So the Spirit placed me this morning in the pulpit at St Andrews, St Andrews attempting to proclaim the resurrection – when all around me they were dealing with the ‘little death’ of their Rector Bob Gillies’ election as Bishop of Aberdeen. It reminded me so much of my own departure from Seagoe – where one recognised the twin realities of these moments: ‘they want me to be their bishop’ and ‘I’m going to have to clear the attic after all.’
And then we moved on to have a congregational meeting about the sexuality issue and its impact on world anglicanism. It was fascinating – not least because that congregation in a university town is itself world anglicanism in microcosm. I learned a lot.
On the way home, Alison and I had a cycle in Tentsmuir Forest – which lies between Tayport and Leuchars. Very beautiful and very deserted – we met a fox having a Sunday afternoon stroll.
I think I can reassure you on that point!
One hopes that their Rector’s ‘little death’ was not in the French sense of that term!