What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Sunday Trading and the Churches

    Dear the Churches of England

    If you campaign against Sunday trading you are going to seem to the People of England to be as bad as you are. Campaign instead for the rights of shop workers of all religions who work at all times and the People of England might be more convinced. If you take on the Sunday trading thing you are going to lose anyway.

    Here in Scotland things have been much more liberal for a long time. We did have quite strict liquor laws which meant you couldn’t buy booze on a Sunday morning anywhere. This meant you couldn’t buy an emergency bottle of wine for communion on a Sunday morning in case it led to drunkenness, which always seemed to me to be a little odd. Even this law has been relaxed now.

    Seriously – the fight against Sunday trading isn’t one that churches can win and look sensible or fair. Please don’t make the rest of us look foolish.

    Remember the Sabbath day and what it was about and keep what it was about holy. It was about making sure workers got rest. It was about making sure there was time for leisure. It was about making sure that there were opportunities for worship. Churches should campaign for all those things. In multicultural Britain these things do not coalesce any more in the idea of one shared day off a week which is inevitably on a Sunday.

    Dear churches of England and the Church of England in particular – pick your battles wisely.

    Thank you for your attention.
    KELVIN

10 responses to “Yesterday”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    Just to say the link to the BBC website is broken.

    Reply
  2. asphodeline Avatar
    asphodeline

    The Sunday morning service on R4 is my regular church for now and it was brilliant to find it was with you yesterday.

    Loved the service and the music, as always, was wonderful.

    Reply
  3. kelvin Avatar
    kelvin

    Thanks for the comments – the link is fixed now.

    Reply
  4. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    Lovely to know that Bernard Porter is still about. One of the kindliest and most tolerant musicians this ex-tv producer ever worked with. He provided superb accompaniment to at least 4 major choral programmes, and an exuberant and beautifully played Voluntary in Holy Trinity, Ayr- in 1973. I can still hear it in my head.
    Thanks, Kelvin for a happy reminder.

    Reply
  5. Victoria Avatar
    Victoria

    Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed listening to the service on BBC 4 on Sunday – meaty stuff with good quality music. Was pleasant listening when normally just want to reach for the ‘off’ button. But then I’m biased going to a SEC church myself with social justice and ecumenical concern at its centre and being a choral singer!

    Reply
  6. Harry Monroe Avatar
    Harry Monroe

    What a wonderful tribute to a real gentleman. Sang under him over 30 years ago at Diocesan Festivals. Minimum criticism and maximum praise seemed to be his maxim…. something we could all use as a way of life.

    Reply
  7. Tom Allen Avatar
    Tom Allen

    Interesting review of Sunday morning here:
    http://irenelancaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/the-bbcs-even-h.html
    from the increasingly fantasy driven adviser on Jewish theology to the Archbishop of Canterbury!

    Reply
  8. Jay Vos Avatar
    Jay Vos

    Yes! I’m over in Vermont USA. Ain’t internet grand? It was to listen to the internet broadcast on R4. Thanks.

    Reply
  9. Kenny Avatar
    Kenny

    So sorry I missed “BJ’s” do! I remember traipsing round Scotland with him and the choir, singing in all seven main cathedrals in 18 hours! Boy did we have stamina then!

    Reply
  10. Dr. Irene Lancaster Avatar
    Dr. Irene Lancaster

    Hi, Tom! Glad to see that you haven’t changed. The fantasy is, as ever, all in your head! Although I’d be very pleased to take on this auspicious role at Lambeth Palace, as far as I know they have no plans to take on such a person as you suggest – for the present at least. All a figment of the imagination, then!!

    I’m also terribly sad to have to inform you that I’ve just been invited to talk on the subject of my blog (to which you’ve kindly directed bloggers) at one of Britain’s most distinguished universities in the next few days (alas, not in Scotland, although I have lectured before now at Edinburgh).

    Reply

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