Manse Letter February 2024
Hello from the Manse at Holm! In the third week of January, I spotted Easter eggs in the supermarket. So, perhaps it isn’t too early to start thinking about Easter – especially as I sit in the Church office, looking out at a good covering of snow and hearing news of cancellations of all sorts of events. By April, I will have been with you for two years, gradually getting used to the Orkney weather – but still finding surprises, like today's weather, reminiscent of my days in the Cairngorms. I thought the days of needing snow tyres on the car were long behind me! Life is full of surprises. I had my first communion out on Sanday, meeting some lovely folk who have kept the church going there, despite all the changes within the Church of Scotland. I’m very much looking forward to going back – if they'll have me. In April, I'll attend the Church of Scotland pre-retirement course at Westerwood Spa in Glasgow – my first and last spa visit! In May, I have a trip planned to Israel. It will be wonderful to reconnect with friends in the south and in Tel Aviv, and to also stock up on Holy Water from the Jordan – so any babies out there, this is your chance for baptism with Jordan water😊 You don’t need me to remind you of life's surprises, nor unfortunately, the people of Southern Israel and Gaza. I am looking forward to walking the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the way of the cross, and spending some time meditating at Calvary and the tomb of Jesus. It will be quiet this year with all the conflict. For the Early Church, Jesus’ execution was a nasty surprise. And although we celebrate His wonderful resurrection – a major surprise to those around Him – many of us have experienced the nasty surprise of bad news, faltering health, or the loss of loved ones. As a Christian who has, like probably almost all of you, had great and not-so-great times, what remains a constant strength is the life of Jesus. A man, yet somehow God’s Son, experiencing the surprise of life, yet coming through it all – resurrected and promising each and every one of us, "I am with you to the end of the age." Friends are good. I’ve made quite a few in the last two years who have an amazing knack for cheering me up, especially on a Saturday night in the manse. And then there’s that one friend – whose life, death, and resurrection we will soon be celebrating, who is closer than a brother. Happy Easter... when it comes. Join us online or at the Church; you will always find a welcome. Chris Wallace Minister --- **Live Stream:** Each Sunday, when the minister is conducting the service, the service is live-streamed. If you would like to watch, please go to our church webpage, and click on the link. A recording of the service is then uploaded and available for a few days by clicking the link also on the church webpage. The minister is available in the Church Office most days, Sunday through Thursday. If you see the car in the car park, or the lights on -please feel free to pop into the Office. We no longer use a mobile number for out-of-hours contact. In an emergency, please call the usual Church Office number, 01856 525017, and it will be transferred either to the minister, depending on signal strength, or to a mailbox where you can leave a message. --- **Messy Church** –Friday 5th April 3.30 - 5 p.m. All Welcome - **New Elders**: You may have heard that many of the Kirk Sessions are uniting this year to form the “United Kirk Session”, which will be responsible for our Charity Trustee functions. This change will allow us to focus more on organising our church activities without the legal responsibilities that elders currently hold. Soon, the Congregation will take a consultative vote on uniting our Kirk with the Parish of Orkney. Our building will remain, and we will continue as usual, but our Kirk Session will transition to a Local Leadership Team, relinquishing Charity Trustee burdens. You probably won’t notice much difference, but our hard-pressed office holders will breathe a sigh of relief as these functions are taken on by the United Kirk Session. As the minister, I am already part of the ministry team consisting of the other ministers in Orkney. I will remain the sitting minister responsible for our area and parish, just as the other ministers will for theirs. However, I will have additional responsibilities – currently, I will likely be going to Sanday and North Ronaldsay and taking on something else in addition. For East Mainland, not much changes, but you might notice I am traveling around a bit more! – Ferry and Plane permitting - The dog has already had a couple of trips out to Sanday and felt quite at home. --- |