November 2025

Matthew 24:36-44

‘The necessity for watchfulness’

In this reading from Matthew’s Gospel account, Jesus tells us that not even he knows the hour of his return or when the Kingdom of God will be fully established on the Earth. He suggests that it will take us all by surprise as we go about our ordinary business and live our daily lives. He also, however, suggests that we should be prepared at all times for this coming and not be caught out. We need to be ready to welcome the Kingdom and his return at anytime and he encourages us, just...

The King we worship, love and serve is no mere powerful deity. He is no supreme being wielding power at a whim over our lives and destiny, nor is he a remote and uncaring being who does not worry how we feel or how we thrive. No, the King we serve is a spiritual King and a servant. One who was prepared to take human form and to serve the basic needs of us, his creation. Our King is no dictator or uncaring governor our King is a loving and caring parent who is always seeking and hoping the best...

Our AGM coming as it does towards the end of the Church’s year is a good time for us to stop, reflect and to give thanks to God for all that we have achieved and done as a congregation over the past year. The AGM report which I hope you have all read gives a thorough review of our activities, mission and out reach. The most important thing is, however, that we have continued Sunday by Sunday and Wednesday by Wednesday to gather to give thanks and worship to God. This is part of the ‘presence’ in the community that...

As many of you know, I’ve been spending as good deal of time at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in recent days. Its corridors are enlivened by a lot of interesting artwork, and I was particularly struck by a wooden panel into which are carved these words:

“History comes out of the walls”. 

It’s the work of an artist called Shauna McMullan, and she took her inspiration from the dining tables in the old Royal Infirmary buildings in Lauriston Place. Over the years some of the clinicians and scientists who worked there carved their names onto the tops of those tables...

In the early years of my ordained ministry one of the most popular poems requested at a funeral was; ‘Death is nothing at all’ by Professor Henry Scott Holland, Canon of St.Paul’s Cathedral London. It reads: 

Death is nothing at all.

It does not count.

I have only slipped away into the next room.

Nothing has happened.

Everything remains exactly as it was.

I am I, and you are you,

and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.

Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by the old familiar name...