What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • The kind of political party I’d like to see

    I’m not a member of a political party at the moment, though obviously I have been in the past.

    Here’s the policies that would be to the fore in the kind of political party that I would like to see and which would get me back into making a more active engagement in politics:

    1. A burning desire to reduce absolute poverty across the United Kingdom
    2. An ambition to reduce relative inequality across the country.
    3. A narrative that focuses more on justice than nationhood.
    4. A reforming zeal for the institutions of government – House of Lords, PR and the EU Parliament to begin with but not limited to these.
    5. A localism that seeks to put power in the hands of local communities.
    6. An internationalism that seeks to redeem colonialism by unashamedly promoting progressive values (equality of men and women, LGBT rights, anti-corruption, anti-bribery) as it seeks to trade with the world.
    7. An ability to articulate what freedom for the individual means in a digital age.
    8. An acceptance that social security is here for the good of us all.
    9. A celebration of the relative peace and prosperity that the European Union has brought to a once warring continent
    10. A stable, mixed-mode economy.
    11. A secure National Health Service.
    12. Disestablishment of national churches

3 responses to “Six Points for Preachers”

  1. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    I think I would add: if it does not matter to you, yourself, then don’t imagine it is likely to matter to anybody else. Find, if you can, the point where your concerns and the concerns of the text cross. Better to say a very little that matters, than a lot which really does not.

    Also: read (to yourself, before you start) the whole passage you are going to speak on and read what comes before and after. You do not have to agree with it. You do have to enter into dialogue with it. Supine agreement of Scripture is not (in my opinion) required. Taking it seriously, is.

    Reply
  2. Dent-de-Lion » The Messenger

    […] Dent-de-Lion by admin Posted on November 2, 2012  Six Points for Preachers […]

    Reply
  3. Melissa Holloway Avatar
    Melissa Holloway

    I’ve noticed how uncomfortable preachers are with the word ‘love’. Discounting the times in is used in a pre-set theological phrase like ‘love of Christ’ as sort of a plug in, I rarely hear it in sermons.

    Its a reason to be Episcopalian – if the preacher avoids love, you can always hear it – or see it- or taste it – in the Eucharist.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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

Previous Posts

  • Hurrah for the Daily Mail

    Don’t miss the Mail’s revelations about Stephen Green, the ghastly leader of so-called Christian Voice. Perhaps the BBC will recognise that he is not an appropriate commentator on the likes of Elton John attempting to bring up a child now. Mind you, they regarded his hate-speech against gay folk as a reason for including him…

  • Tealights in Dublin?

    Its not easy to work out what’s going on in Dublin at the Anglican Primates’ Meeting which takes place there this week. There does not seem to be much in the way of independent reporting of it. There don’t seem to be any leaks and side-briefings this time as has become traditional at these events.…

  • Tilly – RIP

    The last couple of weeks have not been a good start to the year. In the middle of my illness last week it became apparent that Miss Tilly, who shared my life for the last 10 years, and my sister’s life for 6 years before that was considerably more unwell than I was. Last Tuesday…

  • Video Service: Conversion of St Paul

    I was much struck whilst I was off sick of how difficult it is to find liturgy online that makes you feel you've joined in with something. Quite a few churches in the states broadcast their services online now but I didn't find I enjoyed them terribly much. It was all rather big and rather…