• Review of Predictions for 2018

    On 1 January I made predictions for the coming year. Time to see how I got on.

    1 – General Election in the second half of the year.

    Well, no we didn’t and the government linger on. Not right

    2 – “…and as the polls close, our exit poll predicts that the Conservative Party is unlikely to be able to form a new government…”

    Well, the government did linger on of a fashion.  N/A

    3 – The next but one leader of the Conservative Party becomes Ruth Davidson MP.

    Too soon to tell. Not right yet.

    4 – The hipsters get bored of vinyl and discover cameras with actual, you know, film.

    In September, I happened upon three or four hipster types from Denmark in the cathedral grounds taking photographs for a fashion shoot in Belgium. They had stopped shooting for a moment…. to reload film canasters.  Right – but likely to become more common yet.

    5 – No date for a new referendum on Scottish Independence.

    No date for a new referendum and no great call for one either. Right.

    6 – No progress for LGBT affirming Anglicans in England.

    Sadly correct. Right

    7 – Progress for LGBT affirming Anglicans elsewhere, particularly Brazil.

    Stunning progress in Brazil – marriage agreed by huge majority on synod floor. (And who else saw that coming!) Right.

    8 – Increasing realisation that sexual abuse is part of church culture. #churchtoo #metoo.

    Yes – meetings happening all over the place trying to work out how to respond. Few coherent policies yet. Right.

    9 – FTSE lower at the end of 2018 than it is at the beginning. (7687)

    As I write this the FTSE is at 6728 – worst year in a decade. Right

    10 – The end of the beard.

    Those with style, manners and culture have seen the error of their ways and shaved. A few young and misguided types cling on. Completely and utterly right.

     

    Not a bad year, I think.

3 responses to “And David Danced before the Lord in a Lightweight Kilt”

  1. Angela Millar Avatar
    Angela Millar

    Really missed your blogs – glad they are back on line – thank you!

  2. Pam Avatar
    Pam

    Yes, I’ve missed your blogs too. Welcome back.
    David got into a bit of trouble with his wife for dancing in the street – I think she was more concerned about his dancing in front of other women than concerned about his dignity. Marriage can be like that. Still a great institution though.
    In certain situations dignity can be important. But I agree that our Lord doesn’t care if we let our dignity slip, he wants authenticity. By the way, as a mother of four children I can reveal that birthing suites in hospitals are no place for dignity!

  3. Ender's Shadow Avatar
    Ender’s Shadow

    I’ve never heard any explanation other than the idea that David was letting it all hang out. As such it is a challenge to all of us from a strict liturgical tradition: is it really providing space for us to express over the top enthusiasm for God? Of course for some people it does; Thomas Merton’s excitement at being allowed to say Mass THREE TIMES on Christmas Day is… different. But in a culture where noisy dancing is the norm for a ‘night out’, it should be no surprise that the likes of ‘Hillsong’ make a major impact. Is there space for that in our churches, or are we marginalising such people?

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