"Do as I say, not as I do" is a phrase that I’m sure has passed the lips of many a parent.
We’re often fully aware of the discrepancy between what we say and what we do. But how about the gap that lies between what we say out loud and what we say in our minds and hearts? In other words – the gap between what we say and what we believe?
What we say vs. what we mean
Churches are steeped in liturgical culture, and I don’t just mean Anglican churches; all our churches, whichever domination or however they identify, are full of liturgy. We are all aware of the varying forms of ‘creeds’ we say or sing, confessions and words that we repeat to start a service or welcome newcomers. There are lots of words we say to reinforce the gospel to our hearts and minds – words we use to encourage, challenge, comfort one another in our corporate worship.
'An angular Messiah is our only hope'
Having devoured Jonathan Freedland’s The Escape Artist (2022) with fascination, I wasn’t going to miss reading his latest, The Traitors …