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Fireworks for the Feast of St John
Today is the Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist. (We only celebrate three birthdays in the church calendar – John the B, his cousin Jesus and Mary, Mother of Our Lord and Aunty of John the B). I’ve been on retreat for the last week – something I last did 2 years…
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Peter Tatchell coming to St Mary’s
I’m delighted to announce that Peter Tatchell is coming to St Mary’s next month to give a human rights lecture and also to be a forum speaker in conversation with me. Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell will be visiting St Mary’s in July. He will give a lecture on Human Rights and the Commonwealth the…
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10 Things to Remember about Corpus Christi
It is on Thursday 19 June 2014 this year. It is always on a Thursday. It is one of the most extravagent and lovely religious festivals that human beings have devised. Thomas Aquinas is said to have invented it to bring the focus back to Jesus Christ in churches which were rather keen on his…
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The taxi of the beast
I saw this taxi outside my office over the weekend. It appears to be the taxi of the beast. Should I be worried?
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Sermon preached on Trinity Sunday 2014
The truth is, I’ve not preached on Trinity Sunday. I think I have preached on Trinity Sunday in my time at St Mary’s but certainly not many times and certainly not for a number of years. You see – I’ve been in charge of the preaching rota. But lo. Here I am having spent a…
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How not to have a synodical discussion
This afternoon I’ve been engaged in a discussion at the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church about same-sex marriage. At least, that’s what it was supposed to be about. Often in the afternoon it felt like a discussion about how to have a discussion. (All of this was being facilitated by Hugh Donald of…
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British Values and Education
I do wish that Mr Gove, the Education Secretary, (and everyone else for that matter) would stop trying to wrap progressive values in a national flag. I feel uncomfortable about it, whatever the flag – and there’s a lot of it going on in Scotland at the moment too. According to the Prime Minister, the…
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Madama Butterfly – Review
Here’s a review of Madama Butterfly from Scottish Opera which I saw just before I was signed off sick. This also appears on the Opera Britannia blog. Rating: For their final show in an uncertain season, Scottish Opera return to form with an achingly beautiful revival of Sir David McVicar’s production of Madama Butterfly from…
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Alternative Queen’s Speech
Here is an Alternative Queen’s Speech – the things that I’d have liked to hear from the Queen in the House of Commons today and what I’d have asked Her Majesty to say if I were the Prime Minister. My Lords and Members of the House of Commons, my government will work in the year…
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The Visitation and an Anniversary
Today is the Feast of the Visitation. It also happens to be the anniversary of me coming to St Mary’s 8 years ago. Those who were around then will remember that my ministry started here with a hugely exciting service of induction and installation. I had to be made the Rector and I had to…