• Sermon for RSCM Music Sunday

    Here’s what I said on Sunday evening for the Royal School of Church Music – Music Sunday Massed Choirs Evensong

    Video available here.

    Just a few thoughts before our prayers – a few thoughts about what we are doing here tonight.

    I had it in mind to preach such simple things tonight. I was going to take as my starting place the story we heard of David playing his lyre to sooth Saul’s soul when Saul the King got crazy with his violent rages.

    My intention was to come up with a great paean of praise to music itself. For we do celebrate Music Sunday here.

    I was going simply to stand here and list the glories of the West End Festival that those of us who live in this city are enjoying and to sing the praises of the Royal School of Church Music under whose banner so many good things happen.

    I had it in mind to stand here like the conductor at the end of the Last Night of the Proms and to list the glories of our summer days. Of concerts and happenings and sung services and festival masses. And to cry for the glories of music, for music is inherently good.

    But something happened as I was sitting down to write this rhapsody of words in praise of music. (more…)

3 responses to “Not in my name. Not in my city.”

  1. Bro David Avatar
    Bro David

    I wondered how you were fairing in the city that’s reported to have voted Yes.

    Just to let you know, you can best guage what it means in your neck o’ the woods, but that form of salute is still used in a number of countries in the world and isn’t associated in any respect with Nazism. That salute is common in Mexico, as it was in the US before WW2.
    http://rationalrevolution.net/images/salute2.jpg

    However, they have since opted for the right hand flat over the heart and we get flack from our northern neighbors for our “Nazi” salute to our flag.
    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Civil_Salute_Mexican_Flag.jpg/477px-Civil_Salute_Mexican_Flag.jpg

    1. Kelvin Avatar

      The gesture they were making here is entirely associated in local minds with the nazis.

  2. Seph Avatar
    Seph

    I gather that there were EDL/SDL members present, in addition to the usual Lodge suspects. This may go some way to explaining the Nazi salutes.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Posts

  • Smoking Ban

    I had an unexpected call from a journalist friend last night, who was asking for a comment on a story that at first I did not believe. It seems that there has been some kind of mistake made in the legislation on banning smoking in Scotland. Aparently, smoking has now become compulsory in church.Anyway, there…

  • Things we have learned this month

    Lawrence has been under the watchful eye of Noel TredinnickChristine wants to take blogging into the classroom David Campbell grew up with Samson and Goliath Richard celebrated Refreshment Sunday with great enthusiasm Gadgetvicar is a Thin Lizzy fanPoppy Chillingworth refuses to be confined Tim took photos of the partial solar eclipse Gareth has a cure for a sore bottom

  • Rejected Ad

    Want to see the United Church of Christ advert that has been rejected by the major TV channels in the US?Take a look here: http://rejectionhurts.com/ejectorpewfull/ 

  • Politics of Pilgrimage

    On a comment on the post about Walsingham, below, Joan said:Isn’t it possible that all devotion will be politicized if it is mediated through truths laid down in a book.  The nature of such a text inevitably leads to argument for or against certain interpretations of the text.  Wouldn’t it be nice if life were…