What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Sunday Trading and the Churches

    Dear the Churches of England

    If you campaign against Sunday trading you are going to seem to the People of England to be as bad as you are. Campaign instead for the rights of shop workers of all religions who work at all times and the People of England might be more convinced. If you take on the Sunday trading thing you are going to lose anyway.

    Here in Scotland things have been much more liberal for a long time. We did have quite strict liquor laws which meant you couldn’t buy booze on a Sunday morning anywhere. This meant you couldn’t buy an emergency bottle of wine for communion on a Sunday morning in case it led to drunkenness, which always seemed to me to be a little odd. Even this law has been relaxed now.

    Seriously – the fight against Sunday trading isn’t one that churches can win and look sensible or fair. Please don’t make the rest of us look foolish.

    Remember the Sabbath day and what it was about and keep what it was about holy. It was about making sure workers got rest. It was about making sure there was time for leisure. It was about making sure that there were opportunities for worship. Churches should campaign for all those things. In multicultural Britain these things do not coalesce any more in the idea of one shared day off a week which is inevitably on a Sunday.

    Dear churches of England and the Church of England in particular – pick your battles wisely.

    Thank you for your attention.
    KELVIN

4 responses to “How to Keep Holy Week”

  1. Christine McIntosh Avatar
    Christine McIntosh

    I have never been able to attend any part of the Triduum services in another church. Some day …

    Reply
  2. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    I had really hoped to be able to push for/be part of an over-night Vigil this year, but my family commitments currently make that hard (my grandson needs a more or less awake Nana on Easter Day) but I am sure the time will come. It would be a brilliant thing to do.

    Reply
    1. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
      Rosemary Hannah

      And to really tell the bible – not just readings but proper stories, to bring the whole thing to life. Not extracts, giving one no time to get to grips with the the content, but a real chance to see it as – well to be honest, very largely as the Deuteronomistical historians wanted one to see it.

      Reply
  3. Allan Ronald Avatar
    Allan Ronald

    It was always the Crux Fidelis setting by John IV of Portugal that moved me most when I was part of the congregation at the London Oratory. And considering how potent the rest of the liturgy was, that is saying a lot.

    Reply

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