Blog

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Here Comes the Sun

    Rejoice, rejoice! The solstice is past. Here comes the sun.

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • The Bishop of St Davids and the Archbishop of Canterbury

    The Rt Rev Dr Joanna Penberthy is the 129th Bishop of St Davids. In tweets that came to light recently, she exhibited an antipathy to members of the Conservative Party which did not sit well with her position.  “Never, never, never trust a Tory” is not what people expect to see a bishop tweeting. Once…

  • Pollokshields – These are our neighbours

    It was impossible not to be moved by people standing around an immigration enforcement van in Pollokshields yesterday chanting “These are our neighbours, let them go”. Many people today are proud of those in this city who stopped this enforcement action. Every country needs to have an immigration system and every immigration system needs to…