[Magdalen] Something cringe worthy...

[thedonboyd at austin.rr.com]

Deacon Jon, forgive me, but I think you are way overreacting to "perform."  Does "The surgeon performed the operation..." connote that the surgeon's a show-off?  (Never mind the nurse jokes about M-Deity surgeons, I've heard 'em all and so have you.)  Does "The priest performed the ablutions...." connote ostentation?  IMO the word "perform" in some contexts just means "do."  That said, I don't suggest that you SHOULD use "perform" in those "do" contexts, only that you needn't assume that those who do mean "perform" as "put on a show."

And, dear brother, I don't know anybody who's more entitled to the occasional overreaction that you.

The peace of the Lord be always with you!

Don in Austin 
---- Jon Egger <revegger at gmail.com> wrote: 
> Trinity, sadly, is one of those small parishes with a firm division between
> the early service (Rite I) and the late service (Rite II).
> 
> "We will also be performing a baptism for J****..." sits in my craw because
> it sounds like Trinity will be 'putting on a show' for J****.  I would have
> written "Please be joyful for J**** as he is baptized and brought into our
> fellowship this Sunday..."
> 
> +++
> Grace & peace,
> Deacon Jon Egger
> 
> 
> 
> *“In every age it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who
> has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both to
> deceive and overawe the People."(Eugene V. Debs, Anti-War Speech, June 16,
> 1918) *
> 
> 
> On Thu, May 21, 2015 at 5:39 PM, Roger Stokes <roger.stokes65 at btinternet.com
> > wrote:
> 
> > On 21/05/2015 21:54, Jon Egger wrote:
> >
> >> ...from Trinity's weekly email.  I wish I were making this up:
> >>
> >> "We will also be performing a baptism for J**** S**** at the 8:00 am
> >> Sunday
> >> service, so please give a warm Trinity welcome to J**** and his mother,
> >> A****."
> >>
> >
> > I have a query about this, why is this happening at the 8.00 a.m. service
> > rather than the mid-morning one?  I know that in England we moved away from
> > it in many places because of the number of babies to be baptised but the
> > principle (right from the 1662 BCP) is that baptisms should be in the
> > context of the main Sunday service.
> >
> > Folowing on from Lynn's comment I would end the sentence after "8.00 am
> > Sunday service".  The second sentence could then read "Please give a warm
> > Trinity welcome to J**** and his family."
> >
> > Roger
> >