A year ago I launched this
blog with an article about what churches should be doing about the
decline of Christianity in England. It’s among the better articles I’ve
written in the last year: I got a very positive response at the time
and, in large part, that’s what sustained me to keep going through the
year.
At the start of the year I managed a pretty solid schedule of two
posts a month. Many of the articles this year I’m still rather pleased
with; others I think didn’t quite turn out as well as I hoped. Along
with the very first article, I think my favourites of the year are ‘The Reformation utopian vision of
frequent communion’ and ‘Celebrating St Mary Magdalene’.
Since then, alas, things have slowed. I’ve been busy with other
things: I compiled a complete liturgical book for my daily office group.
To fund the printing, I sold just over half the copies to friends around
the world, who have received it warmly. I’m currently considering and
investigating the possibility of a larger print run to make it more
widely available, but for the moment this seems moderately unlikely.
I’ve also written an article for an upcoming new Anglo-Catholic
publication which will come out at Christmas. I think that came out very
well, too — I hope I can develop some of its themes further on this blog
in the new year. On a personal front, however, things unfortunately
aren’t going so well for me at the moment, so it may be a while before I
manage to get back in a regular writing schedule.
At least I don’t have a shortage of ideas. In the coming year I hope
to write get to at least a few of these:
- Cum nota, a series of articles on ecclesiastical
music focussing on plainchant revival for congregations and
clerics;
- two Responsorium articles responding to (and largely
agreeing with) H. M.
Lee’s assessment of my
article on use of the missal in Anglican parishes;
- at least one article about the experience of being queer in the
Church;
- a political theology article on reclaiming the imagery and cultural
relevance of Christianity from its abuse by the far right;
- ‘What’s in a rubric?’ articles on the Venite and
psalms at the daily office, and on the Church of England’s current
rubrical mess concerning services of the daily office;
- and an article examining the doctrinal purpose and content of
Anglican liturgy.
Onwards and forwards! I wish all readers a blessed Advent, a merry
Christmas, and a happy new year.