What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Christmas Day Sermon 2012

    Many of you will be aware that I recently have returned from a big sabbatical trip to churches in Canada and the United States.

    I was there to learn and reflect and grow and I did that by making contact with the most interesting folk I could find in church life on the other side of the North Atlantic.

    Inevitably I spent quite a lot of time poking around churches over there and coming from this cathedral, I was interested in what cathedrals over there were up to.

    Which is how I found myself in the National Cathedral in Washington DC just a day or two after the American Election in November.

    It is a mighty building. Far bigger than we are but when I saw it, it was not looking its best. Still recovering from an earthquake which wobbled all its stonework, they have netting strung all across the nave to catch falling fragments. So you stand in this enormous church unable to look up and appreciate the great spaces.

    Unable to look up, instead I went down. For underneath the nave is a maze of twisty passages which lead (more…)

8 responses to “Passion Sunday Sermon”

  1. Allan Ronald Avatar
    Allan Ronald

    Thank you for this excellent sermon.

    Reply
  2. Pam Avatar
    Pam

    Thanks for this sermon Kelvin. I now know more about spikenard than I did (which was nothing much!). And I also like the Gandhi reference.

    Reply
  3. Diarmuid o Avatar
    Diarmuid o

    Very thoughtful.. Love the Quote on the smell of justice.. Love etc. thank you!

    Reply
  4. RevRuth Avatar
    RevRuth

    According to my sources spikenard is a sharp smell, somewhere between mint and ginseng. Now you see, I had it more myrrh like, more heady. But I can see that mint and ginseng would be better at covering up rotting body smells.

    Reply
  5. kennedy fraser Avatar
    kennedy fraser

    Our associate priest (Bryan Owen) managed to get a spikenard candle for his sermon on Sunday

    Reply
    1. kelvin Avatar
      kelvin

      AND WHAT DID IT SMELL OF, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE?

      Reply
      1. Ruth Avatar
        Ruth

        As it’s the same family as Valerian, it may smell strongly of smelly feet – and (like Valerian) send cats into a state of frenzy…..

        Reply
  6. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/SPIKENARD-ESSENTIAL-Nardostachys-jatamansi-10ml/dp/B002RJL4C0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363812646&sr=8-1

    Reply

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