National Marriage Week takes place from 7-14th February. Colm Black has written an article celebrating commitment which you can read here. I was at Presbytery last night and saw this advert:
19:00 16th February 2011 ~ Alpha Marriage Course
Eight weekly sessions starting with a Valentine's Dinner, which is a taster and free of charge, aimed at couples, includes a meal, DVD presentation and couple discussion time.No group work.To register or for more info contact Katie and Tony Jarvis 01463 790230 marriagecourse@barnchurch.org.uk
Speaking of Presbytery, I took Chris Watt along with me last night, so that he could share about his work with OUT OF THE BOX. Presbytery is an exceptionally formal meeting. The clerk shouts "court" and we all have to stand up as the Moderator comes in. Then he bows to all corners of the room, and we are supposed to bow back! The whole affair feels like a throw back to another world, and it's not surprising that 50 would be classified as youth at such a gathering! Chris clearly found sharing in such forum very nerve wracking! The elders and ministers who go to Presbytery are an exceptionally good group of people, and I have always found them to be a very supportive body, but I wish we could find ways of loosening up the meetings. If not, I really wonder how the Presbytery will function in the long term, because understandably there aren't likely to be many takers from a younger generation for such an expereince.
I've just googled "nodding at presbytery!" and found the Handbook for Falkirk Presbytery. It seems that nodding is an optional extra which can be dispensed with:
Moderators may decide personally whether to:
1. greet Presbytery with a simple “Good evening” or continue the practice
of nodding to each sector of Presbytery;
2. ask Presbytery to remain seated to pray;
Perhaps there may be scope for some modernisation within Presbytery.
No comments:
Post a Comment