Category: congregation

Beyond all the usual things that all the usual people have done this week, there has been a sudden upsurge in helpfulness.

Offers came, today (some solicited, some otherwise) to:

1. Drive me to Colintrive should my creaking wheel bearing give way before a funeral.
2. Pick me up at Rhubodach to get me to the church on time (should my creaking wheel bearing give way before a funeral).
3. Keep me company on the ferry and at the crematorium, should I prefer not to be alone (this offer was made twice, by different people)
4. Take me to Glasgow for Midge-bites & Candlelight shopping, should the drive feel overwhelming in the midst of an all too busy week. (and this person knew nothing of the wheel bearing…)

In the end, none of the offers of help were needed — but they were much appreciated.

And now, I think, despite a diary that claims I should work till midnight, I am taking tonight off.

Well, I have now taught the bird to spell. But only after an unfortunate coincidence of bad typing, lack of avian spelling and a rare lapse in proofreading by our editor-in-chief led to a few creative images of God in the pew sheet.

First, in the collect: ‘O God, through your only betooten Son you have overcome death and opened the gate of life…’

Then, in the post communion prayer: ‘Eternal God, whose son Jesus Chrust is the way, the truth and the life…’

I think the latter will be a one off, but I’m quite taken by ‘betooten’. I suspect it will rank up there with my old favorite ‘One Cod, now and forever. Amen.’

p.s. — I have just run this post through the spell check. Betooten didn’t get underlined. It is clearly meant to stay.

A dear lady in one of my congregations expressed her concern  at the lack of young men in my life. I offered her a deal: if she could manage to fill the church with them, I promised to consider each and every one.

The Scottish Episcopal Church doesn’t have many Yentas. Is it a lay ministry we’ve been ignoring?