What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Guest Post: Beth Routledge on the Grosvenor Essay on Marriage and Human Intimacy

    During this blessed time of sabbatical, I’m going to let other people do some of the talking on this blog. I’ve not done any guest posts before but it seems right now. The first of these is this piece from Beth Routledge who is a doctor working in the NHS and an altar server at St Mary’s. Beth blogs brilliant things at The Road Less Travelled

    This week, the Grosvenor Essay on Marriage and Human Intimacy was published online [having been presented at General Synod in June]. This is a euphemistic title for a report into how the Doctrine Committee of the Scottish Episcopal Church feels about same-sex relationships. If you follow me on Twitter, you will be unsurprised to know that I was one of the alleged Twitterati who read it on Tuesday and ended up live commentating on all of the many ways in which it managed to offend me.

    In my opinion, it is poorly written, badly referenced, and riddled with factual errors, and on that basis, irrespective of what it actually said, I find it difficult to understand how the SEC allowed it to be freely released to the public. (more…)

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Your email address will not be published.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

  • Reviews

    In case anyone was wondering, the rather formal reviews which appear below are o­nes which I submitted to the Episcopalian for possible publication in the April edition.Yesterday was spent being appraised, dealing with chimney sweeps, speaking to people o­n the telephone, visiting someone in hospital, planning Easter, church correspondance, inspecting a newly tuned piano, sorting…

  • The Mysteries

    How can the mysteries of the faith be expressed o­n stage or film? Mel Gibson?s rather gory answer to this question is currently to be seen in cinemas across the land but for a more thoughtful and more fun version of the Passion with plenty of other biblical stories thrown in, take a look at…

  • Review – Resurrexit – Decani Music

    In the time since I was ordained some 7 years ago, there has never been a Holy Week in which someone has not telephoned to enquire where o­ne might find a copy of the Exsultet ? the ancient Easter hymn of praise. Sometimes the request is more specific ? where can o­ne find a singable…

  • Sermon – 7 March 2004 – Abram's line or Jesus's Brood

    One of the interesting revivals in recent years has been the huge increase in people looking for their ancestors. Geneology ? family trees and all that, has never been more popular. Many people have got used to the idea that you can search for anything on the internet and use it to try to do…