Blog

  • Blog Off

    I’m on holiday for the next couple of weeks, so giving the blog a rest. There will either be spasmodic postings or no postings at all until I’m back. <BLOG OFF>

  • What am I listening to?

    Well, thank you kindly for asking. Ella and Louis are coming out of the CD player right at this moment. John Barrowman singing Anything Goes has me joining in, to the delight of the whole tenement. (And before you ask, Dr Who still leaves me cold). Goodtime George Melly has been much mourned this week.…

  • Greetings from Nigeria

    This pic was taken yesterday in St Mary’s. It shows, from left to right, The Rt Rev Idris Jones of Glasgow and Galloway (Bishop & Primus), The Rt Rev Bright Ogu, Bishop of Mbaise in Nigeria and the Very Rev, the Skinny Provost of St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow. It was nice to hear booming around…

  • Poetry Friday

    Following the broadcast last Sunday, several people have been kind enough to send me this poem by Ann Lewin. Prayer is like watching for the Kingfisher. All you can do is Be where he is likely to appear and wait. Often, nothing much happens; There is space, silence and Expectancy. No visible sign, only the…

  • Deaconing

    Ten years ago today, I was made a deacon. That was the day I moved into ordained ministry, started wearing a dog-collar, (and a suit!) and began work at St Ninian’s Cathedral in Perth, where I served my curacy. To be honest, I don’t remember that much about the service now. Fr Kevin Pearson preached.…

  • Two literary questions

    As my mind clears from the haze of this weekend, which ended with a blast of an evensong and a choir party, there are two literary questions that I need answers to. Both of these arose at the party. Firstly, I was asked about the second verse of the last hymn we sang on the…

  • Sermon for BBC Radio 4 – 1 July 2007

    Not long ago, I took a walk with a friend along the riverside path from close to where we’re worshipping now, down the river Kelvin. We walked, we talked and suddenly, he said, “Look, what’s that?” It was a flash of blue darting over the water. We stared intently for a few moments. The river…

  • Turn your radio on

    Those of you who are in range of the BBC’s transmitters can hear a service from St Mary’s tomorrow. We are doing the 0810 Morning Worship slot on Radio 4. 38 glorious minutes of Sunday morning prime-time. Those of you furth of these shores can hear all of this on the BBC’s listen again page…

  • Picking up comments

    Just to pick up a few comments from elsewhere that need to be answered. Jenny Berrie – of course I remember you. Many a happy knitting class in the chaplaincy in Stirling. Now, remember all I told you: knit one unto another, perl one unto another. Robin asked why we moved John the Baptist to…

  • We’re sorry, Church tells gay victims of persecution

    The church has apologised to all gay clergy and laity who suffered persecution and discrimination. oops sorry, no, that was the Ministry of Defence. My mistake.