Island Bay Presbyterian Church

Hildegard of Bingen

 

"Hildegard's Awakening" Art Sermon: 28^th Jan 2007 IBPC

(Historical details for this sermon from Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen
by Matthew Fox, Bear and Company 2002)

 Preaching from Jer 1:4-10

 

 So, today is the last of our first annual summer art series! This was a time when I invited people to share an artwork which had moved or inspired them during their Christian walk, instead of preaching a sermon.
 I thought it was an idea worth trialing: firstly it gave me and Amber a chance to get away for a holiday; secondly it was a chance for shorter, lighter services while people’s brains were still recovering from the stress of Christmas and while many were still away (like today!); but most importantly, by presenting a work of art that had touched them at their core, I hoped it would be a chance for us to learn from and be inspired by our brothers and sisters, and give us an insight into the faith of some members of this community, and the way God is working in their lives.
 We will do it again next year, so if anyone else has an art work they’d like to share let me know…

 Today however, as the last art installment, I want to present a painting of Hildegard of Bingen. I’ve talked about her before, and the image you are looking at is a portrait of her "awakening." Hildegard was a German mystic nun, born in 1098 the daughter of a knight. Being the tenth child she was given to the church at age 8 as a tithe by her family, and from then on she was raised in a monastery.

 I love the old Christian mystics though I haven’t read very much of their writings.
 Up until recently European culture and the majority of NZ culture was very logical and rational and head-based; so the mystics, being more subjective and spontaneous and heart-based didn’t have much of a place.
 Culture is changing though. Science and logic are no longer king when deciding what is real and what isn’t. Western culture is learning to value mystery and intuition again; belief in spiritual things is on the rise once more, and, in this changing situation I think the mystics are a great evangelistic resource for the Church.
 Re-discovering their words (I believe) can help us speak with meaning to the world around us.

 Hildegard was a mystic and had many visions and profound experiences right from when she was a teenager. But, because she was a woman, and because women weren’t allowed to teach or preach in those days, she kept them quiet.
 Naturally though she wanted to share the blessings God was giving her with other people, and these 2 conflicting desires were tearing her apart - her desire to speak but at the same time her sense of unworthiness as a woman to speak. This caused her deep depression, often making her sick.
 It wasn’t until she was in her 40’s and leader of her group of nuns, sick in bed yet again with depression and exhaustion from this inner struggle, that she finally let go and spoke out about these visions, and began to write and draw what she’d seen.

 Hence this painting which I want to look at today…

 She called this experience, this letting go and speaking out, her “awakening,” and this is the painting she made to depict that moment…
 The painting shows her in her monastery. Above her you can see the tongues of fire coming down on her head from heaven like at Pentecost. You can also see her scribe sitting next to her – Hildegard had never really been taught to write, she’d just picked it up from reading the Bible, so she needed someone to write everything down for her in language worthy of being published (this one scribe stayed with her for most of her life, almost 40yrs). It also looks like she might be painting, for this is the moment that triggered this ‘awakening’ for her – her decision not to be silent any longer. To share the wisdom God had given her, and to paint the visions she had seen.

 She then spent the rest of her life composing books, plays, music, and operas; as well as painting many pictures.
 Some of her writings were sent to the Pope who approved of them and gave her the right to preach and teach – a right very rarely given to women, but which she used to the full. She went on preaching tours of France and Germany, and started writing letters to kings and emperors and bishops, telling them off for their immorality and corruption.

 I see lots of parallels between this story of Hildegard’s life and what we read from the beginning of Jeremiah – the description of his calling.
 I believe that before we were formed in the womb God did know us, did place potential within us, and does set us apart for special tasks. But, when the call of God comes there is usually resistance, usually a sense of fear or unworthiness. However, God’s call remains and burns within us.
 Jeremiah resisted God’s call to be a prophet for a while but not too long. But then it was easier for him; he was a man, he was even a priest – he was supposed to preach the word of God, that was his job! He knew he’d be asked to say things the people didn’t want to hear though, he knew that he’d be hated and maybe even killed. But, being a man and a priest in his culture made it easier for him to do that.

 Hildegard however was a woman, she had no status in society. And being a woman she’d never been educated, never been to school. Who was she to speak out or teach others?
 I can so relate to those feelings! That sense of insecurity and unworthiness. To have a desire or a spark of creativity burning within me, but trying to extinguish it out of a false humility or a fear that others would see it and laugh at me.
 I’m sure some of you in this room can relate to that as well - if you can’t I am sooo jealous!
 But, if what is burning away within us is a true calling from God, then, no matter how long we try to contain or extinguish it, or no matter how many barriers our society (or ourselves) put in front of allowing it to be expressed – if it is truly from God then it will keep burning, and it will find a way to come out.

 Hildegard tried to contain her calling for almost 30yrs, until it made her sick! But, eventually it got out, and when they have been studied, her writings, music and art have been a blessing to the Church and the world ever since.
 As with Jeremiah, it wasn’t all plain sailing for her though. Jealous and greedy men tried to obstruct her, some of her disciples left her, and some of the powerful people she criticised became long-time enemies. She was eventually excommunicated from the Church for many years and only allowed back in just before she died.

 So, this painting is meaningful to me because it sums up much of the life of Hildegard, and from it I personally find 2 main lessons.

 1. The first lesson is about the true nature of a calling from God…
 a) It can come to anyone regardless of social status. A call came to Jeremiah who was a priest in a society where priests were given a lot of respect, but a call also came to Hildegard, a woman in a society where women had little respect.
b) A true calling doesn’t go away. We may try to contain it or ignore it, but it will keep burning, it will try to find a way out. Hildegard’s burned within her for 30yrs.
c) In the Christmas story we saw that the shepherds and wise men saw the light and followed it, while Herod saw the light and wanted to kill it. Some who heard Jeremiah and Hildegaard listened to them and respected them; some who heard them were offended and tried to silence them. So, a true calling will provoke opposition. (This is where we need wisdom though. People could be opposing us because we’re wrong! Because we’re being silly or offensive. Just because people are opposing us doesn’t necessarily mean we’re right!)

 2. The second lesson I get from this painting is in seeing Hildegard as a good example for those who are oppressed or looked down on by society or by their families.
 All of society ganged up against Hildegard – the church, her culture, her family, her fellow nuns: they all said “you are a woman, you are unworthy” – and she took that attitude into herself, deep into her heart and sense of self identity. So, when she had her visions she kept them quiet – “I’m unworthy! I can’t speak, I shouldn’t speak, who am I a mere woman to tell people about these things?”
 But, these visions were given for the whole Church and not just her, it was a sin for her to keep them quiet. And eventually, after 30yrs, she overcame this sense of unworthiness, she freed herself from these inner voices and spoke – bringing a blessing to our world.

 So, this is the wisdom I take from this painting and this life lived 1,000 yrs ago. How is God speaking to you today through the life and work of Hildegaard?
 If anyone wants to know more about her, I have several books I’m willing to lend.