| clergy | jews |
| laity | gentiles |
| choirmaster | god |
| choir | trying |
| robes | robes |
| flower guild | see above |
| psalter | rare book |
| book of common prayer | red book |
| common worship | read book |
| hymn book | new book |
| sunday school | lambs |
| baptised (C of E only) | sheep |
| the rest of us | goats |
| administrator | donkey |
| treasurer | bankrupt |
| PCC | deluded |
| eastenders | never watch it |
| cleaners | angels |
| wardens | heroes |
Only the Green party has approached this issue honestly, by accepting upfront that economic growth is the problem and that current levels of consumption cannot be sustained. It's time we called out the other parties on their failure to acknowledge, let alone tackle, this contradiction. And it's time we all recognised that consumption is the big issue.
The British islands are the Lord’s,
There Abraham’s God is known;
While powers and princes, shields and swords,
Submit before His throne.
"Take away my people, but leave my factories and soon grass will grow on theThis can clearly be applied to the church despite, it seems, obsessional efforts made to preserve our crumbling edifices... so in some ways it is brilliant that a church would readily survive their building, however, I wonder if we should challenge ourselves to question how essential 'church' buildings really are? After all the first Eucharist was celebrated in a rented room... no faculty required for that!
factory floors......Take away my factories, but leave my people and soon we will
have a new and better factory."
.
I was talking to a religious leader, someone who runs a congregation. She made it clear to me that on many days, it's just a job. A job like any other, you show up, you go through the motions, you get paid.Read the full post here.
I guess we find this disturbing because spiritual work should be real, not faked.
But isn't your work spiritual?
I know doctors, lawyers, waiters and insurance brokers who are honestly and truly passionate about what they do. They view it as an art form, a calling, and an important (no, an essential) thing worth doing.
Yeah...worship songs are "shipped in" to many churches... every now and again they get a new delivery. All the way from California or Australia (and Sussex!). Like crates of CocaCola being delivered. Now Cola is nice to drink once in a while, theoretically I've got nothing against it... but what about local ale... or beautifully matured wine from the local vineyard, real food that we all cook together, here and now? Where are the songs of THAT church? THAT town? THEIR hearts? How good would it be for people to find THEIR song, not the x-factor, big screen, 'every song sounds the same' song.
