Magic Statistics

The top-ranking clergymen in the Church of England will be hanging on Christmas trees all across the realm this year.  The gift and souvenir company St Nicolas has produced miniature versions of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Archbishop of York John Sentamu to be used as Yuletide decorations.  As the image at right indicates, the resemblance is imaginary slight.

Like the archbishop Dr Rowan Williams himself, the Canterbury decoration is distinguished by a Father Christmas-like white beard.

The York decoration may not bear the closest resemblance to Dr John Sentamu – the absence of his gap-toothed smile being the most obvious omission – but he has given it his blessing.

The fabric decorations are 6 inches tall and retail for £5.99 each.  A portion of the proceeds will go toward preservation of York Minster and Canterbury Cathedral.

NOTE TO BRITISH READERS:  Help!  I want to buy one of each of the archbishop Christmas decorations, but I have been unable to find them for sale online.  I found the website of St Nicolas, but they sell to wholesale clients only.  I searched through the main UK customers listed at St Nicolas but, as far as I can discover, the decorations are not for sale at their online stores.

If some kind soul in the UK would purchase a set of two and mail them to me, I would be eternally grateful.  I’d also reimburse all expenses.  (Providentially, one British pound has fallen to below two Canadian dollars.)  Please e-mail me at the address shown in my “about” box.

Merry Christmas!

h/t: Anglican Network in Canada newsletter, 25 October

UPDATE (29 Oct): My appeal for help has borne fruit. MadPriest left a comment yesterday informing me that York Minster’s gift shop says it will offer the decorations for sale by late November.  Then, early this morning, I received an e-mail from someone at Canterbury Cathedral advising me that the Archbishop of Canterbury decoration is now in stock at the Cathedral Shop, while the Archbishop of York decoration is not yet available. I'll watch York Minster Shop for that one.

Thanks to both my correspondents for the information.

Michael Moore’s latest crockumentary Sicko opened in the UK last week.  The Times of London columnist Minette Marrin calls it “dishonest” and “misleading” and advises readers not to bother seeing it.  Mr Moore’s glowing portrayal of Britain’s National Health Service is not one she—or British doctors—recognise.

Unfortunately Sicko is a dishonest film. That is not only my opinion. It is the opinion of Professor Lord Robert Winston, the consultant and advocate of the NHS. When asked on BBC Radio 4 whether he recognised the NHS as portrayed in this film, Winston replied: “No, I didn’t. Most of it was filmed at my hospital [the Hammersmith in west London], which is a very good hospital but doesn’t represent what the NHS is like.”

Moore’s biased film completely ignores the rampant scandal, wastefulness, and incompetent management now bedevilling the NHS—all apparently in the interest of encouraging his audience to be outraged at the alleged inquities of the American system.  And there’s more.

However, behind the pleasures of righteous indignation for him and his audience, there is something more sinister. There’s money in indignation, big money. It is just one of the many extreme sensations that are lucrative for journalists to whip up, along with prurience, disgust and envy. Michael Moore is not Mr Valiant-for-truth. He is Mr Worldly-wiseman, laughing behind his hand at all the gawping suckers in Vanity Fair. Don’t go to his show.

Ms Marrin also notes the irony of the famously fat Michael Moore extolling the virtues of the NHS at a time when the powers-that-be are debating whether obese patients should be refused treatment.

Previous related posts:

• Canadian health care system no more equitable than the American
• “Staffing time-bomb” at Britain’s National Health Service
• Medicare is officially bonkers
• Michael Moore blasts CBC for showing his movie

UPDATE (29 Oct.): Follow-up here.

The Anglican Diocese of Huron will hold its next synod meeting in the spring.  Bishop of Huron The Rt Rev Bruce Howe thinks that a motion in favour of allowing same-sex blessings will be probably presented, and he thinks it would pass.

It's "highly likely" Anglicans in the Diocese of Huron, which includes churches in Waterloo Region, will vote on same-sex blessings at their next decision-making meeting in the spring, the diocese's bishop says.

"I can certainly say it's highly likely that something will come forward," Rt. Rev. Bruce Howe said yesterday in a news conference in London, the seat of the diocese.

When asked if he thought such a vote would pass, Howe said "My guess would be yes."

Bp Howe hasn’t yet decided whether he would accept such a motion.  He would only say that it would have to pass by more than a bare majority for him to give it serious consideration.

His comments will certainly encourage pro-homosexual Huron Anglicans to present such a motion at synod.

Primate Fred Hiltz, who will preach at tomorrow’s 150th anniversary of the diocese, offered his two cents’ worth.

At yesterday's press conference, Hiltz, the Anglican primate, said in addition to Scripture the church considers reason, tradition and experience of the faithful to be important.

If he’s implying that the Anglican church sees reason, tradition, and experience as equal in authority with Scripture, he’s mistaken.  The Anglican church has never accepted such a view.

In some Anglican circles nowadays, one often hears references to the "three-legged stool" (Scripture, reason, and tradition) or the "four-legged stool" (Scripture, reason, tradition, and experience), often combined with claims or suggestions that those "stools" arise from the thought of theologian Richard Hooker (1554-1600).  That claim, however, is erroneous.  Hooker saw Scripture as supremely authoritative; church tradition and human reason are important but of secondary significance.  Experience has never had authoritative standing.

Is Bp Howe right to believe that a motion to approve SSBs will be presented at Huron’s next diocesan synod?  A look at the September issue of the diocesan newsletter Huron Church News would indicate that he is indeed.  About half of page 11 is given over to an article celebrating Integrity London’s participation in local Gay Pride indulgences festivities.

“[A]s long as there is one person who still feels ashamed of being who they are, we need Gay Pride.”

Well, I’m ashamed of being a sinner, but I don’t think Gay Pride is going to be of any help dealing with that.  Jesus teaches that repentance, not pride, is the pathway to forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God.

h/t: Pat Dague at Transfigurations

c/p: Anglican Essentials Canada Blog
 
Previous related posts:

• News concerning Niagara Synod meeting
• “No lack of scriptural argument” at Montreal Synod
• Primate sees no problem with Ottawa Synod resolution

Directly behind and overlooking Glasgow Cathedral rises the grassy mound known as the Necropolis.  Conceived in the early 19th century as Glasgow’s counterpart to Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, it became the burial place for the city’s rich and famous.

The monument to John Knox (1514-72) standing at the summit predates the establishment of the Necropolis by a few years.  The monument’s foundation was laid in 1825 in what was then known as Fir Park.  In 1831, the park was formally converted into a cemetery.

(As always, click on photos for larger views.)

The 12-foot John Knox statue, placed atop a 58-foot Doric sandstone column, shows the great reformer wearing a Geneva gown and holding a Bible in his right hand.

Interestingly, and perhaps surprisingly, this was the first statue of John Knox to be erected in Scotland and the building of it created enormous public interest. Knox was not buried below this memorial, but under what is now an Edinburgh car park!

That car park is behind St Giles’ Cathedral.

The next photo was taken with optical zoom.

The inscription at the base of the column reads:

"The Reformation produced a revolution in the sentiments of mankind, the greatest, as well as the most beneficial that has happened since the publication of Christianity."

In 1547 and in the city where his friend George Wishart had suffered, John Knox, surrounded with dangers, first preached the doctrines of the Reformation.  In 1553 on the 24th of August, the Parliament of Scotland adopted the Confession of Faith presented by the Reformed Ministers, and declared Popery to be no longer the religion of this kingdom.

John Knox became then a Minister of Edinburgh, where he continued to his death the incorruptible guardian of our best interests.

"I can take God to witness, he declared, that I never preached in contempt of any man—and Wise men will consider, that a true friend cannot flatter: especially in a case that involves the salvation of the bodies and souls, not of a few persons, but of a whole Realm."

When laid in the grave, the Regent said, "There lieth he who never feared the face of man, who was often threatened with dag and dagger, yet hath ended his days in peace and honour."

Many of the graves, monuments, and mausoleums on the Necropolis are now neglected and dilapidated, imparting a Gothic and Romantic atmosphere.  For many Glaswegians, the Necropolis seems to have become a city park.  On the day we visited, people were strolling up and down the winding pathways, some were lying on the grass enjoying the sunshine, others were picnicking among the headstones.

The summit affords wonderful views of the city.

The website of the Friends of Glasgow Necropolis contains a wealth of information.

Links to all my blog posts about British churches and Christian sites can be accessed through the box located at the top of the page.

Previous related posts:

• Glasgow Cathedral
• A Prayer of John Knox