‘The sound of voices’

Linda Bongiorno
Monday 19 October 2020

Good morning,

Is tolarance a virtue? That was the question those thoughtful people at TruThink asked the Chaplaincy team to discuss recently. And now five contributions have been published, by two Quakers, a Humanist, the Cornerstone Chaplain and me. They are all worth reading, all take a different slant, and offer (in my humble opinion) a higher-than-average level of insight into this important question – a question brought into sharp focus by events in France yesterday, with the murder of a teacher possibly over the content of a lesson. Here is the link: https://truthink.co.uk/2020/10/16/is-tolerance-a-virtue/

While you’re on the website there are also some great articles, previous dialogues and reviews. And it’s all rather stylish.

Speaking of style, I’ve pretty much had St Salvator’s Chapel Choir on constant loop this morning with their brilliant outdoor performances of four songs in the St Andrews Voices Distant Voices Festival. Catch them here, the first music they’ve sung together for seven months. What a treat… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Far4VDBR2W0

Members of Chapel Choir will be singing in person tomorrow in the Voices Festival Chapel Service at 11 am in St Salvator’s Chapel – soloists will sing music by Parry, Fauré, Cavalli and Mendelssohn, two lovely hymns and more. There will be a sermon from Rochester Cathedral, and the chance to receive communion if you wish to stay afterwards. At the time of writing, 14 spaces still remain.

Last night I attended another service, though via a screen. It was the ordination and induction of Revd Douglas Creighton as the new minister in East Neuk Trinity linked with St Monans Church of Scotland. Nineteen years ago to the month, I was ordained and inducted to St Monans Church though at that time its friend and linkage partner was Largoward Church. I still remember that night, gathering to prepare with my new colleagues in a members’ house (who became wonderful friends), walking down the brae and into the church of St Monans, the ancient plainchant of Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire swirling round the 14th Century building, and the presbyters surrounding me to lay hands on me in ordination. I hope that the restrictions of last night’s occasion did not essentially change the experience for Douglas – the excitement and the sense of responsibility. This will be the community in which he will pray, preach and care, and christen, confirm, marry and conduct rituals following death, the community in which he will witness to hope. I wish him every blessing in that spiritual part of the world.

Here is St Monans Church and beyond it the shoreline towards Elie and the parish of East Neuk Trinity.

Yours,

Donald.

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