Alleluia Christ is Risen!!
Alongside our Easter joy, it is so good to see that the tower at St Andrew’s is now taking shape and fascinating to admire the skill of the joiners and roofers as they carefully craft timber, lead and slate and also the input of painters and metal workers as they all contribute. We all look forward to them completing their task, so that we can celebrate all that they have achieved.
Alleluia Christ is Risen!!
A Happy and Blessed Easter to everyone from all of us across the Episcopal Churches in East Sutherland and Tain!
The walk will consist of Eight stops, with a variable amount of walking between them. There is room for at least a few cars at each stops and so it will be possible for those who cannot or do not wish to walk the whole route to participate by adjusting the amount of walking required to suit their needs.
The walk will start in the car park adjacent to Kincardine Church in Ardgay and will end at Creich Church in Bonar Bridge, where there will be Hot Cross buns and tea/coffee available. The walk itself will commence at 10:15am and we should arrive at Creich Church by about 11:50am.
At each stop, there will be a Reading from Scripture, a short Reflection and a Prayer As we leave heading towards the next stop, we’ll sing a hymn. We will carry a large rough wooden cross throughout the walk.
This afternoon Bishop Mark led a celebration of beginnings, for four lovely people at the Crask.
For Shane and Mack, the beginning was their installation as joint wardens of the Crask. +Mark spoke about their ministry of hospitality and their twin vocations to this ministry and to their family, making space for both.
For their children Sammy and Rosie, the beginning was baptism into the life of Christ and a start of their Christian journey of faith.
A sizeable congregation gathered to join in the celebration (including a number of friends from their former home congregation in Alabama) and after a beautiful and uplifting service there were of course lovely refreshments and the chance to meet and talk together, as their always is at the Crask.
St Finnbarr’s Dornoch are delighted to receive a splendid gift from our friends in the Church of Scotland. Many of you will know that a number of Church of Scotland buildings across the nation are now closed or closing. One of such churches is West Church Cromarty. Whilst it is very sad for all of us when we hear of the closure of buildings constructed to glory of God and for His worship, we are very pleased to receive a set of three beautiful chairs for use in our sanctuary. As the buildings were constructed to God’s glory, so such items of furniture were lovingly made, and we are blessed to be able to make sure these items remain in God’s church. Thank you to our friends in Cromarty, be assured of our love and our prayers.
Now that the weather is a little improved and the days are lengthening (Anglo-Saxon lencten from which we get out word Lent – meaning lengthening days), the St Andrew’s tower is starting to rise again up through the scaffolding – thanks everyone.
The St Finnbarr’s Charities Shop in Dornoch is now on Winter opening hours (though subject to short notice closure as a result of the weather).
The opening hours are Mondays to Saturdays from 10am to 1pm.
The shop has been reorganised and has a New Look for the New Year and a half price sale for the month of January.
It would be appreciated that if you have been saving donations of items for the shop that you drop them off during opening times only and in fairly small quantities as we have limited storage space.
We look forward to welcoming everybody in the coming weeks, meanwhile keep safe.
Today at St Andrew’s, the wise men came bearing gifts and singing their solos. We were fortunate to have three excellent male voices to sing verses 2-4 of “We three Kings“, wearing crowns and presenting their gifts and also to have a very helpful young person to welcome them to the stable, put them in position and their gifts at the foot of the Incarnated God. Well done Seumas, Alex, Jamie and Carly, we all loved it.
This afternoon at the Crask we sang carols and heard Bible readings, poetry and stories, all followed with lovely seasonal foods and fellowship. Thanks Kai, Mike, Shane, Mack and John for making it such a lovely occasion and to all those who came and sang and read – it was won-der-ful.
This afternoon we had a splendid Service of Readings and Carols enjoyed by a fairly full church drawn from right across the area. There were readers from several local churches and fellowships and a selection of traditional and other favourite carols. Afterwards there was a collection for the Samaritans which raised almost £140.
The service was followed by seasonal refreshments – mince pies, Christmas cake, shortbread washed down with mulled wine or spiced apple juice. It was wonderful to see so many people on a wet, slippery, slushy afternoon – well done everyone.
A huge thanks to all those who helped to make it the wonderful afternoon that it was and those who have helped to decorate the Church in the last couple of days and of course to Campbell for accompanying the carols on the organ..
Scottish Episcopal Church - Dornoch, Lairg, Brora, Tain & Tongue 