Welcome to another Sunday in this Advent time.
In anticipation that the Scottish Government moves us out of tier four, the Naseby sanctuary will be open again for worship at 10.30am next Sunday and should be booked on the Friday before as normal. (07851 591 503)
That service will be led by our Session Clerk as the Manse family have to isolate for 14 days due to a positive Covid test. Can I, in anticipation, thank Gordon for taking the service and encouraging the opening up of our sanc-tuaries and also the Revd Bruce Sinclair of Jordanhill who stepped in to conduct the funeral of Margaret Steven this coming Wednesday.
Two other funerals are pending: the funerals of Isobel Letham and of George Whyte may be moved beyond the 14 days of isolation to allow me to conduct these services, God willing. I have also to announce the death of the Revd Tom Houston of Baillieston St Andrews who died on Sunday 29 November. Please remember all the families in your prayers.
Paula Pinda, the Heart for Art manager, has emailed me to let you know that the Heart for Art online shop is now live. The link to access it is https://shop.crossreach.org.uk/acatalog/Heart-for-Art.html and merchandise can be found online.
The Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rt Revd Dr Martin Fair, is inviting people to send a sprig of rosemary, to represent their own personal experience of 2020. These sprigs will be incorporated into a giant rosemary wreath, a symbol of the nation’s lament for a sorrow-filled year, so that we can look forward to happier times. The art installation, called ‘Scented Lament’, which will be 5ft 9inches (the average height of a Scot) in diameter, will be created by Rev Peter Gardner and Heidi Gardner. A television programme on the installation will also be broadcast on BBC Scotland. Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair will be presenting ‘Resolutions’ on New Year’s Day, tell-ing the story of the work of the ‘Scented Lament’ installation. We would ask that the cut sprig of rosemary is sealed inside a sandwich bag, then placed in an envelope and posted to:
Gardner & Gardner, Studio 118, The Briggait, 141 Bridgegate, Glasgow G1 5HZ
The rosemary should be posted around Thursday 10 December, so that it will arrive at the Gardner & Gardner studio between Monday 14 December and Friday 18 December, as fresh as possible.
In all Advent hopefulness,
George
Click to download weekly reflection for Sunday 6 December 2020 (PDF):-
