• Christmas in St Mary’s (with a twist at the end)

    Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, and there is perhaps no better place to experience the magic of the season than at St Mary’s Cathedral in the Scottish Episcopal Church. With its stunning architecture and rich history, this beautiful space offers a truly special and meaningful way to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

    One of the highlights of a Christmas service at St Mary’s Cathedral is the music. The cathedral’s choir is known for their beautiful voices and their ability to bring the festive carols to life. The church also features a grand organ, which adds a sense of grandeur and majesty to the service. Whether you’re a fan of traditional carols or more modern hymns, you’re sure to be moved by the beautiful music at St Mary’s Cathedral.

    Another highlight of a Christmas service at St Mary’s Cathedral is the sense of history and tradition. The cathedral dates back to the 19th century and is known for its stunning Gothic architecture. The service itself is filled with rich traditions, such as the lighting of the Advent wreath and the reading of the Christmas story from the Bible. These traditions help to create a sense of awe and wonder that is so fitting for the holiday season.

    But perhaps the most special aspect of a Christmas service at St Mary’s Cathedral is the sense of community and togetherness. As people from all walks of life come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus, there is a feeling of unity and love that is truly special. Whether you’re a lifelong member of the cathedral or a newcomer to the community, you’ll feel welcome and included in the celebration.

    In short, Christmas services at St Mary’s Cathedral in the Scottish Episcopal Church are a truly special and meaningful way to celebrate the holiday season. With their beautiful music, rich traditions, and sense of community, these services offer a chance to experience the magic and wonder of Christmas in a truly special and meaningful way.

    If you’ve made it through this blog post this far and you have a slight sense that there’s something odd about it the you’d be correct. The post above, not in italics wasn’t written by me. It was written by a machine – specifically the ChatGPT bot that has recently been released to the world. You tell  it what you want it to write and it does it.

    This one was generated by the prompt, “Write a blog post about how wonderful Christmas services are at St Mary’s Cathedral in the Scottish Episcopal Church”.

    Now, it doesn’t sound quite like me and it isn’t the most exciting writing there is. Perhaps it is even slightly stilted. But it is a fairly convincing attempt at the problem I gave it to do.

    This technology is going to make all things new. Academia in particular is going to have to change very quickly in the way it assesses students.

    This is disruptive technology. It can be used to do funny things – I could just have easily got it to write the above post in the voice of Donald Trump.

    Thus: “Let me tell you, folks, this place is amazing. The music is absolutely incredible, with the choir singing all of your favorite carols in the most beautiful way. And the organ! Wow, what a sound. It’s truly something to behold…”

    But this isn’t just entertainment. It is something completely and utterly new. Nothing you ever read again comes with a guarantee that it was written by a human being.

    The world is changed. As someone once sent with a telegraph key, “What hath God wrought”?

7 responses to “M 40, GSOH obviously…”

  1. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel

    Not sure if you read “Christianity” magazine, but they have had an “agony” column for the last few months which has addressed mostly sexual issues and has caused a storm of debate on the letters pages about their suitability in a “family” publication. The topics covered are among those least likely to be heard in a sermon but very important for christians to think through.

    I am dubious as to whether “Inspire” has the nerve to take up either of your suggestions.

  2. kelvin Avatar
    kelvin

    Thanks for the comment Rachel. I don’t read Christianity so I was unaware of this. How very interesting.

    Inspires does not claim to be a family magazine – it is for everyone, but I could easily imagine the same kind of debate.

    The most interesting thing about the kind of reaction that you describe is that people seem to be saying that such topics should not be discussed in a family setting. I’ve a feeling that this is a particularly strong view in the UK and very different to what seems to be the case in, for example, the Netherlands, where there would be a presumption that the family was exactly the right place for open discussion.

  3. Rev Ruth Avatar

    Rev F (50), small rectory, seeks clergy-wife /scrubber to keep house tidy, prepare meals and listen after a long hard day. GSOH essential.

  4. kelvin Avatar
    kelvin

    Mother R, has it passed you by that slavery has been abolished?

  5. Kimberly Avatar

    I think we need to combine this post with last:

    Fr Kevin’s agony-auntie weblog–

    relationship-guidance, fashion, vocational questions, handy household tips …

    just watch the blog-stats soar

  6. Rob+ Avatar

    M 38 happily attached… still waiting for that Liturgy though

    maybe I can bitch to agony-auntie for some help 😉

  7. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    Almost new liturgy (one careful Methodist owner) seeks a church for meals and occasional companionship. Comes complete with canonical approval and Guild of Servers certification. Affectionate, but a little nervous with children and Archbishop Drexel Gomez. No Anglican Hymn-book time wasters please.

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