I’ve been called quite a lot online this week.
- Anglican Mainstream was referring to me as the Provost of Glasgow. I’m not,of course. The provost of a city in Scotland is its civic leader, like a mayor. In any case, Glasgow has a Lord Provost. I’m the Provost of St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow.
- Similarly, I was referred to as the Dean of Glasgow Cathedral. Well, I’m a Provost not a Dean. (Provosts run Scottish Episcopal Cathedrals, Deans do a job a bit like an Archdeacon in England). Also, there are four cathedrals in Glasgow, and I don’t work in the one popularly known as Glasgow Cathedral – that’s Presbyterian these days.
- Ruth Gledhill referred to me as Scotland’s Provost the Brave, which was more positive than I expected. However, I’m not particularly brave.
- Fr Madpriest said the kindest things. (He’s been nice to me several times recently, time to worry). Blessings be upon you, Fr as you have a mancold at the moment. As a fellow sufferer, though one who is suffering with greater fortitude than you, all I can say is, pull yourself together man.
- Best of all though is the correspondent on Stand Firm who tried to call me a rogue priest, but could not spell. Thus, I was designated a rouge priest.
Rouge priest?
Its a badge I will wear with pride.
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Rouge priest
Like Vivaldi or have you been overdoing the make up? Somehow, I think if you did wear make up it would tastefully understated and not a Joan Collins job, so I’ll go for the Red Priest accolade.
Following your links to these comments on line about you, I am pretty revulsed by the loveless and narrow-minded attitude of some of these so-called church-goers. Personally, if it weren’t for the holistic, loving and pragmatic attitude taken by you and others, I think I would have abandonned organised religion long ago.
Before St. Mary’s, going to church always demanded such ethical and human compromises of me. But abandoning the vision of Christian hope seemed like such a drastic move, especially when raising four children. Your role in all the above dialogue happily confirms to me that I can bring them to the church’s doorstep on a Sunday morning without my old exhortation to listen just to the music and ignore most of whatever else you see and hear.