Out of the question: In years gone by,
"Amen" was always sung at the end of hymns that had a doxology as
the last verse - but only then. The New English
Hymnal still makes provision according to these
parameters, but "Amen" is now seldom heard. Why?
Out of the question: This year the Feast of the
Annunciation is transferred from 25 March to 8 April; should we
therefore transfer Christmas Day to 8 January?
Out of the question: As an incumbent and a
governor of an aided school, I am closely involved with school
admissions. Does attendance at our weekly Messy Church on Tuesdays
count for more than twice-monthly attendance at the Family Service
on Sundays? and how much does the Pram Service count for?
Out of the question: St Luke's account of
Christ's entry into Jerusalem makes no mention of palms or
branches. Why might that be?
Out of the question: Why are bishops' officers
for non-stipendiary ministry appointed from among the stipendiary
priests?
Your answers to a reader's questions about the robing of
Readers. Plus, fresh questions seeking your expertise
Why are bishops' officers for non-stipendiary ministry appointed
from among the stipendiary priests? Would it not be far better if
they were appointed from among those priests whom they are supposed
to represent?
Out of the question: At my local cathedral, at
choral evensong, an anthem is sung, while, at the sung mass, it is
a motet. From recent services, I realise that I have been wrong to
assume that the length of the piece determined its description.
What is the difference - or is it on the Precentor's whim?
Out of the question: How do clergy set the
intellectual level of their sermons? It often seems to be fairly
childish, even when the children have already gone out to Sunday
school. Are the laity entitled to expect more? I'm sure it wasn't
always like this.
Out of the question: Where there should be 12
representatives of the laity on a PCC, and through a failure to
distinguish between ordinary and casual vacancies, six were
appointed by the annual parochial church meeting (APCM) for three
years two years ago, and the other six were similarly appointed for
three years last year. This leaves none to be elected this year.
Given that this is irregular, how should this situation be
recovered?
Out of the question: In most countries,
funerals take place within a few days of death. In the UK, when I
began ministry as a priest in the mid-1980s, it was unusual for the
delay to be as long as a week. Now the funeral is typically more
than a fortnight after death. This delay is traumatic for mourners,
and increasingly makes the funeral a performance to be planned
rather than a transforming experience. Can readers explain why the
delay is so great, and how to reduce it?