• Sermon – the parable of the sower

     

    The church is completely obsessed with one topic.

    Whenever you go to church meetings there is one thing that dominates everything and has done so for at least the last 15 or 20 years.

    We talk about it endlessly. Whether it is local regional chapters, diocesan synod, General Synod or even the meetings of the Anglican Communion such as the Lambeth Conference which gathers all the bishops of the communion together every 10 years, there is sure to be this one item on the agenda.

    Reports are written.

    Debates are had.

    Motions are passed.

    Decisions are made.

    All in relation to this topic which has seemed to dominate absolutely everything we do.

    People (by which I mean me) are bored to the back teeth of hearing about it and yet still we go over and over it all again at every meeting.

    Bishops and archbishops make statements about it. And our concern is matched by similar conversations in other denominations.

    Who would like to hazard a guess at what that topic is?

    Is it wonga?

    Is it assisted dying that Lord Carey has been highlighting rather unhelpfully this weekend?

    Is it sex in general and homosexuality in particular?

    Well, (more…)

3 responses to “Another day, another new ministry now begins”

  1. Eamonn Avatar

    Thanks be to God. I have family in New Westminster, and have been visiting there for the last 13 years. So I am acutely aware of how difficult and painful things have been in some parishes.

  2. Eamonn Avatar

    Interestingly, though +Michael Ingham has taken a great deal of flak over the blessing of civil partnerships, the pressure to provide a service of blessing came initially from the laity, about 20 years ago.

  3. Father Ron Smith Avatar

    Thanks for this, Kelvin,

    I’m taking the liberty of putting this on my ‘kiwianglo’ web-site in New Zealand.
    We are always interested in your comments on the Anglican Communion around the world, and appreciate this titbit from your visit to New Westminster. Enjoy your sabbatical. God bless you and renew you for your return to Bonny Scotia.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Posts

  • Last Chance

    Last chance to sign the petition on marriage equality today and tomorrow. Go on. How often do you get the chance to give other people the best day of their lives? Make people happy. Help open all the sacraments to all the baptised.

  • An Inspector Calls – Theatre Royal (Review updated)

    Stephen Daldry’s production of An Inspector Calls is a thundering, brooding, iron-clad show which makes for a very safe bet on a February Friday night in Glasgow. It is a delight that in such a manicured production as this, the play still shines out as being interesting in itself. Notwithstanding the big-bucks set and the…

  • Ash Wed Lemon Wrapup

    Well I must congratulate the serving team at St Mary’s last night. They produced the most succesful ash I’ve every used and then presented me with more lemons than I’ve ever seen. The ash comes from burnt palm crosses, mixed with oil and the secret ingredient. The secret ingredient is what makes the mark so…