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Who we are
Right, here is a little verbatim to get you thinking. The scene is a concert given by a famous jazz musician a few weeks ago in an American cathedral. I’ve been nudged to the front to sit with the bigwigs. As we sit waiting for the music, I hear this conversation going on somewhere behind…
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Cathedral as Emergent Community
Cathedrals are doing quite well. Now, as with all generalisations and stereotypes, this is both sometimes true and sometimes not. However, it is something that quite a lot of people are talking about. The recent Grubb Institute report had some astonishing statistics suggesting that large portions of the adult population in England had entered a…
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Guest Post: How to Hear a Sermon by Rosemary Hannah
In this guest post, Rosemary Hannah reflects on how to hear a sermon. Rosemary teaches in TISEC, has just written the definitive biography of the Third Marquess of Bute and is a member of the congregation at St Mary’s. ‘I always listen to the sermon, knowing the word of God will reach me through it,’…
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The Five Marks of Mission (Useful or not?)
Following on from my diatribe about the word Missional the other week, here’s another thing. Are the Five Marks of Mission which are so very often discussed in Anglican circles as useful as people presume? Here I would have to say that I believe in them all. I think they are all lovely, vital, necessary…
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Sermon – The Proud Young Man
I was preaching today for the first time in about six weeks and had a lot of fun doing so. You can hear what I had to say here or read it below. There is something terribly tricky about young men who get excited about religion. I remember a number of years ago. I was…
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Coming Out as Congregation
Today is a day that is sometimes known as National Coming Out Day. (The nation originally was the USA, I think, but this one has spread a bit around the world and still keeps the same name). Rather than write anything personal, this time I think it is worth noting that institutions need to come…
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Top 10 Best Questions To Ask A Local Person When Travelling
1 – Where can I find the most spiritual place in the city. 2 – What is the taste of the city and where can I get some? 3 – What’s the best place in town that visitors never go to? 4 – Where would you go to get the definitive photograph of the city?…
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George C and Ann W
Sometimes one’s twitter feed appears to simply light up with activity. It did so for me as countless people that I know posted their instant reactions to the things that George Carey and Ann Widdecombe said at a meeting held to co-incide with the Tory Party Conference, which was intended to rally the anti-same-sex marriage…
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Guest Post: Alan McManus on The Feast of St Francis
The Feast of St Francis is increasingly being marked in the church these days, most obviously by services for the blessing of animals. St Mary’s will be having just such a service on Sunday afternoon at 2.30 pm. However, Francis is about a good deal more than animal blessings. In this guest post, Dr Alan…
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Overheard in the Bookshop
The scene is a very busy bookshop. A bepigtailed elderwoman protagonist approaches the information desk. She pauses for a moment and then asks… “Excuse me, Religion is…?” Her bearded interlocutor pauses for a moment and then replies…. “Religion is in the gold room, just up the stairs.” He pauses once again, and then asks, “Or…