Categories: uncategorized
Date: 09 June 2011 09:10:46
Kester Brewin has been making some interesting points about Pentecost which are worth reading. He explains that whilst we focus on the internationalist aspect we fail to appreciate often that this was an exclusively Jewish experience. Thus, he argues that we should celebrate Pentecost via lament.
This talk of inclusion and exclusion is something I find facinating and increasingly confusing. I would go on some spouting rant...but I'm actually not going to. Rather I'm going to change subject almost completely and look at some of the different words we use in the church.
"Tradition" - Church has two uses: 1) as something to be preserved and a word to be used when one wants to argue against change and 2) an insult which is bandied around as evidence of an attitude of mind which is against all change. World has various uses, some of which over lap with the church but also they have: retro - something to be explored and celebrated.
"Music" - Church definitions: 1) something we are very good at, 2) something which causes way too much division, 3) something that needs to be revisited at regular intervals in order to try and catch up with contemporary society. Worlds definition - something to party to or relax with.
I could go on, but I fear I will move into territory I should not. But I will to show the irony of the way the church brings people together with strange language and give 3 great examples from the process of becoming a local preacher which show how wonderfully different to the rest of the world the church can be.
"Reported upon" - this is where somebody gives a constructively critical summary of your preaching to the local preachers meeting.
"On Trial" - You are undergoing training to be a local preacher and have completed the first initial step of being "on note".
"Conversation" - Friendly interrigation to check you are called and are behaving appropriately and generally see how you are going on.
Thinking about this I wonder if the Stasi got their language from the Methodists or the other way round.
Oh and on another random tangent The Archbishop of Canterbury has been mixing religion and politics in a way not seen since the 1980's. Look out for the full article in tomorrows New Statesman.
Finally on the subject of clerics the new Bishop of Durham has been announced. Justin Welby is the next person we will have to remind ourselves we are talking about, rather than David Jenkins when we hear the words "the Bishop of Durham has said".