-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
1066 And All What?
This is an exciting moment for liturgists everywhere. It would appear that the Church of England has published a new prayer, this time commemorating the Battle of Hastings. Following some discussion last night on social media, I’m pleased to be able to provide this study guide to the prayer for those thinking of using it,…
-
Sermon on the Dishonest Manager
Here’s what I made of yesterday’s dreadful gospel reading… Why am I preaching on this terrible gospel reading? Why do bad things happen to good Provosts? In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. I ranted and I raved. I roared and roamed about the Cathedral…
-
9 Pointers towards how LGBT Inclusion will be won in the Church of England
I believe with all my heart that one day all the churches of the Anglican Communion (and let’s not stop there – all of God’s churches anywhere) will be fully inclusive of LGBT people. I’m working for that and have been for quite some time. And I believe it will happen because I believe in…
-
The Sacraments: Reconciliation
People sometimes know the sacrament of reconciliation by another name – sometimes people call it Penance and sometimes people call it Confession which, strictly speaking is only a part of what is going on. In the sacrament of reconciliation, the idea is that people are brought back into a right relationship with God and get…
-
The Sacraments: Baptism
I’m currently writing a series of articles on the sacraments for the cathedral website. They are being posted here in case anyone wants to comment or ask any further questions. Several times a year there is the opportunity to receive baptism at St Mary’s. The primary time for baptisms to take place is at the…