• Sermon preached for Lent 1, 2013

    Here’s the video.


    And here is the text:

    One of my favourite stories about St Mary’s is one that I’ve heard several versions of. It concerns one of my predecessors as Provost here.

    He had been here for a couple of months and thought that things were going OK. And then suddenly a letter appeared from a member of the congregation. (It may be that person is still here and just about to write to me in similar terms, so I’m taking a risk in telling this story).

    The gist of the letter was that its author listed the many ways in which the worship of the congregation had changed in those three months.

    See here, the letter writer wrote – see all the changes that you’ve made.

    And in the letter there was a list. In the version of the story I like the best there were 90 points listed but I don’t know whether we should allow a little bit of exaggeration in the telling.

    And the Provost in question had to confess (more…)

21 responses to “Are there any gay friendly Episcopal churches in Edinburgh?”

  1. Ryan Avatar
    Ryan

    Didn’t a wise man once say that all clergy are camp ;-)?

    Although the wedding show photo does feature hot *female* models! It’s the sort of thing one might find in nuts or zoo (er, one would imagine) ๐Ÿ˜‰

    1. kelvin Avatar

      OK.OK, I’m no more camp than any other member of the clergy who finds themselves dressed head to toe in gold on a catwalk with glamorous models.

      That’s not very camp, is it?

  2. fr dougal Avatar
    fr dougal

    Jargon explanation: “spikey” V. High Church. Incense, liturgical precision and stuff like Mass & Benediction etc.
    “boat boy” – small human being often male who carries the vessel with the incense grains in it.
    “camp” – default position of many Scots clergy, especially the spikey one’s:-)

  3. fr dougal Avatar
    fr dougal

    Re the class thing: Spikey Mikes has welcomed me in spite of my going to Beath High! Mind you, we do count a Nobel prize winner, a former Scottish Rugby international and the odd MP promoted to the Lord’s amongst our FP’s so…

  4. Robin Avatar
    Robin

    At St Columba’s this morning there was the usual welcome printed in bold on the front of the service sheet:

    “We believe God affirms all regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, background or ethnicity and we welcome any who wish to worship and share Communion with us. We welcome and support LGBT people, affirm their lives and ministries, and celebrate their relationships.”

  5. Ryan Avatar
    Ryan

    Ooh, we don’t get that at St.Silas! ๐Ÿ˜‰

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