What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Tales of the City #9

    The scene is Great Western Road, at 10 am – just after morning prayer. A street cleaner in a council jacket runs down the street hollaring at me after morning prayer

    Street Cleaner: “Oi, oi!”

    I turn wondering what I’ve done.

    Self: “Um, yes?”

    Street Clearner: “Was it youse that was in the paper? It was, it was youse”

    I wait expecting a stream of Glasgow invective.

    His eyes light up, he beams a toothless smile and responds: “Hey man, hey, that was just great.”

    He’s referring to this piece in the Herald.

    , ,

2 responses to “E and B”

  1. Martin Ritchie Avatar
    Martin Ritchie

    One of the interesting things about choral evensong is that in some places it can seem like a living tradition that can speak to anyone, whereas in others it can appear to be dry as dust, pompous and irrelevant. What do you think the “method” is that produces a living choral evensong as opposed to an antiquarian one?

    Reply
  2. kelvin Avatar
    kelvin

    That’s a good question, Martin and I agree, it can be miserable.

    I think that worship tends to take off when those planning it and organising and leading it care more about what we are doing when we worship than in the form in which we worship.

    I suspect that Choral Evensong is not best led by liturgical, musical or prayer book fundamentalists or by those who happen to find this a way of encountering the holy.

    A culture of offering the best we can be to God helps. Good relationships between musicians and clergy help. As usual, clear liturgical books in the hands of the faithful help. And whoever is leading needs not to be frightened of a bit of silence now and then amidst the music.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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

Previous Posts

  • Sermon – 19 September 2004

    For the last couple of months I have been focusing on the underlying tone of justice in the gospel readings that we have been having week by week. This morning, I want to talk about something different, but related. I want to talk about way each of us is with God. More specifically, I want…

  • Sectarian

    Is there anything more obnoxious than a local supermarket stocking Celtic and Rangers Advent Calendars?

  • Preaching to the choir

    I know that this is preaching to the choir, but don’t you find it strange when people learn how to use e-mail but not the web? I’ve met three people in the last couple of weeks who told me that they used e-mail a lot, but had never learned to use the web. I cannot…

  • 6' U

    Last night’s Six Feet Under was a bit much, I thought.