A “Restful Week” I don’t think so.

Posted Monday 2 November 2009

Any hope that I would be given a couple of days to recover from the trip to Canada disappeared on Monday morning with four phone calls before 8.30am! I then decided to try and sort out the E mails on the computer, unfortunately the body had woken up but the brain was still asleep and a long and vaguely unproductive day commenced.

Hoped Tuesday would be better but realised that I needed to be in Edinburgh for the excitement of the Faith and Order Board meeting.  On to the 6.45am train out of Inverness held up by signal problems at Blair Atholl, late into Edinburgh, meeting, 1.39pm train back to Inverness, nice chat with Sarah and Johnny Aikhurst on the train, home by 6.00pm, realising that the trip from here to Edinburgh and back was the same as from Heathrow to Quebec, I think I have train lag!

On Wednesday I set off at 7.30am for the drive to Oban, we were beginning the work of the Preparatory Committee for the Vacant See of Argyll and the Isles, it is all confidential so I will simply tell you that the drive there was good, the drive back was excellent and the bit in the middle was……..

I had been invited to contribute to the Highland Hospice conference entitled ‘The Space Between 2’ and on Thursday it was my turn. I had been asked to talk about the churches attitude to Assisted Suicide, with special reference to the depth of the debate, the breadth of opinions held and the history of the debate from biblical times until now, basically to allow the audience to see a theological process rather than a simplistic “no”. I have to confess that my nerves began to twitch when I saw the list of other contributors, they were coming to Inverness from across the world and they had many years of experience in their chosen fields. It was a bit like entering a polite court room when you know that your starting point is rejected or worse disregarded as irrelevant by many of those you are to address. I needn’t have feared, I was listened to, questioned and clearly appreciated for what I had offered, but it was a relief to see the shores of the Black isle at the end of the afternoon. On Thursday evening I celebrated Eucharist at St Andrew’s, Tain before heading off for a joint vestry meeting in Invergordon then home and sleeeep.

Friday was quieter, only two appointments, this gave me time to prepare for the Diocesan Synod on Saturday and time to think about Sunday. The Synod Eucharist was held in the Cathedral and at the end I was able to make an announcement that hasn’t been heard for many years, “The Bishop will meet you at the door of the Bishop’s Palace”! The palace was sold many years ago and now forms part of Eden Court Theatre. It was built as a gift to Bishop Robert Eden the first Bishop of the United Diocese but by the 1940’s it had become too big and the Bishops moved out. In fact the bishops of the Diocese kept on changing houses until we arrive at the present building works needed to provide us with suitable accommodation! For many years the Palace was used as the Green Room for the theatre but t has now been restored to its former glory.  We met in the MacLean Room, named after +Arthur MacLean and ate lunch in the reception hallway at the foot of the grand stairs!

At the Synod we were very pleased to welcome Lorna Finley the provincial Communications officer who addressed the Synod on the subject of relationships with the press. Synod ended with a beautiful Service of Light and the singing of the Litany of Saints in a candlelit Cathedral, a good way to keep All Hallows Eve.

On Sunday we were to be at the Eastern end of the Diocese so Jane and I spent Saturday night at the family home in Glenlivet before an early start to reach St Marnan’s, Aberchirder for the 9.00am Eucharist.  We were greeted by Kevin, Mary and Lucy who had turned up early to make sure we had a cup of coffee after our journey.  Lucy (who is six) also insisted on putting Jane’s hair in bunches! After St Marnan’s we drove to Christchurch Huntly for the 10.30am Eucharist and a chat with the congregation before heading for Nairn.

Nairn is a wonderful place with very generous people, this was seen yesterday afternoon.  I blessed the marriage of Galina and Viachaslav Galukha in a lovely highland ceremony. We had pipes, hymns, flowers, copes and mitres, toasts, speeches, dinner, dancing etc etc. Not unusual I hear you say, except that all of this had been provided by the congregation and their friends in Nairn.  Galina has been part of a group bringing children from Belarus to Nairn every summer and her personality and her love has touched people’s hearts.  So when she announced she was to be married at home but in a civil ceremony the members of the church began to plan this blessing for her and Viachaslav, because each summer it is at St Columba’s that Galina has made her spiritual connections.  Yesterday was a wonderful and lasting memory of the links between Galina, Viachaslav and the people of Nairn and I felt blessed to have been part of it.