What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Sermon preached for Lent 1, 2013

    Here’s the video.


    And here is the text:

    One of my favourite stories about St Mary’s is one that I’ve heard several versions of. It concerns one of my predecessors as Provost here.

    He had been here for a couple of months and thought that things were going OK. And then suddenly a letter appeared from a member of the congregation. (It may be that person is still here and just about to write to me in similar terms, so I’m taking a risk in telling this story).

    The gist of the letter was that its author listed the many ways in which the worship of the congregation had changed in those three months.

    See here, the letter writer wrote – see all the changes that you’ve made.

    And in the letter there was a list. In the version of the story I like the best there were 90 points listed but I don’t know whether we should allow a little bit of exaggeration in the telling.

    And the Provost in question had to confess (more…)

8 responses to “Still snuffling”

  1. ryan Avatar
    ryan

    Kelvin, it sounds like you have the far more serious man-flu, not just a mere man-cold.

    Reply
  2. Vicky Gunn Avatar
    Vicky Gunn

    Kelvin
    Apologies for keeping you at arm’s length in Church – just got over a dose of lesbian man-cold a few weeks ago, which I generously passed to all my colleagues at work. Having been persona non grata for that I thought I just shouldn’t risk it. Service last night was beautiful.

    Reply
  3. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    Kelvin,
    The hardest thing to accept, when you’re not well, is that you really are ill. The best thing to do is to keep away from other people and stay in bed with a hot water bottle, and preferably with a hot toddy laced with plenty of whisky. It won’t do you any good, but it might make you feel better.
    Get better soon. Andrew

    Reply
  4. Erp Avatar
    Erp

    Wrap yourself up in a warm bed with a comfort book and perhaps some comfort music (and this time of year allows carol singing as comfort music). I would suggest hot chicken soup (hot and sour Chinese style chicken soup maybe) instead of a hot toddy with whiskey.

    Reply
  5. Stewart Avatar
    Stewart

    Considered opinion on Sunday is that is was not man-flu, but provost-flu 😉

    Reply
  6. David |Dah • veed| Avatar
    David |Dah • veed|

    ‘Tis the season. I have had it for two weeks now. The first week I was a good muchacho and just used cold pills to relieve the symptoms, caldo de pollo con chili (it really opens the sinuses) and té del limón con tequila. Because I know that colds and flu are caused by viruses, I did not do the Mexican thing and go buy an antibiotic.

    But then the fluids turned green and yellow, which is the sign of a secondary bacterial infection, so I am taking amoxicilina con acido clavulanico, and slowly getting better.

    Reply
  7. ChickPea Avatar
    ChickPea

    Was good to see we had the Precious Provostorial Presence in our midst last night – tissues and all. And even better to see the digits getting some exercise today – suggests there’s maybe been a slight turn for the better, despite missing out on a most medicinal port – do try port as a remedy, David – MUCH more effective than trying dreadful things with my poor chooks, who are trembling on their perches at the thought of erp’s suggestions…….

    Reply
  8. Rev Ruth Avatar
    Rev Ruth

    Are you languishing on your chaise longue with a blood-stained handkerchief held limply in your outstretched pale hand? If so, I fear it may be consumption.

    But no listening to Christmas carols, mind.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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

Previous Posts

  • Shoes

    The Shoe Exhibition just has to be seen. We've given up pews for the first week in Lent and installed 104 pairs of women's shoes in the nave instead. Each pair of shoes represents a woman killed in an incident of domestic violence. 104 women are killed this way each year.More details o­n the church…

  • Recorded music in the liturgy

    I remember a long time ago hearing of a Church of Scotland minister who had a service to mark the death of Elvis, complete with suitable music. At the time, I thought that was tacky. However, when I was in my ordination training, I did use recorded music in our worship quite a lot. One…

  • Charles and Camilla

    Given the genesis of the Church of England in Henry VIII’s complicated love life, I have to confess that I find the squeamishness over re-marrying those who have been divorced to be incomprehensible. I am pleased that the Archbishop of Canterbury is getting involved. However it seems to me that if he can bless a…

  • Ash W 2

    Today has been an excellent Ash Wednesday. A world record turn-out (for Bridge of Allan) of penitents. The Freddie Mercury number during the penitential liturgy went down a storm. An early problem with ash that was too clean was solved by cutting it with charcoal from the thurible. I gave one of the servers the…