In the name of the Father and of the Son and the liberating, loving, life-enhancing Holy Spirit. Amen.
Many of you will be aware that I’ve recently been on holiday and that this is my first Sunday back following several away relaxing by the Mediterranean. I enjoyed reading and chilling-out by the pool. In all my prayers and devotions each evening, I prayed that the Good Lord would transpose the sublime sunshine from the Med up here to Glasgow.
And lo! See the power of prayer. (more…)
[…] on Sunday, Fr Chucks celebrated his first Holy Communion and Evensong as a Priest. Provost Kelvin preached a delightfully personal sermon addressed to Chucks in which he drew some parallels between the season of Epiphany and […]
It’s not really so hard to pronounce Chukwuemeka. Divide it into 2 parts: Chukwu / emeka
You can surely manage ‘chook – woo’
and ‘ay – may – kah’ (maybe the ‘ay’ should be ‘eh’ ?) Stress on ‘may’ I think.
Even doing him the honour of saying one or other half of his name would be something! I believe its meaning is ‘God has done something great’ . Chucks seems somewhat undignified by comparison. So we might at least do something decent and make our muscles work a little differently.
But then, I’m an enthusiast for the idea that the learning to use muscles differently is an important part of a process of getting to appreciate another person & culture.
All that aside, a fine sermon, thanks.
Thanks DementedBonxie
I don’t really have trouble with his name – I’ve got used to baptising lots of babies with Igbo names in recent years.
Chucks is the name that he is happy to go by amongst both Igbo and English speakers.
We did decide the other night that Bishop Gregor did need to use Chukwuemeka in full at the ordination.
I found both Friday and Sunday very emotional. Occasions like these days affirm my own belief in God. It was wonderful to see Chuks ordained by the Bishop but the huge hug you gave Chuks and your smile as you were doing it said it all for me 🙂 He’s a treasure, and such an amazing addition to our clergy team-truly a God-given gift to us. It just speaks volumes for inclusion, diversity, tolerance, and all those other qualities I feel are so lacking in other denominations ( including the one from which I come).
I thought your sermon was wonderfully moving and I don’t mind admit to shedding tears as you spoke, and as Fr Chuks gave the blessing at the conclusion of the service, and at Evensong too, but I’m like that over things I really care about in this world.
I know it’s been a journey requiring patience, application, and negotiation. Thank you Kelvin for your part in making this wonderful thing come to pass.
The middle part of the sermon was dedicated, I presume, to Tilly, of blessed memory.
Tilly (the Cat) has hairball trouble. Well, I have trouble with it, she doesn't seem to care. We have been given Hairball Mixture which comes in a tube. The packaging suggests that you offer it to the cat on a spoon. Well, madam enjoyed that little charade. The alternative suggested is that you rub the…
I've started to prepare the Christmas services. Every year prior to this one, I have been caught out and ended up getting everything sorted out far too late. This year it will be different. I have a hunch that the choir are going to want to sing the Shepherd's Pipe Carol at Midnight Mass and…
I'm racing to get through From the Holy Mountain before the book club meets tonight. I last read it when I was going off to Egypt in 1997, just before I was ordained deacon and I had forgotten how rich a read it was.Part of yesterday was spent doing open heart surgery to a computer to…
I've been listening to the most amazing Armenian Chant on the web – beautiful, measured, holy. What a long way we are in the UK from the liturgical form which we need. Chant has never, ever been more popular and yet all that most people get fed in church in Scotland is the Victorian Dirge…
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