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"From the Vicar"
Regular reflections from the Great St Mary's clergy team. You can also read these reflections by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, the eMag:
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To live is to change
I have been blessed to work for some very good bishops in the dioceses of Lichfield, Coventry, and Oxford. My beloved Bishop (and friend)...
amd215
Sep 2, 20212 min read
The heat is on
As this is a double edition of the eMag, I am writing my letter early — and I happen to be writing it on what is technically the last of...
amd215
Aug 19, 20212 min read
Be kind to one another
Last Sunday I was worshipping in York Minster. The words of the Epistle, as always, struck at my heart: Be kind to one another,...
amd215
Aug 12, 20211 min read
Running the Race
I was pinged on Sunday last — and thus began four days of hardship and suffering as I was forced into self-isolation. However, to...
Great St Mary's Ministry Team
Jul 30, 20212 min read
Charity and Love
In his speech to the House of Commons last week in the debate on overseas aid, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said: I know that a deep...
Devin McLachlan
Jul 22, 20211 min read
Inclusion and change
Today's reflection is from the Associate Vicar, Rev'd Devin McLachlan "It's not inclusion if you invite people into a space you are...
Rev Devin
Jul 15, 20212 min read
Ponder anew
In a PS at the end of last week's 'From the Vicar' I said that in the Hebrew Scriptures, the word for 'glory' derives from the Hebrew...
Devin McLachlan
Jul 8, 20212 min read
A spectacular Friday concert
Alina Vorobyeva (clarinet) and Anastasia Matkovskaia (piano) stunned us with the quality of their music at a recital in Great St Mary's,...
Great St Mary's Ministry Team
Jul 3, 20212 min read
Heavy stuff
Last September - which feels like a very long time ago indeed - Shirley was ordained priest and David deacon. This coming weekend, David...
Devin McLachlan
Jul 1, 20212 min read
On the avoidance of spiritual bunions
I enjoyed sharing a piece from The Times with my ordained colleagues a couple of weeks ago. Titled 'Clergy were martyrs to medieval...
Devin McLachlan
Jun 24, 20212 min read
Refugee Week 2021
This week's reflection is written by our curate Andrew Day ‘God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble’ [Ps. 47.1]...
Great St Mary's Ministry Team
Jun 17, 20212 min read
Earthly Powers
Tomorrow is the beginning of the G7 summit in Carbis Bay in Cornwall. The UK Government's stated aim is to 'use the UK’s G7 Presidency to...
Devin McLachlan
Jun 10, 20212 min read
Get me to the church on time
This week's reflection is from the Associate Vicar My family was notoriously late for church. All the time. Notoriously, because my...
Rev Devin
Jun 3, 20212 min read
More masque than mask
This Sunday is the feast of the personae - three of them to be precise. A persona is now typically defined as relating to an aspect of...
Devin McLachlan
May 26, 20212 min read
... also the Holy Ghost, The Comforter
Scripture seems to assert that the Spirit is fire - 'flame of incandescent terror' if T. S. Eliot is to be believed. Moses and his...
Devin McLachlan
May 20, 20212 min read
Zoom
Join me, if you would, in my liturgical TARDIS. The clock is set for exactly 500 years ago today. It’s Ascension Day 1521, and we find...
Devin McLachlan
May 13, 20212 min read
Being Nuts
Human beings are a work-in-progress. There is no point at which we are ‘sorted’, finally formed and fully fledged. Physically,...
Devin McLachlan
May 6, 20212 min read
I got the jab
This week's reflection is from RevDevin, our Associate Vicar I debated posting about my vaccination status to Facebook and Twitter —...
Great St Mary's Ministry Team
Apr 28, 20212 min read
On Your Mark
Mark has been our Gospel this Lectionary Year, and his Feast Day is on Sunday. At the end of the eMag you'll find an essay on Mark's...
Great St Mary's Ministry Team
Apr 22, 20211 min read
Sound Centres
As an American, spending the week in coversation with University, civic, and ecclesiastical authorites about Prince Philip has been...
Great St Mary's Ministry Team
Apr 15, 20211 min read
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