What is in Kelvin's Head?

Sermon preached for Lent 1, 2013

18/02/2013

Here’s the video.

And here is the text:

One of my favourite stories about St Mary’s is one that I’ve heard several versions of. It concerns one of my predecessors as Provost here.

He had been here for a couple of months and thought that things were going OK. And then suddenly a letter appeared from a member of the congregation. (It may be that person is still here and just about to write to me in similar terms, so I’m taking a risk in telling this story).

The gist of the letter was that its author listed the many ways in which the worship of the congregation had changed in those three months.

See here, the letter writer wrote – see all the changes that you’ve made.

And in the letter there was a list. In the version of the story I like the best there were 90 points listed but I don’t know whether we should allow a little bit of exaggeration in the telling.

And the Provost in question had to confess (more…)

8 responses to “Guides and God”

Tim

19/06/2013

I like the change from `country’ to `community’ most of all.

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PamB

19/06/2013

I still remember my Brownie and Guide promises, but think that the Chorister’s prayer takes a lot of beating.
Bless O Lord us thy servants who minister in thy temple. Grant that what we sing with our lips we may believe in our hearts, and what we believe in our hearts we may show forth in our lives, through etc, etc.
Don’t know why this isn’t an essential part of the Voice for life scheme, same as the Brownie/guide equivalents are to their development process.

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Rosemary Hannah

19/06/2013

The only one of the above I could take (Pam’s chorister’s apart) without serious finger-crossing is the Rainbow pledge. I MIGHT want to serve my community, but it would usually be by challenging it, and that is, based on childhood experiences and why I never got to play Mary in the nativity play (despite being in every other way well qualified) that is NOT what people want from children, generally. Or adults, by and large.

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Robin

19/06/2013

> To be true to myself and develop my beliefs,

This is meaningless. Beliefs, in themselves, are neither good nor bad. Nor are all beliefs equally valid or moral – people can have horrible beliefs.

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Rosemary Hannah

19/06/2013

Indeed Robin -and similarly, on occasion setting about me with a mace would have been being true to myself, and not a good thing to do, but THINKING about what one believes, and being kind and helpful … yes, let’s stick with the Rainbows.

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Robin

19/06/2013

Agreed. I like the Rainbow pledge.

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Rosemary Hannah

19/06/2013

Yup – promise less, deliver more. Way to go.

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Erp

20/06/2013

Don’t forget these also go with the Brownie and Guide Laws (the Rainbows don’t have a separate law)

Brownie law
* A Brownie Guide thinks of others before herself and does a good turn every day.

Guide law
A Guide is honest, reliable and can be trusted.
A Guide is helpful and uses her time and abilities wisely.
A Guide faces challenges and learns from her experiences.
A Guide is a good friend and a sister to all Guides.
A Guide is polite and considerate.
A Guide respects all living things and takes care of the world around her.

What I like is the organization consulted with the Guides and even the Brownies when considering changes to the promises and not just those over 18.

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