• Sermon – the parable of the sower

  14/07/2014

   

  The church is completely obsessed with one topic.

  Whenever you go to church meetings there is one thing that dominates everything and has done so for at least the last 15 or 20 years.

  We talk about it endlessly. Whether it is local regional chapters, diocesan synod, General Synod or even the meetings of the Anglican Communion such as the Lambeth Conference which gathers all the bishops of the communion together every 10 years, there is sure to be this one item on the agenda.

  Reports are written.

  Debates are had.

  Motions are passed.

  Decisions are made.

  All in relation to this topic which has seemed to dominate absolutely everything we do.

  People (by which I mean me) are bored to the back teeth of hearing about it and yet still we go over and over it all again at every meeting.

  Bishops and archbishops make statements about it. And our concern is matched by similar conversations in other denominations.

  Who would like to hazard a guess at what that topic is?

  Is it wonga?

  Is it assisted dying that Lord Carey has been highlighting rather unhelpfully this weekend?

  Is it sex in general and homosexuality in particular?

  Well, (more…)

  mission, missional, parable of the sower

Previous Posts

• New Corporate Image

  01/04/2009

  The proofs of the new corporate image for the Scottish Episcopal Church have arrived at last today. It has been quite a job for the Information and Communication Board and I was getting worried that they would not arrive in time for this year’s General Synod to approve them. Synod will actually be part of…

• Relation of College of Bishops to the General Synod

  30/03/2009

  Someone asked me recently what the relationship was between the College of Bishops and the General Synod. It is a good question. Fortunately, the code of canons is quite specific about this. Canon 52 Section 20 is helpfully clear: The Primus may at any time, when requested to do so by the College of Bishops,…

• Latest official response from the Scotland to the Covenant proposal

  24/03/2009

  The Faith and Order Board of the Scottish Episcopal Church has published a response to the St Andrews Draft of the proposed Anglican Covenant. You can read it all here.

• Mothering Sunday

  20/03/2009

  Here is a treat for Mothering Sunday – here at St Mary’s we are having the annual “Come to Mother Church” shindig at 6.30 pm. We’ve got massed musicians from all over the diocese singing some great music, a pinch of poetry, a wee sermon from me and the delight of singing songs of praise…