-
What is really going on in the Church of England
I was down in London briefly earlier this week and caught something of the flavour of what is going on in the Church of England. It is quite difficult for people to get their heads around and quite a lot of the reporting of what happened has been poor. The Telegraph newspaper, for example trumpeted…
-
How to change the Church of England – quick recap
UPDATE: Please see the following statement in connection with this post: http://thurible.net/2017/12/01/statement-regarding-prayers-prince-george/ Here’s a quick recap of the way in which I think LGBT inclusion will be won in the Church of England. [Repeated from a post I put up last year] Things down south are very different to how things work in my own…
-
Praying for the Powerful
Just over four years ago, I was on sabbatical in the USA and one of the institutions that I visited was Washington National Cathedral in the US capital. It is an odd entity in many ways, carrying with it what feels very much like a load of assumptions about established religion in a land where…
-
I’d like a Featherlight Brexit and no-one is offering it
The trouble is, I agree with Mrs May. Oh, don’t get breathless and excited. I only agree with her about one thing. I don’t agree with her about the kind of country she wants us to live in. I don’t agree with her about the kind of Europe we are going to create. I don’t…
-
Sermon – Epiphanies in the Midst of the Storm
Here is this morning’s sermon. I am overwhelmed by the support that we’ve received today both locally and from around the world. My particular thanks to Police Scotland for their support which has been superb. Comments will be heavily moderated on this post. I will not be allowing through any comments that appear to go…
-
Keeping the faith
It has been a rather extraodinary week here at St Mary’s. Last Friday evening we had our Epiphany Eucharist, which was very much what we do – a full on Choral Mass: Haydn’s little organ mass, a sermon on theophany from my colleague the Vice Provost and all the usual works. The thurible was flying,…
-
New Year Predictions 2017
Here’s my New Year Predictions… Trump will become President of the USA later this month but won’t manage to survive for 4 years. (And don’t be rejoicing anyone, take a look at his VP). No significant progressive change will be proposed by the bishops of the Church of England in relation to LGBT issues. A…
-
Last Year’s Predictions – how did I do?
Last year I made a number of predictions. Time to see how I did. Following recent revelations, this will be the year that former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey finally shuts up. Expect no silly press releases on the eve of Church of England Synod. (From Carey anyway). We’ve heard almost nothing from Carey this…
-
Sermon preached on Christmas Day
And they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid’ In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. That people were afraid is a bit of a repeating theme in the Christmas story. Whenever angels turn up, the first thing that they tend…
-
Sermon preached at Midnight Mass
Inevitably I think the end of 2016 will be thought about the end of all kinds of things. Post Brexit. Post Trump. Post truth. It is as though we have reached the end of something and don’t know what’s coming next. Time in the secular world stretches straight out in front of us. Time in…