Relatively Young!

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“Relatively young, not very young as you say” said the Mhinsteir while correcting me. We were talking about our trip to the cathedral when I had said something along the lines of “I am very young…..”. He is right. I am relatively young. I must have gotten carried away.

Anyway, this came about because as mentioned earlier we were talking about our trip to the cathedral a month ago. We were at the cathedral as the Mhinisteir had been invited for a special evensong.

I am not a fan of cathedral evensongs because it tends to go on and on but more importantly they like to do them by candlelight which I dislike as it is very difficult to read and follow the order of service.

Unusually, on this occasion, I did enjoy the evensong even though the choir could have looked less scruffy!

However, there was something in that service that bothered me but I didn’t know what it was. Thankfully after a day of contemplation, I knew exactly what it was – there was hardly any young person! The place was full of OAPs. At this point, I need to apologise to my fellow blogger Granny1947 for once again sounding ageist! By the way, do look her up. She writes candidly about life in South Africa.

I was quite surprised at myself for thinking that way but there really was hardly any young person. Why? English cathedrals are usually in cities where you will see many young people. We saw many on the way to the cathedral but none of them were inside! Why? I don’t really have an answer to that question but all I know is that we need to try harder.

Phantom Child

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Recently, I received a text message while I was attending a cathedral event with the Mhinisteir. The message read like this “Hi Mum I’m texting you off a friends phone as my phone has been smashed up. My friends phone battery is going so can you blah blah.….”

Nobody has ever called me Mum. That’s because the Mhinisteir and I have not had the privilege of becoming parents so I immediately knew that it was a scam. However, I couldn’t help wondering how it would feel to have someone call me Mum!

It’s amazing how even a scam text can play havoc with one’s emotions!

Inkpots & Other Observations

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This week has been a rather strange one for me. I usually glean my information for future blog posts from the various newspapers that I read but this week’s news have been saturated with the royal death. Anyway, this post will be based on some of my observations so far while trying not to make it too “monarch heavy”.

The King & His Inkpots

The new King has only been in new position for one week but has already been left flustered twice by inkpots and pens! Once at the signing of his proclamation and the second time was on Tuesday on his visit to Northern Ireland. It was unfortunate that on both occasions he came across as petulant. Maybe he was but why was he not assigned an aide? Whoever is in charge needs to rectify this and make sure that an aide is present by his side at all times. He is the King for goodness sake!

10 Days of Official Mourning

‘The Queen wouldn’t want fixtures postponed‘ those were the words of a sports presenter who will remain nameless. Sadly, that’s not the point. When the monarch dies, there are some events that need to be paused as a mark of respect. Furthermore, as this is a national event, resources for example like the police have to be deployed to attend to matters that are at hand. However, I do struggle to accept or understand when I hear that some council offices are closed for the whole mourning period preventing people from registering deaths etc. Our own cathedral shop too is closed! I don’t mind it being closed for one or two days as a mark of respect but for 10 days? They better not complain about loss of revenue!

Bank Holiday

The new King has put the kibosh on by declaring 19 September a bank holiday (public holiday), Among other things, hospital appointments have been rescheduled or cancelled. My own hair appointment had to be postponed to the following week. Personally I think that this is a much bigger and a more important occasion than the Jubilee celebration so have no problem with a bank holiday as such but what I fail to understand is why there doesn’t appear to have been a contingency plan in the event of Her Majesty’s death. Things appear to have been put together at the eleventh hour.

Her late Majesty was better prepared for her death than the nation because her coffin made with English oak had been ready for the last 30 years!

Trip to the Cathedral

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One Sunday in early May, the Mhinisteir and I were invited to attend a special evensong in the cathedral followed by light refreshments. I was a little excited about the trip.

Our cathedral is always cold so I decided to add a layer of thermal wear under my spring frock. We had to be there about half an hour before evensong commenced as the Mhinisteir had to robe.

We rarely sit together in church services because he is usually presiding or like on this occasion part of the procession which meant that he together with the rest of the procession were seated away from us.

I managed to sit with someone I know. That worked out well as we had plenty to chat about before the service. It was only when I was there that I realised what a grand event it was as it was attended not only by the local mayor but also by the Queen’s representative.

The cathedral was quite full but very few were wearing masks. I was among the few and kept it on at all times which meant that I didn’t partake in the refreshments.

All in all, it was a good trip to the cathedral especially as the sun was shining.

Loose Canon

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I think I have waited way too long to share this happy news; I had absolutely no reason to wait until the last month of the year!!!!

Sometime this year, the Mhinisteir was made an honorary Canon of the Cathedral. For the uninitiated, A canon is a member of the chapter which is headed by the dean of the cathedral. Together with the dean, the chapter have legal responsibility for the cathedral and for electing the bishop.

I still remember the day so clearly when the Bishop rang the Vicarage. Before he broke the news, the Bishop had asked the Mhinisteir if he was sitting down 😁

The collation service was a beautiful one and was well attended.

The Mhinisteir has since told me at least once as to what an honour this is; that unlike peerages, these titles cannot be bought!

I have reminded the Mhinisteir that although I have the utmost respect for clergy and their office, he still has to unload the dishwasher at home! 🤣

Unfair Headlines

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Church under fire in wake of Liverpool suicide bombing for helping asylum seekers to ‘game’ system

The above was the headlines in Wednesday’s Daily Telegraph. It is of course very unfair. I am irked! Apparently, these are the sentiments of the Home Secretary too.

There would be a massive public outcry if we were to remove the word Church and replace it with the name of any another religious institution. However, because it is the Church, the Home Secretary and the likes will get away with it.

Planet CofE

I have just come away from the online Chrism Service live from the Cathedral. I have been meaning to write this post for more than a few weeks now but just couldn’t gather my thoughts but I think I have now.

Something that the Mhinsiteir told me a few months back added to my disillusionment with the CofE. Before I continue, I just want to put the record straight. I am not planning to leave the Church of England or anything like that. My loyalty is towards Christ and there is no perfect Church on earth. However I think I am allowed to write about my disillusionment!:)

The Mhinisteir told me that he knows of a good few Clergy in the Church of England who don’t believe in the first 3 chapters of Genesis while there are others who don’t believe in the bible! Seriously??????? I was so shocked !!!!! Why do they then become Vicars? It can’t be the money. Probably for the title and the house. How discouraging it must be for a parishioner to know that their Vicar doesn’t believe in God or the bible? I would be. I don’t think most clergy realise that the moment they open their mouth they are revealing their heart to their parishioners!

Last week, there was an advert in the Church Times advertising for a Chief of Staff for the Archbishop of York. Chief of Staff? I wonder if the Archbishop of York is beginning to think himself to be the President of the United States! Sadly, he proves himself to be another toffee-nosed bishop!

Rural Churches are dying on their feet but the last thing the Church of England want to do is to provide a proper priest to these parishes. Instead they are wasting millions of pounds on worthless pen pushers and activities.

According to some rural parishioners that I have spoken to, rural parishes end up with poor quality clergy and so by the time the clergy leaves their post, they have successfully decimated the congregation. Once they leave, the parishes are refused clergy because the churches have become so small. What an irony!

Sadly our ABC and his cronies are playing the popularity game by always playing up to the media.

Someone wiser than me once said “If you live by the media, you will die by the media”

Curate Season

Another year and another new batch of Deacons in the Church of England will be going to their respective parishes to start their 3 year Curacy.  They will be known as Curates.

This year, we too are getting a new curate who will be with us for 3 years DV.  Sadly not all Curacies are success stories.  There is often a breakdown in relationship between the training incumbent and the curate which is very regrettable.

About a year or so ago, there was an article/letter in the Church Times which stated that most breakdowns are caused by Jealousy.  Not the curates, rather the training incumbent getting jealous of the Curate’s popularity.

Anyway, Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Ordination service has been postponed as the Bishop MUST lay his/her hands on the Deacons to ordain them.  Instead, We will have a welcome service via zoom.  Until the Ordination is complete, the curates will be known as PASTORAL WORKERS instead of REVERENDS. Something that some prospective curates are finding difficult – not to be able to use the dog collar just yet!!!

 

Speed dial

For some strange reason, parishioners past and present have this fancy idea that the Mhinisteir has the Bishop’s telephone number on speed dial.  Errm…. he doesn’t actually.

In any case, we have 24/7 access to God so who needs the Bishop’s number on speed dial?

From Crazy Golf to Helter Skelter

About ten days ago, it was the crazy Golf in Rochester Cathedral that made the headlines.  Yesterday, it was the Helter Skelter in Norwich Cathedral that made the headlines.

ABC: “If you can’t have fun in a cathedral, do you really know what fun is???”

My reply to that are Jesus’s words “And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” – John 2:16