What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Florence Li Tim-Oi – Celebrating 70 years since her ordination

    I’m just off to celebrate a Eucharist because it is a Feast Day – the Conversion of St Paul. The standard, if rather weak, in-joke is that one is going to pray for the Conversion of St Paul rather than simply remember the Conversion of St Paul – not least because Paul had things to say that have not been terribly helpful to a modern world where women and men are equal.

    As I celebrate the feast today I’m going to be remembering with thanksgiving this woman: The Rev Florence Li Tim-Oi and celebrating 70 years since her ordination.

    Florence Li Tim-Oi

    She was the first woman to be made a priest in the Anglican Communion and today is 70 years since it happened. It happened in wartime when there were no men around and it happened secretly and without the permission of synods and decision-making bodies simply, I suspect because they couldn’t meet at the time.

    The most extraordinary thing about Mother Florence is that once the war was over, she gave up her license to act as a priest (but not her orders) until such time as her church accepted the principle that women and men could equally be regarded as priests. In her part of the world, that meant waiting until 1971.

    I can’t imagine what it was like to wait so many years to be treated as an equal.

    No, wait a minute.

    I can.

    , ,

3 responses to “Egypt”

  1. Tony Coxon Avatar
    Tony Coxon

    I, too, find what you say disturbing. Keep up your comments

    Reply
  2. Hermano David | Brother Dah•veed Avatar
    Hermano David | Brother Dah•veed

    Pope Shenoudah appeared on Egyptian TV early this week asking the protesters to stop. He wanted them to accept the word of Mubarak that he would not run for reelection and all go home.

    One has to think that he is afraid of what could become of the Copts, and the Anglicans and others for that matter, if Mubarak’s henchmen are not in place to hold off the advance of radical Islam.

    Forced to choose the lesser of two evils.

    Reply
  3. pax58 Avatar
    pax58

    David,
    I have a Coptic friend at work, she reminded me that 10% of the Epyptian population is Coptic and has lived in a delicate balance with the Muslim majority for centuries. When one looks at what happened to the churches in Iraq after the strong hand of a dictator was lifted it does make sense for the Coptic folks to worry about the future. However, Egypt may not be Iraq and we could see a governent which may be a mix of secular/Islamic which does provide protection for religious minorities. Only time will tell.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Posts

  • Venus as a Boy

    To the Citz theatre last night to see Venus as a Boy – one of the offerings in the Glasgay festival. It is an odd play. Once we had got over a rather laboured prolog (“… And now ladies and gentlemen, the prolog”, as Mr Howerd might have said) it soon warmed up. It was…

  • Episcopal Anagrams

    Time for a round of Episcopal anagrams. Its been coming on for a while. Rev Mitre Sods Joins is an anagram of Most Rev Idris Jones. [Far from the truth] Bi Rev Rants Mirth is an anagram of Rt Rev Brian Smith. [Goodness] Wild Highland Victor is an anagram of David Chillingworth. [In his dreams]…

  • High Altar for All Souls

    Whilst we are on the subject of All Souls, this is what the High Altar looked like last Friday. Lots of large candles leading up to it too. Gorgeous. Oh yes, and before I forget, many thanks to the person (unknown to me) who remembered to bedeck the place with white lilies in time for…

  • Fauré Requiem

    The choir sang the Fauré Requiem at tonight’s service. We have an annual requiem on All Souls’ Day at which it is our custom to remember by name those who have died who are being remembered by the congregation. It is always the most moving occasion. Last night I knew that it was drawing together…