Who is Lesbia Scott?
Lesbia Lesley Locket was born in Willesden in 1898, and educated at Raven's Croft School in Sussex. She married John Mortimer Scott, a naval officer, who later became an Anglican priest and served a parish near Dartmoor. Active in amateur theatre and religious drama, Mrs Scott did considerable writing, especially of religious drama. She died in 1986 at Pershore.
She also wrote the words for "I sing a song of the saints of God." (Hymn 293 TEC Hymnal 1980) Her words along with John Henry Hopkins's tune are finely embedded in my spirit and mind. Here is the tune played on the organ (a bit somberly, but OK):
For the record, here at PRELUDIUM as elsewhere in Anglican Land, this is a day to remember that those with whom we contend are to be counted (hopefully with us) as saints of God. This is not about the big saints alone. It is about us all.
It is hard to struggle against those who would declare us heretics without falling into the sin of denying that they too are numbered among the saints. It turns out that they are.
So in the heat of the day (or the cold) a short prayer of contrition: For all shortness of speech, for all sharpness of tongue, for unforgiving thoughts and unloving actions against these and all other saints of God, dear Lord forgive me.
We are in need of prayer, since it appears that by baptism we are going to be spending a bit of time with one another even if we aren't talking to one another.
Reconciliation sometimes begins with one sappy religions tune with words by Lesbia Scott.
