Monday April 21, 2008

(from December 2007 Magazine)

 Our granddaughter Chloe is already talking about ‘presents’, though I hasten to add, those she will buy for others. It’s that time of year after all, when we turn our minds to how we will celebrate the Christmas season and who we will buy for and what. We ask ourselves perhaps, ‘can we find something unique, different, extra special this year?’

 Someone once said that, ‘each new morning is a unique and special gift, never before given to a person, and never again available to anybody. Because it is a gift, it may be appropriately called a “present”. Written on it are the words, “Batteries not included.”* I can’t count the number of times as a child I was given a toy whose wrappings promised great and wonderful things. With great expectation on Christmas morning I would switch on and await the great event, only to discover that my mother had not realised that batteries were not included! What a sense of let down and disappointment, somehow the day that started out filled with anticipation and wonder felt flat. Why did I bother to stay awake all night? 

During the season of Advent we hear the call to be awake, alive with expectation as we await the moment to celebrate again the ‘present’ given to us in Christ’s birth. We are asked to enter into that experience once more and examine our hearts and minds in light of Christ’s story, so that we might grasp the significance His coming has for our daily lives. And therein surely lies a great truth, the Batteries are included! This ‘present’ is complete, it simply needs us to take time and recognise it for what it is, for us to un-wrap the treasures that lie inside. And what treasures there are! A love that would come to us when we would not reach, a love that would die for us so that we might be forgiven and be brought closer to God, a love that stays with us even when we look the other way! 

Many of us find ourselves buying gifts for others knowing they will have chosen a special gift for us. During Advent we might also bring a gift to our Lord, one that would costs us little and mean everything to Him. The gift? Our hearts, once we do that we are awake and filled with expectation, happy to take time to think, pray and listen, make time to give thanks for His gift of new life, His peace and presence and do so gladly.  

May you all have a peaceful and loving Christmas Season, above all may it be Christ filled and joyous. 

God bless and keep you all

Pauline & Jim Thomson

Copyright©  Jack McArdle ‘Stepping Stones to Bethlehem’ Columbia Press, Dublin (2003)

Easter 2007

Dear All

The last few months seem to have flown!  Where does the time go?  We no sooner seemed to be celebrating Christmas and we hurtle towards Easter!  This is of course a pivotal point in the Christian Calendar.  John Pritchard in his book 'Living Easter Through the Year' has this story to tell:

"Once a year Mr Wrigley came into his own.  On Easter Morning he would walk purposefully down the length of the Church to the Vestry and say to my Father, 'Christ is risen, Vicar'!  My father would reply, 'He is risen indeed, Mr Wrigley!' and Mr Wrigley would nod- satisfied-and set off for the back of the church for the rest of the year.

I used to love that exchange.  Here was this undemonstrative man bearing witness to the core belief that sustained him through his life, and kept him giving out hymn books and loving his wife and following his conscience and giving charity and simply being himself.  Mr Wrigley didn't live a spectacular Christian life.  He wouldn't have known what that meant.  But he knew what he believed, and it was simply this: Christ is risen!  And so everything else would be alright."

As Mr Pritchard continues, he expresses his astonishment that such a great event, such a great moment as that of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter morning seems to pass like a one day wonder.  People simply move from that to the next festival.  Perhaps we are indeed relieved to have survived Maundy Thursday and Good Friday with all they entail, after all the betrayal of Jesus and his Crucifixion are hard to bear without considerable discomfort.  What Mr Pritchard cannot grasp is how some join in the 'glorious, breathtaking, mind-numbing event of Easter morning then move on with what seems like unseemly haste.'

I am not suggesting that this is the case here at Peterhead Old.  What I would like to suggest is that we take time to live each day in light of the Easter Message together.  There are seven Sundays after Easter morning in which to reflect upon what it means to live as Easter people long after that glorious morning has faded away.  Mr Pritchard suspects and I do too, 'that the resurrection party has never stopped in the halls of heaven since the first amazing Easter morning.'  Let us continue ours and explore the joys of being people of the Risen Christ.

Happy Easter and God bless and keep you all.

Pauline & Jim Thomson

Contact Information

Peterhead Old Parish Church, Erroll Street, Peterhead AB42 2PU

Our Minister  is Rev Pauline Thomson MA BD, The Manse, 1 Hawthorn Road, Peterhead AB42 2DW Tel: 01779 472618

Our Session Clerk is Mrs Hazel Ross 22 Linksfield Terrace, Peterhead, 01779 471383

Electronic mail can be sent via the message page or to john@mucklekirk.co.uk
 

                                                                                                       Last modified: 21-04-08