New Years Resolutions

Well, do you or don't you?

Here's some unusual ones to consider;

• Learn a decent party trick
• Get you photo taken in five interesting places
• Break a world Record
• Make a new friend a month
• Learn something you never did as a child
• Try a new food each week
• Do something nice for other people every day

Any other suggestions? And what about the Church, should we be making any resolutions. Feel free to share them on Sunday.

Christmas!

Well that's Christmas over for another year. I don't know about you but I've really enjoyed it this year. The highlight, for me, was Messy Church- it was so nice to see so many different folk coming together to be the Church in a different kind of way.

Here's some photies of the Burnside Chritmas experience:

Upcoming Events

Friday 23rd December
Service of Prayer & Reflection @ 12pm in the Church

Saturday 24th December

• Carol Singing at St Peter's House @ 6.30pm
• Watchnight Service @ 10.45pm in the Church

Sunday 25th December
Christmas Family Service @ 11.15am

A busy Christmas.

Blue Christmas

Blue Christmas

Christmas Season

Join us in Stromness Kirk on Saturday 17^th December at 12pm for a quiet, meditative service that makes time for remembering, sharing our hurting places with God and preparing ourselves for the coming of Jesus.

Messy Church

Well it was messy, but it was fun! And we will be doing it again in January.

Mary's Journey

There will be no donkey,
and especially not a little donkey.

I'm eight-and-a-half months pregnant.
I couldn't swing my leg over its back.

If I sat side-saddle, I'd probably fall off
and if I stayed on, it might trigger my contractions.

Now if Joseph could afford a camel....
but Joseph can't afford a camel,
so I'm  going to walk.....

eighty miles
eighty pregnant miles
to register to pay the poll-tax...
I don't know what it will be like
and, since Joseph left the town
when he was just a toddler,
he can't remember either.

I ask you....
would any of you who a\re women
want to walk eighty miles,
when your time has nearly come,
to give birth,
in who knows where,
to a child who is a source of consternation
to your parents before he is born
and who will be a source of controversy
to the  world ever after.

When I was a girl
I used to love playing practical jokes.
All our neighbours would roar and laugh
and say to my mother
"Where does she get her sense of humour from?"

Sometimes when I think of the mess
that Joseph and I are in,
I smile to myself
and realise I got my sense of humour
from my maker.

Graemsay

8 of us from Stromness went over on Tuesday to share lunch and a wee communion service with the Graemsay folk. It was a lovely day out (but quite tiring for some!)

Communion

Jesus was always the guest.
In the homes of Peter and Jairus,
Martha, Mary and Zaccheus,
he was always the guest.

At the meal tables of the wealthy
where he pled the case of the poor,
he was always the guest.

Upsetting polite company,
befriending isolated people,
welcoming the stranger,
he was always the guest.

But here,
at this table,
he is the host.

Those who wish to serve him
must first be served by him.
Those who want to follow him
must first be fed by him.
Those who would wash his feet
must first let him make them clean.

Dirty Weekend

Well that was some weekend. The boat journey from hell and then a weekend of mud and hurricanes. I'm glad to be back on Orkney. Here's a few photos of my mates enjoying themselves.

Look after your pets!

When Lord did we ever see you...?

When Lord did we ever see you hungry and feed you?

I'm famished!
I could eat a scabby horse!
The cupboard is bare.
We know where our next meal's coming from
and where it's going.
But do we know the cost?
The poor wait ,hungry for change.
Jesus waits with them

When Lord did we ever see you thirsty and give you a drink?

What're you having?
It's your round!
I only drink to be sociable.
Make mine a double!
We take it for granted, drinking,
whatever we want, whenever we want.
Some live to drink,
others drink to live!
The poor wait, thirsty for justice.
Jesus waits with them.

When Lord did we see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes?

Who's that over there?
The new boy, the incomer.
Never set eyes on him before.
Not sure I like the look of him!
We like to stay safe,
comfortable in the circle of our friends.
The strangers wait for welcome.
Jesus waits with them.


More on Sunday, feel free to comment or contribute, please!

Hoy!

Some photos from yesterday on Hoy:

Remembering

Remembrance Sunday is always a difficult time, trying to find things that are meaningful to say to people who have genuine memories of war and those who don't. The last time I prepared a Remembrance service (nearly 20 years ago) Britain hadn't been involved in a major conflict for some time.  Now, of course, hundreds of young men and women have lost their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I found this and am thinking of using it on Sunday:

How do you say thank you to the men and women
who risked their lives, and lost their lives to secure our freedom,
our way of life, our peace and our prosperity?

How do you say thank you to the men and women
who went through the most terrible experience of their lives,
surrounded by death and carnage, losing friends and loved ones,
seeing things that would change their lives forever?

How do you say thankyou to those who went through all of this
with the belief that their one life, whether lost or saved,
could make a difference, had to make a difference, for our sake,
the generation they had not even met yet?

How do you say thank you to the men and women
who had faith in us before we were even born,
faith that we would become people worth fighting for,
and worth dying for?

How do you say thank you?

You honour their sacrifice with your life.
You go to war against your faults and failures.
You conquer all the things inside you that make this world
a worse place to live in;worse for your family, friends and neighbours.

You fight to make the small space in the world that you touch a better place.

You win the battle for your own soul.

You be good and do good; you live selflessly, remembering the example
that the veterans, both living and dead, laid down for us.

You live life so well that those who remember the horrors of war
look on you with satisfaction and pride and are comforted,
never feeling for a moment that you weren't worth the price they paid.

Harvest Sunday

A big thanks to everyone for their donations to the Highland Foodbank!

Day off!

Took the boys out to Yesnebay this afternoon....they had fun!

The Church Council

First  meeting, for me, of Stromness Church Council. Hope they are gentle with me! Last time I was at one of these things , twenty years ago, two of the Elders ended up trying to strangle each other and I went home and wrote my letter of resignation.

Things can only get better!

Harvest

Manna
Enough-simply enough,
not too much,
not an over-abundance,
but enough.
Sufficient for the day,
not for storing up
or hoarding for the lean times,
but enough.
Seems fair that everyone
should get just what they need,
regardless of status.
Just enough.
Those are the resources
supplied by God.

Graemsay

Spent a lovely day today over on Graemsay, had   a lovely wee service with seven folk at it. I feel it's  quite important to keep these folk involved in the life of the Church. Any thoughts?

The Starfish

In the morning early,
I saw the folk from the village
combing the sand for starfish
which the waves had washed up
and left vulnerable.

These the villagers would collect, kill,
and sell for profit.
That was their way.

One morning I rose earlier,
and walked on the sand by the water's edge.

There in the distance, I saw a solitary figure
who was also looking for starfish.

Whenever he found one alive or even just alive,
he would lift it, kiss it,
and lay it back in the blue water,
there to be revived and to swim again.
That was his way.

Now I get up every morning,
earlier than the villagers,
early as the man.
I the strong no longer stretch to survive:
I kneel down to restore the weak.

And I have found,
though some might mock me,
that even far from the seaside,
there are starfish on every street.
(John L. Bell)

Even on the streets of Stromness?

The Golden Rule

They say you should walk a mile in another persons shoes before you criticise him.

Try that in the manse and you might be there for a while!

All you need is love!

Smiley happy people (apart from the one who was ill on Sunday1 Can you spot her?)

I've never been a huge fan of the Beatles, preferring the blues-based rock of the Stones. However, you do have to admit that Lennon and McCartney wrote some incredibly powerful and moving songs. All you need is love...Let it be.....Hey Jude for example. I'm hoping to use some of this music on Sunday to help us think about L.O.V.E. and what it means for us.

The Bible Readings are Deuteronomy 34:1-12, which deals with the death of Moses right on the verge of the promised land, and Matthew 22:34-46, the Great Commandment.

Here's a question for you to think about before Sunday: How do you love your neighbour.... when he's a right pain in the neck? Answers on a postcard please.

Facing up!

Well, I've been in Stromness for exactly one week now and so far I like it.

It's been strange walking (& cycling) around the streets of the town, seeing all the new faces, and not being sure who I'm supposed to know from the Church. My tactic has been to smile sweetly at everyone. It's not a bad tactic, though I suppose some people think I'm a grinning idiot!

The theme of Sundays service is faces. I hope to see yours there on Sunday, preferably smiling.

The Bible Readings are:Exodus 33: 12-23/Matthew 22:15-22

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Last Weekend of Freedom

Some images that sum up how I have been preparing myself for life on Orkney. Went for a big bike ride amongst the mountains, helped carry a stretcher down Ben Nevis and celebrated the end of this chapter with a few local (to you) beverages. Oh and I did go to Church too (Alison made me!)

The Golden Calf- Sunday 9th October

Bible Reading(s): Exodus 32:1-14 (Paraphrase for 2 voices)
                          Matthew 22:1-14

Golden calves are things of the past,

not things that affect us now.

We would never be so ensnared

by outward trappings,

by gimmicks,

by things that look the part.

We would never be distracted

from the heart of the gospel

by things that are shallow

or shortlived.

We would never break

our promises to God.

(Would we?)

What are the things that distract you (and me) and stop us living life to the full?

Going Bananas!

I have now filled nearly 100 of these wonderful boxes with our possesions!
We'll be moving up to Stromness at some point next week and then the unpacking will begin in earnest.
Just heard today that my friend John Christie (He doesn't like me to call him the Right Reverend) will be coming up for both Alison and My Inductions!

See you soon.

Ballachulish

Was taking Alison's services here today as she is preaching as Sole Nominee up in Orphir/Stenness lw Hoy & Flotta.(That doesn't exactly roll off the tongue does it?)

Lovely day here in Ballachulish, will miss the mountains, but looking forward to the challenges ahead!

Some photos from today: