May I take this opportunity to wish you a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. I am sure that like me you will be hoping for peace on earth and goodwill to all people. However it has to start with you. peace on earth can only happen when there is peace at home. Goodwill to all people can only happen when we are aware of the needs and requirements of those around us. If we do not act with compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility and patience in our dealings with family, neighbours, those we meet on the street or in the shops then peace on earth can never be a reality. So let us make sure that we walk the walk in 2017 and not just talk the talk.
Category: From The Manse
Advent
Preparation is everything. Many years ago I was part of a minister’s group that liked to do joint events. When it came time for one of the ministers to organise an event my colleagues and I kept pressing him for information about what we needed to do and what we needed to prepare. He kept saying that we didn’t need to do anything.
As we got closer to the event, I for one, got more and more nervous. I am generally speaking not an off the cuff kind of guy. I like to prepare, I like to write things out, I like to be ready. When we arrived at the event it turned out that the minister preparing things had grand plans about how things would go, but he wanted it to be spontaneous. What he had not realised is that for something to go really well and appear spontaneous it has to be prepared meticulously. If anything it needs to involve even greater preparation than regular events.
The birth of Jesus was not spontaneous. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. God had planned for the salvation of humanity from before creation. He sent prophets to prepare the people for the Messiah. He sent John the Baptist to prepare a way in the wilderness, to make the path smooth and straight.
If you want to really enjoy Christmas this year, you need to prepare as well. You need to prepare your heart and mind through prayer and reading the scriptures, for only then will you be able to joyfully and spontaneously enjoy the birth of the Christ-child like never before.
St. Andrew
According to John’s Gospel, Andrew was a follower of John the Baptists to begin with. John’s mission in life was to prepare people for Jesus and to point them to him. Andrew was one of the first to really get the point. There were obviously some of John’s disciples who did not see this as we hear of some of them later on coming to question Jesus about whether or not he was the messiah, but Andrew got it straight away together with a nameless disciple. Not only did he get it but he went straight away to his brother Simon and told him about this amazing preacher he had met.
So I ask you the question, have you got it yet? Have you recognised that Jesus is the messiah? Sadly, many have not. They might be interested in his teaching, they might admire him as a man but they have not recognised him as Messiah, Son of God, Saviour of the world. To accept him as saviour and Lord, makes a difference, a big difference, it makes all the difference in the world. One of the things that happens when you do accept him is that you feel his joy and his peace, something which dramatically changes your life.
I remember a story about four ministers who were working in a town. Things were not going well ad so one day when they met up for coffee one said to the others, I think we should spend a bit of time in prayer and confess our sins to God. The others agreed and they bowed their heads. One confessed, I am a dreadful one for the gambling, if there were two rain drops going down the window I would bet on which would reach the bottom first. Confession is good for the soul, I’m glad I’ve told you. The second confesses as well saying that he was an awful one for the women. Couldn’t keep his eyes off the, he was glad he had confessed and he felt much better. The third then started telling of his struggles with drink. He could never have any alcohol in the house or he would drain the bottle, he was glad he had confessed. At that point the fourth gets up to leave. They all look at him and say, hey, wait a wee minute, we have all confessed our sins, are you not going to confess as well. Aye well you see, he said, I’m an awful one for the gossip and I’m dying to get out of here!
If you have good news to share, you are always going to want to be out of there so you can tell others. When I became an uncle, got engaged, became a father I could not wait to tell people the good news we should be just excited about the good news of Jesus once we have recognised him for who he is and put our faith in him. Andrew could not wait to tell his big brother so that Simon could enjoy getting to know Jesus as well. Who have you told that you have found the Messiah?
Christ is King
One of the most powerful realities of the Christian faith is the Holy trinity. The fact that even before the creation of the world, God existed as three persons in a relationship of love. This shows that God is not a God of power, might or even detached indifference. God is first of all love, he is love, he created in order to have an object for his love and he wishes to love all of creation – and that includes YOU. God loves you and wants you to experience and share that love. God is therefore not going to rule in the conventional sense of the term but he is going to love us and urge us to share that love with one another. So the best way to show that Christ is King is to love one another as he loves us.
Manse Musings
Sometimes in the midst of a busy day a word will come to you, a word from God, a word of encouragement. On my blog I hope to keep you updated with such words at least on a weekly basis. A word to cheer you in your daily walk with God. Today, I simply want to assure you that nothing can separate you from God’s love. I think one of the most amazing passages of scripture are these words of encouragement from Paul so take them to heart and carry them with you through your day. You are loved and nothing will keep you from that love. Romans 8:- 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
A Christmas invitation to you
The members of Kinnoull Parish Church wish to invite you to our special Christmas services taking place this December. Please come and join us and bring children, family and friends to our services where we will sing well loved carols as well as listening to the wonderful story of that first Christmas, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Come along and hear the Christmas message and experience the joy and love of this wonderful season.
Below you will see a list of the special events that will be taking place in and around Kinnoull church over the next few weeks, we look forward to welcoming you to any of our services and we offer you are best wishes to you and yours this Christmas. May this be a special Christmas full of good memories that will be there for years to come and may be a blessing on your heart and your home and all those you love.
With best wishes,
Rev Marc Bircham, Interim Moderator.
Dates and details of events in Kinnoull Church this Christmas
The Nursery Nativity, followed by refreshments is a great highlight!
Friday 11 December at 10am
“The mid wife crisis”: Nativity presentation from Kinnoull Primary School, Primary 1 to 3
Tuesday 15 December at 2:15pm
End of term Service for Kinnoull Primary School will be notified through the school as it always a complete sell-out for parents, relatives and children
Friday 18 December at 10:30am
Family Christmas Service when ALL are very welcome
Sunday December at 10:30am
Christmas Eve Watch Night Service with refreshments and lots of carols
Thursday 24th December from 11pm
Sunday Services – always with activities and special place for children
Every Sunday at 10:30am
More church events can be viewed in our online calendar.
Easter 2015
This is my last editorial as Minister of Kinnoull Parish Church as my retirement date is now set for mid April. This is dictated by the sale of our Flat at The Broch which had served as “The Manse” for over four years. During this time the rental from the official Manse at Mount Tabor Avenue has produced an additional revenue stream for the local Church which has been a great bonus and seemed to be a very sensible way to take advantage of our property situation.
This did produce one complication concerning when I was exactly going to retire, having given advance notice last summer that it was our intention to sell our Penthouse and move to a more country location. We have been asked the question so often “and when are you retiring?” The answer to which always had to be that retirement needed to occur when the flat was sold. That has now happened and as we will be living beyond the bounds of the Parish I definitely cease to be the Minister of Kinnoull.
Kinnoull now moves into Vacancy. However, during a vacancy, a locum Minister is appointed to provide worship on a Sunday and to do basic pastoral cover for deaths and those ill in hospital and to visit those in greatest need around the Parish on the basis of two further days per week. The appointment of a locum was one of the first matters for the Kirk Session to decide in its initial meeting with the Interim Moderator.
Since I was already being “lined up” to look after various other Parishes it seemed much more sensible to offer to be locum at Kinnoull as we already know each other fairly well. I would obviously take no part in Kirk Sessions, nor Vacancy matters and have agreed to step back clearly prior to any new Minister being elected.
This means that in practical terms, I will continue to do what I have been doing but with the important proviso that, I will not be working full time as your part time Locum. This has been underlined by the Session and by the Interim Moderator Rev Marc Bircham.
Since we will be living at Gowrie Farm just North of Luncarty I am really very conveniently placed to continue to serve Kinnoull. My phone number is published here in the magazine and I can be contacted and messages left. However as a two day a week locum I will need to “time manage” more carefully. Funerals are always a priority but there may be occasions when they need to be fitted to my diary. That, in fact, is something that has always happened behind the scenes in conversation with undertakers.
I am looking forward to doing less over the period ahead and enjoying some time in our south facing conservatory and I have been told that I must make sure that I have the holidays which
become due to me, so the motorcycles which are looking good in the garage in our new home may well have more mileage put onto them this summer.
I feel greatly privileged to have been your Minister for coming up towards fourteen very happy years and now look forward to “minding the shop” in the months that lie ahead. My contributions to the Parish Magazine will no longer be “From the Manse” but “From the Locum Minister.” A change of title and a change of pace and a time of gradual change for us all.
For Kinnoull, the task of seeking the next Minister now begins, but the vacancy here seems to present a very attractive proposition: A Parish in good heart, sound finances, very well maintained properties and with much to commend itself to the next incumbent.
As I had said on the morning when the date of my retiral was confirmed “I’m no awa tae bide awa” and following the decision of the Session asking me to serve as your Locum Minister that will now be the case.
With every blessing,
Your Minister and Friend
David Souter
Christmas 2014
The pace is picking up as another Christmas comes around and as ever, we keep hearing folk expressing surprise at how few weeks / days / hours remain before the big day arrives.
The level of preparation in Perth seems to increase year on year and an accidental visit to the High Street on the afternoon of the lights being switched on with all the stalls and the folk in pantomime costumes and the cacaphony made me wonder if I had somehow stumbled into a Continental Christmas Market.
It also brought to mind the stark comparison with my post war childhood where our tree lights were ingeniously operated from an old car battery since we were in a house without electricity and Christmas day was not even a public holiday. The tradesmen all worked and my father would be on his normal bus driving shifts with everyone looking forward to the one day off that came on Ne’erday.
As I write, our own preparations for Christmas within the Church begin with THE BIG FAMILY Service on 30th November. The first of these special Sundays came at a time when it could not be reported due to magazine deadlines. That service turned out to be well received. Despite being quite different to a conventional Sunday morning, all seemed to agree that the mix of music, activity, prayer and thoughtfulness made for a genuine Worship experience.
The “Smiley Faces” are returning and we are also using the morning to launch and the major TRY PRAYING initiative with two special versions of the booklet for Children and for Teenagers. We are suggesting that you consider giving them out as stocking fillers to those within your family circle who are of those ages – ( Just tell them that they are a gift from Kinnoull Church! )
The Magazine also brings to each household an adult version of this worthwhile booklet from the Kirk Session and there is another article on the topic within this edition.
Maybe this Christmas when we celebrate the gift of Christ coming into our world to show us the way to God we can think about speaking to him and actually asking him for the things we need the most in our lives – His guidance, His presence and His love.
This year Christmas Greetings and invitations to attend Kinnoull are being distributed to every door in the Parish. The idea was proposed and organised by Liz Barrett. Our thanks go to all who have willingly volunteered to be the post(wo)men for this venture. Now we need to watch out for the visitors who come in response to this and make sure that we give them a warm welcome when they visit.
We trust that this Christmas will be a special one in the Church and in your household and among all those you love.
Every Blessing
Your Minister and Friend
David Souter
Autumn 2014
My “Book of Common Order” for the Church of Scotland, which is the basis for forms of worship within the Kirk, and is that red book which regularly turns up in my hands at Services at the crematorium was presented to me when I became a licensed Minister. Some may have noticed that the book had begun to see better days and has now been reinforced with duct tape to extend its usefulness for a bit longer. The inscription inside the book tells that it was presented to me on 28th September 1994 so I have a significant personal anniversary arriving shortly. The years have been going around.
The ongoing matter of when this minister might retire from full time work in Kinnnoull has been a topic that has been there as a background question in his mind since before he arrived at the age of sixty five. Now heading towards sixty nine he has been able to discover that the years do not arrive without additional pain and strain physically. Dealing repeatedly with final journeys and finding words of farewell for those to whom we became close friends as their Minister brings increased emotional stress. The fact is that retirement has to happen at some point and it would be best that it be approached in an ordered way rather than for it to happen in response to decline in abilities or health issues.
We had been attracted by the thought of moving back to the country and have been looking around for some few months for a more rural setting. Perth is a goldfish bowl especially if you are ‘well kent’ and drive a conspicuous car. Our looking for a property has been noticed by some and been kept as a confidential matter but our frequent conversations with various vendors have made us realise that sooner or later the news of our searching would get out.
A couple of weeks ago we made an offer on a property that has been accepted in principle and there is no reason to expect that it will not proceed. Whilst we are fortunate not to be under immediate pressure to move from our flat where we have been based for the past four years, once we do, we hit the problem again of the Manse Adjudication Committee and their rules and requirements. Since we have been through this process once before we do not imagine that there would be any possibility of their further approval for our next accommodation which lies beyond the city boundaries.
At whatever point we fully move to the new house, my demission from Kinnoull will be required. Whilst we are in no rush, it would be likely that in 6 or 9 months time we would probably be expecting to make that transition, so our feet are on the road in a manner of speaking.
There will be much to be done over the next months as the church prepares for what lies ahead. Once we have a more precise timescale there will be formal announcements and due processes to go through. The first action of Presbytery once we get to that point is one which always makes me smile – since the Chaplain must visit any Minister who announces his wish to demit, to confirm that he is “of Sound Mind.” (That could be quite a hurdle in my case.)
There will be many things that we will want to say one to another both formally and informally over the months ahead – the Kinnoull years have been good for us and I believe they have been good for the Parish. Our being here for the past thirteen years has been providential and more than that – they have been years of blessing for us all.
In the meantime there is a full winter ahead of us in Kinnoull. We have The BIG Family Service – “Church with a Smiley Face” which happens next Sunday, so I cannot report on how it goes. This is Kinnoull’s own Version of a “Not So Messy Church” which we wrote about in the Easter edition of the Magazine and is being run on an experimental basis. It is hoped that occasional BIG Family services will provide a bridge to the youth work that goes on in organisations and in schools. NB – It is not just for young people – We are all part of “The BIG Church family”
The “Try Praying” project which was approved in principle at a previous Session, and was written about in the Summer Magazine is also due to go ahead at a greater level of involvement than we had initially proposed.
Change is never easy and it is seldom welcomed but it is inevitable. So let us use this winter to make sure that Kinnoull is in the best possible position and condition to move forward. The future remains, as it always has, in God’s hands and we can trust the one who has brought us safe this far to lead us on, as well as to lead us home.
Your Minister and Friend
David Souter
Summer 2014
This has been an interesting Spring Season within Kinnoull. A season of new and surprising growth, as the Friends of Kinnoull Talents initiative has taken root. What was conceived as a way of giving an opportunity to members of the congregation to consider how they might think of using their particular abilities to raise some funds for the church has become a productive and involving season as a whole raft of ideas have emerged. We have already been more creative than we might have imagined and the initiative still has the rest of the summer to run.
The Bird boxes were a great success and rapidly sold out. The soup and tablet, although best not to be eaten together, raised some smiles and a few pounds one way and another. The Pop Up Market has proved to be a substantial fundraiser. We still have a range of other events ahead as well as the major Craft Day and Barbecue following the final morning of Sunday Club on 29th June.
As has often been said before, the funds raised are welcome but the fun that we have along the way is no less important. If you feel that your creative abilities have not been as significant as they might have been, then be assured that your input as a supporter and a purchaser is also much appreciated.
At the end of May the Kirk came through its annual General Assembly. There was the most unfortunate need for the Moderator Designate, Rev Dr Angus Morrison from Perth Presbytery, to step down for health reasons at short notice. This required the Committee to Nominate the Moderator to reconvene and gave me as a member of that committee more excuses to ride my motorcycle up and back to central Edinburgh for meetings. The Principle Clerk, Rev John Chalmers accepted the new nomination and stepped in to Moderate the Assembly most competently. We wish him well in his busy year ahead. The Assembly also agreed to approach Angus Morrison with a view to him being able to be Moderator in 2015 which seemed a gracious decision.
With the potential for a major split in the Church hanging over recent Assemblies, it was a relief that difficult discussions this year went ahead without the projected division. In his closing address the Moderator said that he looked forward to a time not too far ahead when we may leave aside the matter of human sexuality and get back on with the mission of the church in spreading the Good News of Jesus to the people of Scotland.
In mid January Rev Dr Eric McKimmon had health problems so I have again been drafted to serve as Interim Moderator at Cargill Burrelton linked with Collace but there is hope that during the summer Eric may well be able to return to his duties.
My year as Honorary Chaplain to the Royal Highand and Agricultural Society of Scotland reaches its climax as I attend the show at Ingliston from Thursday 19th to Sunday 22nd June. The duties during that time turn out to involve not only conducting worship on the Sunday Morning but also saying the Grace at no less than four formal dinners. There is apparently no such thing as a free lunch for me that week.
One of the Collace members created a very special carved horn shepherd’s crook for me with the finely worked letters RHASS on one side and CHAPLAIN on the other side. It looks rather grand and should conspicuously identify me – Who knows – I may even win “Best In Breed” on this occasion!
With Every Blessing
Your Minister
David Souter