the wellington college year book 2010/2011
53
T R I N I T Y S U N DAY S E R M O N
ja m e s lor e n z
W
hen I was asked by Fr
Novis to speak to you this
evening, I was completely
unsure of what I could or
should say. I am, after all,
only seventeen and having lived all my life in
a protective, safe and privileged public school
environment, I will be the first to admit that I
am far from worldly.
But after thinking about it for a while, I
had a sudden flood of flashbacks to all the
times you guys have come up to me and said,
‘Look, Lorenz, why do you put on a dress
every Sunday and march up and down Chapel
carrying the cross? I figured that, to avoid
?’
such future moments (although I must say I do
enjoy them when they come around), I shall
take the great opportunity I am presented
with this evening, and try to answer that
question now, hoping that I can inadvertently
reveal something to you about the nature of
faith as well.
I came to Wellington a confirmed
member of the Church of England, though I
was not particularly religious. But during my
first few terms here I had adopted a policy
of throwing myself into everything—drama,
sport, music even—and so I decided to
learn as much as I could about religion and
understand it better. To do this I met with
Oli Botes and Miles Seavill, who were both
in my house, since I had seen them carrying
the cross and candles themselves.
Somehow a few days later, and to this day I
still have no idea exactly how this happened, I
found myself walking up to the Altar dressed
in my robes and carrying a candle alongside
Miles and Oli.
Since that day I have never looked back
and have continued to serve here in chapel
throughout my four years. So I suppose
a short answer to my question could be
that: I spoke to some boys in my house and
somehow ended up helping out in chapel
each Sunday.
Of course though, there is so much more
to it than that. If that was the only reason for
my participation in chapel then why did I keep
coming back?? Why did I go further and check
out Open Door and the Lent Addresses over
the next few years?? And why did I suddenly
start calling myself a Christian?? The answer
to these questions, I think, is the true reason
of why I put on a dress and carry the cross
in chapel.
So to the first question: Why did I keep
coming back? I think I can answer in an
?
obvious way. I simply enjoyed it. Now I’m
not saying I enjoyed giving up some time on
a Sunday to appear in front of the entire
school in what is effectively a dress—that
part still terrifies and, if I’m being completely
honest with you, embarrasses me. But I can
say without a doubt, that I enjoyed getting
to know and talking to Miles, Oli as well as
the other servers we have had over the years
including Jamie, Angus, Francesca, Henry and
Conor this year, and indeed our Chaplain and
Deputy Chaplains.
As soon as I began serving in chapel I also
began to do something I had never really
done before: I listened. I didn’t just hear what
was being said and remember the stories, I
actually thought about what I was hearing
and wondered. I became interested in what
was being said—and that answers the second
of my questions: Why did I check out Open
Door and other religious groups at school?
?
I was interested in what was being said to
me. Serving in chapel had provided me with
something to investigate. I was trusting but
not gullible. Whilst I was sure that no one
would deliberately lie to us in chapel, I wanted
to be sure they themselves were not wrong.
And so I became a curious, and probably an
annoying, Third Former who asked older
students and teachers what they thought
about religion, and went to Open Door to try
and get to the bottom of this.
Of course there was no way that was going
to happen. I am as ignorant now as I was
then. The greatest minds in the world cannot
answer these so called ‘Ultimate Questions’,
and so ?( ????B7W'&?6VBF?B?6?( ?BV?F?W"?????WF?V?W72??&Vv?F?7GVG?F?V???w??@?F?R'227V&?V7B??F?RGFV?BF?&R&WGFW ???f?&?VB??v2f66??FVB'?F?R&wV?V?G0?f?"?Bv??7BF?RW??7FV?6R?bv?Bv??6???6?R7&?72?'WB?v2WfV???&R??G&?wVVB'??F?R???6F???2f?F??2???fS???WF??72f? ?W???R??BWfV?????^( ?2?v?W'6???G??v??( ?BF?&?WBF?R6FV?2&wV?V?G0???~( F?N( ?2?FR??7V?F??B?????fRGv????WFW2?VgB???^( ???&R?V6VBF????r?( F'W@??b????RF?W2v?BF?7V?F??R??V6P?R?????R?"6??R?B6VR?R????W6R? ?WfV?gFW"F???v?N( ?26W'f?6R??v???6??F??Vv???F?B??W'7VFVB'?F?R&wV?V?G2???ff?W"?bv?N( ?2W??7FV?6R??B?( ????F??F?67W72F?Bv?F?????R??'WB&Vf?&R??BWfV?&Vv?F?&V6?FP?F?W6R&wV?V?G2??v2?&VG?6???r?6V?`?6?&?7F???f?"?V6???&R6???R?@??F?vWF?W"?W726??G&?fW'6??&V6???F??0?&V6???2F?R?7vW"F?F?RF??&B?Bf????VW7F?????6VC?v??F??6???6V?b?6?&?7F??(????F?6VBV&???F?B?v?V?????v27F??r??F?R?W76vW2??B&V6V?fV@???6?V?( F&V6???r?V?&?R?&V??r???B?@?vV?W&?W2?&V??rV6VgV?( D?v2?F?vWF?W ???W"?B?V????VB?6V?b??&RB66??????BB???R??vR?V&B???W"&VF??rF???v?BF?BF?P?F????F????2F?B( ?F?RfW'?W'?6R?`??W"?fW2?2F?6VV????W7>( ??vV???wF?????F?????6?&W2F??2&V?Vb??B?B?2F??2v??6??&?f?FW2F?R?7vW"F??VW7F???2F???v?B??v??F??6''?F?R7&?72??6?V?(??v??F???6???6V?b6?&?7F??(???B??W2?R????