What is in Kelvin's Head?

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

17/12/2022

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”?

6 responses to “The Scottish Episcopal Church and the "Listening Process"”

Brian (from Australia)

28/03/2007

The Scottish and Australian churches have in common that most of their efforts (commendable in themselves) have been directed to talking through theological documents about gays and lesbians rather than listening to gay and lesbian people themselves. The Australian statement acknowledges, moreover, that attempts by some dioceses and parishes to conduct ‘listening’ have more often than not resulted in acrimonious arguments between opinionated participants.

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kennedy

28/03/2007

I don’t know who wrote it but according to the ACNS, +Idris approved it.

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/42/50/acns4270.cfm

says
Each of the summaries has been compiled in cooperation with the Primate of that Province. “The summaries have drawn upon public statements and further research,” said the Listening Process facilitator Canon Phil Groves of the Anglican Communion Office. “Each Primate has approved the final text.”

Each Province has submitted reports, statements and papers. In addition, Groves has taken time to speak with Primates and their representatives from each of the Provinces in order to produce these summaries. The Primates asked for the summaries to be “made more fully available across the Communion for study and reflection.”

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Roddy

28/03/2007

I get a bit confused as to what the process of ‘listening’, in any sphere of modern life, means. What it so often seems to mean is, “We don’t really want to get involved or change, but we’d like to appear as if we care, even though we don’t.”

I find the whole concept of being listened to a wee bit patronising, as it has overtones of being regarded as a bit of a nuisance but given a short period of attention to keep you quiet.

I’m not gay but the whole debate about gays and lesbians in the Anglican Communion appears to be about control of a rather large minority in the church more than anything religious or spiritual. A much more daring approach for the SEC would have been to say the subject is a matter of disinterest to the Church; that is the argument of someone’s sexuality is now of minimal relevance to church life for either gays or straights and that there are better and more important things to do.

Or have I got this hopelessly wrong?

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kennedy

28/03/2007

Roddy said:
‘that is the argument of someone’s sexuality is now of minimal relevance to church life for either gays or straights and that there are better and more important things to do.’

I think, and I hope, that that is what the American Episcopal Church is starting to say.

Kennedy

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vicky

28/03/2007

I’m with Roddy on this one…it almost seems as if the Anglican Communion has become a one issue Church…and that issue is sexuality. it would be nice to have this level of debate going on about the beatitudes rather than sexual-attitudes………..

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steg

01/04/2007

I’m not a church goer, but was brought up one and can’t understand why the church – or anyone for that matter – gets so wound up about homosexuality. Dorothy L Sayers had it right when she wrote:

‘As I grow older and older, And totter toward the tomb, I find that I care less and less, Who goes to bed with whom.’

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