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We worship a non-binary God. Don’t we?
Just over a week ago there was something called the Scottish Church Census. Churches all over Scotland were asked to count how many people were present and to account for the gender diversity, ethnic diversity, age profile etc of the congregation. Those organising the census helpfully provided a brief form which people could use to…
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How to write the intercessions
This coming Sunday, I’m going to be doing the intercessions on Sunday morning. That’s unusual, as for no particular reason, the normal pattern is that clergy here pray at Choral Evensong and lay members of the congregation normally pray at the Sung Eucharist in the morning. So, as I sit down to think about the…
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Mikado – Scottish Opera – Review – ***
Rating: This review appeared first on Opera Britannia There’s a lot to like about this new production of The Mikado but unfortunately there’s quite a lot about it to cause concern too. There seems little doubt that it will bring in the crowds throughout a relatively long tour which goes to Belfast, Newcastle, Bristol and…
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The Seven Actual Marks of Mission
The Anglican Communion website tells us that the Five Marks of Mission are an “important statement on mission which expresses the Anglican Communion’s common commitment to, and understanding of, God’s holistic/integral mission”. The were first set out at an Anglican Consultative Council in 1984. The Five Marks of Mission are: To proclaim the Good News…
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Six things I have learned about anti-semitism and the church
1 Anti-semitism is a real thing in the life of the church A number of years ago I was visiting a church in the Diocese of St Andrews and happened to look up at a set of Stations of the Cross and remarked to the Rector that they were rather stylish. “Hmm,” she said, “look…
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Apologies have consequences too
The world seems to be full of bishops apologising to LGBT people. However, there seems to be a curious absence in the world of LGBT people freely accepting those apologies and being thus able to take their place as full members of the churches. In the last week we’ve had the latest document on family…
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Transgender Visibility and the Church
Today happens to be International Transgender Visibility Day of Visibility. As yet, I’ve heard nothing today from anyone from a faith background. No bishops making statements either positive or negative, no-one threatening to leave a denomination over it, no statements at all really. It seems to me that it is worth me going on record…
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Easter Sermon 2016
I never know whether he will rise. Plenty of people who know better than me tell me not to be so stupid. Of course he will rise they say – it is Easter. But there’s a part of me which is never entirely convinced. Before we get to Easter Day you see, I’m just not…
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Good Friday Addresses 2016
Here are the Good Friday addresses which I preached with the Rev Cedric Blakey today.
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On Footwashing
During tonight’s Maundy Thursday service at St Mary’s we don’t have a sermon. Well, not a spoken one anyway. In the middle of the service we set up some chairs and get out some bowls and wash feet. It isn’t so much that we don’t have a sermon is it more that the washing of…