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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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M 40, GSOH obviously…
I was leisurely reading through the lonely hearts column in the London Review of Books this morning – it is so often the best bit. As I did so, I reflected on the fact that the best idea for inspires (the magazine of the Scottish Episcopal Church) that I’ve come up with which has never…
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Blogs you would like to read
How about this for a meme? (That means you pick it up and answer the question on your own blog). Which three blogs which don’t already exist would you like to read? My answers: Oscar Wilde Bishop Brian My father Actually, the Oscar Wilde answer is the most problematic, and not simply because he is…
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O Canada!
The Canadian Anglicans came within a hair’s breadth of allowing dioceses to allow same-sex blessing yesterday. The measure was passed decisively by laity and clergy and then defeated by a couple of votes in their House of Bishops. Rather an uncomfortable situation for one or two bishops, I would guess. It rather highlights something which…