SATURDAY 11 JULY 2020

SATURDAY 10 JULY 2020

Good morning brothers and sisters,

The above photograph shows the scene at Alloa railway station on Thursday morning as I met my youngest grandchildren for the first time since lockdown began.

In fact, I hadn’t seen them since just after Christmas, and it was wonderful to be with them again, and to hear from them what they have been doing since I last saw them.

They have finished Nursery School, moved house, got a new Shetland pony, and of course grown an inch or two!!

How our lives have all changed since the virus began to circle the earth. We have all had to make changes in our lives, and as we carefully begin to negotiate our way forward, we will have to be ready to make other adjustments to daily life.

I am conscious that in terms of the easing of restrictions folks are at different stages in the process.

Some are able to get out and about more, some are able to visit with loved ones, some are back to work, some are working still from home, some are planning holidays, and some are still shielding. Some have had the virus and recovered, others sadly are still in hospital. And of course we remember those who are grieving the loss of a love one in these days

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I am reminded of the words in Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, you know them well I’m sure,

A Time for Everything

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.” (NLT)

Life here at the centre is changing too, and my working day is shifting from long days of quiet contemplation, to more of the “hands on” face to face, day to day running of the centre.

When lockdown began I sensed that the time was right to post on the web-page a daily reflection.

However, in recent days it feels to me that the season for doing so is passing.........and so, after Sunday I will be posting now only on Wednesday’s and Sunday’s.

I look forward to continuing with you on our journey of faith, whether through the web-page, or meeting you face to face.

God bless you, this is the Lord’s new day, may we rejoice and be glad in it.