Tonight we remembered those who we have loved, but see no more; our friends, our relatives and those who have gone before us in faith.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
For a number of years we have been talking about replacing the heating in St Finnbarr’s, since the Diocesan Architect considered that it was in need of replacement.
Well it’s finally happened and the old assorted collection of radiant heaters hanging on chains have been replaced by dark infrared heaters attached to the roof beams. The new heaters on on a time clock so there’s no need for someone to go down to the Church on dark cold nights to put the heating on, it should all happen automatically.
It is now all finished and the congregation have had their first taste of what it will be like in future. By all accounts they were warm enough and didn’t feel that the new heaters detracted from the overall appearance of the Church.
Thanks to Jimmy who did the work so swiftly and without the need to cancel any services and to Margaret for all her work in getting tenders, etc.
We should be able to look forward to a warmer winter this year!!
Today in St Finnbarr’s, St Andrew’s and St Columba’s we gave thanks for the harvest and for all God’s gifts to us. We may be finding things a bit tough just now, but that doesn’t stop us giving thanks for what we have and for God’s goodness to us, in fact it is in times like these that we need to recognise our need of God and be thankful for the constant presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in our lives and the lives of those around us.
These flowers were in St Columba’s, but there were stunning flowers in both St Andrew’s and St Finnbarr’s as well (but I didn’t get photos of them:-( Thanks to everyone who exercised their considerable talents with their autumn flowers and fruits.
St Columba’s in Brora has been open for Individual Prayer on a Sunday afternoons for many weeks now, but on today (27th September) the Eucharist was once again celebrated in the “Tin Tabernacle”.
It was a lovely occasion, where we marked a Trinity of events. St Columba’s opened for worship after three years of closure due to fire on 28th September 2019, so this weekend marked the first anniversary of resumption of worship.
It was of course our first service since the start of lock-down in March, some six months ago.
Finally, it was the last service of Don Grant’s period of curacy with us and fittingly, he was presented with a painting of Brora beach, to remind him and Silvia of their time with St Columba’s. Thank you Don for what you have done in Brora over the last twelve months and we all wish you well in the next phase of ministry based out of the Cathedral in Inverness.
We weren’t of course able to have a party to celebrate these things but Claudia spend this morning making individual ‘cup-cake’ birthday cakes with a candle in the middle for each member of the congregation – thanks so much Claudia.
Thanks to everyone who helped to prepare the Church, the flowers and provide us with lovely music during the service and of course everyone who was there filling the Church to almost its (COVID) capacity. St Columba’s will now be open for worship each Sunday at 4pm.
Have you heard the one about the Funeral Director, the Priest and the Lord Lieutenant? Well this afternoon all three turned up with pipers and standard-bearers and an MP at Barbara Rae’s house in Tain. The occasion was Barbara’s 100 birthday.
Born in the aftermath of the 14-18 Great War, Barbara lived and served through the 39-45 second world war, and all its after effects – a life changing and life affirming experience for so many of that generation. Barbara, in common with both our own Marjorie Taylor and actress Patricia Routledge, attended Birkenhead High School; though of course they were not all there at the same time and neither Barbara nor Marjorie bear any resemblance to Hyacinth Bucket in “Keeping up Appearances”.
Barbara’s war included the blitz of Liverpool – she was not yet 21 by the time it ended. She was lucky to survive. She worked in Liverpool but lived with her parents in Birkenhead. Her brother David was serving in France and having his own adventures. The family home was badly bomb damaged in May 1941 and they had to move out, but the family survived.
Barbara joined the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in 1942 after the Liverpool blitz, and went into the Meteorology section of the RAF. She had her main training in London, and thereafter was based at several UK airfield locations. Especially RAF Millom and RAF Cark in Lancashire (Cumbria) the Lake District, which is where she eventually met Willis. They were married in 1945. During the time that Willis worked for Customs and Excise at Liverpool Docks.
They lived in Birkenhead until 1961 when they made the move up to Tain where Willis was the Excise Officer at Glenmorangie Distillery until his retirement in 1981. Their children Ian and Pat were educated at Tain Royal Academy. In 1974 they bought a new build house in Knockbreck Avenue – and lived there from 1976. So, Barbara is one of the longest duration residents of the Avenue…and certainly the oldest!
Barbara who had always been active in her church in Birkenhead quickly found her way to St Andrew’s Church. Barbara did so much in and for St Andrew’s Church over the years, much of it as part of the St Andrew’s Ladies Guild, (later the St Andrew’s Fellowship). She put in hours of patient needlework to make altar frontals and pulpit falls, she repaired vestments and all these things we still experience as they’re still in weekly use. She arranged flowers to enhance the congregation’s experience of coming to church. She did work on the Church Magazine and was a member of the Vestry. Just a few of the things that Barbara did in our Church.
Barbara was also very active for some years with the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service (the WRVS) in Tain again helping with their local work, and especially delivering ‘Meals on Wheels’ around Tain and environs. Both Barbara and Willis were also active in later years with the Tain Choral Group and the Garrick Singers (now Easter Ross Musical Theatre). Willis performed for a few years with the Garrick Singers, whilst Barbara as ever just got on with things needing to be done in ‘wardrobe’ and backstage.
Sadly Willis died in 2000 after having suffered a heart attack and a series of strokes in the 90s which left him with reduced mobility and unable to talk properly, but he was ably looked after by Barbara.
Today family and friends turned out up and down Knockbreck Avenue to honour Barbara, an amazing lady. It was a privilege that we were all able to celebrate with you on this special day…..
There were 15 entries for the Caption Competition this time and they were quite a diverse set clustered around themes of Lockdown, Hugs, Dancing, Phones/Tablets and Musical Instruments, so a big thank you to all who entered and came up with this little lot:
Sending a big mobile hug x
“Hello….. can you hear me? I’m on my mobile…”
“…my shield and protector…”
“God is this the only way to get a cuddle in Lockdown??”
“Forget social distancing, let’s just have a good old hug”
Rev Simon was so over Covid 19 he couldn’t wait to have a bear hug – his new prescription from spec savers had been delayed !!!!
“One, two cha cha cha”
Simon was thrilled with his new tablet.
Beach Boy Simon gets ready to ride the next (Covid) wave.
Viewers question Fr Simon’s claim to never being board in Church.
A preview of the new normal for the next series of Strictly?
Um…. BYO referred to bottles, not musical instruments.
“How did you get past Security with that?”
“You really didn’t need to bring your own organ, Simon, we do have one here, you know. In the loft!”
But the one that made Anna and I giggle the most was:
“Do you know this keyboard’s standing on my toes?”
“No, but you hum it and I’m sure we’ll all soon be joining in.”
Well done Nicholas Court for coming up with that one.
James and Anna
O God of power and might,
all good things belong to you:
sow in our hearts the love of your name,
and make us grow in the life of faith;
nurture the things that are good,
and tend them with your loving care;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen.
Yesterday saw St Finnbarr’s in Dornoch and St Andrew’s in Tain open for Individual Prayer for the first time. A fair number of people took the opportunity to drop in for a little while during the two hour periods that the Churches were open.
How shall we praise you, Lord, our God?
When we are locked down, how shall we praise you?
When the doors to your house are barred, and your people cannot assemble?
When those urgently in need of money and work can’t even wait in the market-place?
When we have to circle round people in the street,
and to queue for shops maintaining safe distance?
When we can only communicate by hearing on the phone,
or seeing on the screen; or by digital messaging,
or even just waving through a window?
When we cannot meet our parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren,
or other family members and friends?
When we cannot touch them in their flesh and blood, to know they are really alive?
How shall we praise you?
How, like Thomas, shall we not see yet believe that your son is raised among us?
How shall we praise you?
Lord, I will try to praise you.
Through gritted teeth, I will try to praise you.
I will try to remember that you created all things, and this virus is part of creation.
I will try not to hate it but seek to mitigate its harm.
I will try to do my bit to keep others safe, by the way that I behave.
I will pray for all those around me and seek to help in whatever way I can.
Lord, when I cannot pray or worship help me be aware of all your people
and your saints and angels hovering around me, lifting me up.
When I feel alone, let me feel you near me,
even if only for a moment that enables me to go on.
Let me hear you say “Peace be with you”.
Dear Friends across the Diocese
As most of you will now know, the Scottish Government has given permission for places of worship to reopen next week as long as those places can be opened safely. This will require much hard work and some difficult decisions. In some cases it will be difficult to open and some cases it might not be right to open just yet. These decisions will be made by your clergy and your vestry with support from myself as bishop.
There is no right answer to this process, each place is different and each church member will be experiencing this situation differently.
Many of your clergy have worked hard in new and unusual ways and are ready for a break, yet we need to work through this next phase.
So can I ask that you hold the diocese, the congregations and the clergy in prayer. Could you remember that rather than expecting your clergy to be there for you, we must also be there for them. Some are shielding, some are as anxious as you and that, as you know, makes us all vulnerable.
My fervent prayer is to be with you all again, but I know that wonderful moment might take longer in some places than others. We are a family of faith, let us hold each other in love.
Prayers Blessings and love
Scottish Episcopal Church - Dornoch, Lairg, Brora, Tain & Tongue 