From Mrs D Askey
I must take issue with your television reviewer in the December 2011 edition of New DiRections. I enjoyed his review of the Young Nuns program, but cannot agree with what he wrote about Rev. I have always found this to be a most amusing and original comedy show. Although I am obviously writing from a lay perspective myself, I have several clergy friends who tell me that it is also very true to life, and indeed that chimes with the dedication and commitment from hard-working priests which I have encountered over many years, often in very challenging parishes. Obviously some of the situations are exaggerated for comedic effect – I do not believe that an Archdeacon would literally eject a clergyman from his car in the middle of a dual carriageway – but such exaggerations are the price we must pay for a well-rounded and much loved TV show. After all, nobody complained when the Vicar of Dibley had to eat so many Christmas lunches, yet I doubt that one Vicar has ever had to eat quite so much. All in all, Rev is a comedy show and not a documentary, and it deserves to be treated as such. After all, we are not the ones who are living in a monastery!
Doris Askey
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From Mr E. Beaumont
It has recently been reported that undergraduates at the University of Cambridge are rediscovering traditional worship through their college chapels. This is something of great encouragement to many of us. In the 350th Anniversary Year of the 1662 Book of the Common Prayer is it not time for people to stop insisting that young people cannot relate to traditional worship? Why is it that every youth service has to include a praise band? Surely there is room for a mixed economy. I recently discovered ‘Facebook’ and was pleased to find a group entitled ‘Young people do like traditional liturgy’ – Amen to that say I.
Edward Beaumont
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