- Generative artificial intelligence will become significantly disruptive of many sectors this year. Education practices will change quickly as a result of this but education will be but one of many areas of life to be affected.
- No progress for those seeking marriage equality in the Church of England. There will be a lot of talk about moving towards some form of official blessings for same-sex couples which would have the effect of thwarting those seeking actual equality, making it more difficult to achieve. Further division amongst pro-gay activists in the Church of England.
- Indyref 2 will not happen on 19 October 2023 as Nicola Sturgeon had hoped, which is a shame for those seeking to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK as the autumn will be the high water mark for the Indepedence movement. It will be downhill into the next General Election after that.
- Trump and Biden will both declare that they intend to run for the US presidency in 2024 and American politics will continue to be all about Donald Trump.
- Covid recovery remains bumpy, particularly through supply-chain problems due to mismanagement of Covid in China.
- No conclusive end to the war in Ukraine this year.
- Governments in Westminster and Holyrood will announce some kind of “new deal” for the National Heath Service.
- UK Government will not succeed in blocking Scottish Gender Recognition Reform.
- Liam McArthur’s bill in the Scottish Parliamant to allow doctors to participate in the killing of terminally ill patients will fail to receive parliamentary approval but will receive more support than similar proposals have before.
- Changes announced to the UK honours system, perhaps at the time of the Coronation, to remove references to empire. OBE becomes Order of British Excellence.
6 responses to “Turning Up”
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It’s a hard one, that. There’s the constant need to keep churchgoing a joy rather than a huvtae – not to put barriers in God’s way, so to speak. And that is true, I think, for the bums on the pews as it is for the providers.
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A priest I once knew always cheerily said ‘See you on Sunday!’ whenever he said goodbye to a parishioner, even if it were at the end of morning tea after Sunday mass. By being genuinely keen to see people again, most did come weekly as they were genuinely keen to see him again too.
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When – or perhaps where – I was young it was folks talking about the benefits of daily prayer and Bible-reading (and the upper-case was significant)…
If it’s true that Christianity has become something one fits into one’s way of life, then I contend that’s a good thing.
Christianity-within-life helps convey a sense of authenticity – if I can mention church into conversation with a random stranger, naturally, without worry that they’ll think I’m any more of a freak than usual, then something’s going right.
There’s a parallel: I never liked in-church sub-groups based on age (“20s & 30s”) because if that’s all I’ve got in common with people, well, tough. OTOH if folks with which I have something in common are within +/-10yr of my age then so be it. It’s a matter of which is the driving force – not mistaking cause and effect. This generation says: first the inner reality, then the regularity of bums-on-pews will happen anyway.
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I like this, Tim. And I enjoy the fact that I can share a church-based giggle with someone I used to teach, someone who is the same generation as my children. But there needs also to be the regular dose of magic …
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My congregation is, mostly, an older age group. We have a youth service, a family service and Communion service at our bigger church in the district. This year I think I’ve probably attended three-quarters of the Sundays – all my children live out of town now and visits happen. Illness happens. Holidays happen. I do feel a joy and connection to my church family – but I’m fortunate to also see them around the town. Importantly, they’re friends as well.
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Mr B has just offered the thought that regular church attendance is rather like marriage – you can’t just give up when you feel like it. Strikes me as a pretty accurate comparison …
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