• 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.

18 responses to “The Beloved”

  1. […] blessing took place on Sunday 23rd (just passed), conducted by the Provost of Glasgow. From the Provost’s own blog , the following: Today I celebrated a Eucharist in circumstances which were new to me but which […]

  2. Dave Avatar
    Dave

    I am pleased to hear about this. If and when my partner and I have a civil partnership, it would mean so much to me to have a priest there to bless it, and it breaks my heart that my own church might deny me that.

  3. Stephen Avatar

    As a Christian and as a priest I understand the wonder of the Eucharist to permeate everything we do with the presence of Christ, so I am not surprised to hear of the wonderful way this touched you, and the gift of Christ Really Present (once again as promised)
    I often think of that psalm as I elevate the Host. He reached down from on high and touched me. Never does it fail to work.
    Thank you for ministering to these two guys in this way at this wonderful time, and sharing this with us. No doubt at some personal cost.

  4. david power Avatar
    david power

    Truly what one reads here is what the great Bonhoffer described as “cheap grace”.
    People so comfortable in their sin they could not imagine what type of liberation Christ could truly offer them ,and instead bury everything in a feelgood language that reaches out for Glory but demands a rupture with Nature and reality .
    Love covers a multitude of sins,and how St Paul must wince at your understanding of his words.

  5. tim lusk Avatar

    God’s blessings on you buddy as you continue tobe open to God’s grace and to, as any good priest would, share it with all.

  6. pax58 Avatar
    pax58

    I grew up in southern West Virginia, USA. It was fairly common for couples to get married soon after a pregnancy had happened. One of my friends was pregnant with twins, I was setting next to my uncle. The priest started the fertility prayer and my uncle said out loud, “Good God, she’s carrying two, how many more do you want her to have?”
    Everyone, including the priest had a good laugh.

  7. pax58 Avatar
    pax58

    Thanks for the post Kevin, I liked the seniment and also the warmth of seeing the eucharist through the leases of important occassions. Just for fun: when I just started college, one of my friends from high school got pregnant, with twins. As was the custom where I grew up, a hasty wedding was planned.
    The groom and the bride were kneeing at the rail while the priest prayed a prayer for fertitlity, my funny uncle turned around to me and said out loud, “what does he want? They are aready getting two, does he want a dozen?” Everyone on my side of the church starting laughing, which I am sure the bride and groom woul d have also done if they had heard him.

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…