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Good morning. Today Anglicans remember William Temple, a former Archbishop of Canterbury.

Born in 1881, he was baptised on this day in the Cathedral at Exeter, where his father was then the bishop.

William Temple excelled academically. He was consecrated Bishop of Manchester aged only 40, then appointed Archbishop of York, before becoming Archbishop of Canterbury in 1942. Two years later he died of gout, which had troubled him since childhood.

A brilliant philosopher and theologian, Temple is remembered particularly for his wide concern with social issues – contributing to the establishment of the welfare state that emerged, after his death, following the end of the second world war.

Yet Temple was not just a scholar, but a powerful teacher and preacher, with the capacity to touch, and move, his listeners. I love the following story, from his time as Archbishop of York.

He was leading some revival meetings at Oxford University. At the final event, a packed congregation of students was singing the great hymn ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’. Just as they came to the last verse, Temple stopped them, and challenged them to read the words to themselves.

‘If you mean them with all your heart, sing them as loud as you can.’ he said, ‘If you don’t mean them at all, keep silent. If you mean them even a little, and want to mean them more, sing them very softly.’

He signalled to the organ, and, it is said, two thousand voices whispered:

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Almighty God, even when we hardly dare to believe, help us to listen to your still small voice deep within us, and to offer you our faith and trust, however fragile. Amen