Just back from Dundee where I attended the 25th anniversary of the consecration of my Catholic colleague, Bishop Vincent Logan. I must sit down with him – he could tell me some things I need to know. As always, one feels completely at home – the worship, the people, the robes, the friendship. And yet we still have the madness of being unable to share the eucharist – the sacrament of unity – together. And then there are the more subtle and wonderful differences. We have nothing to match the exoticism [and broken English] of the Apostle Nuncio. And I am always fascinated by all the busyness around the altar – people moving all the time like a sort of fluid tableau. And close to me were the people doing the signing – one of them with the most wonderful red/orange hair. The ballet of the hands often seemed to express the spiritual truths of what was going on far better than the words. Maybe I should learn to preach in sign language alone. More use, probably, than the course in Powerpoint that I have been contemplating.
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I like the idea of the ballet of the hands. Maybe you should get one of those overhead mirror things that cookery demonstrators use. Then we could all see it. I’ve just read a book (‘The MacDonaldisation of the Church’)calling for use of mime in worship. It would certainly be good to get away from everything spoken or written.
Don’t waste time with the Powerpoint! One of the complaints about the evangelist we had working in our parish was that people felt he hid behind his Powerpoint. They wanted someone who came out from behind the machinery – otherwise the medium becomes the message.