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Sunday
19th. November, 06
The
Second Sunday before Advent
Welcome
Welcome
to Church today. It’s been a wet and windy week and if it has
continued wet today thank you for braving the elements! A special
thank you if you have come to visit us from a distance — you
presence enriches our worship and we are glad to have you with us.
It’s
been an eventful week in our parishes. On Tuesday we had a visit
from the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, who came to name the new
rescue boat. We were so fortunate the way that the sun came out for
her visit and remained out the whole time that she was with us,
starting to rain immediately she left! It didn’t take just all
of us by surprise but it clearly caught out the Helensburgh
Advertiser (and their reporter Frances Ridge in particular) who wrote
‘The heavens opened up on her arrival at Luss but The Princess
Royal refused to let it dampen her spirits.’ Now you know never
to believe what you read in the press! The sun shone and for those
who doubt it you can watch it all again on Luss Television this
Tuesday at 7 p.m. Mind you, it would be a pretty poor show if the
Princess had, as the paper said, ‘poured water on the St.
John’ — it was as we were told by the rescue-boat
treasurer, the best of Scottish whisky which he had donated himself!
Before
continuing to look back on last week let me remind you all about
some important meetings during the week ahead. On Tuesday afternoon
at 2.30 p.m. there will be a meeting of the Luss Kirk Session in the
Pilgrimage Centre. The purpose of this meeting is partly to review
the past summer and all of our project activities but also to look at
what we want to say to the Presbytery who are preparing to introduce
a presbytery plan which will, we are told, show us decreasing in the
number of ministers from thirty-four to twenty-six. In Arrochar there
will be a meeting of the Congregational Board at 7.30 p.m. on
Wednesday. The purpose of this meeting will be to look at the
congregational accounts to ensure that we are approaching the end of
the year with all of our bills paid and funds available to ensure
that we reach the year end in that happy state. Following the Board
meeting, Neil tells me that he has arranged for elders to stay on and
consider our Arrochar approach to the Presbytery and the plan which
is being prepared. Of course, everyone will realise that we are not
only the two smallest congregations in the Presbytery but there are
few smaller congregations than ours in the whole of the Church of
Scotland so we will need to think carefully about how change in the
Church is going to affect us in the future.
Next
Sunday will be Communion Sunday in both of our congregations. It is
also the final Sunday in the Church year and is often called ‘The
Reign of Christ the King.’ Please consider yourself especially
invited to this service and make a special effort to be with us for
this celebration.
Finally,
in looking forward mode, let me remind you that the Arrochar
Christmas Fayre is on Saturday 2nd. December. Gifts of home-baking,
prizes for the raffle, bottles for the Tombola, books for the
book-stall, coppers for the tower of pennies will be, as always,
gratefully received by Gill and her team.
Looking
back, the Bible Study group had an enjoyable romp through the Letter
to the Galatians on Monday evening (and this Monday will tackle the
letter to the Church at Ephesus). On Tuesday Luss Television looked
back at the official opening of the Pilgrims’ Palace. On
Thursday the film club watched ‘A Passage to India’ —
it was absolutely excellent. The programme this week is a screening
of Luss television at 7 p.m. followed by “This Happy Breed”
at 7.30 p.m. Friday was spent getting ready for the Pilgrimage Centre
Christmas Fayre.
The
first Pilgrimage Centre Christmas Fayre was held on Saturday between
the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. This was quite simply one of the best
events I have been part of, there were so many volunteers, wonderful
stalls, such a very happy atmosphere and many people coming to be
part of the day who have never been here before. Thank you to Bob and
the committee who made all of the arrangements and guided us through
a spectacular day. And the sun shone!
Next
week in the Pewspaper there will be a programme of special Christmas
Services so that you can get them in your diaries before they become
too busy with other events. Christmas seems to be coming quicker than
ever this year, but I’m looking forward to it just the same.
Have
a very good week!
www.lussonline.net
(for
access to Arrochar Church, Luss Church and the Pilgrimage Centre web pages)
"You
are always welcome
at
Arrochar
Parish Church."
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