What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Inspirational Conversations: How to change the world

    Last week I had some inspirational conversations on Sunday with David Kenvyn, who is the verger at St Mary’s and one of the servers.

    David was talking about his involvement in the anti-apartheid movement.

    Now, lots of people in the UK can rightly think of themselves as part of that struggle, but David has been stuck right into it all his life. Indeed, he had first hand memories of Nelson Mandela and Trevor Huddleston.

    I found the whole conversation hugely inspiring and made me think a lot about the amazing gifts that people have to offer around the altar in St Mary’s.

    If you want a bit of inspiration, take a look at the videos.

    Forum conversation with David Kenvyn, talking about his involvement with the Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa.

    Forum conversation with David Kenvyn, discussing setting up libraries and sending books to South Africa.

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7 responses to “The Antisemitism Notice”

  1. Gordon Avatar
    Gordon

    Helpful, thank you

    What is the concern with the reproaches? I’m not familiar with them

    Reply
    1. Kelvin Avatar
      Kelvin

      They can be interpreted as being directed at us the listeners. But they can also be interpreted as speaking to Jewish people as all the imagery is from the Hebrew Scriptures and doesn’t reference the experience of those who actually were around Jesus during his life on earth.

      For example:
      “I led you out of Egypt, having drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea:
      and you have delivered me to the chief priests.”

      Who is being addressed here?

      Reply
      1. Nick Drew Avatar
        Nick Drew

        That’s interesting, because whenever I have sung the Reproaches I have always felt them as being expressions of personal repentance rather than accusations thrown at the listener.

        Reply
  2. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    I must admit I had always read the Reproaches as directed to the listener. That the Egypt from which we are delivered is the Egypt of the modern world, the slavery of ghastly jobs (I’ve had a few, in fact a lot) and the oppression of terrible political systems. But I come from a totally different thought world to that of most people today, and I absolutely see they wouldn’t commonly be read that way.
    But I think it would benefit everyone to find a way of expressing BOTH what faith can offer in terms of freedom AND the mess we do make of the world, and sitting with that tension.
    And I think the church as a whole urgently needs to find a compelling and deep reaching way of doing both.

    Reply
    1. Kelvin Avatar
      Kelvin

      You might be interested that we’re looking at Isaiah 59 as a helpful text for this year, given the current ways of the world.

      Reply
    2. Christine McIntosh Avatar
      Christine McIntosh

      I’m of much the same mind. (A mind that is still blown away when I hear them sung)

      Reply
  3. Dan Floyd Avatar
    Dan Floyd

    Thank you

    Reply

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