What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Tales of the City #8

    The scene is Glasgow Pride. The protagonists are making their way down Argyll Street in Finnieston. I am dressed in a black suit, clerical collar and small lapel ribbon in all the colours of the rainbow. The group I am with all carry colourful posters proclaiming “The Scottish Episcopal Church Welcomes You”. Mine is mauve. 

    A young man sidles up to walk beside me.

    Young Man: Hi!

    Self: Hello! Where are you from?

    Young Man: Well, Australia, actually. 

    The Young Man pauses.

    Young Man: I just, er, I just wanted to ask you something.

    Self: Oh, OK, ask away.

    Young Man: Well, are you real?

    Self: Oh yes, I’m very real.

    The Young Man gestures with his head towards the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence who, beautifully bedecked in Catherine Laboré style wimples and rainbow habits of various styles are waving a large rainbow flag in front of us.

    Young Man: Yes, but the nuns?

    The Young Man pauses.

    Young Man: They are not real. Right?

    Self: Right.

     

    ,

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Your email address will not be published.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

  • Anna Lindh

    I feel sorry for the Swedes, mourning their foreign minister. She was killed in an attack in a deparment store which I shopped in when I was studying in Sweden 6 years ago. It is the kind of thing that the Swedes themselves will mull over and grieve over for many months. It is yet…

  • Broadband for Bridge of Allan

    I've nearly finished getting the distribution of leaflets about broadband in Bridge of Allan out. They are going out with my “Focus o­n Bridge of Allan” Lib Dem leaflet. The organisers of the Bridge of Allan broadband campaign have set up an innovative scheme whereby the local primary school benefits if people sign up with…

  • Autumn

    The apples are nearly ready to start falling and the students are drifting back to the university. Autumn is here. The summer is over and we are not yet saved. (As the prophet says). There is a chill in the air some days too. Autumn crocuses will soon give way to frost.

  • Park of Keir

    How depressing – the Park of Keir hotel complex has been given the go ahead by the local authority. Ribbon development between here and Dunblane. A lovely wooded valley squandered for large sums of money.I've campaigned against this. At the moment it looks as though we have lost. There may be some kind of appeal…