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That Damn Magnificat
A sermon preached in St Mary’s Cathedral on Good Friday 2022 There’s something about spending these three hours in a church dedicated to Mary. Through the year, we often get particular joy from keeping the Marian festivals. We’ve got more music in the choir library about her than about any of the others who accompanied…
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Ruth Innes RIP
This week the funeral will take place of an extraordinary priest, the Rev Canon Ruth Innes of the Diocese of Edinburgh. Ruth served various congregations in that diocese – St Fillan’s, Buckstone, Christ Church, Falkirk, St Mark’s, Portobello and St Peter’s (formerly St Mildred’s) in Linlithgow along with St Columba’s, Bathgate. Ruth never worked in…
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Predictions for 2022
Boris Johnson will be replaced with a Prime Minister who is more competent, more right wing and more difficult to beat. A good year for Michael Gove (who is almost invisible at the moment). Church of Scotland General Assembly votes to allow same-sex couples to be married in church. More significantly, almost no-one leaves in…
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Predictions 2021 – How did I do?
Time to see how I did with my predictions at the start of this year. Boris Johnson will achieve his longstanding ambition to become a former Prime Minister. Alas, Boris Johnson did not achieve this ambition this year. But we must award him 10/10 for trying. He’ll get there in the end. Prediction not accurate…
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Christmas Sermon
One of the odd features of coronavirus time for me has been vivid dreams and disturbed sleep. I know that I’m not alone in this, I’ve heard others speak about it too. Particularly during the various lockdown experiences I’ve found myself suddenly sitting bolt upright at 3 in the morning trying to sort out my…
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Here Comes the Sun
Rejoice, rejoice! The solstice is past. Here comes the sun.
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Remembering and Forgetting
A sermon preached on 14 November 2021 We live in precedented times. Oh yes, I know what everyone has been saying for the best part of the last two years. They’ve been saying that we live in unprecedented times. Times we could never have imagined. Times we could never have foreseen. Times that were different…
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While the shepherds at night were a-watching
While the shepherds at night were a-watching Where their flocks in the fields were abiding Th’angel of the Lord came and stood down beside them Opened his mouth and then greatly surprised them: “Shine Jesus shine. Shine Jesus shine” [Chorus] Fear not said he for dread had seized them mightily Minds were troubled, they all…
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Making the Real Presence real.
The following paper has been prepared to stimulate discussion at an online conference that is being held on Saturday 25 September 2021 on the subject of the Real Presence in relation to Online Eucharists.These thoughts stem from many conversations with others – both those I agree with and those I don’t. I would particularly remember…
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Sev’n Whole Days
Sev’n whole days, not one in sev’n,I will praise Thee. I am sure gentle reader, that every Friday, if you are like me, you wait with great eagerness for the weekly delivery of that great organ called the Church Times. And if you are indeed like me, you find yourself flicking through the front of…