St Michael's Church, Muncaster

St Michael's Church, Muncaster, sits next to the Muncaster estate and castle, and was left open when I called, a previous attempt having been thwarted by an over-cautious sense of security. As well as the usual accoutrements of old churches, it has a couple of brasses on the wall, which, if genuine and truthful (why would they not be?), date back to the 1300s when written English was rare and any inscribed on brass was rarer still. The letters do not quite correspond with our own, and the words are difficult to read and understand, but I easily made our de Penington ("de Penytonan"), the surname of the lords of Muncaster.

St Michaels’ also has on display an old bell from 1465, cast to commemorate the visit of King Henry VI . It would normally be unusual for so prestigious and powerful a figure to have come to such a modest church, but the noble pile next door and the Roses’ Wars' disruption, combined with Henry’s own piety, made it possible. The peasants and honest folk of Cumberland would rarely meet a king, unless he be a Scottish one, marching south, burning and pillaging.

Remarkably, King Jesus stoops to attend and join His people’s corporate worship by His Spirit. Some of our gatherings are remoter and humbler than the church at Muncaster, but still He delights to go. Had we a better grasp of this, we might be more diligent in our preparation, more sincere in our worship, more joyful in His company.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

A. D