be risking their own lives to save others which has happened throughout the pandemic and is now happening in areas of the world through fire and flood so let's remember all of those things and you'll have images in your mind and some of you will be in parts of the world still in lockdown all those things together but that doesn't keep us apart from saying our prayers together on this lovely morning as a garden congregation o lord open our lips and our mouth shall proclaim your praise may christ the day star dawn in our hearts and triumph over the shades of night blessed are you creator of all to you be praise and glory forever as your dawn renews the face of the earth bringing light and life to all creation may we rejoice in this day you have made and as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep open our eyes to behold your presence and strengthen our hands to do your will that the world may rejoice and give you praise blessed be god father son and holy spirit blessed be god forever the night is past and the day lies open before us let us pray with one heart and mind does we rejoice in the gift of this new day so may the light of your presence so god set our hearts on fire with love for you now and forever amen our psalm on this 12th morning of the month is psalm 62 on god alone my soul in stillness waits from him comes my salvation he alone is my rock and my salvation my stronghold so that i shall never be shaken how long will all of you assail me to destroy me as you would a tottering wall or a leaning fence they plot only to thrust me down from my place of honor lies are their chief delight they bless with their mouth but in their heart they curse wait on god alone in stillness so my soul for in him is my hope he alone is my rock and my salvation my stronghold so that i shall not be shaken in god is my strength and my glory god is my strong rock in him is my refuge put your trust in him always my people pour out your hearts before him for god is our refuge the peoples are but a breath the whole human race a deceit on the scales they are altogether lighter than air put no trust in oppression in robbery take no empty pride though wealth increase set not your heart upon it god spoke once and twice have i heard the same that power belongs to god steadfast love belongs to you oh lord for you repay everyone according to their deeds so on this morning we go back to the book of genesis and we are reading this morning from chapter 8 and beginning to read from verse 6. at the end of 40 days noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent forth a raven it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth then he sent forth a dove from him to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground but the dove found no place to set her foot and she returned to him in the ark for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth so noah put out his hand and took the darvan brought her back into the ark with him he waited another seven days and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark and the dove came back to him in the evening and behold in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf so now i knew that the waters had subsided from the earth then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove and this time she did not return to him anymore in the six hundred and first year in the first month the first day of the month the waters were dried from off the earth and noah removed the covers of the ark and looked and behold the face of the ground was dry in the second month on the 27th day of the month the earth had dried out then god said to noah go out from the ark you and your wife and your son's wives bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth that they may swarm on the earth and be fruitful and multiply on the earth so noah went out and his sons and his wife and his son's wives with him every beast every creeping thing and every bird everything that moves on the earth went out by families from the ark then never built an altar to the lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar and when the lord smelt the pleasing aroma the lord said in his heart i will never again curse the ground because of humankind for the intention of their heart is evil from their youth neither will i ever again strike down every living creature as i have done while the earth remains seedtime and harvest cold and heat summer and winter day and night shall not cease it's a story filled with so many different themes and lessons and most of all the sense of the ark being the seed pod of life and a new beginning and also the sense of the opening up into the fresh air as this story ends we have here noah sending out the dove and as the dove is sent out so noah's hopes that dry land will begin to appear are at first not realized for the dove returns but the second time when the dove returns at evening and noah stretches out a hand to receive her back into the protection of the ark the dove is carrying in her beak an olive leaf freshly plucked from one of the trees and noah knows that the trees are above the water well here's a little olive spray from the tree which is above me here and it is a sign in the part of the world where our lord grew up and in so many other parts of the world where olives thrive and grow a sign of fruitfulness and of everything it produces in terms of its oil which is so much a staple of human life and uh welfare at that particular in that particular part of the world since we give thanks for the olive we also give thanks for the sign that the olive in the dubs beak has become it's become a sign of peace and of reconciliation of a desire for peace and a promise of peace let's think of that because in this story it is an offering of peace from the creator to humankind in their stewardship of the creator's creation and that becomes really important the sign of reconciliation and of peace is of the creator's hand and in the terms of it being given to the realization of noah the representative of the new beginning for humankind in this ancient story it's us a sense of we are in this together now let's think that when the dry land appears there is the promise of life and that is well fulfilled at the end of the story when the ark is open this is the time of year when all the cold frames are open because the plants that were in them no longer need protection from winter storms and so all that has been protected like the ark is now open to the air and if the protection had been kept going too long if the lockdown had been kept there in too long then life itself would be much diminished but here are the windows standing open like the windows of the ark but let's think more about this because we have here the eternal word which is another way of speaking of jesus himself the in the greek the logos in the beginning was the word saint john's gospel and that word which is generally spelled with a capital letter isn't just a spoken word which is full of confusions which i'm using at the moment but it's a sign of the principle underlying the creation and the creation of all things body mind and spirit all of those things all those faculties but also the wonders of the earth our own ark around us and our dependence on the creator's hand and maybe we should go to that little passage in mark's gospel where the eternal word in human form enters into the waters and coming up out of the waters the spirit of god confirming him as the anointed one the spirit of god rests on him like a dove as though that covenant is being not this time with the the dry land and with noah but with humankind with a new covenant in the word made flesh stepping out of the waters of baptism to a new beginning with good news for humankind as jesus begins his ministry the dove and the humanity of jesus in a very different image but oh so like what was said at this time well before the covenant with moses on mount sinai in the midst of time long before that this story comes from but it's a wonderful and a picturesque story and in all sorts of ways we love to read it notice the uh what i always call the the priestly interpretation interpolation really is put in again so that the seven clean animals can provide a ritual sacrifice according to liturgical practice but in our own minds the simplicity of the story two by two by two by two becomes an important aspect of all of this well let's think of that is we think of a wonderful work of creation which was written and composed by benjamin britton the english composer who was already when he wrote noise flood a well-known opera composer but this was to be quite different in 1958 at the alba festival based on the 15th century chester mystery plays and staged in the church of saint bartholomew at orford this wonderful opera was produced quite unlike any grand opera but telling the story of noise flood and britain actually engaged all the creativity of schools and children all around he stipulated that there be a minimum of professional singers in in this uh and uh noah was played by owen branigan who was a a a great uh sort of baritone-based voice at that time and a very well-known figure a friend of benjamin britain and mrs noah also was a a professional singer but but all the others were not professional some of them were trained quite well but others were simply children from schools enjoying all that they did and mostly the children were the animals two by two by two wearing the most wonderful headdresses mostly made for this occasion and the colors of the performance which of course television couldn't capture at that time because it was a black and white television but the colors of that performance and the colors of performances imaginative performances which have taken place all over the world since and britain says not a theater but a church or a large hall maybe a school hall and that was what was happening and he had the voice of god as a spoken part and everything else was music but those watching were not to be excused for he included three big hymns which the characters invited everyone to join in with the first one at the beginning lord jesus think on me and then the animals entering the ark singer courier lays on and they go in two by two by two and then in the middle in all the storms the hymn eternal father strong to save whose arm has bound the restless wave and then at the end after the animals have left the ark singing alleluias then the everyone is invited to sing joseph addison's wonderful hymn the spacious firmament on high and all of those mean that everyone is taking part even the instruments of the orchestra and there was only a small little band of of professional musicians uh two pianos and a string quintet and just one or two other instruments everyone else had instruments of different kinds and were amateurs and were enjoying the performance and some of the instruments were wonderful sandpaper blocks rubbing together but the best one i always think a string put across with kitchen mugs on it and children tapping them with wooden spoons to make the raindrops falling down from heaven all of that but the story itself creates the imaginative atmosphere and induces and calls forth creativity from others that's what britain wanted and that's why it's become so popular there are other uh children's operas in that way of his and he'd already written the saint nicholas but this one is probably the most popular because the story itself is so wonderful and that story of nurse ark one of our friends uh a member of the garden congregation elsevier from adelaide in australia was suggesting this morning that perhaps because there are so many endangered species in the world and they need the endangered species need to be protected in this arc of ours that a lovely thing to do would be as the family or with the children to to get them to draw an ark and then to draw or find pictures of animals which are endangered species um i've got two here i assure you they're not live we've no polar bears in the garden but the polar bear is a symbol of the melting of the ice caps and the destruction of the habitat of this huge creature which is such a wonder for our planet and then if i can reach down and this takes us back to the bamboo forests of yesterday the symbol of the world wildlife fund itself when it started for the protection here of the planet here's a panda no pandas in our bamboos but the panda is because of china's intention of guarding the habitat the panda is a success story and now is no longer in danger of extinction but its numbers are still critical and there's nothing that we like better than going to the smithsonian zoo in washington and seeing the pandas and especially uh two or three years ago when the baby panda was born and then came out to see the people and was there playing and these are initiatives right across the world between those who are trying to save life and then return it to the bamboo forests and the right habitat so much of that being destroyed now if we go into the fires that are happening at the moment habitats are being destroyed all over the world and the ice camps are melting and so the signal for our arc of humanity is the most wonderful signal of the time is now to take care and all that comes but at the same time the signal from the the dove and there's nothing more beautiful than watching collared doves land on the fountain in the garden the the the sound of their wings landing is quite different from the sound of other birds and the gentleness of the um the the form of the collard doves they're the dubs that we have here is something which reminds one always of this story of dry land appearing and the covenant of peace established between god and his creation with the olive branch but at the same time it reminds us of our lord in human flesh the word made flesh as the christmas carols say and the first chapter of the gospel of the fourth evangelist and john says also the words made flesh and dwelt among us shared our human life and as a sign of that covenant that new covenant being given in the anointed one the dove descending at his baptism as he comes up from the waters oh so many images this morning and thanks be to god for benjamin britain's lovely people's opera with all the children enjoying it and maybe um elsevier's plan for a little bit of activity at holiday time and signaling which animals are critically in danger and what human kind could do about that in their stewardship of the planet which is our ark now there's one more date which we can't miss today and that is the fact that on this day in 1827 the poet and painter william blake died blake is in a category all on his own and the way in which in his uh paintings he gives a representation of that which is infinite and eternal and simply amazing and widens our mental landscapes into something that cannot be measured he scorned measurements and everything else they were tools of work but they also limited the capacity of humankind to reach out for that which is infinite and uh there is a a lovely critical assessment with this sentence of him blake a glorious luminary not forestalled by predecessors nor to be classed with contemporaries nor to be replaced by known or readily surmisable successors one thinks of his wonderful uh painting of the book of daniel the ancient of days god with his measuring device in his hand but it's not that i wanted to do today i wanted to read just three of his poems quite short ones and the first one is one of his songs of innocence and once again it brings before us the ministry of the anointed one when i was ordained a deacon my sister gave me his songs of innocence and songs of experience beautifully illustrated and her inscription in the front which pointed me along the next steps of how we were to proceed and um here's one of the songs of innocence no songs of experience today it's called the lamb excuse me and has been set to music beautifully by john taverner little lamb who made thee does thou know who made thee gave thee life and bid thee feed by the stream and all the mead gave the clothing of delight softest clothing woolly bright gave thee such a tender voice making all the veils rejoice little lamb who made thee thus thou know who made thee little lamb i'll tell thee little lamb i'll tell thee he is called by thy name for he calls himself a lamb he is meek and he is mild he became a little child i a child and thou a lamb we are called by his name little lamb god bless thee little lamb god bless thee a poem of innocence but a poem that brings innocence into our perception of creation as we contemplate the lamb and the lamb of god and then perhaps favorite of all is his poem about the tiger and this has a question all the way through and there's only one answer to every question mark tiger tiger burning bright in the forests of the night what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry in what distant deeps or skies burnt the fire of thine eyes on what wings dare he aspire what the hand there sees the fire and what shoulder and what art could twist the sinews of thy heart and when thy heart began to beat what dread hand and what dread feet what the hammer what the chain in what furnace was thy brain what the anvil what dread grasp dare its deadly terrors clasp when the stars threw down their spears and watered heaven with their tears did he smile his work to see did he who made the lamb make the tiger tiger burning bright in the forests of the night what immortal hand or eye dare frame thy fearful symmetry and the answer to every question mark only the creator's hand and only the hands of the one who called himself a lamb and was the word made flesh to teach humankind how to care for the creator's gifts and we can't leave blake without his vision right at the beginning of his poem milton which has become for this nation an image of the way in which heaven's glory can touch humanity with heavenly gifts and as in all his poems the images are strident but you'll want to be singing it as i read it we know it as jerusalem here it is and did those feet in ancient time walk upon england's mountains green and was the holy lamb of god on england's pleasant pastures scene and did the countenance divine shine forth upon our clouded hills and was jerusalem builded here among these dark satanic mills bring me my bow of burning gold bring me my arrows of desire bring me my spear o clouds unfold bring me my chariot of fire i will not cease from mental fight nor shall my sword sleep in my hand till we have built jerusalem in england's green and pleasant land question marks in the first two verses as so often in blake's poetry and the answer to this question is yes often the feet of humanity walking in england's green and pleasant land have meant that the lamb of god has been seen in human form and we have the ability of that gift with each other at all times so the answer yes and the community we're talking about is the new jerusalem which has been revealed right at the end of our new covenant scriptures in the book of revelation and then the two second verses means i'm involved in this and the weapons to hand are provided by heaven and one gets that in the images of sin paul in the ephesians the sword of the spirit and the all of the the helmet and the breastplate and the shoes for our journey equipped to go out and be jesus to one another the word made flesh so let's say our prayers on this day giving thanks for everything that nurse story gives us and as we do so let me find the ones that we're praying for today we're praying throughout the anglican communion for the diocese of durgapur in the united church of north india and my fiddling with papers is because yesterday i read that the whole of the north towns benefits and today we're asked to pray for the north stands benefits pilgrims way parishes i had to divide them up so i think i've got this right that the pilgrims way parishes are holing born with hucking deathling with fernam and boxley and grove green and if i've got that wrong i apologize to the team rector but i ask prayers for that part of the benefits of the north downs and the person that we're praying for is captain graham bibi of the church army who at the moment is looking after that area of pilgrim's way parishes bring your own prayers for your own concerns and we join in the collect for today let your merciful ears o lord be open to the prayers of your humble servants and that they may obtain their petitions make them to ask such things as shall please you through jesus christ our lord amen so each in our own language we say the prayer our savior taught us our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever amen moment of silence now for our own prayers on this day uh [Music] the peace of god which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of god and of his son jesus christ our lord and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you upon those whom you love and those whom you would pray for today and always are men so panda has been brought back to the bamboo walk here as a sign of the fact that in one way we've turned the corner with the helping of pandas in their own uh environment in china particularly but there's a long journey yet but my friend the polar bear here in my hands we've got an even longer way to go and this is a whole world exercise of saving the ice caps so we need to be conscious at all times not only of these huge world initiatives but also of our own initiatives in our own gardens we think of the hedgehogs which we've seen as part of our morning prayer from time to time and many many other creatures of all kinds in our gardens but awareness is everything and drawing them and placing them in the ark and thinking there's some creature that needs humankind's help in our care of the planet [Applause] [Music]