Letters from 30 May to
5 June 2004
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The (un)common cup
ONCE
AGAIN I
HAVE ENJOYED reading your front-page leader. A recent
one was super -- and good
to read of statistics that might have been from the current year let alone
the 1940's. I was rather struck this week by your comments on receiving communion
either by intinction or by a common cup; the parish you visited seemed
to have the right balance in providing one of each. Mind you, it has never
been an issue in any of the parishes I have served in -- and the prison I
was once a chaplain to. I have always assumed that anyone intincting their
communion bread into the wine has got something that they don't want anyone
else to catch (ie common cold or flu or worse etc) After yesterday's Parish
Eucharist as I was saying goodbye at the door an elderly gentleman said that
he hadn't been to receive communion because he had cold sores on his lips.
I was delighted to invite him to come forward another time and simply dip
the wafer into the cup. He seemed relieved by this suggestion and I think
next time he will do just that.
When I was in the
prison chaplaincy service it was at the time when one of the first deaths
occured from AIDS and it was sadly a colleague from another prison. This
of course gave everyone the opportunity to make all sorts of quips and comments
but we continued with sharing a common cup. The more I have thought about
it the more convinced I am that if it was that easy to catch unwanted bugs
from the common chalice then the number of clergy off sick would be out of
all proportion to other members of congregations. The fact that they aren't
seems to suggest that my suspicion is true, that you can't catch much from
the chalice, provided that everyone keeps the simple rule: of dipping when
you have something you don't want anyone else to get!
Keep on the good witness.
Reverend Lindsay Dew
United Benefice of Thornhill and Whitley Lower
Thornhill, Dewsbury, ENGLAND
31 May 2004
Marriage vows in their
proper place
D.C.
TOEDT WROTE LAST WEEK about
reaffirmation of baptismal vows, and mentioned that, I'm starting to wish
that weddings, too, could be conducted as modest but joyous congregational
events celebrated at the regular Sunday services.
It must be a diocesan
or parish option, perhaps, but my wife and I were married during the 11 a.m.
service in March of last year. Our pastor was quite supportive of our choice
-- and for me, there was really no other. I've belonged to our parish for
over 22 years, and felt that this is indeed my family, and most especially
my choir family. It was certainly a modest service, since it was during Lent.
Joyous? Indeed! Our choir sang an anthem that has special meaning for me
and mine ('God Be in My Head,' setting by K. Lee Scott) and I will long cherish
that memory.
Apparently, the practice
of marriage during the regular Sunday service isn't unknown, as I know of
a few other couples who have done so, one couple a former choir director/organist
and her husband, both of whom are my son's godparents. I would encourage
others who think they might like to make their vows in front of their congregation
to investigate that option. It may well be possible.
R. Frederick
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
Panama City, Florida, USA
1 June 2004
Assistance needed in
South Africa
PLEASE DOES ANYONE
KNOW of a weekend or day silent retreat that I can attend? I really feel
that I need this, as so many things are going on in my life. I need time
to be still. I have no transport which makes makes more difficult. Can anyone
help?
Debra Scott
St Edmund's Church
Kempton Park Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA
debra.scott@intl.fritolay.com
1 June 2004
Controversy between
the covers
I'M WONDERING IF
ANYONE has read 'The Pagan Christ: Recovering the Lost Light', by Tom Harpur? He
is former Anglican priest, Rhodes Scholar, and has been a religion columnist
for the Toronto Star for quite some years. He has written several books.
This one is quite controversial. I would love to hear some comments.
I love Anglicans Online.
David T. Brown
St. Peter's Anglican Church
Campbell River, British Columbia, CANADA
diggerb@telus.net
2 June 2004
Some say Whit, some
say Pente, we say both are just fine
'ONCE KNOWN AS
WHITSUNDAY'?! What! That is still its name in the 1662 BCP, the standard prayer book of
the C of E and the C of A (Australia). Indeed, the prayer book of the historic
King's Chapel, Boston (to which I also belong) in addition has Sundays after
Whitsunday rather than Trinity. (The BCP does refer to 'Pentecost', in the
Table of Vigils and in the lesson from Acts.) But I wonder why some with-it
worship-leaders, a wee witless, in dropping the old familiar name withdraw
in this way from the wider world.
'Pentecost' may speak
to some of Pentecostalism, or better still pentecostal fervour. 'Whitsunday',
however, I suspect rings more bells, reminding us of Whit walks, and Whitsunday
ales, and the poet's 'Whitsun Weddings' and the Whitsundays welcoming wanderers
off the coast of Queensland.
Notwithstanding this
unwonted waywardness, your web site of course was as wise and wonderful as
ever.
The Revd Dr John Bunyan
St John the Baptist's, Canberra
Campbelltown, AUSTRALIA
jrbpilgrim@bocnet.com.au
6 June 2004
Earlier
letters
We launched our 'Letters
to AO' section on 11 May 2003. All of our letters are in our
archives.
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