A fiction novel I read recently, Book of Hours, by Davis Bunn,,focused around an English town, an English manor and the broken lives of the people who lived there. And there were riddles that had to be solved to bring a happy ending to the story.
It reminded me of a practice I had forgotten about. A good practice. And I want to share it with you. In this little town there were seven churches and they all rang their bells every hour, day and night. There were people in the town that wanted the ringing to stop.
One of the main characters gave a talk about why the bells rang in hope of persuading the people to keep the bells. Following are portions of her talk:
"This village has known some very rich times and some very hard times. Nine hundred years ago when William the Conqueror made this his first capital in England, Knightsbridge was one of the wealthiest communities in all the land. Records show that by the end of the following century, work on four of our seven churches had begun . . .
as many of the town were.
"So long ago we don't even know when the practice began, people saw the need for regular prayer. The account I read claimed it started in France almost fourteen hundred years ago, and it told how people from all walks of life began halting every hour to give a short prayer. Only a few brief words, but every hour they took time to turn to God . . .
"But how could they do this? How did they know when to pray, since there were no clocks? The answer is, they rang the church bells. Seven churches planted so that their bells could be heard everywhere in the region. And each time they rang, people stopped what they were doing and said a prayer, one that lasted no longer than it took to ring the hour. Those who could read carried a miniature text called the "Book of Hours." In it were prayers and short poems, brief words to inspire and direct . . .
"Save our heritage. Remind us of our needs, however dated they might seem at the moment. Let the bells of Knightsbridge ring for centuries to come."
I say that is a pretty strong message for the 21st century! How long has it been since you've heard the bells toll and talked with God? It certainly would be a welcome reminder in this day and age to call out to God.
I drafted this post before I went to Vermont. One early morning recently the grandfather clock in the living room began it's chimes for the top of the hour. The light came on in my mind! "When I hear the clock chime, turn my mind towards God!" I wish I could say it's been a great reminder, but I'm so use to hearing the clock chime that I don't always "hear" it. It will take some time before a routine will set in, but my heart's desire remains firm. I want to "turn my heart towards God" frequently throughout my day.
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