• 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…)

6 responses to “101st thing”

  1. Ruth Avatar

    Congratulations on outdoing the Moderator of the CofS.

    Now, like another Provost, will you get a wealthy woman to buy you a copy of this very expensive book? (That will not be me, by the way)

  2. chris Avatar

    Well well. What exalted company we keep! I’m still working on the camels ….

  3. Stewart Avatar

    ….sinking other people’s yachts…. ???

  4. Gary Avatar

    Interesting juxtaposition with Grayson Perry. Clearly the article writer has seen the St Mary’s dressing up box!

  5. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    remind me never to go sailing with you!

  6. Brian Holden Avatar
    Brian Holden

    The poet Thom Gunn put ‘cheap thrills’ under ‘Recreations’ in his entry. I have always wanted to put that in my CV but have never dared.

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