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Rectorial Election – Glasgow University
For the last couple of weeks I’ve been a candidate in the elections to choose a Rector for the University of Glasgow. The position of Rector in the older universities in Scotland is a venerable tradition. The students get to elect the person who chairs the University Court and acts as their representative at the…
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Sermon – 16 February 2014
Here’s the sermon that I preached this week. I always like a difficult gospel to try to do something with. This week the gospel was Matthew 5: 21-37 This is one of those gospel passages that just makes some people groan and turn off. It seems at face value as though we serve a moralising…
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A Form of Benediction for Married Persons
Well, the change in the law last week makes quite a difference for clergy in the Scottish Episcopal Church. Oh, I know that you don’t think it makes any difference unless the Scottish Episcopal Church opts into the legislation to allow same-sex couples to get married but that’s where you are wrong. You see, for…
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When you see a rainbow
Here’s the Moment of Reflection that I gave on Radio 2 yesterday. There it was in the sky – clear and bright. Arching right over the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday just as gay marriage was being agreed by parliamentarians. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet – a perfect rainbow stretching across the sky. It…
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Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill Passes by 105 to 18!
The Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill has just passed in the Scottish Parliament by 105 votes to 18. I’ve watched the debate all through this afternoon. It is difficult to put into words what it feels like. As I was growing up, I never knew what I never heard. You don’t know what you are…
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It’s Time and It’s Today!
Huge excitement today as the Equal Marriage bill comes to the Scottish Parliament for a final vote. I’ve been involved in this campaign pretty much from the beginning, speaking at Pride, marching, organising, listening, distributing materials, writing, cajoling, chatting on TV and Radio, preaching and generally getting people to think about it. A hugely proud…
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Sermon for Candlemas
When I was a theology student in St Andrews, many years ago now, I found myself in the company of people with all kinds of religious views. There were extreme protestants and extreme catholics and everything inbetween and beyond. There were feminists and atheists and agnostics amidst and apart from the Christians and a fair…
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We believe – a Christian LGBT creed
Things are changing so fast – it became socially unacceptable some time ago in many circles to give voice to prejudice against LGBT people. It is becoming unacceptable to reject marriage for same-sex couples. And now it is becoming a religious act to oppose the criminalization of gay folk. Perhaps we need a short summary…
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Review – Don Pasquale – Scottish Opera
Rating: This review also appears at Opera Britannia Obviously intended to be another populist crowd-pleaser, Scottish Opera’s new production of Don Pasquale is visually gorgeous but sabotaged from the pit by conducting from Francesco Corti that is bold, daring and utterly insensitive to the fact that anyone is singing. Things began well. On entering the…
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The Archbishop of Canterbury is not a Pope
There’s currently a petition doing the rounds demanding that the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York make some kind of statement deploring the support the Church of Nigerian (Anglican Communion) has given to recent anti-gay laws. Similar calls have been made in regard to Uganda. I’m refusing to sign it. We should not…