What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • News from around the Scottish Episcopal Church – March 2015

    United Lent Appeal

    The College of Bishops has launched a Lent Appeal to raise funds for the Scottish Episcopal Institute, the new body that is the successor to the troubled Theological Institute of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The Lent Appeal is to raise funds to enable full-time training for younger ordinands.

    The following prayer has been published by the bishops to go along with the appeal:

    Almighty God, giver of all good things,
    you showed your love for us by giving us your only Son:
    help us to show our love for you.
    Grant us this Lent
    the vision to see where you are at work in the world,
    the courage to join in that mission
    and the desire to give
    in support of those seeking to train
    within the Scottish Episcopal Institute.
    In the power of the Spirit
    we make our prayer
    through Jesus Christ
    our Lord.

    There are no details yet as to how full-time ordinands will be funded for in subsequent years if this appeal is successful.

    Visit of the Bishop of Zanzibar

    bish_zanz_2

    The Bishop of Zanzibar, the Rt Rev Michael Hafisd has been visiting the Diocese of Argyll and The Isles. Details of his visit are available on the diocesan website. There are more detailed reports and pictures in the Diocesan Newsletter.

    New Diocesan Council in Brechin

    The Diocese of Brechin is to consider proposals to establish a new Diocesan Council which would replace their current Administration Board and Mission and Ministry Board. Full details are available in their Diocesan Synod Papers.

    Lectured by the Rev Anne Dyer – forward notice

    The Rev Anne Dyer is giving four lectures looking at the use of the female form to depict and carry ideals of virtue and vice in the Christian tradition. Dates – 28 May, 4 June, 18 June, 25 June. Time – 2 – 4 pm. Location – Royal Overseas League, Princes Street, Edinburgh.

    Scottish Episcopal Church Provincial Youth Week

    The Glenalmond week this year will be 2 August 2015 to 8 August 2015

    Details here: http://www.scotland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/glen15form.pdf

    The Buzz

    Earth Hour

    This year’s Earth Hour where people are asked to dim lights and use less power to highlight climate change issues takes place on 28 March 2015. Details of how churches can get involved are available from the Eco Congregation Website.

    People

    • The Rev Canon John Lindsay retires as Rector of St Adrian’s Gullane and St Baldred’s, North Berwick on 1 March 2015
    • The Rev Chucks Iwuagu has moved from St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow to take up a post in Haslemere near Guildford. (Farewell sermon here)

    Vacancies

     

     

     

     

     

8 responses to “The End of Civilization As We Know It”

  1. Kimberly Avatar
    Kimberly

    This is disaster. What will I do on my day off??

    I may have to consider returning to America after all.

    Reply
  2. marion Avatar
    marion

    I worked for Border Books for 10 months Kelvin. Helped clean and stock those now empty shelves. To see the store like that is awful. I love the feel and smell of a new book, and the idea of using an electronic book fills me with horror. To browse slowly, and then to make my choice of reading material is so much better and satisfying than ordering on line, and quicker.

    Reply
  3. kelvin Avatar
    kelvin

    I suspect we must cherish our public libraries far more than we have done hitherto if we wish to retain the browsing experience.

    Reply
  4. kimberly Avatar
    kimberly

    I have tried to cherish my public library, but it is so full of computers, and the only place to read/write/ think is a round table by the door, so I had to retreat to the Beanscene instead.

    For those of us who don’t live near the Mitchell, where are the good ‘local’ libraries?

    Reply
  5. Kelvin Avatar
    Kelvin

    Well, I know I am spoilt by having the largest public reference library in Europe on my doorstep.

    What I meant by cherishing local libraries was probably that we need to tell those who fund them what we want from them.

    There is a consultation going on in England about it, and Rachel Cooke writes about it in a recent Observer.

    Reply
  6. Justin Avatar
    Justin

    The closure of the Glasgow branch is sad news indeed. The Fort Kinnaird branch in Edinburgh has been declining for a while, but even a year or so ago Borders in Glasgow was a great bookstore.

    Apparently Borders has been starved of funds over the past few years, forced to promote potboilers to make up for lack of investment. There’s some hope for good high street book stores if you look at Blackwells in Edinburgh, which I think has got even better in the last couple of years. And, further afield, Foyles in London: they refurbished recently and it’s just fantastic. Models for the future, hopefully.

    Reply
  7. kelvin Avatar
    kelvin

    I agree that Foyles’s refurbishment is a triumph. Howevrer, I still think that the idea of the big bookshop is probably going to be so rare that it will be like Wembley Stadium or Edinburgh Zoo. Of national note rather than local significance.

    Reply
  8. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    The noise level in my local library is such that I cannot think at all – and I’m used to a noisy family around me. In Borders today – incredibly depressing. It was so so much better than Waterstones. But Waterstones is better than nothing. But then again, I use Glasgow University Library more than anything else.

    Reply

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