A Special Moment

I was sitting in our church service on Sunday evening for a special service, when the Town Mayor got up to speak to welcome a new Minister.

He (the Mayor) started by saying that he was going to tell us a little of his background. Not very interesting I thought!! but how wrong could I be!

He went on to say that he had very strong memories of being taught by Mr.Xxxx xxxx in the boys class in the old chapel (the one before the current church was built). And how the influence of the nature and teaching of that gentleman had stayed with him all his life.

That teacher, was my Dad.

It was so lovely to hear someone remember and speak about my Dad, someone that I didn`t even know had known my Dad, and even more so because of the sincere way he thought of and spoke of him.

It was a truly Special Moment

So far, so good

I got Mum safely to the Care home on Friday and she`s got a nice size bright room on the ground floor, and, surprisingly, she didn`t protest when we went to leave. Even she, when I visited on Sunday afternoon, said it`s nice and level in here. (At home we`ve ridges and slightly different levels from the carpet edging to kitchen tiled floor, bathroom etc). So maybe she`ll come to see that it is for the best.

The "telling point" as to the future will be today. I`ve to meet the Social Services person there this morning when she comes to do an Assessment on Mum.

I feel very blessed to have such a good church family. I`ve had countless inquiries as to how Mum is, and a number of them are either going to write to her, send her a card, give her a ring (she`s got her mobile phone with her), and go and see her. One has even offered to (if she can), go and fetch her and bring her to see a flower festival, and take her back again. As well as all those offers, there have been those who have offered me support, both practical, and someone to talk to.

Reader wanted!

With all the ups and downs of last week, I think my mind wasn`t concentrating on all it should be. Sitting in our church service yesterday morning, it came to the first Bible reading. Everyone had sat down at the end of the hymn, the Minister sat down too, and was looking round expectantly.

It was probably only a second or two in real time, but it seemed liked minutes then it struck me, I should have found people to do the readings! I hurriedly grabbed the Bible from the pew in front of me and sped out to read the 1st. lesson, hoping it wasn`t difficult and wouldn`t have a lot of hard names in it. Thankfully when I got to the lecturn the Bible was open at the right page, saving me finding it in the one in my hand, and it was a passage I`d read before. But, then I realised there was another reading after the next hymn which also needed a reader! I couldn`t go back to read the other passages, that would look too obvious that something had gone wrong.

Racking my brains what to do, as the hymn started I touched the person in front of my on the shoulder, quickly explained what had happened and asked her if she could read the other passages. To my immense relief she instantly said yes. Normally she would have been out with the children`s group, I was so very lucky that she wasn`t this week.

Lesson to myself - Write things down in a list.

Flames

One of my favourite times in the church year has been celebrated today, and that is Harvest Festival. It`s so good to see the church full of the products of nature - the vegetables, fruit, salt, water, coal etc.. and to make time to remember to say Thanks to God for all that he provides us with.

Today, we had an unexpected added element to the event. I`ve heard of the Holy Spirit being described as flames, (e.g. at Pentecost) but today in one illustration that the preacher was using, things didn`t go quite according to plan and we had flames where we shouldn`t have had flames! I must hasten to add, that no, we didn`t burn the church down, and nothing got burnt, but for a few minutes I think more eyes were concentrating on what might happen than on the hymn they were singing.

I think though, that through that it will be a Harvest service that people remember, and will remember the theme of, so maybe the Spirit was at work, after all as the hymn says - God moves in mysterious ways his wonders to perform !

Communion

Going up to our church`s Communion Table to receive the bread and wine I recently became aware of something I`d never noticed or thought of before, and I`ve have noticed it on each occasion since when our Minister is presiding.

When the bread is placed in my (and I guess everyone`s) hand, it seems to be placed firmly not on my fingers but pressed into the palm of my hand, and what struck me about it, is that that would have been the spot where nails were pierced though Jesus`s hands when he was nailed to the cross. It gives a real extra significance to the words of "the body of Christ, broken for you", and made receiving it a very moving experience.

I wonder if he does purposely place the bread there for that reason?

Money Shortage!

I`ve had an interesting morning reading through some very old church account books, from the late 1800`s to the early 1900`s, and what fascinating and at time amusing reading it became.

Reading the expenses, there was firstly "horse hire", then "horse and trap hire", followed by "cycle expenses", "railway travel expense" and finally "motor hire". Makes one realise how things have changed so much. And coal, logs and gas mantles were also on the expenditure. Wonder what people in 100 years time will be thinking about the things we use today.

But, I think the thing that really struck me as, at first as amusing to read, but then as one took in the reality and seriousness of it, was that in the quarterly Accounts for several quarters (3 months) of the year, the income was sigificantly less than the expenses - and at the end of the expenses column it showed that the shortfall would be paid to the Minister/s in due course! In other words that they couldn`t pay him his full salary as the income was insufficient !

I wonder what would happen if we today told our ministers we couldn`t do that??!