Curiously, little is known about Simon and Jude. Indeed, even their names are derived from differing translations from Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, to English. One theory is that they were always away as missionaries. Nonetheless their Christian echo is strong and remains with us to remember them on this day in our Calendar.
Forgiveness is always difficult for, on the one hand it seems easy to use the words 'I forgive' yet the feeling of hurt or anger remains. It behoves us all, me included, to plum the depths in prayer for God to forgive us, so that we might forgive others who have wronged us.
Thursday 28 October 2010
Thursday 14 October 2010
Is being a Christian of any use?
Well, the Chilean miners have all been rescued in a marathon rescue bid which frankly most of us thought was impossible initially.
To be entombed for such a long time will have some post-traumattic effects, of that I can be sure. What interests me is that these miners come from a Christian community and they have great faith. Everyone ( in the world ) has been praying to God for their safe rescue and now we can give thanks to God for this miracle. Their Christian faith gave them great inner strength, to sustain them in their wilderness. What happens I wonder, to folk without any faith?
To be entombed for such a long time will have some post-traumattic effects, of that I can be sure. What interests me is that these miners come from a Christian community and they have great faith. Everyone ( in the world ) has been praying to God for their safe rescue and now we can give thanks to God for this miracle. Their Christian faith gave them great inner strength, to sustain them in their wilderness. What happens I wonder, to folk without any faith?
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Elizabth Fry, AD 1845
Today we remember with great interest and awe, the work of the Quaker Elizabeth Gurney, later to be Elizabeth Fry. She had been moved by the preaching of an American Quaker and as a result she devoted her life to working with the poor and disaffected. She campaigned for the prison reforms which did indeed follow. She died in 1845, in what I term the modern era, but her work is still with us through modern equivalents of prison reform. She followed in the steps of Jesus as one of his followers, doing His bidding and was therefore a modern 'fisher of men'.
Back home at St Ninian's the Vestry have now appointed a new Rector. He is the Revd Simon Tibbs, Assistant Priest at Old St Paul's Scottish Episcopal Church, Edinburgh ( dubbed the 'bells & smells' church in the SEC). According to Canon 4 of the Code of Canons he will have to give three months' notice to Fr Paton, his Rector so we assume that he will be instituted around Christmas to Epiphany - the latter probably. It is all exciting as we face a new phase in the life of St Ninian's.
The above photo of Fr Simon Tibbs was taken at his ordination to the priesthood, along with his parents.
Sunday 10 October 2010
10/10/2010: 19th Sunday after Trinity.
The OT lesson appointed for today's Sung Eucharist was from 2 Kings 5. 1-3, 7-15. King Naaman did not believe that the great God could cure him without a great deal of fuss and bother. Eventually he was cured of a skin disorder simply due to his simple faith in the end. Tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of St Kenneth. An Irish saint honoured by the Scottish Church as, like many Irish missionaries he spent much time here in Scotland. He founded a community at St Andrews and was Abbot. He moved to Wales and then to Iona to join the Community of Columba and travelled to visit the King of Picts at Inverness with Columba. Kenneth is reputed to have quelled the king's hand as he drew his sword to smite them, and the hand withered. He just got on with the job and collaborated with others to spread the word of God and demonstrate the Holy Spirit at work.
I was saddened to read of the demise of Fr Charles, Arnold Simister, one time Rector of Kirkudbright and Gatehouse of Fleet for over 20 years. He never was a man to stand out; never said much at Synod, but went about his priestly role with a quiet dedication. He demonstrated Christ's quiet love and the presence of the Holy Spirit in a quiet and most loving way. Indeed, he was well loved by all who knew him. No fuss, he just got on with his priestly job. He was at St Nazaire during the War where, as a Royal Marine Commando he was nearly bayonetted by the SS who were going amongst the British troops bayonetting the wounded. He 'played dead' and they by-passed him. He prayed to God that if God spared him then he would devote the rest of his life to His service, and he did. I feel fir him then and what he endured, for nearby my father was buried alive by the Germans, only to be dug out by the Free French resistance who were shocked to find that my father wore the unifom of a Birkenhead Corporation Bus Driver, as the Army had no uniforms to go around at the onset of the war and at Dunkirk. A Maquis tailor made him a British Army uniform and he had to give a solemn oath never to divulge which farms he was hidden in for fear of German sympathasisers amongst the French who would have the farmers shot. The Maquis got him back across the Channel eventually where he was "de-briefed" by the Intelligence Corps, which included a French Army Officer. My father rembered his vow and refused to speak for fear that the French Officer was a German collaborator, so they sent my father to a military psychiatric hospital as they thought he must be mad, which was far from the truth. Until he died he never told any of us, except to give thanks to God for 'Maman', whoever that was.
I was saddened to read of the demise of Fr Charles, Arnold Simister, one time Rector of Kirkudbright and Gatehouse of Fleet for over 20 years. He never was a man to stand out; never said much at Synod, but went about his priestly role with a quiet dedication. He demonstrated Christ's quiet love and the presence of the Holy Spirit in a quiet and most loving way. Indeed, he was well loved by all who knew him. No fuss, he just got on with his priestly job. He was at St Nazaire during the War where, as a Royal Marine Commando he was nearly bayonetted by the SS who were going amongst the British troops bayonetting the wounded. He 'played dead' and they by-passed him. He prayed to God that if God spared him then he would devote the rest of his life to His service, and he did. I feel fir him then and what he endured, for nearby my father was buried alive by the Germans, only to be dug out by the Free French resistance who were shocked to find that my father wore the unifom of a Birkenhead Corporation Bus Driver, as the Army had no uniforms to go around at the onset of the war and at Dunkirk. A Maquis tailor made him a British Army uniform and he had to give a solemn oath never to divulge which farms he was hidden in for fear of German sympathasisers amongst the French who would have the farmers shot. The Maquis got him back across the Channel eventually where he was "de-briefed" by the Intelligence Corps, which included a French Army Officer. My father rembered his vow and refused to speak for fear that the French Officer was a German collaborator, so they sent my father to a military psychiatric hospital as they thought he must be mad, which was far from the truth. Until he died he never told any of us, except to give thanks to God for 'Maman', whoever that was.
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