Sunday 23 June 2019

God Brought a Plus One

"Dear Revd Plumpinghorn,

"I had the privilege of being at a wedding at St Uncumber's Church, Slappington, on June 22nd, and I know that the way you conducted that service was appreciated by many of the congregation. However, I was dismayed by the form of the final blessing, delivered in the name of ‘the Father, the Mother, the Son and the Holy Spirit’. I must say, this is not the Holy and Undivided Trinity with which I am familiar. One of my friends attempted to interpret ‘Mother’ generously as a reference to the Blessed Virgin Mary, but as far as I can see this doesn’t make it any better, or any less at odds with ‘the Catholic faith as the Church of England has received it’. I understand the service was technically a blessing rather than a legal wedding, so at least you were spared the dilemma of which Church’s ‘rites and ceremonies’ to record in the register … Had Bishop Martin been there, I imagine his Paddingtonian ‘hard stare’ would have been enough to scorch the very stonework. I remember the occasion he came to fill in one Sunday at the church where I used to worship while he was still at Walsingham, and I don’t think any liturgical experience I’ve ever had has matched the grim terror of serving at Mass that morning. You may not be concerned by the effect this reckless usage might have had on a moderately traditionally-minded clergyperson like me, but, for the sake of the souls who pass through your churches, especially on occasions when so many non-churchgoers are present, do please reconsider it."

I'm not yet sure whether I'll send the letter ...

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