Friends,

“The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.”
(Psalm 19:1)

The opening verse of the psalm set for this weekend, the 3rd Sunday in Lent. A reminder to look up and be astonished at the ever-changing canopy above us.

We sometimes use the words of the poet E E Cummings as a prayer:

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Friends,

We are now well into the first full week of Lent. Last Sunday, the Lent Appeal on behalf of Play for Progress www.playforprogress.org was launched by the charity’s co-founder, Dr Anna MacDonald, outlining the work with unaccompanied minor refugees and asylum seekers. She spoke about the importance of giving stability to children who have often experienced trauma of various kinds, have very few adults who they can trust, and operating far from home, in English, which may be their third or fourth language. Anna reminded us of the importance of having someone to speak up for them, especially when interacting with the care and legal systems, as well as the joy that emerges from their music and creativity. The Appeal Tree, prepared by the Mission Committee, at the front of the sanctuary, is a reminder of the season and opportunity to respond.

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Friends,
Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. At this morning’s Zoom Coffee Morning, discussion centred on, what is Lent for? And, how should we participate in Lent? The consensus was that for the majority of those raised Church of Scotland, Lent played very little part in people’s upbringing or faith journey. Historically, there was an unfortunate presumption that Lent was in some way “suspicious;” something done “by Episcopalians and Roman Catholics!” Fortunately, we are generally more open to other traditions these days.

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