What is in Kelvin's Head?

Six Years – Six Whole Years

31/05/2012

Today marks six years, six whole years, since I’ve been the Provost and Rector of St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow.

It has been quite a journey, for all of us, hasn’t it?

I remember that day primarily for the service that took place which was one of the most exciting liturgical services I’ve ever been a part of. It wasn’t just me who thought that either – there was quite a lot of chatter about it for long time afterwards. It particularly centred on me singing the gospel (What?! a Provost who sings?!) and, it being the Feast of the Visitation, spinning round half way through it to allow the choir to sing the Magnificat, which features strongly in the gospel of the day. I remember what felt like a surge of adrenalin (or perhaps the Holy Spirit) rushing through the congregation as they sang.

Stanford in G never moved me more.

I also remember the choir singing the relentlessly beautiful Totus Tuus by Gorecki. I’m listening to it again as I type this.

Totus Tuus sum, Maria,
Mater nostri Redemptoris,
Virgo Dei, Virgo pia,
Mater mundi Salvatoris.
Totus Tuus sum, Maria!

I am yours completely, Mary,
Mother of our Redeemer,
Virgin of God, holy Virgin,
Mother of the Savior of the world.
I am yours completely, Mary.

The waves of holy minimalism were both beautiful and overwhelming and began, just began, to heal the wrench caused by moving away from Bridge of Allan where I had been happy and the people were both kind and good to me.

That was the night in which I started to get a glimpse of what worship might be like here. Eclectic, passionate and, notwithstanding the outstanding quality of the music,Â possessing a paramount interest in the words themselves.

Since the first time I let people know that I was coming to St Mary’s I’ve faced a curious question – “…but what will you do next?”

I don’t really know why people ask me this – they still do, quite a lot. Perhaps it was because I got the job here just a little sooner than some people thought decent – I was still, just, in my thirties. Mind you, new Provosts in their thirties have not been entirely unknown here.

I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing at the moment, thank you very much. St Mary’s has plenty of challenges and plenty of rewards too. Whenever I travel, I become more aware of our wonders. Worship that is compelling, surprising, emotional and engaging. People who are care about justice, beauty and the world around them. A congregation that is bewilderingly diverse, funny and yes, still growing. And that is to say nothing of the city, which still I love.

It is good to be here.

The last six years have been wonderful.

5 responses to “Heresy hunting”

Nick Brindley

14/05/2014

It is probably helpful to be clear about the distinction between “dogma” (which is best understood as the definition of orthodoxy and of heresy, of the things it is mandatory to affirm and the things it is forbidden to affirm) and “church order” (the rules about how people are to conduct themselves). These are related but by no means the same thing.

“Doctrine” is a third thing again, to my mind. It is the body of teaching that the church affirms but is much more extensive and changeable than dogma.

Of particular relevance is who has the authority to pronounce on these things. Denominational authorities quite properly establish church law and discipline (this needs to be done and there’s nobody else to do it) but would go beyond their proper sphere (in my view) if they tried to establish new definitions in the field of dogma.

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Andrew

14/05/2014

I feel the need to separate praxis and doctrine, but I suppose that is probably a minor heresy in itself, in a church that hides its doctrine in its liturgy. Although I suppose the deftness of the ‘McCarthy Liturgy’ has maybe sidestepped that pitfall as deftly as an 18th century non-juring bishop side-stepping western orthodoxy and the rest…

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Rosemary Hannah

15/05/2014

To a degree I think it is a matter of tradition. Anglican churches have tended (and it is only a tendency) to insist of orthopraxis. Church of Scotland churches have tended (same health warning) to emphasise orthodoxy of belief, call it doctrine or dogma. St Andrews is not of course a C or S institution, but it used to be, certainly in my day, and to a degree in yours, heavily steeped in C of S ethos. St Mary’s trained C of S ministers and that was ALL the training they got, because then they knew Orthodoxy.

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Jimmy

15/05/2014

The links on this post have led me to think of this –

The Inner Party – The Outer Party – The Proles.

The model demands tight control of the middle class, with ambitious Outer Party members neutralised via promotion to the Inner Party or “reintegration” by Miniluv, while proles can be allowed intellectual (and sexual) freedom because they lack intellect. Winston nonetheless believed that “the future belonged to the proles”. Wikipedia.

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Allan Ronald

19/05/2014

There was most definitely a C of S ethos at St Andrews in my day [67-71]. Robin Buchanan-Smith was running a packed college chapel and one president of the SRC and one president of the Union were St Mary’s men who went on to ordination and, in one case, to be Moderator of the Kirk. Perhaps they got their orthodoxy from Matthew Black at St Mary’s and their skill in future clerical politics from their student posts…….

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