What is in Kelvin's Head?

Pilgrimage Days – Who on Earth Are You?

19/02/2016

I’m looking forward to hosting two Diocesan Pilgrimage Days at St Mary’s on 20 and 27 February 2016 exploring the theme “Who on earth are you?”

It is difficult to think of a better week for exploring our identity as Episcopalians but it isn’t going to be all about the Columba Declaration. We’ll be focussing on the things that we enjoy about our faith and the things that make us cherish the Scottish Episcopal Church as our place to live out a Christian identity.

The day will include conversation amongst the pilgrims about where they have come from and things that inspire them. There will be a forum conversation with me about why I am an Episcopalian and how I came to value belonging to this church. In the afternoon there will be an Any Questions panel. Throughout the day there will be gentle worship and a chance to enjoy being together in the cathedral.

If anyone wants to join it, all they need to do is bring a packed lunch – tea and coffee will be provided.

The days begin at 10.00 and will end by 16.00.

If you are coming, it would be helpful for you to let us know – please fill in the form on the cathedral website – www.thecathedral.org.uk

5 responses to “Diocesan Synod”

Mary Sue

13/03/2008

I fight this every stinkin’ time I’m in church. The average age of our Vestry is 47, the eldest is 69 and the youngest is 28 (*waves*).

However, all I hear about is how we are a ‘grey’ church in fear of dying.

I think it’s too much trust in statistics and not enough in the power of the Holy Spirit. And I will beat that through their heads if it KILLS ME.

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Eamonn

13/03/2008

Conversations about mission that assume the Church is dying are bad enough, but at least the subject is being talked about. It’s worse when the mere idea of having a conversation about mission causes consternation and retreat behind the brocaded curtains.

If such a conversation is to get going at all, however, we need to be prepared to rethink radically our ecclesiology. It may not be strictly inevitable that decline will continue, but we need to be realistic about the prospects (such as they are) for future provision of ordained ministers and stipends to sustain them. All churches are facing a decline in these areas.

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Eamonn

13/03/2008

P.S. – I’m not leaving the Holy Spirit out of the reckoning, simply saying that sober and realistic thinking is one of the less trumpeted gifts of the Spirit.

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Kirstin

13/03/2008

I was feeling much the same Kelvin, I was starting to believe all the doom and gloom merchants and wasn’t looking forward to another 3 days of it. I didn’t really think it was the case but when the dripping tap just keeps on going eventually you start to wonder. LYCIG gave me the kick up the backside I was needing to stop listening to the negative and concentrate on the positive and there is lots of that about. If we keep talking about decline we will talk ourselves into it, we need to stop it now!

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duncan

15/03/2008

Mary Sue,

Perhaps some parts of our church are glad to be grey.

But seriously, while I applaud the resistance to ‘sociological determinism’ (i.e. decline is inevitable), I think we can also think creatively about our demographics before we chuck out the baby, or the bathwater. It’s time to recycle the grey water.

Some recent thoughts I had are here:
http://www.dunc.info/?p=94

(I don’t know how to do that clever trackback thing…)

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