Nard

Foot washing... I didn't volunteer to have my feet washed last night, but it is something that has been much on my mind. I remember 2009, when I was in Christchurch (near Bournemouth) for work on Maundy Thursday, and couldn't get to a service due to clashing rehearsals but felt drawn enough to the events of Holy Week to try to do something; I walked to the ocean and let the sea wash my feet. It...

A Psalm for a Fabric Day during Passiontide

Forgive us, Lord, for we have been hasty : yea, so hasty that we have knocked over Last Year's Paschal Candle. In all fairness, the stand was a bit wobbly : but the incense studs did verily fall out. We searched, and four pins were found : Yet one remains lost from our sight. High and low we searched for it : Even unto behind the shelf full of hymnals. We have kneeled and prostrated ourselves in...

Recession and Evangelism

This morning a Twitter friend linked to a Telegraph article about the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, on a visit to Trent Vineyard church. I haven't watched the video of the interview with Caroline and Justin Welby, as it's private at the moment. I'm aware that the Telegraph may have presented a certain viewpoint, which may lead readers to a slightly different impression of what...

Evensong at St Paul’s — from the inside

This week I am singing with the Ontario Cathedral Singers as they are doing a "cathedral week", singing services in cathedrals while the regular choristers are away. I met their director, and had an organ lesson with him, this past summer while visiting my parents in Canada. We've sung two services in St Paul's so far. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we'll be at Southwark Cathedral for Evensong at 5.30pm,...

Online Carols 2012

Last year I got a direct message from a Twitter acquaintance, asking if I'd like to contribute to an online carol service. It seemed like a good idea, so I did. That service was a good one to be able to attend, and I enjoyed working on it. Afterward, I was particularly struck by some of the feedback from people who would otherwise be unable to get to any Christmas services. This year, last year's...

On the ordination of women — a personal note.

I haven't always been Christian. I was brought up in the United Church of Canada. I think it's fair to say that, on some level, it didn't "take". There are many reasons for this, but a key one is that my relationship with a minister was extremely difficult, and that people close to me also had difficult relationships with him and with other ministers. That relationship coloured my interactions...

Good problems

It's getting near the time for the annual Carol Service at St Andrew's Leytonstone, and rehearsals started last night. For the Carol Service we have a "Community Choir" -- people from the community, and people from church who don't usually sing in the choir, join us for four rehearsals (plus a run-through on the day) so that we can do some repertoire that just won't work with lower numbers. The...

General advice during General Synod, part II

Well, that's a bit embarrassing. For the measure on women in the episcopate to pass, it needed a 67% majority in all of three houses: bishops, clergy and laity. It got 94% in the House of Bishops (Yes 44; No 3; Absentions 2), 77% in the House of Clergy (Yes 148; No 45) , 64% in the House of Laity (Yes 132; No 74). So it lost by a whisker, really. Six votes -- or fewer than that and a few...

General advice during General Synod

The Church of England's General Synod is meeting today and tomorrow. They'll be discussing the Living Wage, other important matters, and also the latest attempt on legislation to include women in the episcopate. Here are some things to remember: 1) We have already decided to have women in the episcopate. Whether it is right to ordain or consecrate women is not up for discussion. What Synod is...

Compline cards

We've been having sung Compline on the first and third Monday of the month at St Andrew's since September. I wanted to be able to give people something to take with them: something to help them pray during the week, perhaps, but also to stick on their refrigerator/corkboard/whatever to remind them about when the next services are. I didn't want to just give them a pew slip from the day before,...