Sunday, 30 October 2011

Sweet Mediocrity

One of the functions of our national church is to keep us amused, to add to the gaiety of the nation - and on that score, it's been doing a great job lately by making such a complete horlicks of dealing with the 'Occupy London' protest outside St Paul's. Heaven knows what will happen next - the proposed Ring of Prayer sounds like fun - but no doubt the situation will continue to be managed with the professionalism and finesse (hem hem) we've come to expect from the dear old C of E. For myself, I'm happy to live in a country where the church is so well-meaningly hopeless, so shambolic, so paralysed by its internal contradictions and a fatal impulse to niceness; it expresses something rather attractive in the national character, and is greatly preferable to the alternative. Imagine a briskly efficient, sure-footed, ruthlessly effective national church - a horrible thought, and most unEnglish. We should surely cherish what George Herbert called 'the sweet mediocrity of our native church'.
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4 comments:

  1. Mary30 October 2011 at 18:54

    How very right you are, Mr Nige. After today's reports, I have completely reversed my views on the encampment. What hitherto threatened to be an infernal nuisance set to bore the nation senseless now looks as though it could generate terrific amusement. We could do with the cheering battiness of the Ring of Prayer, particularly if it includes members of the Society of Sacramental Socialists. As we say nowadays - bring it on!

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  2. Banished To A Pompous Land31 October 2011 at 17:01

    I do miss the amusing antics of the dear old C of E. Here in the US of A there is of course total separation of Church and State written into the founding principles and no church would ever dream of messing with politics or the governance of the nation Hmm Hmm

    Sings...
    "I fell into a burning ring of prayer"

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  3. Mary31 October 2011 at 17:36

    Oh, thank you for reminding me of that wonderful song, Mr/Mrs/Ms Banished. The stand-off between the campers and the forces of law and order will now be accompanied in my head by the sound of Mr Cash. I suppose that could be months down the line though.

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  4. Nige31 October 2011 at 18:30

    Yes indeed - an inspired connection, Banished! And now I see the Dean's resigned - where will it all end?

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