Monday 21 November 2011

Celebration of the Nativity of Friedrich Schleiermacher

Two Beaker Folk in hi-viz and safety boots stomp to the platform placed in the area of the Worship Focus. They are of course the Theologischereflektoren.

Reflectors: Fredrick Scheldermacher!

All: No, try that again.

Reflectors: Froderick Shleidermocker!

All: mmmmmm....

Reflectors: Dietrich Schelduck!

All: Shall we just skip on to the sermon? Those beakers ain't gonna pour themselves.

Archdruid: Today we celebrate the birth of Fr.... -I mean Herr Schl... that bloke whose name is on the service sheet. And we reflect on all the great concepts he gave us. For surely if it were not for the man I affectionately think of as "Freddie Shaw", we would not have such fantastic words as "Gesinnung" and "Fertigkeit". Words with which I can baffle you as you probably thought they were Ernie and Bert in the German version of Sesame Street.
We can underestimate the importance of foreign words in theology - not just the German ones - after all, words such as kenosis and perichoresis - or even substantia - can mean whatever I want them to and therefore I can sound like I'm cleverer than you.

A moment's silence as we give thanks that no major theological works have ever been published in the Welsh tongue.

All: Don't want to push you, Eileen, but it's breakfast time. Can we just pour out the Beakers and go?

Eileen falls into a reverie as she contemplates the glories of the word "Zweckdenken" and wonders why English words aren't so romantic.

The sound of beakers being poured out, and feet pattering from the Moot House, can be heard. Please don't drink all the tomato juice - the Cook is planning some Italian thing for tea.

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