From the Manse (Tuesday 28th July)
This week Robin discusses what is going to remain ...
From the Manse (Tuesday 21st July)
This week Robin discusses hill walking with respect to the exit from lockdown.
From the Manse (Tuesday 14th July)
Robin's video this week is accompanied by the following questions to consider before reopening of the church building:
- What place does a physical, dedicated church building have in the ongoing missional strategy of your congregation?
- Looking back over the period of lockdown, what innovation has been seen? What might be kept? How might that alter the focus of congregational life moving into a post pandemic phase?
- In relation to ‘church’, what feelings of loss have been articulated in the congregation and community?
- How might the Kirk Session prayerfully consider and evaluate what aspects of pre-lockdown church might be restarted to enable relationships to grow and mission to prosper?
From the Manse (Tuesday 7th July)
Robin's video this week discusses his walk along the High Street as shops open up, the new ways of contact within families using technology and the new normal after lockdown.
From the Manse (Tuesday 23rd June)
Robin's video this week discusses the possible timescales for the opening of the Church and midweek activities once the lockdown has been lifted.
From the Manse (Tuesday 16th June)
Robin invites you to view his latest video from the Manse where he shares his views on the state of the High Street (where will he buy new shoes?) and politicians under pressure from football stars.
From the Manse (Tuesday 9th June)
Remember you are still welcome to send me your pictures for use in a future Sunday reflection. You can send them to me via email at revrobinmcalpine@gmail.com.
From the Manse (Tuesday 2nd June)
Hello everyone, I have an idea I would like to share with you. During one of my Sunday morning video reflections, I would like to show a montage of pictures of members of Bennochy church. In other words, to get people to send me pictures of themselves which I will show one Sunday morning. If we can't come together in person we can come together online in our pictures.
I will need your help to spread the word, so that I can get as many pictures as possible. If I am inundated, I can spread it over more than one reflection!
Please send your pictures to me via email at revrobinmcalpine@gmail.com, thanks, Robin.
From the Manse (Tuesday 26th May)
Robin reflects on Pentecost this coming Sunday (31st May) in his latest video diary:
From the Manse (Wednesday 20th May)
Our latest 'From the Manse' video is now available (click play to view):
From the Manse (Tuesday 12th May)
'From the Manse' for today comes to you as a video presented by Robin:
From the Manse (Wednesday 25th March)
It is lock-down day two. Hope you are not going too stir crazy! It really is a new way of living, and I wonder how we will get used to it. I have not been out to the shops yet, but I did go out for a walk yesterday lunchtime. If I saw someone coming on the same side of the road. I crossed over, maintaining my 'social distance'. What a strange way we now have to live.
Over the past couple of days, I have been putting various resources that are available on our web site and Facebook pages. Please uses these means of communication to keep in touch with what is happening. Spread the word.
You might have noticed that I have had a go producing my very first podcast. Let me know what you think. It is amazing what you can learn off the internet! Hopefully I might get better at it - or maybe not!
We have various people helping with writing materials for the web site, but we could do with more people being involved, so, if are able to provide prayers, reflections, readings, podcast or a Blog, then please let me know. I suppose my "From the manse" comments are a form of Blog. Blogs and podcasts - what next?
I am also looking for ideas of how people might share together at this time of anxiety and isolation. If you have ideas. Please share them. You might form 'e' groups by email or a telephone support chain. It has been suggested that a prayer network might be formed. I will now begin to put up some prayer points. Not detailed prayers, but bullet points to guide our thoughts and prayers at this time. If you like this idea, get together (not in person) and start praying. In our isolation, prayer can bring us together.
It is time to sign off. If you know of anyone who needs help of any kind. Please let me know. Stay connected. Stay safe.
With all God's blessing.
Robin
From the Manse (Monday 23rd March)
It is a real strange thing being a minister and not being able to meet people. The church is after all. all about relationships. So how can we build our faith community, through these unprecedented times?
All Elders have been asked to contact everyone in their district, to find out how people are, do they need any practical assistance, and to let me know where I can be of help.
If you living isolated in your home for any reason, as best you can, please keep in touch with family and friends. Pick up the phone, send that card or write that email. If you can use 'Skype' or 'Zoom' all the better. We need to support one another through the difficult weeks and months ahead. This is not going to go away quickly.
At these times, communication is vital, and the 'hub' for all our communication is going to be through our website (and Facebook pages). I can't stress this enough. If you want to know what is happening please log onto this website regularly. For Facebook, see Bennochy Parish Church. You know what, we might all have to develop our IT skills a bit, or get help from a 'younger' member of the family!
On our website and Facebook pages, apart from ongoing updates, you will find some thoughts for the day. To begin with, these will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I will also put up a short reflection for each Sunday.
You will find a list of all the new pages on the top right hand side of this page.
Let's keep in touch. Support one another, and remember, we don't need to be together, to be one in Christ.
With all God's blessings,
Robin
From the Manse (Thursday 19th March)
You will have heard the phrase, to be repeated often, 'we life in unprecedented times'. Leaders around the world, trying to embrace a war time spirit. Not against an enemy they can see, but one they can't. It invades our land and we seem powerless to stop it.
Extreme measures are now in place, though not as strict as in other countries. We will struggle to live with the social isolation and 'distancing', empty shelves in the supermarkets, the closure of schools and just about everything else. Even the Links market to cancelled for the first time in possibility 700 years!
As you will know now the church of Scotland has decided to suspend all service of worship. Churches did not close in war time, but for this pandemic , we have been left with no choice. The health of the nation comes first. We are now left with the challenge of maintaining our faith community here at Bennochy, over the next weeks or more probably months. I know we will rise to the occasion. Faith for today and hope for tomorrow.
it is hugely important that we look out for one another. Are there people who are isolated and need a phone call or some urgent supplies. Please keep in touch.
Our church web site now becomes an important means of communication. I will post regular updates, some people have been asked to supply 'thoughts for the day', and I will post something every Sunday Morning. If you would like to contribute to this rota, please be in touch.
Today I have included; details of radio services and congregations that live stream their worship, along with a prayer from the Moderator of Kirkcaldy Presbytery and finally, thoughts about a national day of prayer, from the Moderator of the General Assembly.
Please be safe. Look out for one another and if you need a chat, please be in touch. If any one wishes a 'pastoral walk- at a safe distance', let me know Thank you, and may God's blessing be upon you and your family, at this difficult time,
Robin
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