Still raining

Well, it's been wet. Very wet. Very, very wet. How can I tell? Because dams, like this one in Pitlochry are over topping. Big style!

More than making up for the summer's dry weather, me thinks...

Keeping the Advent Wreath burning

The other day, I was reflecting on how I see things differently. There have also been times, when leading worship, I have been told I do things differently, but quite how hasn't been clear.

This Advent and Christmas season I know what I did was different.

I invited members of the congregation to light the Advent ring. Not just children (though on the first Sunday it was a child, due to only one candle being lit), but adults too. Though there aren't many children at Quarry Kirk, this was not my rational for getting the breadth of the congregation to participate in lighting the Advent candles. The Advent season is a time of perperation for the whole church. The whole church is made up of not only the children. Surely, then, the whole church should be represented when we light the candles?

It seemed to work and I didn't struggle to get willing volunteers. Which makes me wonder why it's not the 'norm', but that's probably because the lighting of the candles forms part of the children's address slot, so perish the thought adults would get to do it!!!

The other thing I did differently was continue to have the Advent wreath (all 5 candles this time) lit both last Sunday and yesterday. The Christmas season doesn't end till Epiphany, when the wise men arrived, so surely the symbolism of the lights of the candle should continue to burn for the whole season (or about an hour a week during the service). I can't recall seeing the Advent wreath still lit beyond the Sunday after Christmas.  Often, by the first Sunday in January the decorations have been packed away for the coming year. I made a special request to have the wreath for yesterday's service and ensured it was lit. I also explained to the congregation why I was continuing to do it - because the season of Christmas was ongoing.

The candles and wreath will be away next Sunday. They may loose their significance and symbolism if they are ever present. But I think I will, when the time comes again, try to include the whole church in the lighting of the Advent wreath.

Epiphany 2014 part 1

Sermon preached today at Quarry Kirk, based on Matthew 2:1-12.

When I was growing up there were 2 roles I would be pretty much guaranteed to get in the church nativity play – that of a shepherd or wise man

For some reason, in the plays that church had, at least one of those characters would have a reasonable amount of dialogue to remember and I was not only very good at remembering my lines, but also of being heard. Being heard in a church has never been an issue for me!

There was one year where the play had a lot of dialogue for the angel Gabriel. So, I was given that role. I must admit, I was gutted and hated having to do what I considered a 'girly' role. Back then no one told me Gabriel was a boy angel.

Anyway, when I look back, the thing I remember about playing the shepherds and the wise men is they were lead to follow Jesus – by angels or a star.

When they got to see Jesus, they worshipped him, and were filled with joy.

Filled with joy in seeing this special and precious baby.

And then we would give our gifts

okay, so shepherds, which appear in Luke's gospel, are not said to have given anything to Jesus, but what nativity play doesn't had the shepherds giving a sheep or blanket to the baby?

But the best gifts – and the gifts we are told about in Matthew's gospel – are reserved for the wise men

they bring their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh to Jesus

each gift not only expensive and precious in its own right, even 2000 years later these are expensive items

each gift not only the sort of gift which foreign dignitaries coming to visit a new born king would be expected to present

but each gift is a pointer to who Jesus is, his life and his death.

The gold speaks of him being a king, a king sent by God, a king for all the nations

the frankincense speaks of Jesus being God's high priest. Frankincense was – and still is – burnt in the temple and some churches by the priests to help the prayers of the people reach God's presence

but mostly, I remember the symbolism of the myrrh. As a child playing a king, one year we each had to learn our verse from 'we three kings' and sing this as we gave our gift to the baby

myrrh is mine its bitter perfume

breathes a life of gathering gloom

sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying

sealed in a stone cold tomb

myrrh was used to anoint bodies of the dead before burial

though an expensive perfume, the symbolism is that this gift points towards Jesus' death on a cross

after all, this baby, this precious king, this high priest of God was to grow up

He would grow into a man who would be baptised by John in the Jordan

who would call disciples

who would heal the sick, give sight to the blind and feed the 5000

a man who would talk to all who would listen

gaining enemies as he talked to the wrong sort of people – tax collectors, prostitutes, Samaritans

and would eventually land up nailed to a cross, giving his life in order that the whole world could know God's love and that all people, everywhere, no matter their background, gender, faith or nationality could come to worship God – could come to have a relationship with God

and it all began with those wise men. Foreigners themselves – the word magi, which they are sometimes known as – means a astrologer from Persia.

Not only were they foreigners, but they were not from a land which worshipped the same God as the Jews

yet, when they say Jesus they were filled with joy and worshipped Jesus

and, when they left Jesus and his family, they went home.

Though we never hear of them again, I like to think they were the first to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the gentiles, to the foreigners

and today, we hear on the news bad news stories about foreigners coming to Britain how should we as a church respond?

That I do not think has an easy answer, but I would suggest we should remember who Jesus reached out to all through his life – the sick, the excluded, the foreigner – and remember that in our Christian life we are called to follow Christ's example and his disciples.

Part 2, preached by Spot, can be found here.

It's about the journey

At the moment, it's the season for 'reviews of the year' and such like things. It's not my style to do this. I like to think I at least try to review what's going on in my life - ministry and non-ministry related - fairly regularly and not just in relation to a change in calender.

There is no doubt, though, that the date change perhaps focuses the mind on what the following few months, at least may hold. Much of these ideas/thoughts/concerns have been stewing for a while. Seems like as good a time to write them out, as I often find the process of writing distills and condenses thought; clarifies them even.

I'm a couple of months into my pastoral placement. I'm not sure I'm doing as much as I should, and for a variety of (very good) reasons, my supervisor and I have not been able to formally meet to discuss since I began. I know there's this wee niggle in the back of my head which wonders if this will fulfil the requirements Ministries Council want of me. In a passing conversation my supervisor did suggest I may not need to be with her for too long, but I do not want to take things for granted. Not having formal paperwork, in this case, sort of makes things a bit more difficult, as there's no quantifiable means of measuring what I've done and how that matches (or otherwise) with the criteria laid down by 121. It's not that I'm paranoid, but don't want to get to this years annual review and have to put on hold probation as I, once again, failed to tick their boxes.

I've only 1 semester left at uni. I have, in the main, thoroughly enjoyed the study. I had talked before entering this ministry thing of going back to uni, doing it right and maybe doing some history - so far, 2 out of 3 isn't bad. My attitude throughout is to do as well as I can, but to focus on what I learn, but on the grades I obtain. There is so much I have learned from this period of study (e.g. managing priorities; thinking about the rules of diminishing returns; cost benefit analysis; targeted reading; etc, etc) which will never show up in the grades, but will stand me in good stead for the next stage in my journey. Before I get there, I have a dissertation and essays to write, exams to sit and presentations to make. All part and parcel of student life, but all leading to the end point of obtaining the qualification I need to follow my call.

Which is all getting to be quite 'real.' I've at least one, if not 2 friends who will be ordained in June. Though a different denominations, thus a different training program, it terrifies me that people I am currently studying will be entering the apostolic succession in less than 6 months! It also scares me that more and more people I know and love will be following them over the coming year or 2.

Occasionally, though, I wonder if I'll get there. The path I'm called to follow hasn't been smooth. I have struggled with aspects of it. I sometimes wonder if it's as much about me not quite being the 'right' sort of person to be a minister. Again and again that was why I took so long to do something about it. Since my first conference I have seen candidates who seem so sorted, so comfortable in their call, where their journey appears to be comparatively smooth. Then I remember that the best journeys I've ever been on were the ones where I went the alternative route, the narrower path, the less beaten track. As a consequence I saw and encountered things amazing and beautiful things I would not have if I have followed the more conventional route. My ministry training has been somewhat like that.

But life it's straightforward. It has it's ups and downs. It's highs and lows. Why shouldn't my path following God's call be like that too? But then, it's all about the journey not necessarily the destination.

The blind will 'see'

Yesterday a card arrived, addressed in such a way to suggest it may well have come from Railway Crossing or Last Stop. Though a little late, I expected it to be a Christmas card.

To my surprise and delight, it was a virtual gift, from one of the congregation members at Railway Crossing. A lady with a huge, deep, devoted faith, who I received much support. Knowing her, I suspect I and Spot are regularly included in her prayers.

The gift is to provide a Braille textbook, Braille paper or other visual aids as part of the work of Embrace the Middle East (no, I hadn't heard of them either). As someone who knows how important learning and education is to improving people's lives, and how restrictive poor or no sight can be, this was such a thoughtful gift.

At Caledonia Kirk the deaf heard. Now, due to someone taking the time to think of me when buying a gift, the blind 'see'. This is getting a bit scary!!!