Introduction
Thank you for inviting me to take your festival service today (in Skillington - the church where Revd Charles Hudson was vicar from 1859 to 1865)
My interest comes from a former vicar here - Revd Charles Hudson (4th October 1828-14 July 1865).
Charles was born in Park Street in Ripon on 4th October 1828.
He was the thirteenth child of Joshua Hudson who was simply described as a gentleman, which means he was well off.
Charles was sent to St Peter’s School in York where he excelled in swimming, fencing and gymnastics.
When he was 17 years old, he joined a walking tour in the Lake District where they averaged 27 miles each day.
In 1847 he went to St. John’s College in Cambridge where he was one of the University’s best rowers.
He decided to become a clergyman and was ordained in Ripon Cathedral in 1854.
He served some time at Kirklington (presumably his curacy) and then as a Chaplain in the Crimea.
He then moved for a short time to Bridgenorth in Shropshire before becoming Vicar of Skillington in 1859.
He was a prominent mountain climber in the golden age of alpinism and was known an extremely strong walker.
He is credited with the first ascents of
Monte Rosa,
Mont Blanc du Tacul and
the first completed passage of the Moenchjoch.
He also pioneered guideless climbing in the western alps.
It is said he climbed more mountains than he preached sermons!!!.
In July 1865, he was in the team that made the first ascent of the Matterhorn, in Switzerland - the last peak in the Swiss Alps - at 4478 m - to be conquered.
The team of seven made it to the top of the Matterhorn but on the way down one of them Douglas Hadow the least experienced of the climbers slipped.
He pulled three of the other mountaineers down, Lord Francis Douglas, Charles Hudson and the guide Michel Croz.
Edward Whymper and the two other guides Peter Taugwalder the older and his son Peter Taugwalder the younger survived because the rope snapped between the Peter Taugwalder the older and Lord Francis Douglas .
There was a very nasty inquest with the older Peter Taugwalder being accused of cutting the rope holding the mountaineers together to save himself, his son and Edward Whymper.
I have seen the rope in question in the Matterhorn museum in Zermatt and it clearly looks like a break and not as having been cut.
The body of Lord Francis Douglas has never found to this day but the bodies of Hadow, Hudson and Croz were recovered.
Charles had his Book of Common Prayer (often simply referred to as a Prayer Book) with him at the time and those who found the bodies read the burial service from Charles’ Prayer Book over Croz, Hadow and Hudson.
Hadow and Hudson were initially buried together in the Zermatt Mountaineers graveyard.
However once the Anglican Church of St Peter’s Zermatt was built and consecrated in 1890, Hudson’s body was moved from the Mountaineers graveyard and buried under the altar in St Peter’s Zermatt.
My interest in Charles Hudson came from the fact that he is buried under the altar in St Peter’s Anglican Church in Zermatt where I have been a seasonal chaplain a number of times.
This morning I would like to look at the Mountaineers Psalm - Psalm 121.
Given Charles took his Prayer Book with him when he went up the Matterhorn I am sure he would have had it with him every time he climbed a mountain.
At that time it was standard equipment for a Vicar
The Prayer Book has a section with all 150 Psalms.
I have often wondered how often Charles would have reflected on the Mountaineer’s Psalm/ during his ascents and descents from the various mountains he climbed
Psalms 121 is one of the songs of ascent, named because these Psalms – Psalm 120-134 were sung by the Jews as they went up to the Temple in Jerusalem.
You could say they were a mini-Psalter in today’s parlance
They were characterised by the themes of joy, hope and longing for God’s presence
It is believed that these Psalms were associated with annual pilgrimages where Jews would go up Mount Zion in Jerusalem for the three major Jewish Festival. :
1. The first of these major three annual festivals was Passover – also known as the Feast of Unleaven Bread
The festival was a reminder to the Jews of God's miraculous intervention – which saved their nation from slavery in Egypt.
It was also at Passover when Jesus was crucified to save mankind from the slavery from sin and eternal separation from God
Passover was held at beginning of the barley harvest.
2. The second of these major three annual festivals was Pentecost also known as Feast of Weeks
This took place 50 days after Passover. Hence “Pente” in the name
To the Jews it reminded them that God provided their daily bread.
And it was a time also not to forget the less fortunate than themselves.
Pentecost is also known as the First Fruits of Harvest and it was at Pentecost in Acts 2 that the church first grew exponentially.
You could say Pentecost reminds us in the Church of the first fruits of God’s harvest of souls.
3. The third of these major three annual Feasts was the Feast of Tabernacles – a seven day feast at the end of the Harvest
In this festival the Jews used to live in tents for seven days in Jerusalem.
Why – because it reminded the Jews of their wandering in the wilderness before coming into the Promised Land.
And it reminds us Christians today that we are still on a pilgrimage to the Promised Land – heaven.
As I mentioned earlier the songs of ascents were sung as the Jews went up to Jerusalem.
The road from Jericho to Jerusalem was dangerous – as it had lots of caves where thieves and robbers would lurk to attack pilgrims going to Jerusalem.
It was probably the background for Jesus’ famous Parable of the Good Samaritan
With that in mind may I remind you of the opening verses of Psalm 121.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Story: Maddy, my wife’s father used to have a chalet at the bottom of the three famous Swiss mountains, the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.
And when I went out for a walk there and looked up at the mountains I would be in awe of God’s wonderful creation.
There is something about those Swiss mountains that would point me to God.
They were awe inspiring.
And looking up at the Judean mountains (often referred to as the seven hills of Jerusalem) is also awe inspiring
These seven mountains are
1. Mount Scopus,
2. The Mount of Olives,
3. The Mount of Corruption and
4. Mount Moriah (also known as the original Mt Zion and also as the Temple Mount)
5. The new Mt Zion,
6. Mt Ophel and
7. The Antonio Fortress Hill.
The question asked in Psalm 121. 1 says
“where does my help come from”
is answered in another Psalm of the Ascents Psalm 125, 1-2 which reads
1 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
May I leave you with this thought
Where do we look for solace in times of grief or hardship.
