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To the City Chambers yesterday afternoon to stand alongside Professor Manuel Hassassian, the Palestinian ambassador, as he made a visit to the city. The Lord Provost received him and a small party in her rooms and gave us tea and biscuits and her attention. The Lord Provost is a class act, and I’ve enjoyed meeting…

Oh dear heaven, I should not have had that extra glass of fizz yesterday at the General Synod Office. [We keep Lent in a very particular way in the Scottish Episcopal Church]. I awake to face a world strangely changed today. According to Ruth Gledhill of the Times, George Carey has come out as a…

What is it about Radio Scotland and knitting? For the second time in about eight weeks, I’ve turned my face against a proposal that I should knit, live on Radio Scotland. Why are they asking for this? Does knitting make good radio all of a sudden?

I’ve lost count of the number of people who have asked me for a copy of the Swedish Rite for blessing registered partnerships. Here is a taster: Love comes from God. The ability to love is God’s gift to humankind. Entering into partnership is a shared undertaking to preserve and deepen your love for each…

Just to let the world know that the highlight of my day, so far, has been a black kilt. Worn by a very smart (and very professional) undertaker. Excellent.

Back now from today’s Diocesan Synod which was held in an Agricultural College in the middle of nowhere. It began with a description of the automatic milking of cows, which seems to have caught Fr Gadgetvicar’s imagination. It did not capture my interest, but then one man’s milk is an udder man’s poison as the…

There has been quite a lot of chatter that I am aware of, regarding the Changing Attitude Scotland Statement that was posted earlier in the week. It has provoked some interest from the world of journalism with regard to the link with the Church of Sweden, and the statement itself was featured in the Church…

Two things need correction from Magnificat Monthly that I handed out on Sunday morning. Firstly, the reference to the arrival of a Swedish Candelabra has caused pain and vexation to those of a classical education. It should have been a Swedish Candelabrum. My apologies. Secondly, the work that the choir will sing on Good Friday…

Let us just pause for a moment or two and re-read the College of Bishops’ statement of 4 March 2005 – two years ago today.

One of the things that we were given to do on last week’s congregational weekend was to think of things that make us happy. There is a theory that if you make a habit of recalling three happy things that have happened to you each day, then it improves your mood. We used to call…