Here’s the video of yesterday’s sermon – somewhere along the way I’ve managed to lose the text, but the video is here in full. It is about Adam and Eve and about how their story is about now not then. There’s a nod to temptation and a chocolate boutique. I had the atonement in the back of my mind when I was writing it. Oh, and I included a semicolon. See if you can spot it.
Fred and Leanne’s comments, way off the mark when it comes to St Mary’s but true to a large extent about other churches, make me realise that a vital element of the new militant atheism/ secularism (not to be confused with multiculturalism as it is totally intolerant of difference) is its online presence. Everyone likes being smug and to be a smug theist you have to spend a considerable amount of time in a good library but to be a smug atheist you need about 3 minutes online watching a video clip of someone untrained in ontology or ethics (but, say, a professor of biology) expound on Being and preach amorality. Bingo! An easy rant to borrow down the pub. It’s the Tractarian approach to evangelisation. Give it to em in byte sized chunks.
“totally intolerant of difference”? You mean the Mainline Protestant churches and semi-Churches (Unitarians and Quakers) of North America, who’ve been preaching “Celebrate Diversity” for over 40 years while still remaining over 95% White and middle/upper middle class? “We hope to represent the future of religion”; odd, you’ve somehow managed to have a median age of 57+. Barely 9% of any Mainline Protestant body is under 31 years old.
The Tea Party and Republican National Convention are more “diverse” than these groups.
About as vibrant and colorful as skim milk.
Again, why bother? You either have the worst programs to “represent our neighborhoods in our churches” or you just don’t mean it.
I think it is very clear, Fred that Alan is not talking about mainline protestant churches in North America.
It was very obvious to me that the issues over race and ethnicity there are very far removed from what we experience at St Mary’s and I think in the UK generally.
That isn’t to say all is perfect but it is to say that things are very different here.
St Mary’s is very ethnically diverse, and a heck of a lot less than 95% white and does not draw its members from one income-bracket either … nor is our median age in its fifties, I would think. Nor have I ever heard any of us suggest that one has to be religious to be moral. It would of course be wrong to be smug about these things, but then – we are all a little wrong from time to time, aren’t we?
There have been a few (episcopal) head over the parapet moments recently that should not go unspotted. Firstly, Bishop Idris’s interview on Good Friday. (I was too occupied listening to Fr Primus preaching on Good Friday that I did not spot it at the time). It can be found here. Then there was Bishop Robert’s…
Have been in Englandshire for a few days r & r following a conference in Oxford. They have funny money down here but they do have Choral Evensong just like we do. Who would have thought?
Never forget Miss Doris’s natal day Sing along now. (And make this one a prayer). [youtube:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AxpXG2wQ-MQ]
Fearing that the Anglican Communion does not have enough controversy, division and dissent, I must ask you to respond to the following questions: Gaiters – yes or no? Gaiters on Provosts (or Cathedral Deans) – yes or no? Gaiters on this Provost – yes or no? The picture on Bishop David’s blog will provide you…
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