Day 28 - Admiration not Worship

Barbara Hepworth’s Garden at St Ives, showing Hepworth’s sculptures, Two Forms (Divided Circle) 1969, Four-Square (Walk Through) 1966, and River Form 1965.

After six hours travelling deep into darkest Cornwall, my train rattled along the track and I approached St Erth [pronounced Earth], where you change for St. Ives.

The branch line to St. Ives is glorious. The train clings to the cliffside high above the sandy beaches, and glimmering sea.

Having completed my undulating trek from the railway station to The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, I arrived at my destination.

You enter the museum via stone steps, emerging into what was the family home. The walls through the building are painted white, forming a sort of blank canvas, which is ironically appropriate, given the artist died in a studio fire on 20th May 1975. The combination of blank canvas walls and partly completed works gave me a chill as I wandered the museum. It was like Barbara’s very essence had been whitewashed and replaced with her life story and exhibits from her collection.

The garden, however, breathes life into Barbara’s existence. The garden area holds over forty exhibits. What struck me was the sheer scale of Barbara’s bronze and stone works. Four-Square (pictured above is 4.3 metres high - 14ft in old money). I walked through the sculpture and felt part of the exhibit as I peered through the holes, as I contemplated being part of living art. I also examined sight lines and the effect of light slowly moving across and through the piece. Two Forms (Divided Circle) reminded me of a broken heart, where a once strong love or friendship was now broken. River Form reminds me of a black pebble, washed smooth inside and out. Like how I feel about the Lord’s cleansing of our lives. Yes, I remember Barbara Hepworth’s garden, and it exceeded my expectations.

So, what were my reflections as I trundled back along the branch line to St. Erth? I was clear that I came to react, enjoy, and admire the works, not to worship them or the sculptor. I also reflected on how welcoming and hospitable our places of worship are to others. As we read in Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (NIV) We must strike a difficult balance because some visitors and members enjoy the history and tradition of pews and vaulted ceilings while others like a more relaxed atmosphere with comfortable chairs, coffee/tea, and cake. Hopefully, you can find the right mix for your place of worship so that worshipers will leave with positive memories, and feeling they can become part of the church, have their broken hearts mended, and feel the love of God washing over them.

Prayer

Father, help us to worship you and not false prophets. It is so easy to be trapped in the cycle of worshiping works, when what you require is for us to follow, and worship you. Help us to make our places of worship welcoming spaces where folk feel the right balance between tradition, warmth, and fellowship. Amen

Michael Rolton