• Scottish Episcopal Kalendar 2026

    For years now, I’ve produced a Kalendar for the Scottish Episcopal Church with all the bible readings set out for the year.

    This year’s Kalendar is available online so that anyone can download it and print it out for themselves.
    It is available right here: Scottish Kalendar 2026

    Anyone who would like to make a donation because they enjoy the Kalendar so much and want to encourage me to keep doing it is welcome to do so via paypal. I used to offer printed copies at £5 per copy.

    The summary of the Bishops’ Instruction on Fasting and Abstinence is available as a single pdf here: Bishops’ Instructions on Fasting

6 responses to “Turning Up”

  1. chris Avatar

    It’s a hard one, that. There’s the constant need to keep churchgoing a joy rather than a huvtae – not to put barriers in God’s way, so to speak. And that is true, I think, for the bums on the pews as it is for the providers.

  2. Robert McLean Avatar
    Robert McLean

    A priest I once knew always cheerily said ‘See you on Sunday!’ whenever he said goodbye to a parishioner, even if it were at the end of morning tea after Sunday mass. By being genuinely keen to see people again, most did come weekly as they were genuinely keen to see him again too.

  3. Tim Avatar

    When – or perhaps where – I was young it was folks talking about the benefits of daily prayer and Bible-reading (and the upper-case was significant)…

    If it’s true that Christianity has become something one fits into one’s way of life, then I contend that’s a good thing.

    Christianity-within-life helps convey a sense of authenticity – if I can mention church into conversation with a random stranger, naturally, without worry that they’ll think I’m any more of a freak than usual, then something’s going right.

    There’s a parallel: I never liked in-church sub-groups based on age (“20s & 30s”) because if that’s all I’ve got in common with people, well, tough. OTOH if folks with which I have something in common are within +/-10yr of my age then so be it. It’s a matter of which is the driving force – not mistaking cause and effect. This generation says: first the inner reality, then the regularity of bums-on-pews will happen anyway.

    1. chris Avatar

      I like this, Tim. And I enjoy the fact that I can share a church-based giggle with someone I used to teach, someone who is the same generation as my children. But there needs also to be the regular dose of magic …

  4. Pam Avatar
    Pam

    My congregation is, mostly, an older age group. We have a youth service, a family service and Communion service at our bigger church in the district. This year I think I’ve probably attended three-quarters of the Sundays – all my children live out of town now and visits happen. Illness happens. Holidays happen. I do feel a joy and connection to my church family – but I’m fortunate to also see them around the town. Importantly, they’re friends as well.

  5. chris Avatar

    Mr B has just offered the thought that regular church attendance is rather like marriage – you can’t just give up when you feel like it. Strikes me as a pretty accurate comparison …

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