A lesson in communication
Sir: Mr Ludovic Kennedy (9 May) has been unfortunate in the churches he has been at, when Matthew ii. 1-8 has been read. I cannot remember ever having heard verses five and six read in any other than the way he directs: in- deed. if read from any of the recent translations it is impossible to read them in any other way (and this includes the ordinary Revised ver- sion). Nor can I imagine anyone reasonably familiar with the New Testament taking Herod's specious remark at the end of verse eight seriously. But still, if there was such a person in Mr Kennedy's audience, I dare say his significant pause helped.
On the more general question of communica- tion, it is what all of us are trying our hardest to put right these days. Might I just say that this applies to the lessons and the sermon, if he is talking about communication with the 'flock.' For the rest of the service it depends who we are trying to communicate with: presumably with God. This is bound to be boring to a declared humanist (if Mr Kennedy uses that misused term in its present-day sense). I am not a humanist in that sense and yet I get bored with services often. But then I get bored with _ washing up and weeding the garden. But in all these things I am able to believe that I am doing something practical—in washing up, weeding and praying. My garden and the crockery are none the worse for my boredom. I like to be- lieve the same about my prayers, and I hope God forgives me.
But indeed, it must be terribly boring for poor Mr Kennedy watching people trying to communicate with a God whom he strongly suspects of non-existence. But I should say from his article that he has not often needed my sympathy recently.
I think it is true to say that most parsons are tryIng, desperately hard to get across to their people, and are more psychologically commit- ted today as a whole than they have been for many years. There is little tem-rtktiell to be a parson except for the right reasons. I gd MI a good many different churches, and I almost always hear the lessons intelligently read, whether by parson or layman. I hear a good many sermons and almost all of them are sin- cere: some are interesting as well.
There is one general rule. Where the con- gregation joins in, the service is not boring. Where, as in a cathedral or big church, the con- gregation does not or cannot, it is bound to be tedious. This is one of the principal things that we are trying to put right. I would like to think that Mr Kennedy might try going to one or two churches where they have been put right. I could give him a name or two.
H. A. Blair Chancellor of Truro Cathedral, Lynn Allen, Truro, Cornwall
Previous page
