Happy New Year

Posted Friday 27 January 2012

The year ended as it began, with a house full of friends, once again Jane had pulled out all the stops and prepared a stunning dinner, others had arrived for the “bells” and I had rung 2012 in on the bell at St John’s. The one real difference this year was the morning service on New Year’s Day. Instead of two or three gathered together in St Duthac’s Chapel we had a far larger congregation in the church, as I was still hobbling along I discovered a very practical use of the pastoral staff, it held me up for most of the service.

More friends joined us for dinner on New Year’s Day before a quieter week began. I spent time on my own in the office considering our plans for the year; I spent time considering what had happened last year, what worked and what didn’t. I am also very aware that I promised the diocese that after a settling in period of five years then I would present a vision of the next decade, and time is running out!

We also managed two nights in Glenlivet before the pressures of the diocese began to make themselves felt. Others had clearly also been considering the year to come, some had ideas they want to share with me, others hade new directions they wanted to move in, others had clearly had time to discover the things they didn’t like about “policy”. So it was back home to begin sorting out the diary.

On the feast of the Epiphany we held a Diocesan service in St Michael’s and All Angels, Inverness. The service was great, St Michael’s is a beautiful Ninian Comper Church, it is Anglo Catholic in tradition, but it is never anything but relaxed and friendly. The congregation and Fr Gerald, their priest, had organised everything and everything was good.  We had advertised the service as including the traditional blessing of chalk; this caused a number of comments from people for whom this was something new, so I have decided to explain here.
The blessing of the chalk takes place just before the final blessing and dismissal. The following prayer may be used:

May God, who provided a safe dwelling place
for the eternal Word, bless this chalk,
the homes of the faithful, and the people who live there,
through Christ our Lord.
The chalk is then taken home and is used to mark the year and the initials of the three Magi over the door of the house (e.g.: 20 + C + M + B + 12).  As you are writing, pray one of the following prayers:

May all who come to our home this year rejoice to find Christ living among us; and may we seek and serve, in everyone we meet, that same Jesus who is Lord, forever and ever. Amen.

Lord God of heaven and earth, you revealed your only-begotten Son to every nation by the guidance of a star. Bless this house and all who inhabit it.
Fill us with the light of Christ, that our concern for others may reflect your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

On the 9th of January, the house went quiet again, Jane and Mara off to their schools one to teach, the other to prepare for Prelims. The Diocesan Office reopened after the holiday and the meetings began in earnest.