The Flock That Christendom Forgot: An Animal Padre’s Uphill Pilgrimage
Episode 18
A Hymn Book for Animals
One morning while I knelt before
God's altar within the delightful Aberdeen church of St. Clement's,
adjacent to our home, thoughts came concerning a book received in
far-off days when I was a Congregational minister in far-off West
Yorkshire. Yes, it was a delightful book of animal hymns and prayers
generously circulated free of charge to clergy, from a society
concerned about Christendom's lack of concern for God's animal
creation.
I remembered then how intriguing this movement
appeared. For much earlier still - as an eloped Baptist Pastor of
twenty-four (quite a different story!) - I'd attended a fringe chapel
in London's Sloane Square area where an assortment of clergy, whose
credentials were suspect, often prayed over, and anointed, animals who
were sick.
One national journal had humorously headed an
article about self-styled prelates - "who wore all but the kitchen
sink!" - with the caption: "If you want to get ahead, then get a
mitre!" Well, be that as it may, whereas journalists - and fellow
clergy who should have known better - largely despised such
self-styled clerics, I was beginning to realize that '^the bogus" had
an insight into God's love and compassion which the smugly bona fide
shamefully lacked
Alas, decades later, and now living in
Aberdeen's Granite City, I discovered that a kindred unorthodox
movement, which had published, and circulated free, that animal
compilation years previously, was now, undoubtedly, defunct! So, being
in a very true sense more qualified, ecumenically, than other clerics
were, I felt that for me to revive a cause which the unorthodox had
found largely unsuccessful would not necessarily prove the same for
myself. (How naive I had become!).
Soon I was in the process of
inaugurating a competition for the best-written hymns relating to the
animal cause, because - apart from All Things Bright and Beautiful and
All Creatures of our God and King - the hymnbooks of Christendom were
void of reference to the animal creation. What an appalling omission!
It was about this time that Doreen and I made the acquaintance of two
past Cambridge dons; and we had much in common concerning
Christendom's most unforgivable omission. So before long, hymns for
submission were coming to us from all over the UK, and as an extra
incentive - thanks to the, then. Dean of Westminster – Edward
Carpenter -- with whom one would share future services of blessing. -
the seven best hymns from the compilation would be sung in his abbey.
What is more, the best three would receive a generous monetary
prize, thanks to our two ex.dons, Andrew and Allison, who had left
academic careers for a disused manse on the Isle of Harris, which they
were transforming into a vegetarian guest house.
Alas! What
does one do when well over sixty hymns are submitted by well-meaning
animal lovers, and yet only seven can be included in an order of
service compiled by a very short-lived 'Christian Consultative Council
for Animal Welfare?' Must the rest of them - written be good-hearted
humble animal lovers and activists - be returned as rejects? Well,
God forbid!
to be continued...
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