What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Sermon preached on 12 October 2014

    20141012 kelvin holdsworth – gnashing of teeth.movie from Kelvin Holdsworth on Vimeo.

    ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen

    In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

    Here in St Mary’s we end our Gospel reading with the response – Give thanks to the Lord for his Glorious Gospel, Praise to Christ our Lord.

    In many churches, they end readings with the response “This is the Word of the Lord – Thanks be to God”.

    I think that is one of those readings from scripture that would tempt me greatly, if that was the response that we were used to, to say, “Is this the word of the Lord?”

    There’s no denying at all that it is a tricky gospel reading for many people who will be sitting here this morning.

    Maybe you don’t think so and find it an obvious way of reinforcing what you believe – that anyone who doesn’t conform with what God wants will be thrown out of the feast unto the outer darkness.

    Well, if that’s you, then good luck living your life with it. I know it isn’t for me.

    Conformity to anything is a challenge to me and I find myself immediately troubled by the poor victim of Jesus’s tale who gets thrown out of all that is good and nourishing simply for breaking a dress code. What’s that all about?

    Well, perhaps the best I can do this morning is to tell a few more stories. Let us see whether we can start to unravel this parable by telling some more parables.

    Here’s one about dress codes to soften you up and we’ll come back to the gospel story in a minute.

    Once upon a time (about four weeks ago) in a land far away (the West End of Glasgow) there was a Provost. And the Provost would strut around his cathedral the Lord of all he surveyed. He was young (or at least he still thought he was still young) and witty (or so they told him at the end of the service in about half an hour’s time) and he was handsome and fair…..and thanks be to God, he was modest and humble too. (more…)

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16 responses to “General Convention Press Briefing”

  1. kelvin Avatar
    kelvin

    People who run cathedrals in the Scottish Episcopal Church are called Provosts, in England and in the US and in much of the rest of the Anglican world they are called Deans.

    For a while, old cathedrals in England had Deans and new cathedrals had Provosts. They made them all deans a few years ago.

    In Scotland we also use the word Provost for the civic leader who would be called a Mayor in a lot of other places.

    Deans in Anglican Dioceses in Scotland are similar to Archdeacons in England or Canons to the Ordinary in the states.

    Reply
  2. susan s. Avatar
    susan s.

    Thanks… So is calling you a dean a forgivable sin? Is it a step up or down for a provost to become a dean?

    Reply
  3. kelvin Avatar
    kelvin

    Calling me a dean is an understadable mistake. If hierarchy matters, I rank behind the bishop and the dean at diocesan functions. I rank behind the bishop alone at cathedral functions.

    Usually I find that such hierarchical niceties have been worked out as a result of disputes of rather a long time ago.

    Reply
  4. susan s. Avatar
    susan s.

    Thanks, again. I enjoy reading your blog.

    Reply
  5. brad evans Avatar
    brad evans

    “Evangelical Faith, Apostolic Orders(?)-Increasingly Irrelevant Organization”

    Reply
  6. kelvin Avatar
    kelvin

    Bless you, Brad.

    Reply

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