YOUTH FOOTBALL PROJECT

Quite a few of my friends of a certain age seem to stumble from one injury to the next curtesy of their indoor football training! We ahve received this email which may be of interest:

Hello, I'm Chris Grant,

I'm one of the youth from the parish of Saint John ogilive consisting of Invergordon, Tain and Alness. You may know that I'm trying to organize a youth football event to happen in June. My Aim is to bring youngsters more closer and to work as a team and possibly even for youngsters like myself to make new friends. What I would like to ask you is would you possibly have a team that consists of two age ranges there will be the youth league 14-25 and the adults 25+, It would be very good to get this up and going and I ask you to see if there would be any people interested, The maximum number of teams will be two youth and two adult teams consisting if you like mixed genre but must stick to the age group given and it will be 6 a side tournament. It would be great to get this on the go but I ask if you could advertise in your newsletter or word of mouth to see if this is possible from your church and get back to me as soon as possible, so we can make the arrangements.
Donations would be greatly received to go towards general costs The Dates are as follows with the venues coming in a later venue when I have everything cofirmed.
Dates - To most likely meet by 12pm MidDay - Venues will be spread around the area, E.G Dingwall, Inverness, Invergordon, Bonar Bridge etc.
June 6th 2009
June 13th 2009
June 20th 2009
June 27th 2009
CONFIRMED VENUE - Bonar Bridge
Venue Information and times will be send out in an at a later stage.

If you want more info, you can email chris at countyfanchris@lycos.com

The picture is of the boys at Puerto Allegria sporting their Caley Thistle tops, which were kindly gifted by the club, and delivered to the Amazon by Fiona Newton.

CABBAGE PATCH QUESTIONS

How many cabbages would you plant in an area 6m by 3m? This was the question circulated by Robyn for all Bana Trust supporters today. I'm not a green fingered person but I did find this website curtesy of google which may or may not be correct.

CARTOONS

I've mentioned GET OUT OF JAIL FREE before. Anne this week has been highlighting favourite sites. I particularly enjoyed the cartoons from Dickiebo!

LIGHT HOUSE VOLUNTEERS

I mentioned recently that the Light house welcomes volunteer support. I'm working in my office (The Garage) next door to the Light house this morning, so already today I've been very concious of the vital contribution volunteers are making there. Sandra MacKenzie was in early baking all sorts of scones and cakes. Debbie Grant, Eilidh MacPherson and Fiona Hutchison are serving in the cafe and Brain Gunn ( producer of the much in demand "Brian's broth") was helping Susie with some administration related to childrens activities in the cafe. The operation of the cafe is only possible because of such a commitment by volunteers and we're so grateful for such support. If you're reading this and you feel you can help in some way - cleaning, administration, serving, painting - please make yourself known to Gwen and Susie. The picture was taken last July which is a reminder to us of how far we have come in a short time!

WILD CARDS

I came across this fascinating website today,and this quote which appeals to my sense of the adventure and risk God is calling us to.

"Sometimes I have had a feeling that God throws out the occasional wild card, almost a dare -- try this if you will; I will bless it; it is rich with possibility; it will not be easy."

Speaking of Faith

LECTIONARY READINGS

Lectionary Readings for April 5, 2009
Passion/Palm Sunday(Sixth Sunday in Lent)
Liturgy of the Palms - Mark 11:1-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Liturgy of the Passion - Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11; Mark 14:1-15:47 or Mark 15:1-39 (40-47)

VINE TRUST

The latest newsletter from the Vine Trust has just been published and can be read here. HRH Princess Royal spoke at a recent fund raising dinner for the Trust and has now agreed to be its Patron.

LIGHT HOUSE HELP!

You can read all about our Light house here. We have had such an encouraging start to the cafe. When I called in yesterday at 3pm, the cafe had been busy all day. It's great to see so many of our youth helping as volunteers over their Easter holiday.At church this morning we were highlighting the continuing need for volunteers both for the cafe and general cleaning. Do you have 45 minutes per week to help with some cleaning? Could you give a few hours to help with serving in the cafe? We would really appreciate your help as we seek to develop this vital aspect of Hilton Church's ministry. If you can help, please call into the Light house and speak to our cafe manager Susie Fraser.

Alltnacriche at Easter

SU Camps are a significant focus at Easter and Summer for Hilton Church. Tomorrow Elaine Watt with her team of leaders (almost exclusively from the congregation) begin leading a camp at Alltnacriche. Please remember them in your prayers as they share in this camp over the coming week.

EARTH HOUR

Did you remember Earth Hour between 8.30 and 9.30pm last night? All around Scotland and across the world lights were turned off for an hour. I was on my own at home as the rest of the family were away for the weekend. It was good to share in this act of solidarity even if it was quite a solitary experience. You can read here about a church in Clydebank which gathered together for the hour.

preaching a complex scent simply

Steve Taylor is one of the most thoughtful bloggers around. His words about preaching yesterday struck a cord with me. The weekly task of seeking to connect the Scriptures with our complicated lives:

I’ve been wondering if the last line actually captures some of the task of communication in general, including preaching.
It’s a fact that the Bible is complicated. Multiple genre’s, from poetry to story, from apocalypse to epistle, from gospel to poetry, from proverb to parable. The literature emerges from lives spread over hundreds of years, across diverse languages (Greek, Aramaic, Hebrew) and unique cultures (nomadic, Ancient near eastern, Israelite, Greco-Roman). It’s complicated.
So to are the lives of people. Every Sunday a range of lifestories eye me up. Some are high, others low. Some are forgiven, others burdened. Some are open, others closed. All are trying to make sense of a rapidly changing world and the complications of life in a credit crunch.
Into all this complication comes the cry for simplicity, to be clear and sharp, to say one thing well. Preaching becomes “Squeezing complicated lives into a simple headline”! I’m not saying this is good or bad, it simply is. Nor am I saying anything about how one goes about the preaching task - whether one exposits, or discusses, or imagines or creates. Simply that the task seems to be summarised by the juxtaposition between complicated/simple.

You can read the full text here.

Mike Robertson

We have missed Mike Robertson's presence at Hilton Church over the past few months. He has been doing an attachment at Trinity Church as part of the assessment process for the Church of Scotland ministry. This week there has been a major profile of his life in the Courier which you can read here.

Lesotho bound

Scott and Jessie are winging their way to Lesotho today. Hopefully all their connections will go smoothly and they'll arrive safely in Maseru tomorrow.

Choose your critics

Over the past few months a number of discussions have taken place in our home regarding the choice of subjects for standard grades and highers. Many things have changed over the years since I left school - I don't understand all the various levels like Int 2 - but one thing hasn't changed. The teacher you have can make or break your enthusiasm for a subject. I can recall being very good at one subject in particular, but not choosing it as a higher subject because the teacher had such a foul temper. Maggie Dawn tells a wonderul story in her blog today which sums upmany of these thoughts.

World prepares for big switch-off

Earth Hour has begun and will

reach the UK at 8.30pm tonight

LIMA to IQUITOS

In 2005, the Hilton workparty flight from Iquitos to Lima hit the mother of all electrical storms over the Andes. Some say the plane was actually hit by lightening! It was a very frightening experience being in a plane which was constantly being thrown about by the elements. The experience was made worse by the fact that we were having to land the plane at a jungle airport where there had been a fatal plane crash in similar weather conditions just 3 weeks before! Albert Bogle has obviously experienced similar conditions in Peru. Yesterday on that same flight he wrote a poem about it. The most reassuring aspect of these experiences has been the quality of the planes that LAN PERU have, as pictured above.

LENTEN JOURNAL

Lent is often associated with giving up food. How refreshing to find a blog in which the serving of food during Lent is an integral part. I think this might be just the blog for Gwen and Susie to read as they seek to lead the Light house forward.

SCHOOLS at EASTER

At Hilton Church we have strong links with a number of local schools, which means that at Easter, we have several events to share in. Yesterday Hilton Primary School had two services led by Chris in the church. In the afternoon, Chris also led an Easter service at Drummond School.

This morning, Jonathan led an Easter Service at Inverness Royal Academy. This was the first time the school have ever had such an event and it was optional for the pupils. It was heartening to see the number of pupils who opted to attend. As a church we are very grateful for the good relationships we enjoy with our local schools and we're glad to be able to share together at these high points in the Christian year.

Thomas the Tank

How cool is this!

LUIS PALAU

The evangelist Luis Palau is currently in Inverness promoting the Highland Festival planned for June. There was a large gathering of church leaders at CCC during the day, and a reception for the business community last night. Tonight there is a gathering for the entire Christian community in the East Church at 7.30pm. Personally I was impressed and encouraged by what I saw and heard yesterday. It's particularly good to see so many different churches working together as part of the Festival. There is more information available here.

Dream Assignment

What would your dream assignment be? Here's an interesting link to stimulate your thinking.

PERU BOUND

Albert Bogle and Willie MacPherson fly out to Peru on behalf of the Vine Trust today. If you want to follow their journey, Albert's blog is here.

LIGHT HOUSE "OPENS!"

The Light House has now been open for business for nearly 4 months. You can find out about its progress by following the Light house link on the sidebar. After a slow start, the Centre is now developing at a very fast pace. The main challenge for the Light house Management Team is to ensure that we don't over extend Gwen and Susie. If you are reading this and feel you have time to offer to the Light house in the Cafe, we would love to hear from you.

One date to note for the future is Saturday 13th June. We plan to have the formal opening of the Light House that day. A time to celebrate the goodness of God in providing this new facility for the community and a day to express our gratitude to all the many generous donors who have made it all possible.

NO PHONE!

I have no phone in my new office. For me this is a great blessing as it means I can get on with work without the constant interruption of the 'phone. It's clearly not such a blessing for others who are trying to contact me away from the manse.I have been prevailed upon by the Congregational Board to do some research on having a mobile for work purposes. Hopefully, I will be able to retain a balance in terms of its use. I'll keep you posted on the research!

MEETINGS

Meetings are an inevitable and important part of life. At Hilton Church we seek to minimise the number of meetings, and where possible we try to fit as many as possible into the one night. Last night, we had our Congregational Board Meeting at 7pm, the Stated Anual Meeting at 8pm, and after that, the Light House Management Team met! I didn't get home until 10.20pm, but the advantage is that there are no more such meetings until 19th May. We have a fantastic team on the Board. Last night the main focus was on finance with the presentation of the anual accounts by our Treasurer Scott Jeffrey. We have had another very positive year financially with our income remaining ahead of the budgeted expenditure. When one takes into account a mortagage on a manse and all the re-development work on the Light House, that is a magnificent outcome for the congregation.Scott is now standing down from the Treasurers post after 3 years. We are so grateful for his professionalism and wisdom, and also thankful that he will continue to be able to share his skills in this vital area of the church's work.

EMERGING CHURCH?

There has been quite a bit of discussion across the church recently on the question of what actually is meant by "emerging church?" I see that Jonny Baker has posted a quote today which addresses that very question.

"nadia has written my definition of the emerging church which i thought was good. the first paragraph is the definition and the rest fleshes it out...
Christian communities that emerge out of very particular cultural contexts where the traditional church is basically irrelevant. These cultural contexts are more often than not urban, youngish, and post-modern.
Emerging church is not a worship style. I know emerging churches that do traditional liturgy with jazz (Mercy Seat), who use electronica (Church of the Beloved), who are a capella Gregorian chant (House for All Sinners and Saints), and who do nothing but old-time Southern gospel (House of Mercy).
So, when traditional churches in the suburbs are wanting to attract young people (with all the good intentions in the world) and they ape some kind of worship style they read about in a Zondervan book by starting an “emerging” worship service, it’s a bit … ironic.
There is nothing ideal about these communities. Yes, we need more generational diversity. And yes, we have the same number of issues and problems as other churches. All I know is that about 95% of the people who come to my church were not actually going to any church at all when they joined us.
Okay, now before you leave me angry responses let me say that this is not saying there is something wrong with the traditional church. Traditional church is often a faithful expression of Christian community. But people in my scene would have to culturally commute from who they are to who the traditional church is. "

CHRISTIANS IN SPORT

Dear parents/guardians and youth leaders

Hopefully your young people have been able to attend their local ‘Pray Play Say’ (PPS) group this year and have been encouraged as they have done so.

As you know, alongside the regional PPS groups, Christians in Sport try to host regular outreach events for young people to bring friends and team-mates along to. Some of these are local events and some regional. The next event in Scotland is the One Day Sports Plus Camp on Saturday 18th April, in Auchterarder. This will be a great day of sports coaching, games, team competitions and fast moving meetings.

As well as the One Day Camp, we have our week long Sports Plus Camp from 5th-10th July, at Loretto School in Musselburgh. This is a fantastic week of sporting action which offers the young people the opportunity to be encouraged in their own faith, as well as bring friends along to hear the best news ever!

For further details on either of these events, please click on this link, http://www.christiansinsport.org.uk/camps/index.htm and I have also attached print friendly booking forms in case you don’t have paper copies.

Places are limited in both camps and whilst there are still plenty of places at this stage, some sports are almost full. If your young people are planning to come I would really encourage you to get their form sent away as soon as you can to avoid them being disappointed and not getting to play their first choice sport.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any queries at all with regards either of these events.

Best wishes

Kirsten


Kirsten Ross
Scottish Regional Coordinator
Christians in Sport

LECTIONARY READINGS

March 29, 2009
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51:1-12 ;Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:20-33

PRAYER & PRAISE

Homegroups are the main focus for fellowship between Sundays. On an occasional basis, we like to have a mid week gathering for everyone to share in. The latest Praise and Prayer evening is happening this Wednesday at 7.30pm in the church. Here's an account of one of these evenings from some time ago which stands out in my mind.

JADE GOODY

I can recall being in Peru in 2007 when the furore erupted about racism within the Big Brother House. There were concerns that it could affect trade relations between Britain and India. Jade Goody who was a focal point for this controvery died on Mothers Day.It has been striking that her death has been marked by messages of sympathy from both Gordon Brown and David Cameron. There is an absolutely fascinating commentary on these events by John and Olive Drane which you can read here. Her life sums up many of the challenges and opportunities for the church in 2009.

twitturgies

Form me in your image God. Soften me by your imagination. Transform me into all you see for me. Sculpt from my rough stone your perfect art.

We used twitturgies as part of our prayers at Hilton yesterday. If you're struggling with prayer, these very simple prayers may be a help.

What a night!

What an awesome evening we have just had at Cafe Africa. The event was set up to look at the work which Robyn Hammond is doing in Lesotho. We had over 200 people there which went beyond all expectations - and there was still plenty of cakes left at the end of the night! The live link with Robyn & Palesa went better than I could ever have hoped. We were able to speak together for about 20 minutes with plenty people asking questions through the mike. Iain Ross had wired up skype through the PA, so everybody could hear the conversation clearly. In Cahoots sang a great set of African songs, Julie Keen sang superbly as ever, accompanied beautifully by Stephen Hutchison and Rod MacLean gave an excellent overview of his recent visit to Lesotho. So many people played their part with technology, baking, setting up tables and serving. What a privilege to be part of such a great team event. The evening finished with live link prayers from Hilton for R&P, and prayers from R&P for Hilton. I can hardly believe it has all happened!

MAGIC MOMENTS

Magic moments come in life and in worship services, sometimes at the least expected times. David Shepherd was leading the prayers of intercessions this morning Before beginning the prayers he told a story linked to the lectionary readings about the brazen serpent (Numbers 21). After working for 5 years in Africa he was making his way back to the UK, and travelling through Italy. While he was in Rome, he visited the Sistene Chapel and amongst the throngs of people he was viewing the Last Judgement. In a magic moment, he glimpsed the image of the people looking to the Brazen serpent in the Book of Numbers. There, side by side, with the Judgement was Jesus answer!

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." (John 3 v15)

RENOVARE

Great news curtesy of Kevin & Dorcas.The With-God Life: Renovare International Conference can be downloaded for free from christian audio. The range of speakers at this conference is quite outstanding. Well worth having a listen.

MOTHERING SUNDAY

I'm all for recognising and expressing appreciation for Mothers, but I'm uncomfortable about Mothers Day, especally in the context of Sunday worship, where there will be a whole variety of mixed emotions about motherhood. I found the following post by Maggi Dawn very helpful, and I will try and mention it at worship this morning.

sense making faith

Olive Drane is the latest contributor to the sense making faith series for Lent. You can read her post about smell here

Walter Breuggemann

Walter Breuggemann is one of the outstanding theologians of our time. In my search for material linked to Easter yesterday, I found this clip called "Die and be raised." Most of our experience of these great writers comes through reading their books. It's great to be able to see them and hear them speak.In the clip Breuggemann walks around a cemetary and reflects on the Easter story. It would be a good clip to show at an Easter Friday service.

CAFE AFRICA

We're having our monthly cafe church from 6.15pm onwards this Sunday. We've invited folk to bring baking, so hopefully there will be some good cakes to eat. Normally we have table service, but with the focus being on Lesotho we're likely to have too large a crowd to make this practical.We're starting early - 6.15pm - in the hope that everyone won't arrive at the same time! We have musical contributions from In Cahoots and Julie Keen, and Rod MacLean is going to share some of his experiences from his recent trip to Lesotho. We also hope to have a live link with Robyn and Palesa. If you have any questions you would like asked as part of the live link, leave them on the comments here. I think we'll also give space for questions to be prepared at Sunday club this weekend. I think it should be a good evening. We're also going to place some buckets at the door , so that folk will have the opportunity to give to Robyn's work.

ps There are no lions in Lesotho!

EARTH HOUR

Earth Hour is on Saturday 28th. It seems like a great idea to me. Time to ponder on reports like this.

HILTON CHURCH YOUTH APPEAL 2009-2013

I've just been writing up some notes for this weeks worship bulletin. A significant focus for Hilton Church over the next few weeks will be the question of whether we are going to continue our commitment to young people through the employment of a full time youth worker. For the last 9 years, we have had the privilege of having 2 such workers, Richard Olyott (2000-2004) and Chris Watt (2005-2009). We have recently launched a congregational appeal for a new project to run from 2009-2013. We require to raise in the region of £25,000 per annum to make this possible. Having a full time youth worker is a big commitment financially for a congregation, but we have seen massive fruit for that investment over the years. We are hopeful that sufficient pledges will come in to make a new project possible. I like this quote which sums up some of the challenges of working with young people.

“in working with young people do not call them to where
they were and do not call them to where you are as
beautiful a place as they may seem to you. You must have
the courage to go with them to a new place that neither you
nor they have been before”

AGE OF STUPID FILM

This film was premiered at Vue Inverness and at 65 cinemas across the country which will get it into the Guinness Book of Records as the World’s largest premiere, but it wasn’t the usual cinema audience. I suspect many of them had not been in the cinema for quite some time. We could have dismissed the subject; a man living alone in 2055 looking at videos of today and saying ‘why didn’t we save ourselves while we still had the time?’ We could have said ‘It’s just one of those apocalyptic horror movies’. The trouble is the science is perfectly sound. In fact climate change is happening faster than the worse case scenario models. We don’t have much time. What are we to make of this as Christians? As Duncan said on Sunday, Jesus was far from ‘meek and mild’ in the Temple with the money changers. There is a time to speak out. Environmentalists are blowing the whistle. We need to look at the evidence and I find this more and more compelling. We have been given a beautiful world and we are trashing it. Fast. Every year we use the fossil fuels built up over 400 years. Most of this is thrown away in one way or another and is killing God’s creation including mankind. This lent we need to repent of our greed:

“If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

You still have a chance to see this film at Eden Court from 20th -26th March. Please go and see it. Then pray. Then act.

Anne Thomas

On the roads

A visit to most African countries requires an armful of injections to protect aganist various nasty sounding diseases. There are some like Ebola which was present in Uganda when we visited there last year, which no injection will protect you against. As I reflect on my various developing world experiences including Africa, my greatest concerns have not been about the various diseases you can catch, but rather about the risky nature of travelling on the roads. The vehicles are often overcrowded, not to mention badly maintained, and the drivers frequently don't appear to exercise reasonable care. I can vividly recall one bus journey in India many years ago, where the bus driver drove as if he really believed in reincarnation and wanted to check it out that very day! For those of you who are planning to visit Lesotho, it is actually one of the better countries I have visited in terms of road safety. The picture above was taken in Tanzania. Some of the main roads around Arusha (near Kilimanjaro) have had so many accidents in recent years, that the authorities have resorted to putting traffic calming speed bumps on the main roads. To get the picture, just imagine going on a trip to Nairn on the A96 and having to go over 50 speed bumps on the way. It certainly calms down the traffic.

SKYPE 2 LESOTHO

We are hoping to have a live link with Robyn and Palesa during our cafe service on Sunday night. I've just been testing out skype with Iain Ross. In the space of 30 minutes we had downloaded the necessary files and were speaking to Robyn. The line was perfectly clear with only a slight time delay. For anyone with friends and relatives abroad, this is a remarkable way to be get in touch AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY FREE!

TRIUMPH OF HOPE OVER OPTIMISM

Asbo Jesus consistently produces cartoons which provoke thought. If you feeling that you are up against a tough sitaution today, you may recognise the sentiments in the cartoon above.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3 v21ff)

FAITH IN A FAILING CHURCH

Greenbelt have started their own blog, and as part of their blog, they are occasionally posting free talks. The latest is by John Bell who is one of the most engaging and entertaining speakers around.

twitturgies

"If hope at times is hard to hold, you are still God. If dreams are dashed and desires delayed, you are still God. Still me, God, to know you"

Personal liturgies in 140 characters or less like the ones above and below can be found here.

"If we don't ask because we can't see, God give us more imagination. When we can't hope because we don't dream, God set a fire in our midst"

St Patrick's Day

I find myself looking back with nostalgia on this anniversary rather than looking forward. 25 years ago today I was attending the wedding of the first of my close circle of friends to get married. The wedding took place in Edinburgh and it was a day for especial celebration because that very afternoon Scotland won the Grand Slam by defeating France at Murrayfield. Tempus fugit!

I had an early start this morning as I had to attend a meeting of the Mission and Discipleship Council in Bankfoot , just outside Perth. The venue for the meeting was very impressive. Some years ago, Bankfoot Parish Church was destroyed by fire. It gave the local congregation the opportunity to make a fresh start. They used the insurance money to build a state of the art church/community centre on a new site. It has every green credential imaginable and looks as if it has a great potential to impact on the surrounding area. You can read all about it here. If you are travelling down the A9, and have a little time to spare, it would be well worth a visit. I made a lot of notes, and it has sparked quite a few ideas for me in relation to Hilton Church.

LECTIONARY READINGS

Lectionary Readings, March 22, 2009
Fourth Sunday in Lent

Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21

What a great day!

After looking at John 2 this morning, Iain & Morag Macritchie led our evening worship and they too built their service around John 2. What an enriching experience it was to take another look at the same passage tonight. There were many memorable aspects to the service, but three will particularly stay with me:

1. The image of Jesus in the midst of all the mess of life in John 2. He was not distant and removed from the temple courts and he is not far from us.

2. There were 5 tables full of picture cards and we all had to chose two. One which represented things which made our our connection with God problematic and one which stood for things which encouraged and opened up the way to God.

3....and the highlight, the sharing of communion in which the table was prepared and set by Iain & Morag as part of the liturgy, before we were all invited foward to share. It would be great to share communion in ths way at the morning service too.

Thanks to Iain & Morag for such a memorable evening service.

Matthew McPhee's Baptism March 8th

Come to the water
Come to the river
Come to the well
Come if your thirsty
Come if your broken
Come and be healed


Last Sunday was such a special day for our family and a real reminder that we can come to Jesus, drink the living water and never be thirsty again!!
Dorcas and Kev

Hilton Church Sermons back online

Due to a slight technical hitch, we have not been able to post Sunday Sermons to the web-site recently, but the hitch has been fixed and you can hear the following recent sermons by clicking on the appropriate link:

Jonathan Fraser 8 February, 2009 AM
Jonathan Fraser 15 February, 2009 AM
Barry Dennis 22 February, 2009 AM
David Whillis 1 March, 2009 AM
Duncan MacPherson 8 March, 2009 AM
Jamie Grant 8 March, 2009 PM
Duncan MacPherson 15 March, 2009 AM

To hear sermons on a weekly basis you can do so (barring technical hitches) by going to the Hilton Church website www.hiltonchurch.org.uk and clicking on the Hilton Church SERMONS ONLINE link at the top of the left hand column of the homepage.

LESOTHO

Robyn has put up a few posts on her blog over the last couple of days. If you want to catch up, you can click the link on the side of this blog.

NEWSLETTER FROM MATTHIAS AND SABINE

Click here to read the latest news from Matthias and Sabine in Nebobongo/East Congo.

GOOD NEWS FOR THE POOR

Today in our worship we are going to be looking at John 2, and Jesus over turning the tables of the money changers in the temple courts. Instead of including the poor and the marginalised, the Temple had become a place of exploitation and exclusion. One of the wonderful aspects of visiting Africa is the sense one has that the church is vibrant and alive, and this is seen most of all in the poorest places. I'm praying today that God will give us wisdom to reflect self critically on our life as a church in the light of John 2. As we confront a time in our history, where our economic foundations are being shaken and so many hopes have been dashed, what kind of a church will be a bringer of good news and hope? What aspects of our church's life needs to be over turned?

BEV DUE

Dear Friends,

By now most of you will know that Bev Due went to be with the Lord on Tuesday 10th March. Services of committal and thanksgiving were held in South Australia on Friday afternoon.Bev and Noel together had a significant ministry in various parts of Scotland for 12 years between 1992 and 2004. Their lives touched many of our lives in a deep way and it seemed fitting to a number of us that it would be both appropriate and also pastorally helpful for many among us to gather to give thanks to the Father for his gift to us of Bev. To that end a service of thanksgiving will be held in Kinmylies Parish Church, Inverness, on the evening of Thursday 19th March, at 7.30pm, to which all are welcome.

In the Saviour's name

Hector Morrison

SIGNS

There has been quite a bit of discussion about signs around Hilton Church and the Light House recently. What makes for a good sign? The sign above made me smile when I saw it in Lesotho.

Light House thriving!

The Light House has now been doing lunches for just over a month and today is about the fourth Saturday it has been opened for. I called in briefly at 3pm this afternoon and was just amazed at the number of cars parked outside and at the number of people in the cafe. There was only Gwen and Fiona Hutchison working in the cafe today and they had been working "flat out" since 11am. This is the kind of reality we had hoped for when we embarked on this project, but there is a sense in which is comes as a surprise when it actually happens. Life is sweet!

UNITED SERVICE with LUIS PALAU

Friday, 27 March 7:30 p.m.East Church of Scotland in Inverness.

You and your entire congregation are invited to a rare opportunity for believers to come together and be inspired by the preaching of world evangelist Luis Palau. At this official launch for Highland Festival with Luis Palau, you will catch a vision for what God is preparing to do in our region.Every believer is encouraged to attend. There is no better way to get your congregation excited than to bring them to this wonderful evening. We are especially urging ministers to bring their elders and entire church leadership team. Event fliers are available.

PHYSICAL

Another thing which struck me about Lesotho was how much more physically demanding daily life is for so many people. Instead of turning the tap on for water, there is a trip to the stand pipe in the middle of the village, and then the arduous task of carrying the water home in plastic containers. Instead of jumping in the car, people always appear to be walking somewhere.

ENCOURAGING WORDS

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That is why we call it the present. (Kung Fu Panda)

THE VINE TRUST

The Vine Trust has been a very significant feature in the life of Hilton Church over the past 5 years. I have recently joined its Board and was therefore down in Bo'ness for a meeting last night. Thankfully they only have 3 full meeting per annum. The Vine Trust have directors in both Gibraltar and New Zealand, so I had a new experience last night, insofar as the director from Gibraltar was sharing in the meeting via Skype. I might well do this myself from time to time to save the time and expense of going to the Central belt for meetings. Despite the credit crunch, exciting things are continuing to happen with the Vine Trust both here in Scotland and in Peru. They have a record number of people going on workparties in 2009 and the number of medical groups serving on Amazon Hope remains high.I'll perhaps do some posts about all this in the near future. For the moment, I'll just post a few pictures. One of Kusi in the Andes which has progressed so much since our last visit in 2007, and one of the new boys home in Sacred Valley.

BEAUTIFUL LESOTHO

I don't think I could have even begun to tell you where Lesotho was before Robyn moved there. It doesn't feature in the list of "must see" places in the weekend newspaper holiday supplements, and yet it is a country with some of the most spectacular landscapes you are ever likely to see. Pony treking is one of the most popular activities on offer, and you can venture to some pretty remote and beautiful places on horse back.

LIGHT HOUSE BUZZING

I called into the Light House in the early afternoon today and was delighted to find the cafe absolutely packed. All the tables full and the staff working hard to serve everybody. It's also very encouraging to overhear all the positive comments about the quality of the food and the atmosphere of the Light house. These are exciting days for us all after the long wait for the vison to become a reality.

SENSE MAKING FAITH

Last night I listened to Roy Searle and the Northumbrian Community leading the Radi0 4 worship service. It is part of a series called Sense making Faith. The service was really excellent. I was particularly struck by some of the songs which were chosen. I wasn't familiar with many of them. Perhaps some of the worship team can have a listen to see if we could use them at Hilton.

CHRISTIANS IN SPORT

Here's a note from Christians in Sport which may be of interest to all the sporty folk around Hilton:

Just a wee reminder about this Wednesday's (11th March) Pray Play Say (PPS) group in Inverness. It would be great if you and your young people could make it along.

These groups are designed to help young people represent Jesus in the way that they play their sport - to equip them to make a difference, to encourage them in their love for Jesus and desire to make him known, and to provide a place for them to excel in their friendships and sport.

Do check out the website (http://www.christiansinsport.org.uk/youth_sport/Regional/index.htm) for more details of PPS groups.

The Inverness group meets at Millburn Academy (Diriebught Road, Inverness, IV2 3QR) from 7.00-9.00pm, and is led by myself and volunteers of Christians in Sport's youth department. Young people should come ready to play sport and bring a bible if they can.

Hope they can make it.

Best wishes

Kirsten Ross

NO WINE FOR LENT!

I mentioned giving up wine for Lent yesterday. I hasten to add that I have done this without any sense of being threatened or intimidated into doing so! Thanks to Stephen Hutchison for showing me this picture.

LECTIONARY READINGS

Lectionary Readings for Sunday, 15th March , 2009
(Third Sunday in Lent)

Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22

A GOOD SOAKING!

We had a very happy morning at church today. A particular highlight of the service was Matthew McPhee's baptism. Matthew was completely at ease during the baptism and spent a large part of the time having a splash about in the font. He was enjoying the water so much that I think I put a good deal more water over his head during his baptism than I would normally do, but he just took the whole experience in his stride. I am always in a bit of a quandry as to how much water I should put on a baby's head for baptism! My instinct is not to use too much for fear of upsetting the child. I wonder what would happen if I did this.

YOUR PASSION OUR MISSION

We live in a society where death is quite distant to many of us. Many people I know have only been to a few funerals in their whole lives. The situation is very different in Lesotho. An estimated one third of the population have hiv/aids which meant, that even in the short time we were there, we saw numerous funerals taking place. Saturday is the main day for holding funerals, so for many people a significant number of weekends each year will be taken up with attending funerals. Not a very cheery thought for a Sunday night, but this is the backdrop to the work which Robyn is now developing in Lesotho.

nine on top

I've just checked the Red Nose website and all 9 of the team have made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro. That is an amazing feat and they all have my admiration. I'm looking forward to watching the programme about the climb on BBC next Thursday night.

" this makes Williams' paddle and Shearer riding from Derby to Nottingham or whatever he did look like a doddle." Chris Moyles

BEAUTIFUL GATE

We are used to seeing some pretty grim images of Africa on our TV screens. One of my abiding images of Lesotho will be the magnificent centre called Beautiful Gate which

Provides residential and medical care to abandoned, HIV/AIDS affected and OVC’s aged 0 – 5 years. It also networks with the Government and other Organisations to advocate for the rights of children and the establishment of an effective adoption/foster care program in Lesotho.

It is hard to overstate the impact this centre makes on you when you visit. Hopefully many folk linked to the Bana Trust will be able to visit in the coming years.

WHAT A BARGAIN!

With the Light house being next to my office, the cafe is proving to be a great temptation these days. Perhaps I'll have to give the cafe up for Lent next year! This morning at 11am, I went in and ordered a bacon roll and a pot of tea. Tasty roll, a great brew and all for only £2. What a bargain!

ROY SEARLE ON RADIO 4

Just to let you know, if you are free and interested, that next Sunday Worship, 8th March following the 8.00 am News on Radio 4 comes live from St. Cuthbert's Carham, Northumberland and is led by the Northumbria Community and Roy Searle will be the preacher.
www.northumbriacommunity.org

THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER

When Robyn first arrived back in Scotland with Palesa, few of us at Hilton will ever forget the morning service where we saw pictures of the orphanage where Palesa had been living with around 100 other children. The images were pitiful. The conditions were squalid. The children looked so forlorn. We all felt in our hearts that things don't have to be that way. The great thing that we discovered while we were out in Lesotho is that the orphanage which is called MIS has been transformed. There is still plenty to do, but just feast your eyes on the nursery. It would stand comparison with any classrooom in the UK.

Cholera in Inverness!

Cholera in Inverness! Yes, but the year was 1832! There is a fascinating article in this week's Courier about this outbreak. The feature is linked to research for a Masters degree done by Janet Guthrie from our congregation.A report on Wednesday August 29th, 1832 stated: "The disease has been confined chiefly to unfavourable situations in Church Street, the Glebe, Maggot and Chapel Street." While cholera may be a matter of history for Inverness, it is a daily reality for many countries around the world.

"To date more than 3000 people have died since August last year as a result of the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe.Figures show there have been more than 66,000 cases in what is described as the worst outbreak in Zimbabwe's history.The disease has spread because of a collapse in the country's health services and water sanitation."

RED NOSE@ KILIMANJARO

I have been following the exploits of the Red Nose Team on Kilimanjaro. As many of you know, I was also climbing Kilimanjaro on my way back from Lesotho. Unfortunately I went down with altitude sickness. After a day and night of constant vomiting, I had to abandon my attempt at 3800 metres. A significant number of people die every year climbing the mountain, and I wasn't keen to be another one on that list. Perhaps one day I'll go back for another attempt, but if I do, I will need to spend more time acclimatising. Take a look at the Red Nose blog. It gives you a real feel for how tough the experience is.