What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Sermon preached on 4 August 2013

    I used to work in a church with murals. Well one mural. It wasn’t this church and it wasn’t these glorious murals. It was somewhere else entirely.

    (By which I mean Edinburgh).

    Throughout the late fifties, the sixties and early seventies, a sustained period of liturgical reform had happened. The altar had been pulled away from the wall. The priest now faced the people. The peace was shared and communion started to happen every Sunday. Those of you who have been around for a bit might remember that story from all kinds of contexts. Those who are new to Episcopal worship might be surprised to learn that how we do things is not in fact as old as the hills at all.

    Anyway, these liturgical reforms in this church had left a big space to fill. Somewhere along the way, the East Window had been bricked up and whitewashed over and now there was a giant wall to fill.

    And, of course, just as we can be sure that someone was heartily trying to encourage the congregation to sing Kum By Yah. so, inevitably, someone got to paint a mural.

    Unlike Gwyneth Leech’s paintings, which surround me here in this church. this was a rather less successful piece. (more…)

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10 responses to “Keeping the Feast”

  1. Stewart Avatar
    Stewart

    Having looked at the pcitures and read the blog, there is only one response – WOW!!!!

    Looking forward to next year when I hope to be present.

    Reply
  2. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    It really was very very good. And you are so right about the ‘easy to over do the gloomy events’ thing – I found myself thinking ‘and when one gets home after an evening service, late, tired, one fasts’ only to realise that no, actually, one feasts!

    Reply
  3. chris Avatar
    chris

    Glad to have some good pics of the event. It was the the assurance that God was in the midst of it all that was so overpowering – ritual can be a very liberating element, as I’m always rediscovering!

    Reply
  4. Stewart Avatar
    Stewart

    Put your date the diary – 7 July 2012

    Reply
  5. MadPriest Avatar
    MadPriest

    It all seems tickety-boo, Father, except for the fact that you should have used only red rose petals, liberated by the priest from various municipal gardens shortly before dawn on the day of the service, as is traditional. Also, I would have dragged a few urchins in off the street to accompany the priest as he scatters the petals. This is always a crowd pleaser.

    Reply
  6. ryan Avatar
    ryan

    Glasgow’s West End is too posh to have urchins… 😉

    NB love the monstrance and humeral veil! 😀

    Reply
  7. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    So disappointed to have missed it. Alas, the wee one was not up for rose petals yesterday evening. I do hope there will be a repeat next year.

    Reply
  8. Brother David Avatar
    Brother David

    OFF TOPIC –
    Padre Kelvin, I shared your post and the link to the glorious photos with Padre Bosco in New Zealand. And was reminded that St Mary’s has a connection. I thought that you may not have heard that Christchurch suffered more serious quakes earlier this week and the cathedral, with many other churches, businesses and homes, suffered much more damage. She lost her Rose window and large sections of walls with this last set of temblors. And although certainly no decisions have been taken, it is looking more like St Mary’s will loose her twin and some other type of building may rise in its place.

    Reply
    1. kelvin Avatar
      kelvin

      Thanks Brother David – I was aware of what’s been happening in Christchurch this week and have been remembering the people from there and specifically from the Cathedral there in my prayers.

      Reply
  9. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    Elizabeth, we may just have to go for doing it again and different – but still glorious.

    Reply

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