May 2021

Trinity Sunday 30th May 2021 - a reflection by Canon Dean Fostekew

Trinity Sunday is often a Sunday that clergy try to get someone else to preach. I haven’t managed that this year, as you can see. So what to say about the Holy Trinity?

In writing this sermon I began as I always do by reading the lessons set for the day in the hope that they might give me an easy answer as to what the Trinity is all about. No such luck! I ended up confused as to why today’s readings were chosen in the first place.

We have the piece from Isaiah, which I can only think is...

A reflection for Pentecost Sunday 23rd May 2021 by the Rev'd Russell Duncan

Sunday 23rd May 2021 – Pentecost

Imagine my great disappointment. A large box awaited me when I arrived home sent by dear friends. I opened it quickly but much to my dismay it was full of flowers that appeared to be dead. What should I do? Should I put them in the compost heap or in a vase of water? I chose the latter. To my surprise they slowly came to life, lasted at least a week or more and brought much pleasure and delight. Recently this happened to my mother too.  My younger brother told her in advance what...

The Mission 21 Hymn

This was written for the Mission 21 campaign by Jean Holloway the wife of Bishop Richard Holloway, our former Diocesan Bishop and Primus. I still think the sentiment it expresses is something for the church to uphold and practice. It is also a good challenge to us in this coming season of Pentecost.

 

Mission 21 Hymn

We have a vision of the church to share,

One to inspire God’s people everywhere;

Open to all, and no one turned away,

All those who enter here will wish to stay.


Here we embrace all people, young and old,

Welcoming those who...

Reflection for the Sunday after Ascension by the Rev'd William Mounsey

A POLITICAL DOCTRINE                Easter VII - Sunday after the Ascension     16th May 2021

Luke 24:45-53

We are in Ascension-tide – but for many Christians in the 21st century The Ascension story is something of an embarrassment. The idea of Ascension is not your everyday topic of conversation.  It seems to have more to do with fantasy than the world of hard fact.

As far as we are concerned, when anyone 'ascends' they move up into the air and out into space. So an early astronaut returned to earth and said that he did...

Reflection for Easter VI & Christian Aid Sunday 9th May 2021by Canon Dean Fostekew

Easter VI & Christian Aid Week 2021 Year B

Drink a glass of tap water!

What can be better than a glass of cool, clear, Scottish water? Turn on your tap and you can usually guarantee a refreshing and health giving drink. Isn’t it amazing how two different gaseous atoms can make a liquid molecule that is so important to our lives and our well-being.

Water is a precious resource and one, we in Scotland, take for granted. As our climate ensures that we don’t usually get into drought conditions and water rationing. For Christians water is even more precious as...

A refection for Easter V 2nd May 2021 by the Rev'd David Warnes

Easter 5  Year B 2021

As all wine lovers know, the vines from which wine comes all belong to the same species – vitis vinifera – which began to be cultivated by human beings about 8,000 years ago. It is an extraordinarily hardy plant, which can cope with extremes of climate – there are even vineyards in Scotland. Nevertheless, in the 19th century it fell prey to a tiny aphid from America called Phylloxera Vastatrix which feeds on vine roots. In 1862 a French wine merchant imported some American vines and, unwittingly, imported a small colony of Phylloxera Vastatrix ...