Blast from the past.

One way or another in the past few weeks I have been thinking back to my time as a minister and the churches in which I was. I have also looked back at how it all began. No doubt the working on the book I worked on while I was a minister has played its part.

Away back to my first visit to church to meet a group of people who later formed a hymn writing and singing group called Group 96. Psalm 96 begins with the words, "Sing a new song to the lord."

It has been a bit of an emotional time and I am full of mixed feeling as I begin to reach the end of the work.

I suppose because of this I have found myself in many conversations with people about how it is doing.  Strangely enough at the coffee morning yesterday where I was helping out selling plants somebody I would never have considered interested in my writing was saying that he was thoroughly enjoying my second book. 

I spoke to somebody from my second church and there just might be a return visit in the offing, this will be another emotional moment. 

I was asked by another person if as a minister I had done any Christenings? Of course, my answer was no, but I had done hundreds of baptisms. A little discussion between what was the difference took place. Christenings happened in the Roman Catholic Church and baptisms in the Church of Scotland. That being the difference many still spoke only of Christenings. maybe this is because that is what all the card makers called it. 

This reminded me of the tale of Jack.

Each Friday, after work, weather permitting jack had a barbeque. He liked nothing more than cooking a venison steak on the grill and sitting in the sun with it and a glass of beer.  All of jacks neighbours were Roman Catholic and in those days they did not eat meat on a Friday so the smell began to get to them. They finally could take it no longer and spoke to their Priest. 

The priest eventually persuaded Jack to become a Roman Catholic. After some classes, Jack was Christened in the church.

The priest sprinkled him with holy water and said, "You were born a Baptist and raised a Baptist, now you are a Roman Catholic.' The neighbours were delighted until the next Friday night came along. 

The aroma of cooking Venison could be smelled all over the place. The priest was called and came in haste. 

As the priest rounded the building and into Jacks back garden there was jack clutching his rosary beads. The priest ready to give him a ticking off watched and listened. 

Jack had in his hand a small bottle of Holy Water, which he was carefully sprinkling over the grilling meat and chanting,  "You were born a deer, you were raised a deer, but now you are a catfish."

it was permissible to eat fish on a Friday.

Have a great day.