• 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

    Stock market higher at end of 2021 than at the beginning (FTSE – 6,460) but higher inflation too (most recent CPIH – 0.6%).

    Yes, the stock market is higher and so is inflation. (FTSE – 7379 and most recent CPIH – 4.6%). Prediction accurate.

    No progress for those hoping for marriage equality in the Church of England.

    Indeed, no progress at all for those hoping for marriage equality in the Church of England. Moreover, any hope is receding, made much worse by the Church in Wales opting for blessing same-sex couples rather than marrying them. Prediction accurate.

    State based hackers turn their disruptive attention to open source software. (Watch out WordPress).

    Hard to prove but there are reports suggesting this is happening and indeed may have been happening before this year. I’m claiming this as a win. Prediction accurate.

    Donald Trump will remain the centre of attention.

    He’s not gone away. He’s not been convicted of anything. He’s building his media empire. He wants to run again and has no major republican challenger. Prediction accurate

    There will be midnight mass in St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow next Christmas Eve. People will be wearing masks.

    Accurate in every respect. Prediction accurate.

    A rocky year for Nicola Sturgeon but the SNP will be returned triumphant to Holyrood, despite their record.

    Well it wasn’t really a rocky year for Nicola Sturgeon who is still the only show in town but the SNP did return in triumph to Holyrood despite their record. Prediction partially accurate.

    No vote on Scottish Independence this year but like it or not, constitutional change is a-coming.

    Indeed so. It has been quite a year for asking whether devolution works. Prediction accurate.

    Attempt to repeal the Human Rights Act, removing the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights from UK law. (It is a stepping stone to restoring capital punishment – the Brexiteers are not done with us yet).

    Consultation currently underway on a plan to replace the Human Rights Act with a Bill of Rights that would distance the UK from the ECHR. Prediction sadly accurate.

    Legislation emerges in Scotland to restrict fireworks.

    The Fireworks (Scotland) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2021 were brought in at the end of June restricting the times of day that fireworks can be used to between 6 pm and 11 pm, restricting the times of sale and limiting the amount that can be sold to someone at any one time. We’ll see how these restrictions have been received at about one minute past midnight tonight. Prediction accurate.

    Not a bad year overall. I’m claiming 8½ out of 10.

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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