Vesture questions

I enjoy warm summer nights. I sleep much more relaxed and don't wake up so often. Another bright sunny day with the temperature in the mid twenties. It does me good. After breakfast a walk to St Catherine's to celebrate the Eucharist with seven others, then to Chapter Arts to collect this week's veggie bag. Clare had already made a start on lunch by the time a got home. We listened to excerpts from the song recital competition from RWCMD on Radio Three while we ate. Then went out and did the grocery shopping at the Coop before going to my blood pressure monitoring appointment at the GP surgery.

I was shocked to find that I'd missed the appointment. It was meant to be yesterday at the same time. Did make an error entering this in my diary? Or did I mishear the receptionist, talking at me in a soft voice from behind a screen? I'm not aware of my hearing getting worse. I have no problem hearing birdsong in the park, though there are times at home when I think Clare is speaking softly in a low voice. Also I find that I'm sometimes painfully uncomfortable with high volume sounds. It's time to get my hearing checked out, I think. What an embarrassment. The surgery staff must think I'm losing the plot. Perhaps I am.

I had an exchange of emails with Rufus about promoting his future ministry as an independent celebrant of. We looked at  a range of websites advertising civil celebrants. Three quarters of them showcase female celebrants, full of maternal sympathy and composure, absolutely appropriate. It does beg the question of what does a masculine celebrant offer that's distinctive and attractive. 

For the best part of two millennia priesthood has been entrusted to men whose masculinity has been effaced by ritual garments. Traditional sacred disguise makes it possible for women, and masculine or effeminate men to occupy the celebrant's role without contention. In a secular environment this can be considered alienating. Dignified dresses and smart suits according to taste must play their part instead, but what messages are conveyed by apparel or for that matter body language? These critical issues aren't easy to address. The aim is to convey confidence and invite trust in the celebrant's ability to bring a rite of passage to life and make it meaningful. Lots to think about here.

A short walk in the park before supper, then the fourth round of Cardiff Singer of the World, with four more marvellous performances to listen to. The one that really grabbed our attention was a soprano from Colombia in South America, the first ever. What a brilliantly passionate performance. She danced as she sang on several occasions, completely in character for the role she was playing. Sadly she didn't win. Well, we guess three out of four winners correctly. Tomorrow night the song competition final.