Bishop Michael Curry's Sermon

He appeared to have no sense of occasion or appropriateness. It was bad manners to go over his allotted time.

mcem, thank you for understanding.

After Michael Curry's sermon I 'm revising my low opinion of preaching in general.
The whole wedding affair was perfect in every detail and that sermon was the most serious and the most realistic part of the Day.

Grandma70s wrote:

He appeared to have no sense of occasion or appropriateness. It was bad manners to go over his allotted time.

You must have missed Michael's point about the supreme importance of love.

Lynnebo, you can travel to a church which you would feel more at home in. I use to love driving to London to hear Donald Soper speak in Hyde Park. We are all free to choose where we worship,

Did anyone not know God Is Love and needed to be told this?

Anniebach, the world needs to have it spelled out in realistic terms that it can understand. Empty ceremonies are useless.

I had recorded 266 minutes of royal wedding footage and on Saturday night I fast-forwarded over parts of the coverage, including the address. Because there seems to be so much controversy about it I watched it properly this morning, and was surprised, staunch traditionalist that I am, how much I appreciated it. I liked the text he based it on, and his message about Love, in a sincere if unconventional delivery. Only criticism, he should have stayed within the time-limit.

I have never found the marriage service an empty ceromony .
w
So much applause because a woman in her nineties who is a committed Christian and who went to church as usual yesterday morning was made to look uncomfortable.

How many of those who posted here praising bishop listened to the televised service from St Martins in The Field yesterday? A boring Anglican Church which has fed and sheltered the homeless for many years - that is love.

Four posted on the celebration of Pentecost on this forum yesterday.

There is no love in rejoicing that people were made to feel uncomfortable.

People at a wedding service are guests, should we rejoice that many were made to feel uncomfortable , they couldn’t walk out.

Much rejoicing that a wealthy family looked ill at ease , that is not love.

Anyone who wants happy clappy services should attend a church where they will find them.

Annie as you are aware I'm not religous but I am interested in "religions" and in the reasons why people need them.I didn't watch the wedding but have seen a lot of criticism of the American Bishop and the gospel choir.Can you explain to me why different factions of the same church Anglican/Episcopalian are so critical of each others practices IF they both worship the same god ?

On another religious note ,I 'm watching the General Assembly of the C of Scotland (late at night on BBC2) where last night two women ministres told of their experiences of joining their first parishes.One was told she shouldn't wear a clerical collar as only men should..the other had the church officer resign instantly as he thought women shouldn't BE ministers ...or Doctors for that matter( she was a trained GP before entering the church) How does the church deal with these prejudices in its congregations ,are they just ignored or are they actively given some instruction about their attitudes ?My OH went to a happy clappy church on alternate sundays as a child the other weeks he went to a C of S with a sullen bad temepered minister ...guess which one he was keen to go to ?

.paddyann, the church is a family, not unusual for families to disagree. Sorry but I have no experience of the CofScotland. Women priests in the CofE and CofWales wear dog collars .

Having served on the PCC and the lay section of the synod I have experienced listening to both sides in discussions of the ordination of women , I understand both sides, people don’t accept change all at the same time .

I was not comfortable with the gospel choir singing a pop song, that could have been kept for the celebrations after the service. I did not like the American bishop giving a sermon not an address. Have explained why.

I like Mass, Matins and Evensong, time to pray and reflect. I sometimes attended a Quaker meeting, no talking or singing, I occasionally attended an evangelical church . It is the choice of the worshippers no right or wrong . Why complain the Anglican services are boring, choose another Church, it is that simple .

Back to saturdays wedding, I felt so sorry for the queen , it was wrong to condemn her for not smiling , I cried when my daughters exchanged their marriage vows ?

All I can say is if you believe in God find a church which gives you what you need, if you don’t believe in God why get troubled about any church.

Hope this gives some explanation from a traditional Anglican ? x

I thought it was lovely and very poignant ...
It actually breathed some fresh air into an otherwise possible too solemn ( even though a wedding )an attitude .. it possibly made people loosen up a bit .... love, was the watch word and that is beautiful ... at first I was uncomfortable but then I thought .. wow ... how lovely ! ...... and to see people shuffle a bit awkwardly was priceless .... some people need to be a
Bit more relaxed at such a beautiful occasion Royal wedding or not ;0) imho ?

Oh the love part of the address was fine, you could even understand the slavery bit (just, at a pinch, as this is a wedding after all) but all that about fire and technology that went on and on?I think he lost his adience after the love part, quite understandably.

Why should wedding guests have to shuffle awkwardly Pebbles it serves no purpose at all at a celebratory church service.

Can it be a hope the Windsors felt uncomfortable ?

I dont believe in God Annie but I am interested in why others are .The only way to find out is ask ,so I do.

Lemongro ve i agree that the first part of the address about love was great. I am an english non conformist so familiar with this style of preaching. But he did go on too long and the section about fire was unnecessary and repetitive. However it wa good to hear a passionate address instead of the usual boring anglican style.

I realise that Paddyann, I know you are atheist and I respect this. X

.pollyperkins, how often do you listen to Anglican clergy delivering sermons ?

Lemongrove, I too think he lost a part of his audience. However the audience was not confined to that chapel but we are told was a global audience. There would be many people who appreciated the hope that , just as fire technology transformed the world, so could love transform the world; and perhaps that age of love has arrived.

Two nice young and energetic people starting on their lives' work together is an apt occasion for bringing realistic hope to the rest of us.

I used to be a professional speaker. Someone gave me some excellent advice early on in my speaking career ‘Always make your speech shorter than anyone would dare hope’ ?
Should I send that advice to the Bishop do you think ?

Alexa, the age of love has been with us for 2,000 years , we choose to ignore it.

Well Justin Welby thought it was great apparently.

Occasionally, Anniebach. Perhaps it was a bit mean to say usually boring but in my experience they often tend to be shorter and more low key than in my own church. But sometimes Ive heard a good, thoughtful address in the village parish church.

How often have you been to a mainstream non conformist service? (Methodist, Baptist , or United Reformed?)

Not many sermons cause such a response-so many talking about it. I thought it was engaging, memorable and relevant to today's world.

Good point mumofmb.