St Augustine's, Dumbarton - Scottish Episcopal Church

I’m going into retreat for the next four days, and looking forward to the quietness and the solitude. If my dreams, of late, are anything to go by, I’m definitely needing a break. I probably need to flee Dumbarton, too, after this morning’s article in the Dumbarton Reporter, which even I would pull my own leg about. BTW, we didn’t have a Reconstruction Service, it was a Rededication Service! However, nice to be labelled in the column, “Ordinary People – Extraordinary Lives”. Moi? Ordinary?

Had a while with George M today in the Kintyre Ward at Drumchapel Hospital and was overjoyed to see him so much better. His confusion seemed to appear only in traces, and his walking with the zimmer is coming on fine. We blethered about the church and folk in the church, and the new hall build, and he was bright as a button most of the time! It was soooooo good to see the improvement! See! Prayers work!

Now it’s decided that the dogs aren’t coming with me on retreat, I’m really looking forward to a few days away on my own. “Time for God” I call it, and S/he needs the space to sort me out properly.

There seems to be many “issues” around in the parish, mostly petty, but still damaging, and for the last three months or so, I seem to be going around putting out fires! Time to retreat and evaluate and pray a bit more than I’ve had time for of late!

So… loose ends tied up today, then off to Elie tomorrow! I can’t wait for the stillness! Oh! and as far away from the Lambeth controversies as possible!

Tomorrow’s Gospel is the Parable of The Sower. I came across this wee quote and wanted to share it…

I have a very clear memory of being about eight or nine years old and watching a dandelion grow up through the asphalt sidewalk outside of my school. I remember wondering how on earth a dandelion seed got down there, under the pavement, to start with, and being truly amazed at the strength and determination of that plant to break its way up through the pavement, pushing cracks into the hard blackness. I was a dandelion-picker at that time, my mother had glasses and jars of my dandelions  all over the kitchen. But there was no way I was going to pick that dandelion, even though it grew to a tempting foot-high.  Maybe the seed grew in the places we’d least expect because somewhere deep down under the asphalt there had to have been some good soil. 

How seeds can bring forth fruit, even in the greatest adversity! 

Marriage of Craig Barnes and Leeanne McAulay

Wedding of Gary Cochrane to Joanne Elliot.

The following was sent to me by the Diocesan Office. If anyone is interested in having a go, then get in touch with Kenny!

Dear Frances Hume

I’m writing to you from the Scottish Book Trust about a project we are running in collaboration with the BBC called Days like This. We’re getting people to write about an important day in their life, one that left a strong impression on them. It has to be true and about just one day. We are trying to involve a diverse range of people with unusual stories to tell and we’re very interested in hearing stories from a variety of faith groups. We hope that you could help us get the word out about this opportunity through your mailing list or distributing leaflets through your groups.

You don’t have to be born Scottish to enter, just as long as you live in Scotland, and it can be written in a different language and we’ll get them translated. I also have some flyers and posters if that I can send you if you’d be interested and have included a ‘newsletter blub’ below. Thank you!

Celia Richards

Scottish Book Trust

Days Like This: an exciting nationwide project run by Scottish Book Trust and BBC Radio Scotland

Days Like This will give people across Scotland the chance to be a part of the nation’s history by writing about a special day in their life which made a strong impression on them. The project aims to gather thousands of extraordinary tales, from born-and-bred Scots to newly-arrived immigrants.

Marc Lambert, Chief Executive of Scottish Book Trust said “Days Like This is a groundbreaking national project which will showcase the ordinary genius of Scotland’s people: their everyday lives are full of incident, colour and variety, which we want to capture and celebrate with as much participation and diversity as possible.”

To take part in Days Like This, all people need to do is write about a day in their life that was a bit extraordinary: It could be the day they didn’t get married, or the day they got lost in a supermarket. It could be a childhood memory or something that happened yesterday. It could have happened in Scotland or anywhere else in the world.

If the story is true and centres on a single day, we want to hear it!

Author Irvine Welsh, broadcaster Hardeep Singh Kohli, mountaineer Jamie Andrew, actress Siobhan Redmond, percussionist Evelyn Glennie and Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble have joined the project as celebrity curators, writing and recording their own story as an inspiration for people to do the same.

Anyone can send a story – content is what matters! Stories should be no longer than 1,000 words and can be about anything as long as it’s true! All stories will appear on the BBC website for everyone to read. The celebrity panel will choose their favourites to be recorded and discussed in a series of radio programmes. The best stories will be published in a book in 2009.

Deadline: 1 November 2008

For more details (including the curators’ stories), click on: www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/dayslikethis

To view the project leaflet online, click on:  http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/files/dayslikethislow.pdf

The Dumbarton Reporter were on the phone yesterday. Could they do a piece on me next week since I have just celebrated 30 years of ministry? Reluctantly I agreed. It is always good to be on good terms with the local press, and they are an excellent vehicle for spreading good news about the parish. It’s the same reporter who misquoted me by saying I wouldn’t be around to see the new hall completed, but we’ll give it another go.

Problem….. they wanted to know the Rectory Wife’s age!!! Now, how does one respond, knowing that the RW keeps her age a secret even from herself? I had to tell him that 2 years ago, the RW was in an Evening Times article about The Gambia, and they printed that she was 47. (Much to the mirth of her pals) I had to say, “Do the maths, however one mustn’t expect to get the right answer!”)

It may be a blessing that I’ll be on retreat when the article is printed!

Ever had one of these days? I’ve just had one! Rescued a bit by a visit to the lovely Ashley from Mount Florida, this evening, who wants to go to The Gambia for 3 months to impart her artistic and creative skills. A Godsend for our Gambian school. Oh! And a wee visit to D & B on the way home, my main supporters in my last parish. At least they were delighted to see me! Forgot how good their “real” coffee was!