Thursday 30 August 2012

Pulpits!

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Recently, I've been doing a bit of preaching.  On the Saturday in Assumption tide I popped up at the Stow Pilgrimage and wittered on about the BVM to a small gathering in Stow Parish Church which, although Presbyterian, rejoices in the dedication "St Mary of Wedale".  I do find C of S architectural ordering a pest liturgically speaking, as everything focuses on the pulpit and the altar is almost an afterthought.  My next outing is on Saturday when I am due to preach at the annual Festival of the Scottish Guild of Servers in St Peter's Lutton Place in Edinburgh, where the pulpit is rather splendid but made of marble and very chilly on the preachers hands if you lean on it for effect or emphasis.  This I learnt many moons ago when doing a student placement there from Theological College (the scence of my only ever encounter with Choral mattins with the Athanasian Creed recited on Trinity Sunday!!!).  Then it's a normal Sunday sermon in Spikey Mike's the day after.

I enjoy preaching and always have. I also often enjoy hearing stimulating sermons.  But sometimes it is an effort to find something elevating or even interesting to say.  I despise bland platitudes from the pulpit but sometimes that's what you get. Even from me (mea culpa!).   Earnest and heartfelt, but basically lightweight.  It often doesn't nourish me. Equally, too learned a discourse makes me recall the great sermon critique I encountered when a rookie curate in Glasgow: "And whit did that hae tae dae wi' the price o' Spam in Govan, Son?"  Now I sympathise with the preacher who has to perform every week to the same gathering of familiar faces, but I also know from experience it's easier to pitch your stuff at a group you know.  Guest preaching is actually trickier.  So prayer for us preacher now and at thour of our dearth!

Thursday 9 August 2012

Embra Festival

Time off in August as ever means hitting a wee bit of the Festival.  So far we've seen Jo Caulfield (good), a comic play on Politics by the title of "Coalition" (expect to see Phil Jupitus & Co in the West End in the near future at £30 a ticket rather than for just over a Tenner!), a one man show about George Formby (good fun) and "Allo, Allo" (joy for us oldies).  I do enjoy wandering the streets of Embra and spotting wandering celebs - spotted a Proclaimer near the Meadows this year, sat in Cafe nero at the next table to Simon Callow a year or two back.  Festival time is actually a time of year I enjoy a lot.