What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Sermon preached on 4 August 2013

    I used to work in a church with murals. Well one mural. It wasn’t this church and it wasn’t these glorious murals. It was somewhere else entirely.

    (By which I mean Edinburgh).

    Throughout the late fifties, the sixties and early seventies, a sustained period of liturgical reform had happened. The altar had been pulled away from the wall. The priest now faced the people. The peace was shared and communion started to happen every Sunday. Those of you who have been around for a bit might remember that story from all kinds of contexts. Those who are new to Episcopal worship might be surprised to learn that how we do things is not in fact as old as the hills at all.

    Anyway, these liturgical reforms in this church had left a big space to fill. Somewhere along the way, the East Window had been bricked up and whitewashed over and now there was a giant wall to fill.

    And, of course, just as we can be sure that someone was heartily trying to encourage the congregation to sing Kum By Yah. so, inevitably, someone got to paint a mural.

    Unlike Gwyneth Leech’s paintings, which surround me here in this church. this was a rather less successful piece. (more…)

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5 responses to “Ordinary Sunday in Eastertide”

  1. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    But, but… this Sunday is in no way ordinary time! It is still in Easter!

    Reply
    1. kelvin Avatar
      kelvin

      You are right, Tom. It is just an ordinary special Sunday…

      Reply
  2. Pam Avatar
    Pam

    Wall to wall gorgeousness from the choir – music to my ears! (Perhaps a video one day)?

    Reply
  3. Augur Pearce Avatar
    Augur Pearce

    I guess the Ascension was celebrated on Ascension Day? Very right and proper; but for those places that can’t achieve a Thursday evening crowd, yesterday would have been a high festival too!

    Reply
    1. kelvin Avatar
      kelvin

      I’ve never been in a church that didn’t keep Ascension on Ascension Day and I’m wondering why there are churches that don’t.

      Is it that the people stopped coming because it wasn’t done well or because they are too lazy to turn out or is there some other reason?

      There is a curious habit in this diocese of having joint regional services on Ascension Day in some of our regions. This has never made me think any better of our regional system.

      Reply

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