What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Clutha Bar – Helicopter Crash

    I’m just about to go to church to take our St Andrew’s Day eucharist. Inevitably, as we pray, all thoughts are going to be with the ongoing incident in the city centre, where a police helicopter crashed onto the roof of the Clutha Bar when it was full last night.

    I’ve yet to hear direct stories from individuals but know that this weekend I will be talking to those for whom this was a first hand incident. Members of the congregation live close by, others will have been in the area (I was in a nearby pub just the day before) and others have been involved in trying to help the injured – at least one medic from the congregation was called into hospital for what must have been a long night.

    I invite anyone who can pause, to pray with us at 9.30 this morning either in person at the cathedral or wherever you happen to be.

    Our prayers this St Andrew’s Day will be with them all. Praying for the injured and missing. Giving thanks for acts of selfless courage which keep getting reported on the radio. Remembering the people from the emergency services who appeared very quickly and thinking of the many local Glaswegians who walked into danger to help the casualties.

    Eternal God
    For those who wait for news.
    For those who wake with fear.
    Lord in your mercy.
    Hear our prayer.

    Prayers will be offered for those caught up in the incident at all services in St Mary’s this weekend.

    , ,

3 responses to “Thuribles of the week”

  1. Stewart Avatar
    Stewart

    The comments by JN1034 are very interesting especially considering the practice I observed in Hong Kong – see http://bonnyton.fotopic.net/p39681149.html

    Reply
  2. JN1034 Avatar
    JN1034

    V Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, dear sibling in Christ: Thank you for bestowing upon us your esteemed Theological Thurible Award, albeit we’re far from worthy. Though we’re overcome by surprise of your kindness and gratitude, we hope that which we caused you to ponder are good things, all to the glory of the Triune One and of God’s gods. Considering that censing is a multi-millennia-old religious convention, we’ve a deep appreciation of thuribles in our shared traditions, and for their practical mystical expressions in the daily lives of the faithful. Censing marks our homes and families, our weeks and years, our lives and hearts, our Church and God. Censing is a constant element of our histories imprinting a sensual memory of the life of the whole incarnate Church, both at home and in our parishes. When we smell it in our local parishes, our olfactory senses read the aroma as homemade; everything connects; nothing in our world seems detached from God and from us; we transcend spacetime and the universe is one at that fragrant ephemeral instant. And if we smell incense in another’s home, or at a different parish, it all comes together as an unified moment, and we are home wherever we are. We pray God continues to bless you with grace and mercy as you lead your community at St Mary’s Cathedral. Remember us in your prayers. Yours in the shared service of Christ our Lord, JN1034+++

    Reply
  3. Kirstin Avatar
    Kirstin

    Angels and thuribles, that reminds me, I have a rescue to plan. I wonder if my daughter left any camouflage paint!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Posts

  • Synod Blogging – 13 Saturday

    Today is the Feast of St Columba. Nine years to the day since I was priested in Perth. One of the sad things that has come to pass in recent times is that our bishops do not seem to be able to organise themselves around the Christian calendar. Neither of the two bishops elect that…

  • Synod Blogging 12 – Friday- Inter church relations.

    Robin Paisley speaks on the new arrangement whereby he is rector of stooling, Dumfries and also a minister in the local Methodist circuit. This is pushing the canon on local ecumenical issues far beyond what it was intended todo. Robin seems very pleased. EMU talks come next. They we between us and the Methodist, and…

  • Synod Blogging 11 – Friday Afternoon

    Lambeth Conference. We heard about the possibility of provision of hospitality for Bishops coming to the Lambeth Conference. There is an opportunity to host bishops, wives (and presumably concubines) who are coming to the LC next year. If they come. If you want to have a bishop, you need to make requests for them. I…

  • SynodBlogging – 10 Mission and Ministry

    “45 % of our congregations are less than 20 in number when they gather on a Sunday.” Anne Parkhurst retires from the Overseas Committee. She is replaced by Duncan McCosh. Retirement Homes. As usual Braeburn is in a good state,whilst St Serf’s does not seen able to produce projected figures to help make decisions about…