Leaving Stratford

  

It’s hard to leave a place that is filled with beautifully restored Tudor homes . . . and echoes of Shakespeare at every turn (every tea room and street evokes characters from his life or his works—Quickly’s, Hathaways . . .). It’s been lovely to enjoy a quieter season here even though it’s been a bit damp and chilly.

Our last morning, we downed another English breakfast at our B&B—a lovely place called Ambleside Guest House—and headed to eight o’clock church at Holy Trinity. In the quiet before worship, we marveled at being able to worship in the same church where Shakespeare would undoubtedly have worshipped. Here’s a photo of what’s believed to have been his personal copy of the Book of Common Prayer.

The early worship was a quiet and thinly attended service with no music at all . . . but the quiet made the words of scripture and the words of the prayers all the more poignant. The assisting minister addressed the prayers of the people to the God “who accomplishes his good purposes through the people who love him.” How wonderful to have our very prayers commission us for God’s service!

One interesting thing I learned visiting Holy Trinity again was that the King James Bible was produced in the year 1611—the year in which Will Shakespeare would have been 46 years old. Interestingly, if you look at Psalm 46 in the King James Bible, you will see that the 46^th word of the Psalm is shake and the 46^th word counting backwards from the end of the Psalm is spear! Is it coincidence? Or, do you think that Shakespeare may have had a friend who worked on the translation? It’s fun to speculate that Shakespeare himself may have had a little influence, but as he wasn’t a university educated man, it’s not likely that he would have been part of the extensive team that worked to bring the scriptures to life in the English language.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,

and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,

though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,

the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved:

God shall help her, and that right early.

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved:

he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Come, behold the works of the LORD,

what desolations he hath made in the earth.

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;

he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder;

he burneth the chariot in the fire.

Be still, and know that I am God:

I will be exalted among the heathen,

I will be exalted in the earth.

The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Even if it is only a wonderful coincidence, it still makes me feel good to find Shakespeare’s name embedded in the Psalm that was one of Martin Luther’s favorites (and the basis for his famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God).