news

This is the
churches' news-sheet
for
December 2009
'Year of Homecoming'

from the manse

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

(John 1:1)

It is hard for us to understand how the Christmas we celebrate and enjoy today, with all its boisterous commercialism and glitter, can be so entwined with the very beginning of life as we know it! To think that the words of St John's Gospel which we hear maybe once a year at Christmas, go back even before Adam and Eve. It's almost too much for our minds to grasp! Christmas,is about God entering history and the coming of a Messiah to set a country and a people free. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; and those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isa 9:2.

The promise is that darkness and gloom will be banished when the light of the world comes upon us. Well, none of us needs any reminding about the darkness that threatens our world every day. A year of almost daily losses for members of our Armed Services and their families; of severe weather that has once again seen flooding in Moray, and also most recently in Cumbria and Dumfries; all of these and more bringing their own distress and misery. Will there ever be a day when Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire Isa 9:5.The answer to that is made very clear to us, if only we could stop what we are doing and think, for just a moment. For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will bne on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. Isa 9:6 In Greek, the name Jesus is from the Hebrew name Joshua, meaning 'salvation of God' and I guess we could all do with a bit more of that, especially this year!

A blessed and peaceful Christmas to you all. - Duncan.

Christmas Services

A Game of Two Halves ?

A famous Scottish football coach (What's that, then? - Ed.) had a tradition at the beginning of every seaason. He would take all the new and seasoned playerss, sit them down, and then begin his lecture. He would take a football, stick it in their faces, and say to them 'Gentlemen, this is a football! Get to know it all over again.' He would go on to explain that unless they remembered the basics of the game of football, they could not win.

The same is true of the church. Unless we keep going back to the basics of who we are, and what we believe, we will not continue to grow in the truth, for the truth starts with the basics!

Covenant - a Binding agreement ?

How young people relate to older and vice versa is a good thermomoeter on the general health and strength of a nation. It has been said by many that a lack of respect for the elderly is a sign of a nation in upheaval. As a church committed to covenant theology, the family is an important concept that goes much further thatn the so called 'nuclear family'. Growing old has numerous ramifications and many of them are noot exactly biblical wither! The generational divides that we hear so much about today, which seem to accent the boundaries of the various generations, have a biblical response. Older men are to teach younger men; and older women, younger women. God intends family members to show respect for one another. Just as the older teach the younger, the younger are to be an example in their youth to the older. While the church cannot afford to gloss over the generational groups today, it cannot at the same time allow one generation to be isolated from another. In the Scriptures, David prayed in his old age that he would have the strength to pass on the faith to the next generation. That implies that the next generation would relate to and listen to him! (see 1 Kings chapter 2) (book extract by Rev Dennis Bennett, American Presbyterian)

Joseph ?

I rang the bell of a small Bed & Breakfast place, whereupon a lady appeared at an outside window. 'What do you want?' she asked. 'I want to stay here', I replied. 'Well, stay there then!' she said, and banged the window shut!

. . . . . .because there was no room for them in the Inn ?

Manse Christmas cards

This year Duncan and Dorothy have come to the decision that, rather than write their usual Christmas cards, they are going to donate what they would have paid to the 'Combat Stress' organization. Journalist Kate Adie OBE writes Combat Stress provides a unique, specialized, much needed psychological care service to Veterans with mental health problems, helping them find a way back into their lives, families and communities. As so many of our military personnel have been maimed and injured both physically and psychologically in ongoing conflicts, the need to support the healing work of 'Combat stress' has become more acute. If, like us, you would like to support this charity, which operates three care centres, in Surrey, Ayrshire and Shropshire. Their address is: Combat Stress Tyrwhitt House Oaklawn Rd Leatherhead KT22 0BX

Out of the Mouths . .

A child was watching her mother deleting a long list of 'Junk e-mail' from her computer screen. 'This reminds me ot the Lord's Prayer' the child said. 'What do you mean ?' her mother asked. 'You know, that part about 'deliver us from email''.

* * * *

In Winnie the Pooh Christopher Robin says 'Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it's not all mixed up'. It has also been said, 'If you fail to plan, you plan to fail'. Both statements express great truth. Unfortunately, the church has a great reputation for not planning. Instead we live on activity and hope it is accomplishing something. Remember the last 7 words of a church? 'We've always done it that way before' .

Funeral

Our sincere condolences to all those who mourn

November Thomas Harvey 13 Macdonald Crescent Burghead,

Bible Wordsearch

The printed newsheet carried BibleWordsearch No 171 ; November 2009 If you're reading this, you have access to the puzzle (about the rich man and his barns). Just go to
http://biblewordgames.com/wordsearchintropage.html
and click the Nov. Wordsearch button. You will find the puzzle to download .

. . . . . . and Finally

A father was reading Bible stories to his son. He read 'The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned to salt'. His son asked 'What happened to the flea?'

Happy Christmas and a good New Year to you all !