Christmas 2014

David Souter, The Minister of Kinnoull Parish ChurchThe 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.

Kinnoull Parish Church, Christmas ServiceThe “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

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