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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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A Scottish Kalendar
Once upon a time, many years ago, by which we mean up until the 1990s, the Scottish Episcopal Church used to publish an annual Kalendar which listed, for every day of the year, a set of bible readings for devotional reading, what saint’s day might happen to fall on that day and the liturgical colour…
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Candidates for the Sin Against the Holy Ghost
People sometimes ask me (and no doubt other clergy) what the sin against the Holy Ghost actually is – the one which cannot be forgiven. Mark 3:28-29 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against…
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Ten Key Skills for Priestly Ministry
There are doubtless parts of the world where someone in my position would not need the skills that I have. If one were the Dean of a Swedish Cathedral or one of the glories of the Church of England, perhaps it would be the case that you could just hire Someone To Do It For…
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The Trump of Judgement for Liberals
Back at the end of September I suddenly saw that a Trump victory was possible. Suddenly, with a horrible clarity I could see that there was a credible way for him to get to the White House. And once it was credible, it suddenly seemed inevitable. And for that reason, I don’t wake to a…
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Christians cannot be allowed to discriminate against gays – #gaycake
This article first appeared at the STV news website. Over the weekend, I had the kind of birthday that is impossible to ignore. The big round 50 is one of those things that need to be marked somehow. That’s certainly what members of my congregation seemed to think and I found myself whirling and birling…