Christmas Eve Watchnight

Come away in

shake the snow off your boots

coorie up close

to see what's afoot.

There's a happening here

this night of the year

and everyone's welcome

to share

Away on the hillside

and here in the town

whether busy or weary

sit yoursel' down

God calls you to worship

both friend and stranger

to pay homage again

to the babe in the manger

Everyone's welcome

whoever you are

on this holiest of nights

follow the star

as it leads you to find

the most precious gift given

God's love for all 

true gift of heaven

Quiet Christmas Service

We lit our candles

thinking of loved ones

who aren't with us this Christmas

Some have died

some are far away

some are lost

some are estranged

we only know they are not here

and we miss them.

We lit our candles

taking some time

out of the bustle of the season

to remember those we love.

We lit our candles

and placed them on the cross

remembering Mary

whose heart was pierced with sorrow

even as she cradled her newborn son.

We lit our candles,

the flames flickered

their reflection comforting,

spreading light

through our darkness.

We lit our candles

and it was good to share with others,

to remember that we are not alone

in our loss

to remember

the love that came down

at Christmas.

We lit our candles

and somehow

our loved ones

seemed close

and hope was ignited again

as we remembered

that love never dies.

And the light that came into the world

can never be put out.

Longest night and Lunar eclipse

Lunar eclipse 21st December 2010

The full moon hid from the sun

playing peek a boo with the earth

while commuters fought their way to work

through snow and ice and fog

oblivious to the cosmic show.

A show that heralded the start of the day

of the longest night.

A day begun with such a fanfare

deserves to be feted and prized

made special, worthy of note.

For as we while away

those interminable hours of darkness,

 we take comfort in the knowledge

that this is a turning point 

at the end of the year.

A change in direction

Now light begins to triumph again

squeezing out the darkness

edging its way in

bit by comforting bit

fuzzing the edges

softening the hard lines

easing out the cold

making room once more for hope.

The earth continues to turn

life moves on at a pace

But even the brief contemplation

of re-alignment

shows that change is possible

And as the world hurls on towards Christmas

we are reminded

that love will come again

that the Lord of the Longest night

is the Lord of the Lunar eclipse

God with us.

This Christmas-tide

the babe in the manger

needs little encouragement

to come and

dwell in us

warming us

soothing the darkness

bringing the light of hope

eclipsing our lives

with love.

Hurrying to Bethlehem

Fred Craddock said: "Everybody is already having Christmas except the church". That reminded me a bit of the description of Narnia as a place where it is always winter but never Christmas.
People, even in the church, do get impatient with Advent - and want us to move on to celebrate Christmas. Advent hymns are not as well loved as Christmas Carols. And yet, if we do not wait and wonder, can we ever be prepared to welcome the gift of God's son? Even by observing Advent, is our preparation ever enough?
The wife of a colleague was laughing today as she confessed that, by the time Christmas comes, they will both be miserable, worn out with all their Advent efforts. I know that feeling of slumping over Christmas dinner (and, yes, I know how fortunate it is to have that luxury in such an unjust world). I would plead for at least another week of preparation. But then, I'd probably use that up too. Can we ever be ready? Does it matter? God comes. God is with us. Contemplative or frazzled, rested or exhausted. God is accustomed to surprising us and has survived much worse than our lack of readiness. Those powerful themes of advent, Light, hope, love, peace are themes that need time to be absorbed and retold. Christmas comes, God is with us. All in God's time.

Holiday Fun

Accommodating change

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given.
Watching the snow fall brought to mind these Christmas carol words.
And struck a cord.
Who knows what we will awake to in the morning?
Will the snow be thick - or have melted away?
Will our plans have to change or can we work around it?
Falling snow seems to create a hush.
It is mesmerising.
While the earth slept, Jesus was born - and nothing would ever be the same again.
People awoke to find a changed world.
But we soon accommodated his birth, sanitised it and got on with life.
Will we do the same this Christmas?

Crowns and palaces

Kings in purple curtains

with crowns from last years crackers

Proud kings, shy kings,

loud and quiet kings

with packages wrapped

in velvet or shiny paper

carried reverently

or tossed about

to be presented

to a mother

whose head dress has come adrift

and who holds her baby upside down

while her husband smiles mischievously

distracted by the angelic throng

of tutu-clad nursery children

with sparkling wands

bringing Good News to all.

The scuffle between the camel and the sheep

is soon forgotten 

as these angel voices strike up

"Away in a manger".

And the adults, with a tear in their eye

think they have truly seen portrayed

the Christmas story.

Is it any wonder

we think of this baby God

as benign and ineffective

born in such cloying sentimentality?

Divorced from the reality

of crushing poverty

and oppressive regime.

Ignoring the fears of a pregnant teenager

giving birth and then taking to the road

with her partner 

not much older.

The angels that visited them

were scary, not cute.

And the kings - well meaning

but almost got them killed.

No wonder baby Jesus

grew up tough

and still hangs out

with the poor and exiled

in our communities

and cries at what we have done

to the Christmas story.

Thorns in the straw

Away from the stable

It's an occupational hazard that ministers get rather oppressed in the run up to Christmas. There are so many fun opportunities to get involved in - tea parties, lunches, school shows and nativities - all on top of the ongoing pastoral needs and crises that arise. But, the pressure of honouring all these commitments and keeping sane is considerable.
Tonight, I went ice skating with Girl Guides - not on the river I hasten to add - and I hope everyone will remember how dangerous the river is even with thick ice - but on the Ayr synthetic Christmas ice rink. For the first time, I felt slightly Christmassy. As I drove home, I reflected on the Christmas detachment I seem to be experiencing this year. And I'm not sure it is a detachment but more a reality. When God sent Jesus, the world was busy, people were oppressed, physically and spiritually. They couldn't drop everything and make their way to the stable. Nor was that what God required or desired. God sent Jesus into the real world, where people go about their business - the business of birth and death - the business of life. God doesn't want to stop us in our tracks but wants us to let God carry us over the ruts in the track when the going gets tough and float with us when life is buoyant. Christmas isn't about pausing to experience that Christmassy feeling but about knowing God present in the reality of life.

God with us

Walking down the High Street

listening out for the sound of the Salvation Army band

hearing instead the funny hooter of the candy floss maker

trying to snare the children or those with sweet tooth

and the call of the news vendor

peddling depressing headlines.

Being assaulted by bubbles

spewing out of the early learning centre.

And then the band appears

accompanied by carol singers

and collectors with bells

and the angels unfurl their wings

and blanket the earth with peace and goodwill

There’s a pause in the music as they decide what to play next

As the cornet player blows on his fingers to warm them

he sends up a prayer for the homeless family he found shelter for last night

As the collector waves her bucket

she prays for the youngster who needed an emergency payment

because he’s not on the system yet

As the carol singer passes the boiled sweets around

she gives thanks for the food parcels she will distribute later

As the conductor raises his hand to begin another carol

he sees the hand of God

reaching out to all the lost and lonely

and weary and vulnerable

and hungry and poor

and homeless and forgotten

beloved of God.

Joy to the World the Lord is come!

Joy comes in the morning?

Despite our fears and anxieties,

God promises joy

Despite our loss and grief

God promises joy

Despite our neediness and lack of resources

God promises joy

Despite ourselves

God promises joy

In the arid places

water will gurgle up

in the barren places

life will sprout

frozen wastes

of hearts and lives

will be lovingly thawed

and nurtured

and infused with joy

We cannot stop it

God infiltrates our best efforts

and our worst

and causes joy to bubble up

in the hopeless places

However unlikely it may seem

Be prepared

to experience joy

(Based on Isaiah 35)

The big thaw

We retreated to safety

hurrying home out of the cold

and chaos of snow and ice

We lit fires and snuggled up

making the most of a season of quiet

in busy full lives

Only one who was used to being left out in the cold

remained behind to check on those

with no means of retreat

One who was born in a drafty steading

who knew the resignation and discomfort

of enforced exile

He snuck in under cardboard shelters

shivered around braziers

tucked newspaper covers 

tighter around his friends

He slugged from their bottles 

of warming spirit

listened to the chattering teeth

and hacking coughs

and wept frozen tears

that so little has changed

in 2000 years

And when the thaw came

those tears turned into a river

for a world

that still abandons the vulnerable

and deserts the poor

and prefers glitzy news

to cold reality

And just as his cries went unheeded then

so his tears are met with indifference now.

The heart of Christianity

It is hard to imagine why anyone would want to destroy the Holy Thorn tree in Glastonbury. But I have to take issue with the director of Glastonbury abbey who is reported to have said that "this crime strikes at the very heart of Christianity." Fortunately Christianity, in all its vulnerability, is much tougher than that and is built on much more than myth and legend. Herod could not destroy the love that came into the world at Christmas and centuries of flawed human adherents to the faith have not destroyed it. In this season when we prepare to celebrate God in our midst, we celebrate the light that shines in the darkness and can never be put out.
The heart of Christianity continues to beat on.

Advent 2 - Love

Out of the mouths of babes

A Presbytery meeting last night was considerably brightened by a report from two youngsters who recently attended the Church of Scotland Children's Assembly on Iona. Both boys were very articulate and gave an impressive report, illustrated by pictures and mimes. Great hilarity erupted when one of the boys stumbled over the name of the council responsible for organising the Children's Assembly - and Mission and Discipleship Council became Mission and Despicable Council. We should give them the names of other councils to see how those would be rendered.

Stranded

There is a distinct lack of snow in Ayr. But, since all the transport networks are closed down, it is difficult to venture out of the County boundaries. It feels surreal to watch the rest of Scotland collapsing under the weight of the snow and the havoc it has wreaked. If the predicted thaw comes at the end of the week, no doubt activity will be frenetic as folk get themselves back to where they belong and stock up on supplies before the next predicted onslaught.
Displaced folk are making headline news just now but what about those who spend their lives as displaced people? Where are they tonight? Will insights gained and lessons learned from this crisis make any difference to their lives?

Inconvenient

Gridlock

Airport chaos

Snow days at home

Busy lives disrupted

Nights out postponed

Plans put on hold

A census

with folk traveling 

to their place of birth

Dusty roads

Overcrowded inns

Cities teeming 

with lives disrupted

by occupying forces

Calm and bright moments

when neighbour helps neighbour

Be it with shovelling snow

or birthing pangs

Signs of light and love

Signs of Advent

Getting closer?

The animals were added to our Nativity Scene this morning as we butchered Good King Wenceslas, each section of the congregation making a different animal noise - because everyone knows it's too early to be singing Christmas carols. We also considered Edward Hicks' Peacable Kingdom, as we listened to the beautiful vision portrayed by Isaiah(Isaiah 11:1-10). Preparations are really gathering pace. The question is: How close are we to bringing about that kingdom that Jesus came to demonstrate by his life and death?

Mirror images

John the Baptist romps right through our domesticated Nativity scenes, upsetting the balance, challenging and confronting, compelling us to look in the mirror - always unsettling. He's so out of place in the cosy scene we have created. But John the Baptist is vital to our Advent preparations if we really want to see God's kingdom - where there is peace and justice - become a reality.

Connected

This light dusting of snow that visited last weekend was the most we got this week. Life carried on pretty normally. We watched, initially with a degree of envy and then perhaps rather smugly, as other parts of the country came to a standstill. But our clement microclimate could not protect us from the knock on effects of a country in crisis. Mail deliveries were delayed or failed to materialise, fuel tankers failed to deliver, bread supplies became sporadic, while bus and rail links were disrupted. Staff living in outlying areas struggled to get to work as did residents working further afield. We could get out and about and return home and keep warm but we could not be unaffected. Such is life. We depend on each other more than we'd ever care to own.
The Son of God came, helpless, depending on the care of others, relying on everyone to play their part, to get involved, to feel the connection and to respond. And still, he calls us to act in community, loving and caring for one another. Snowy days give us opportunity to get it right.

Be a part of it

Our Nativity scene is beginning to take shape -

 first, the stable backdrop, then the animals, 

the holy family, the angels and the shepherds - 

and, eventually the wise men, led by the star.

Building up, layer on layer, character by character - 

all with a part to play in the story.

A story that is never complete, that has no ending, 

a scene that is never finished 

but where there is always room for one more.

A layout that calls for no particular precision - 

haphazard will do. 

For there was nothing tidy about the advent of God 

into a world toiling under oppression.

Still we are invited.

Still we are welcomed.

To occupy a corner, to make ourselves at home.

And contemplate the Christ child, born in our midst.

Advent 1

Welcoming God's light.

Poverty of spirit

For the first time ever, this phrase - Poverty of spirit - was explained to me today in a completely new way.
It has always held negative connotations for me but today, I was enabled to consider it in a new light.
Emptying oneself of things that prevent the Spirit from getting to work and allowing the Spirit of God to fill those spaces - or not - as she chooses seems like a good Advent discipline that I look forward to exploring.

Dark humour and wonderful scenery

I managed to see the new Harry Potter movie yesterday. I was surprised at how much humour it contained - not sure if that's a result of  Harry, Ron and Hermione growing up. But I liked it. The scenery was also stunning. Was mainly shot in England and Wales but lots of the scenes could have been shot in the Scottish islands. The film seemed to go really quickly - didn't seem like two and a half hours. Just disappointed that the concluding part of the film is not due until next summer. Really glad I took the time out yesterday to see it on the big screen and managed to leave work behind just for a wee while.

Planning ahead

Willow Tree Nativity

Had lots of fun this morning planning Advent Services with a friend. I took my husband along too to supply technical advice and to save us getting too complicated - he's the one who has to execute our brilliant ideas! Now really looking forward to seeing how they work out. Sourced some wonderful looking nativity figures from here. Can't wait to see them in real life.
We met in a local garden centre and there was lots of hilarity coming from our table. I couldn't help wondering what folk would think if they knew that we were forward planning for worship.
Anyway, that's Sundays taken care of into the new year. Just need some space now to think about the reflective midweek services and the advent meditations.

Life mirroring lectionary?

In the Christian Calendar, we are preparing to celebrate Christ the King Sunday, the end of the Christian year, when we reflect on the kind of kingship Jesus modeled - born in poverty, forced into becoming a displaced person, eking out a living as an itinerant preacher, before being executed.
The announcement of an impending Royal wedding seems a gift for this season.
Although the engagement has just been announced, already there is speculation about the scale of pomp and circumstance that must surround the wedding of a future king.
Will the couple's low key preferences to date continue to be displayed in their wedding plans or will pressure prevail for something much more extravagant? Will any allowance be made for the current national and global economic crisis? Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, we prepare to celebrate a wholly different version of kingship, leading us forward to welcome again God with us as we'd hardly imagine.

A metaphor

Looking puzzled but on top of things.
An all too familiar place that I frequent.
Making things seem effortless, well prepared and thought through even when the slope I have conquered is very slippery.
And always looking out for the next predator who is getting ready to throw me off my perch.
Love it!

Energising

When I'm facilitating conferences I always like to put in something after lunch that wakes folk up and provides some fun. Today's office bearers were game for a laugh and finally got on top of the Helium sticks. I'm always amazed at how much folk put into and take away from envisioning days - even and maybe especially- when my preparation hasn't been all it could be. We all learn from one another and the Holy Spirit blazes a trail for us to follow.

Talent

Lots of fun tonight at a concert by the church choir to raise funds for refurbishment of our Rushworth and Dreaper organ. As well as the vocals, ably accompanied by our organist, Christopher, Matthew Hynes, organist at St Columba's in Ayr demonstrated the range and depth of the organ. It's great to be surrounded by such talented folk.

The tasks of remembrance

Twas the war to end all wars

not sure now to which war that referred

- but it didn't.

Wilfrid Owen wrote not so much of war

but the pity of war

his words too have fallen on deaf ears

so today we remember the fallen.

It is right and good that we do

but is that the best we can do?

Remember?

What about the promises extracted and made

What of the lessons learned

what of the indescribable tragedy and loss

Are those costs simply to keep on mounting?

Will peace forever involve violence?

Is any other option merely the stuff of dreams?

The machinery that maintains a warring nation

in a warring world

seems to have all the power

while the Prince of Peace

waits on the sidelines

pierced by every bullet

shocked by every shell

rocked by every love he grieves

weighed down by every investment made

in destructive forces

while children go without food

and families live in graveyards.

How can we remember the fallen 

with the resolve they deserve

and the commitment

that we will find another way

a way to honour the dead

and live in the peace

for which they fought

and learn compromise

and sacrifice

that costs much less

than life

yet leaves love

that lasts

forever.

EAC Nov 2010

Train Technology

On my train journey earlier this week, I was accompanied by a group of secondary school pupils. They were all wired up - listening to ipods, texting, catching up on facebook. (I was quietly reading Tony Blair's autobiog on my Kindle). I almost laughed out loud when the teacher accompanying them ( who looked about 19) pronounced: "I don't know how we managed train journeys in my day - we didn't have all the gadgets you have to pass the time with today."
It was a hard life indeed!

The alternative

I have to confess... I much preferred the spirit's shelf- mate. Lust was much more appealing than Breath of God. And it cost less! What can I say?

Bottled Spirit

It's official - it now comes in a bottle, an atomiser and in a rub - the Breath of God.
Have to say, though, I didn't particularly like it.

The new and the newer

Will they always be such amicable bedfellows?

Or is it only because one is corralled

safely out of commission.

Once they are both of equal status

will they be able to share?

Or is it then that they become competitors

both touting for the same market share

unaware of the unique and different journey

that each alternative offers

oblivious to the choice they afford

Why must the next new thing

be such a threat to the tried and tested?

Isn't there room for both

and for more besides?

Time will tell which has staying power

There's no reason why it can't be both/ and

rather then either /or

So reminiscent of the liberal/conservative debate

that needn't be in a broad church

in which each affirms and needs the other

and in which both can rub along

holding out options

that embrace and encompass

Co-existence has potential.

Support in the shadows

For every negative there are a thousand positives, but we often allow negativity to have so much more power than it merits.
In moments of compassion we can try to get alongside those who wound by their criticism, try to get some insight into the world they live in that makes them so destructive. Often we can't change their perspective but we can maintain ours and not get sucked into the negative spiral they would have us travel.
And, when our compassion has been eroded by constant wear and demand, we can refuse to be sucked in and seek instead our own places of affirmation and sustenance. Easier said than done -  but vital for survival. Negativity is wearing. Unfounded criticism hurts. It is unlikely that we can change someone else's outlook and way of being but we can work on ourselves and find ways to avoid being sucked in, steering a course that leads to life - in all its fulness.
Where are you finding support when shadows loom large?

When autumn leaves begin to fall

Someone told me recently how sad they feel at this time of year, when the trees start to look a bit stark and the ground is covered with leaves. The vibrant colours that others see are, for her, depressing shades of gray.
I've always loved that song Autumn Leaves. I learned to play it and appreciated the melody of it before I realised it had some beautiful words too.


The falling leaves drift by my window
The falling leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sunburned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all, my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall


Melancholy words, for sure. But words that speak of beauty in loss - of sweetness in memories.
Autumn speaks to me of richness and depth and colour. And, even in the dreich days, of a God who is faithful through all the seasons.

Full of beans again

An encounter with "the institution" earlier in the week left me feeling as if I'd had a brush with the Harry Potter-esque Dementors - all hope was sucked out of me. However, 24 hours creativity with the Spill the Beans team, writing all age worship material, has me buoyed up again and ready to fight on.
We've written another pilot for next Lent that certainly excites us.
That's Lent and Easter sorted - just a shame I've no idea what I'm doing this Sunday! LOL

Rudderless

Heading home after a meeting at church HQ today (aka "121"), this tram marooned in Princes Street, with no where to go and no power on which to run reminded me painfully of the ethos of the Church of Scotland today - out on a limb, with little direction and no driver. Off the rails. Not a good place to be.

Edit: It has been pointed out to me, by one who remembers these things that trams do not have rudders. I am rather disappointed at that - my metaphor fails miserably - but the premise remains that the Cof S has lost its sense of direction and its leadership has lost the plot.

In the midst of the crowd

What a week! I've met so many folk - some for the first time, others I've had the opportunity to get to know a little better. And I LOVE it. This girl, who loves the beach, loves the peace and quiet of walking alone, the space for reflection, is buzzing from being surrounded by people. It's been a different kind of reflection and inspiration this week. Yet again, the sheer privilege of ministry, being allowed to get alongside people in so many ways, the opportunity to constantly experience new things is overwhelming.
I give thanks.

Not very astute

HMS Astute ran aground off Skye today, prompting lots of jokes amid assurances from the Royal Navy that this was not a nuclear incident.
Naval officers also helpfully informed a worried public that submarines were watertight vessels and that Astute (renamed galoot by locals) had run aground on silt and not on rocks. That's alright then - we'll all sleep easier knowing that!

LOL

Gossiping the good news

I was transported back to Dibley tonight: Chairing a kirk session meeting in a delightful rural parish, a finance report turned into a discussion on who gets their fuel oil from where and how much they are paying - with receipts being produced from shirt pockets! But we still got through the business in less than an hour.

Attitude

As this gull struts his stuff

and comes across with attitude

I long to follow suit

As a tonic to all those who doubt

those who disparage

and those who are just too arrogant

to move over

and stop inhibiting progress.

Just some of his courage

and confidence

might make all the difference.

But I wonder.

Would the ground gained

be ground I would want to tread

knowing that I'd gone against the grain

turned myself inside out

changed my nature

just to make a difference?

There are other ways

and the longing to have attitude

can be transformed

into gentle persistence

and the patience required

to effect long term change 

rather than short term gain.

Attitude is great.

Long term strategy is better.

So - I'll continue to admire

even continue to long

but selling out

is not on the cards.

The bustle of worship

Wasn't sure whether to worship at the local church this morning or on the beach. So I did both. The walk along the sand blew away some cobwebs and brought freedom after the busy feel of formal worship. In Scotland, we are creating a climate in which more and more ministers are expected to rush from one service to another on Sunday mornings. I'm wondering if it is inevitable that this leads to the feeling of worship being hurried along that I experienced this morning. Is it a luxury to have some space in worship - a luxury that is sacrificed by the linking of charges and the expectation that worship will be conducted by "the minister" between the hours of 9am and, say 12:30pm?
I'm sure God roars with laughter at the notion that worship can be packaged and condensed.
But what elements are to be sacrificed in order to create space -
the space that we need in worship as a counter to the hustle of daily life?

Dredging life

As the dredger brings up all the silt and debris

allowing the water to flow freely back into the harbour

my thoughts turn to the things hidden away in the depths

clogging up my innards

slowing me down

restricting movement

and spontaneity

the flotsam and jetsam 

that lurks unseen

stifling creativity

pinching exuberance

rendering sluggish

the natural ebb and flow

and I am reminded

that regular maintenance

soul sifting

is a discipline

to follow

with benefits

unseen

yet felt

and valued.

Harvest Sharing

I've had lots of fun this week, helping primary schools celebrate harvest. Round these parts, there is still the opportunity to witness the harvest of the land, even if it is only the irritation of being stuck behind a tractor on the road. The young folk I've encountered this week really seem to grasp the idea of giving thanks and of sharing what we have. The essence of our Harvest Celebration.

Unless the Lord builds the house...

Preparing for the Gifts
Evelyn Underhill

The Holy Spirit is called the Giver of Gifts, but the Spirit's cherishing action is only really felt by those who acknowledge their own deep poverty--who realize that we have literally nothing of our own but are totally dependent on God and on that natural world in which God has placed us and which is the sacramental vehicle of God's action. When we grasp this, we are ready to receive God's gifts.
Some souls are so full of pious furniture and ornaments that there is no room for the Holy Spirit. All the correct things have been crammed into the poor little villa, but none of the best quality. They need to pull down the curtains, get rid of the knick-knacks, and throw their premises open to the great simplicity of God.

Harvest for the world

Nuclear sub and support vessels on Clyde

Tomorrow is World Communion Sunday. In Castlehill, we are also celebrating Harvest Festival. The two go well together. Giving thanks for the basics of life - bread and wine - and committing ourselves to sharing with others.
The sight of this nuclear sub on the Clyde last weekend, seeming to dwarf the beautiful landscape around, raises questions, however, of what kind of seed we are sowing and what sort of harvest we shall reap.

Outed!

One of my colleagues, perusing my ipod exposed a well kept secret this week - My name is liz crumlish and I'm a Bay City Rollers fan.
I've just acquired their newly released greatest hits CD. Pictured is an album I picked up for 50p a few years ago in Oxfam in Largs. Don't still have the tartan trousers or scarf - but do have a tartan duffle coat from that era. Sad or what?
We all relive our youth in different ways - healthy or otherwise.

Riffing the gospel

We had wonderful fun in worship yesterday with the West Jesmond Rhythm Kings jazz band. Although permission WAS given at the start of the service, folk didn't take up the opportunity to dance in the aisles, something many of them now regret. Maybe we can address that next week... :)

Multi talented

Our organist produced this wonderful birthday cake for our son this week. Aren't we blessed to have such a multi talented musician? Go Christopher!!!

Going home

It was great to be a part of the thousands of pilgrims at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow last week as the Pope celebrated the Mass. The whole event was so well orchestrated - the travel arrangements, the pre-mass entertainment (including Susan Boyle), the precision of the serving of communion, and the journey home. All those involved, in security, in stewarding, the police officers, the rail staff, were good natured contributing positively to an historic occasion. Even the sun shone bravely. Of course I couldn't share in communion but to be part of such a massive worship experience held its own magic.
The task for all of us pilgrims now is to share our enthusiasm with our neighbour, renewing and enlivening faith on our doorsteps.

In context

I'm looking after three parishes at the moment. This morning I had an early start, driving out to conduct worship in the two rural parishes.As I drove, I was listening to BBC Radio Scotland, enjoying discussion of the Sunday papers. However, I realised that I wasn't really paying that much attention when I heard the presenter say: "That would be a big coup going into an election". Driving past a field of cows at the time, I made totally the wrong connection. I prefer the picture I had in my head of one of these big coos clutching voting papers. Sometimes it's good to drive to work.

Lost Generation

When Pope John Paul II visited Scotland in 1982, I had a real day job and was not able to go and see him. This Papal Visit, I have been invited by our local parish to attend, so I am taking the opportunity to go with them to Bellahouston. In 1982, 300,000 pilgrims attended. Tomorrow, 65,000 are expected. A wake up call for the church - of all denominations? 

The media this week have been particularly brutal about this pope. He needs no defense from me. However many of the atrocities cited and corruption exposed were not just the preserve of the Roman catholic church but of many of our institutions entrusted with a duty of care for the vulnerable. The legislation under which we currently toil when we attempt to serve those at risk is testament to the failings of the past and, hopefully, a signal to the present and future that such abuse of power is not possible in a society that is learning harsh lessons from its past. Too late for so many but a necessary sign of hope for generations to come.

Night in

Summer has turned to winter in a mere 24 hours. It's blowing a hoolie outside. Seems like a night for curling up with a warming drink and a good friend.
Jesus and me?