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Sabbatical: Back to Glasgow
I’ve arrived back in Glasgow. For those who haven’t realised what I’ve been up to, I’ve been on a big sabbatical trip that has kept me out of the country for 12 weeks. I was a little cautious about indicating online that my flat was empty for an extended period of time. Facebook friends will…
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The Church of England and its Bishops
There is no pleasure to be taken in the vote in the Church of England’s Synod today which failed to reach the majority required to proceed to having bishops in that church who happen to be women. However, I did say a little while ago that had I been in England’s Synod, I think I…
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Egrets? I’ve had a few
A few years ago something happened that set all the birdwatchers in the UK atwitter. A snowy egret blew in on an ill wind and landed on the island of Seil. I happened to be there at the time and saw it in the flesh. It looked more than a little lost and was probably…
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Guess the country of origin
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Stained Beauty?
Have I ever said out loud that generally speaking, I think stained glass is one of the more over-rated art forms….?
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A sermon for Y’All
Here is a sermon that I preached on Sunday. You can find the audio here. (This one is more fun to listen to than to read, I think). I have learned in the course of my travels that it sometimes takes people a few minutes to atune to the way I speak. I’ve learned that…
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The Pink List
I see that I’ve been named on the Pink List – the list of prominent LBGT people produced by the Independent on Sunday. Feel hugely honoured and humbled to be keeping company with such heros. Check them out: Pink List
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Not merely patronising
Bishop Victoria Matthews is not merely patronising, she is actually wrong. Wait, you want me to back up a bit? OK. The story so far: We’ve been considering the idea of an Anglican Covenant for years and this year the Scottish Episcopal Church decided to reject it and did so in a very clear synodical…
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Six Points for Preachers
I’m scheduled to attend a conference on preaching soon so inevitably I’m thinking about how preaching works and about how to extend my homiletic repertoire. Someone asked me a good question yesterday – “How did you improve as a preacher”. It is a good question because it is affirming and something that all preachers should…
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Is it a sin?
Is it a sin, I find myself asking rhetorically, for men and women to be treated differently by institutions? Is it a sin for women and men to have unequal access to power and privilege. My own view is that it is not merely wrong for gender to be a determining factor in what someone…