Reginald Heber
“We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.”
Quote from Reginald Heber; Source: Palestine (l. 113)
This day, June 15th, whispers in our ear “listen to the wind and the waves of destiny, drawing you near to the shore of eternity”. For one hundred and eighty-six years ago today, Reginald Heber and his wife, the former Amelia Shipley, set sail from Great Britian on their mission to the vast region of India. The testimony of God’s work through their lives resounds on all continents within the Church to this day.
CHILDHOOD YEARS: Born on April 21, 1783, in the English county of Cheshire, in the village of Malpas. His childhood was marked by a rare mental capacity and sincere spirituality. At age 3, during a violent storm in the night, he comforted his mother with the words, ‘Do not be afraid, mama, God will take care of us.’ At age 5, he was naming book and chapter of Scripture verses that his father would quote to him. At age 6, he mastered Latin grammar. At age 7, he discovered what would become a constant passion of his life: poetry.
COLLEGE YEARS: At the age of 17, in the year 1800, he attended Oxford university, where he excelled in literature. Perhaps his greatest work during those years was his famous poem, Palestine.
YEAR OF TRAVEL: In 1805, with his friend John Thornton, he travelled extensively throughout Europe. Many nations of Europe at that time were in crisis and nearing war. Heber kept a daily journal, capturing on paper whatever his five senses encountered. As the trip led them more eastward, his first real interest in missions developed as he received first-hand a glimpse of the religion of Islam in the southern regions of Russia.
CALLING TO BE A PASTOR AND TEACHER: In 1806, upon returning from his European adventure, he decided that his calling in life was to be in the Christian ministry. Once again at Oxford, he studied for the pastorate. In 1807, he began to pastor in the village of Hodnut. Two years later, 1809, he married Amelia, daughter of the Dean of St Asaph in Wrexham. Heber was a prolific writer, engaging in ‘lectures on philosophic, literary and religious subjects, attention to questions of political importance, contributions to the Quaterly Review and activity in missionary matters’. Besides that, he wrote ‘The Dictionary of the Bible’, a book of poems and translations, and writing reviews on books of the day.
BIRTH OF THE PROPHETIC: The prophetic anointing tends to make it’s appearance unannounced and spontaneous, fresh and creative. Heber had a desire for more than just what he could accomplish on his own. He recognized the potential power released when, collectively, the Church united and focused on a common goal, pulling together its finances and giftings. In 1819, such an opportunity arose when ‘a Royal Letter was issued authorizing collections [money] to be gathered in every church and chapel to aid the work of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in India and the East’. A missionary organization was begun. It’s purpose was the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s focus was on India and the Far East. It’s financial support would come from ALL the local churches.
Heber travelled to Wrexham to hear his father-in-law preach on the vision of this missionary organization, and was asked by him the day before the scheduled sermon to write a hymn suitable for such a occassion. Thank God for Heber’s father-in-law! What a wonderful example how the apostolic (his father-in-law) and prophetic (Heber)anointings flow together. Herein lies a very important missionary principle: the apostolic makes place for the prophetic, the prophetic enhances the apostolic. In Ephesians we read that the foundation of the church is the apostolic and the prophetic.
Heber composed the famous missionary hymn “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains” in one day, ‘coming from a heart devout and full, and a mind skilled and inspired.’ With intense missionary zeal he wrote: “Salvation! Oh, salvation! The joyful sound proclaim, Till earth’s remotest nation has learned Messiah’s name.” He had written many hymns before this moment, but this event was a turning point for him in the ministry of the prophetic song.
The following year, 1820, he collected his hymns, along with those written by his contemporaries Walter Scott and Robert Southey, and published a modern English hymnals. This was a tremendous resource for all churches, because it provided suitable hymns for Sunday worship and the holidays (Advent, Christmas, Passion Week, Easter and other occassions). His hymns continue to be sung to this day on all continents. You might know this popular worship song, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighy!’
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!
Now you know the author. And now for the rest of the story …
INDIA
MISSIONARY CALLING:
In December, 1822, accepted the appointment as Bishop of Calcutta. That brings us back to this day in history, June 15th, 1823, when Reginald and Amelia set their countenance on India and the Far East. After nearly four months of travelling, they arrived in Calcutta, from where they would oversee the mission work throughout the entire Indian peninsula, but also Ceylon, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Mauritius, Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) and Madeira.
The spiritual condition of the mission base and church of Calcutta was not one of peaceful tranquility and acceptance, but one of disharmony, suspicions and jealousies. Heber overcame the obstacles with decisive action, practical administration, tact, wise judgment and counsel. One of his notable accomplishments during this period was the re-establishment of Bishop’s College and the establishment of schools for girls.
In June, 1824, he set out on a 10 month journey through the upper provinces of India, visiting all the mission stations he could, regardless of the difficulties he faced. Upon arriving at a mission station, he would spend as many as eight hours in public worship, in spite of having suffered from a severe fever. Upon arriving in Bombay in April, 1825, he reunited with his wife and after a few days again started on a mission trip through the southern provinces of India. “Once more, but now in intense heat and in the sickly season, he is daily preaching – often in several languages – presiding at crowded meetings, visiting and addressing schools, establishing mission stations, confirming and baptizing, settling quarrels and clerical differences, attending to social duties and always planning for the advancement of his people.”
On April 3rd, 1826, exhausted from a period of intense ministry, he went to his room to rest. He did not get up from his bed, but instead entered on into Eternity. His time in India was less than 3 years, yet he accomplished a lifetime of fruit in that time.
“We have forty million reasons for failure, but not a single excuse.”
Quote from Reginald Heber; Source: Palestine (l. 113)
Information and quotes taken from: Pioneer Missionaries of the Church, by C.C. Creegan, D.D., copyright 1903 by the American Tract Society.
