Blog

  • Ordination in Edinburgh

    Off to Edinburgh today for the ordination to the priesthood of Fr Simon Tibbs in Old St Paul’s. It was suitably glorious. People who come from Glasgow as always greeted with amazement at events in Edinburgh. (Most people from Edinburgh have never learnt that the trains do actually run in both directions and that crossing…

  • What have I been reading?

    Oh, thank you for asking. The Orthodox Heretic and other impossible tales by Peter Rollins. This is lovely – a book of parables to expand the mind. The Road Well Travelled – a simple little book about Christian Spirituality by David Winter which is excellent. I’ve been browsing through Sing a New Song, Timothy Radcliffe’s…

  • Sermon – Quality of Mercy

    Here is this morning's sermon about the release of the man convicted of the Lockerbie Bombing. Much of what I said is in the text below. As I am preaching this morning, I want to take you on a journey. Not a journey from one place to another. Not a journey particularly from one idea…

  • Excellent Episcopal Profile

    There is an excellent profile of our ex-Primus in the press this week. Don’t miss it. +Richard still has the capacity for saying things that make people think abut God, and I admire his capacity to say them so clearly. I heard him preach at a memorial service last week. He hasn’t lost that capacity…

  • The Quality of Mercy

    The compassionate release of the Lockerbie bomber is the story that everyone is talking about right now. I’ve been interested to listen to members of my own congregation discussing it. I’ve been aware of at least four responses within the congregation which have all been held with conviction. They are mutually contradictory That the “bomber”…

  • Filming of the Glasgow Gospel

    Two hours out of a busy week were given over to filming in the cathedral this afternoon. It was for a new production of The Glasgow Gospel taken from Jamie Stuart’s Glasgow Bible. As I have such an obvious grasp of the local vernacular (being a prized after-dinner speaker and raconteur in lallans) I was…

  • LGBT GoMA Video

    In the middle of the maelstrom of voices talking and shouting about sexuality in the Anglican Communion, some voices are seldom heard. In particular, gay people have found it difficult to be heard and indeed have in some cases been silenced despite repeated promises that they will be listened to. This video features members of…

  • Glenalmond Fire

    I gather that there has been a serious fire at Glenalmond, where the Scottish Episcopal Church’s Youth week is currently underway. I understand from twitter messages that no-one involved in the Youth Week is involved in any way. More news no doubt later.

  • The Lament Question

    Can anyone tell me why we perceive things that are sad and mournful as being beautiful? It seems such a very odd perception.

  • Sunday's Lament

    Quite a few people have asked me where the lament came from that I sang on Sunday. The answer is the it really comes from the New World being a William Billings composition. Well, that’s where it is from. I was singing my own internal recollection of hearing it on the Waterson’s album Sound, Sound…