• Predictions 2023 – How did I do?

    1  Generative artificial intelligence will become significantly disruptive of many sectors this year. Education practices will change quickly as a result of this but education will be but one of many areas of life to be affected.

    Happening all around us (even to people who can’t see it happening around them) – prediction fulfilled.

    2 No progress for those seeking marriage equality in the Church of England. There will be a lot of talk about moving towards some form of official blessings for same-sex couples which would have the effect of thwarting those seeking actual equality, making it more difficult to achieve. Further division amongst pro-gay activists in the Church of England.

    Happening exactly as predicted. The recent developments following the LLF project make equality more even further away – prediction fulfilled.

    3  Indyref 2 will not happen on 19 October 2023 as Nicola Sturgeon had hoped, which is a shame for those seeking to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK as the autumn will be the high water mark for the Indepedence movement. It will be downhill into the next General Election after that.

    Happenning but not quite as I expected. Indryref didn’t happen but Indy polls are indeed riding high. However I didn’t see the mess the SNP would get itself into along the way. Prediction Fulfilled.

    4  Trump and Biden will both declare that they intend to run for the US presidency in 2024 and American politics will continue to be all about Donald Trump.

    Exactly as I said – prediction fulfilled.

    5  Covid recovery remains bumpy, particularly through supply-chain problems due to mismanagement of Covid in China.

    Pretty much as I said – we’ve largely forgotten the supply chain issues that continued from the end of last year into the new year and the spring. Prediction mostly fulfilled.

    6 No conclusive end to the war in Ukraine this year.

    Alas. Prediction fulfilled

    7 Governments in Westminster and Holyrood will announce some kind of “new deal” for the National Heath Service.

    Holyrood here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/programme-government-2023-24/pages/5/

    Westminster: Pay – here https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/07/14/government-accepts-recommendations-from-nhs-pay-review-bodies/
    Westminster: Medicines here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-deal-to-boost-nations-health-and-save-nhs-14-billion

    Prediction fulfilled.

    8 – UK Government will not succeed in blocking Scottish Gender Recognition Reform.

    I remain surprised that the Scottish Governnent gave up on this. Prediction not fulfilled.

    9  Liam McArthur’s bill in the Scottish Parliamant to allow doctors to participate in the killing of terminally ill patients will fail to receive parliamentary approval but will receive more support than similar proposals have before.

    Bill hasn’t received approval but hasn’t gone to a vote either. Large levels of support in the media. Prediction partially fulfilled.

    10  Changes announced to the UK honours system, perhaps at the time of the Coronation, to remove references to empire. OBE becomes Order of British Excellence.

    Not happened yet. Prediction not fulfilled.

     

    Result – about 7 1/2 out of 10 this year I think. Not bad.

10 responses to “Sermon for 18 October 2009 – The Whirlwind”

  1. fr dougal Avatar
    fr dougal

    This good thanks.

  2. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    Even among habitually good sermons this one shone.

  3. Stewart Avatar

    Great sermon – sorry I missed it, but surprised you were not celebrating the feast of St Luke.

    1. kelvin Avatar

      The feast of St Luke is today, Monday.

  4. Stewart Avatar

    I am really getting puzzled at to the observence of Saints Days. Following a small straw poll, St Mary’s was the only Anglican Church (checking various friends and websites in Scotland and Englandshire) that transfered St Luke from the recognised date of 18 October to the following day (19 October). the SEC church I attended on Sunday morning was observing St Luke.

    The appearance of various Saints Day during the sundays – after Trinity / after Pentecost / in Ordinary Time (select your prefered term) – has in the past seemed to given us a means every few years to consider these Saints in detail. However the wholesale translation away from the Sunday to my mind means we are losing the richness and inspiration that these days has and can provide.

  5. Stewart Avatar

    Wikipedia entry on Luke the Evangelist.

  6. kelvin Avatar

    We celebrated St Luke with a Eucharist in St Mary’s on the day on which the Scottish Episcopal Church commemorates him. This was 19 October this year. Normally it is 18 October.

    There is no confusion in the Calendar and Lectionary of the SEC. Churches with any particular devotion to the Blessed Doctor can celebrate on the Sunday according to local custom. There is no local custom here to warrant that and no whim of the Provost to do so.

  7. Stewart Avatar

    Then it is a loss to the SEC.

    None of the churches I checked were dedicated or had a particluar devotion to St Luke (including the SEC one I attended).

    What was the reason behind moving this and all other saints days away from the relevant sunday in ordinary time when they fell on a sunday?

  8. kelvin Avatar

    Sunday is more important.

    The rules have not changed since we went through this all before, Stewart. If you kept every saints day on the day, you would barely get Sundays at all.

    Neither the SEC nor St Mary’s can be said to be losing out as we kept both the normal Sunday and St Luke’s day.

  9. RevRuth Avatar

    Great sermon, thanks.

    It is good to know that our cathedrals are keeping the great Feasts on the proper days.

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