Viewing all items in Resource Category: St James The Least of All
The elderly Anglo-Catholic vicar, Eustace, continues his correspondence to Darren, his nephew, a low-church curate recently ordained…
- The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren I am not the least surprised you have got yourself into trouble; innovation is never to be encouraged. New ideas tend to cause revolutions. The move from incandescent lightbulbs to energy saving ones may ultimately change the Church of England. Change is something everyone claims...On why a church should always resist change
- The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren Visits from your parishioners to our church are always welcome. But I did not expect them to return to you complaining because our pews are uncomfortable. Pews are meant to be uncomfortable. The unshakeable belief of our congregation is that the more uncomfortable the pew,...On why pews SHOULD be uncomfortable
- The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren Winter certainly exposes the difference between those of you who live in cities and us rural folk. While you bask in your centrally heated flat, and complain about the half an inch of slush outside, we country folk wear overcoats in our houses, open all...On why rural church-goers like to freeze in church
- The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren So, you have just attended a course on ‘Diary Management’, to get you prepared for another year. If you had visited me, I could have told you all you need to know in half the time. Allow me to provide you with useful information which...On how to run your Diary for 2024
- The Rectory St James the Least of All My dear Nephew Darren Carol singing is not what it used to be. My fond memories of a group of choristers, muffled in scarves and overcoats, carrying lanterns, and walking from door to door in the snow, as they sang ‘While shepherds watched …’ had to be...On how to make the most of carol singing
- The Rectory St James the Least of All My dear Nephew Darren I hear you have joined the committee which wants to convert the waste land between the abandoned soap factory and canal in your parish into allotments – although I would have thought there were holier sorts of conversions you could have concentrated on....On using Glebe land for allotments
- The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren In the unlikely event of ever being put in charge of designing the course for those being trained for ordination, I would make a few significant changes. Modules on doctrine, Church history and Greek would all be dropped as unnecessary. In their place, I would...On the perils of Harvest
- The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren Beware of being invited by bishops to drop round for a chat. My first mistake was to answer the phone when he rang; what are answerphones for, but to avoid having to talk to anyone – ever. My second mistake was not to be able...On the absurdity of a vicar ever retiring
- The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren Your suggestion that every month at clergy meetings, someone should review a book of theology they have been reading, was bound to be greeted with uneasy resistance. It would mean that the majority would have to start opening books, rather than just occasionally dusting them....On why it is so hard to read
- The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren Since I happened to be in your area last week, I tried to call in at your church, and was sorry to find it was locked and bolted, with surveillance cameras watching me. We tend to be a little more relaxed about matters of security....On why we don’t bother to lock the church
- The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren Despite my assurances that it was unnecessary, it was kind of you to loan us your sound equipment, so we could experience the advantages of using radio microphones in church. Your assurance that everyone would then be able to hear with absolute clarity seemed to...Beware the church microphone
- The Rectory St James the Least My dear Nephew Darren I am afraid we shall have to agree to disagree on yet another topic – although I suspect the list of items that we agree to agree on would be considerably shorter. I like to think my appreciation of hymns resembles a connoisseur of fine...Beware those modern choruses