Monday 25 January 2010

On being a bloke II

I often ponder how best to explain to you all my 'bloke' status (no, I don't - but it sounds better than the truth of the matter), and I am going ot have another pitch at it.


It comes down to language in many cases, and I know this to be true as other 'blokes' have said the same (imagine, if you dare, a community of interacting blokes). We tend to be pragmatic, so less fussed about frill and silliness. As I have already said, we are the 'so what?' of biblical analysis, and the ''cos I said so' of theological reflection. We are, for better or worse, outcome driven - that is to say, there has to be a a result so 'let's get on with it and stop yacking'. 


Blokes also find acronyms annoying, and just a little (is 'smug' the right word?) flash! Why, for example, would a lovely church in London, dedicated to the sacred mystery of God's most Holy Trinty call itself 'HTB'? The in-crowd will know what an 'HTB' is, but what about the rest of us mortals? Blokes may be left wondering if an 'HTB' might not be the new 'Hips, Tummy, Botty' diet that our Wimmin have adopted as the new craze! My Church in Aylesbury could not follow such trendy trends, for the simple fact that St. Mary's would become a powered milk for babies. One daren't even think what St. Hilda-in-Tottenham would make if it all ....


Blokes also find catchy sloganny names a little narking. What is a 'Messy Church'? Tidy it up! What is 'Godly Play', and does Ian McKellen star? Both these initiative are wonderful and they do such marvellous work, and if I have an idea half as good, i'll be happy - but the name... Why does the world have to work with poppy names that slip off the tongue? My life doesn't need a strap line, thanks! It's a bloke thing, and it is our failing almost certainly, but the world is going a bit daft for this stuff. 


At night, I go to sleep and rest, not 'Revd Regenerates'. When I wake and eat my breakfast, it isn't 'Cornflake Curate'. I am me, not 'DMC' (hey, that rhymes). Blokes are blunt instruments, not tweezers (we are simple folks, called 'geezers') [yay, I am a poet and I didn't knoet]. you get the idea....


Well, that is another facet of 'bloke' covered. I will return to this again, mark my words. 


DMC signing off .... Collecting Curate, Collecting Kids .... yeah!!!!

3 comments:

  1. Like the post.. but tell me is the Vernacular Curate not a strap line as much as the Cornflake Curate..? Been posting a lot on blokey things myself. St Mary's needs one of these: http://bernwodeblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/thisll-get-men-in.html

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  2. Have you seen this? http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2010/01/men-who-sing-love-songs-to-a-man-while-the-vicar-wears-a-dress.html

    There seems to be a lot of blokiness going around at present!

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