Pre-Lent Round-up

A moving Remembrance of the Alamo this morning, I thought. We held a moment's silence for those that gave their lives so bravely for the Scots as they threw the English out of Mexico, especially remembering John Wayne, Mel Gibson and James Stewart [Burton, can you please check?]


But 6 March is a day full of these odd anniversaries. Who, for example would have thought, that Jonathan Creek and Rufus Hound share a birthday? That out of the hundreds of comedians that have ever existed two should actually share a birthday might actually encourage people with no statistical awareness to believe that "there's something in" astrology. Except that, obviously, it's simpering hogwash.


But in a sure sign that I'm short of inspiration today, there's a few things out there in the Wide World of Web that have caught my eye. I'm indebted to Simon Sarmiento for noting that, in an article quoted by Anglican Mainstream, the CEN's proof-editor is having a day off:


"We have come a very, very long way from ‘Clause 4’ and the ban on promoting homosexuality in schools, now that is compulsory and Christian belief is positively harmful."


Clause 4, Section 28 are, after all, very similar. The commitment to nationalisation was a founding principle of the Labour Party, until eventually abandoned under Tony Blair's party leadership. The other was introduced by the Tories and removed under.. oh. Tony Blair. OK, they have one thing in common then. I feel the sentence above could have been more carefully written in other ways as well. I take it that it's promoting homosexuality that the writer considers is now compulsory.


Clayboy's been trying his hand at metrical psalms. A cause dear to my heart, as representing the English church before the 19th Century clerical clampdown came into being and reduced the musical executive to being, as it mostly became, the schoolmistress or the vicar's wife and the children. Dear me, Tommy Hardy, how you'd rejoice to see such metrical imagination. It goes nicely to Aurelia ("The Church's One Foundation") as well.


Meanwhile, Revd Lesley has something to say about the Anglican Covenant. I've not actually been over there for a day or two - just call it a guess. I'm not quite sure exactly what she's saying, but it can probably be summarised as "no".


And finally the Ordinariate Portal has the latest round-of of people joining the Ordinariate. And while I wish those heading from Canterbury to Rome well, and hope and pray they are blessed and bless in their new roles -  I can't help thinking that they're using the same technique to inflate apparent numbers as Gordon Brown  would use with spending announcements. Announce someone's going to leave. Then announce their leaving. Then announce their deaconing. And then their priesting. Every little helps.