Lenten Pilgrimage - 20

Today we are half way through our Lenten Pilgrimage, and find ourselves at St Columba's Church , High Street, Grantown-on-Spey. The building is shared with St Anne's Roman Catholic Church.



St Columba’s began as a mission from St Andrew’s Cathedral, Inverness, in 1870 at the instigation of Bishop Robert Eden. It was served from Aberlour, until it gained its independence. From 1930-66 it was run jointly with Rothiemurchus.

The figure of St Cecilia, the Patron Saint of Music, represented in the stained glass window above the organ, is in memory of Mrs Barclay, a former organist of St Columba’s.

Sadly, the two congregations do not join together for the celebration of the Eucharist.

O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray
that all thy Church might be for ever one,
grant us at every Eucharist to say
with longing heart and soul, "thy will be done."
O may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.

For all thy Church, O Lord, we intercede;
make thou our sad divisions soon to cease;
draw us the nearer each to each, we plead,
by drawing all to thee, O Prince of Peace;
thus may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.

We pray thee too for wanderers from thy fold;
O bring them back, good Shepherd of the sheep,
back to the faith which saints believed of old,
back to the Church which still that faith doth keep;
soon may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.

So, Lord, at length when sacraments shall cease,
may we be one with all thy Church above,
one with thy saints in one unbroken peace,
one with thy saints in one unbounded love;
more blessèd still, in peace and love to be
one with the Trinity in Unity.

Lenten Pilgrimage - 19

Well, it's back to school! Today we are visiting St Christopher's Chapel at Gordonstoun School.



Gordonstoun School was founded in 1934 by Kurt Hahn, with the aim of encouraging self-reliance and independence. St Christopher's is the main school chapel, built 1965-6 to designs by former pupil Patrick Huggins, to complement the Michael Kirk. Seating is 'gathered about the lectern pulpit and the Communion Table' whose positions emphasise the equal importance of Word and Sacrament, while giving space for orchestral or dramatic performances.

One more step along the world I go,
one more step along the world I go;
from the old things to the new
keep me traveling along with you:
Refrain:
And it's from the old I travel to the new;
keep me traveling along with you.

Round the corner of the world I turn,
more and more about the world I learn;
all the new things that I see
you'll be looking at along with me: Refrain

As I travel through the bad and good,
keep me traveling the way I should;
where I see no way to go
you'll be telling me the way, I know: Refrain

Give me courage when the world is rough,
keep me loving though the world is tough;
leap and sing in all I do,
keep me traveling along with you: Refrain

You are older than the world can be,
you are younger than the life in me;
ever old and ever new,
keep me traveling along with you: Refrain



Gordonstoun School is very famous - both HRH Prince Philip (The Duke of Edinburgh) and HRH Prince Charles (The Prince of Wales) were pupils there - most impressive!



Here we see Prince Charles on his first day at the school in 1962, being introduced to the Headmaster by Prince Philip. The young Prince would spend plenty of time in St Christopher's Chapel.

Lenten Pilgrimage - 18

Today we are visiting St Ninian's, Glenurquhart, by Loch Meikle.



St Ninian’s is a small, attractive stone building on the shore of Loch Meiklie in Glen Urquhart. The site was given to the Episcopal Church with the churchyard in 1851.

It was consecrated, being free from debt on St Matthew’s Day 1853 by Bishop Robert Eden. The architect was Dr Alexander Ross who was also architect of the Cathedral and of so many churches in the Diocese. The modern east windows were added in 1985.

Set into the altar is a stone carved with a simple cross which came from the now demolished church at Temple in the mouth of Glen Urquhart. Historians now consider that Temple was the most northerly base of St Ninian, so this very early cross may have been seen by our Patron Saint at the end of the 4th century.

Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy Strength, and Christ thy Right;
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God’s good grace,
Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;
Life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the Path, and Christ the Prize.

Cast care aside, upon thy Guide,
Lean, and His mercy will provide;
Lean, and the trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its Life, and Christ its Love.

Faint not nor fear, His arms are near,
He changeth not, and thou art dear.
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.



Grateful thanks to the Met Office for providing an improved version of the Weather Widget - it is great!

Lenten Pilgrimage - 17

Today we are in Fortrose on the Black Isle. The church of St Andrew is located on Academy Street.



The congregation in Fortrose has been in continuous existence from the Revolution of 1688. Between the years 1698 and 1700 a Meeting House was set up for Episcopalians in the Chanonry on what is believed to be the site of the present Church Hall.

In 1790 the feu of the land on the Fortrose braehead was granted and the Gothic buttressed and pinnacled church was built in 1827 at a cost of £1100 and dedicated to St Andrew of Scotland.

Substantial alterations and improvements were made between 1888 and 1918, under the direction of architect Alexander Ross of Inverness, when the status of the church was raised to an Incumbency.

One interesting feature of the church, which was consecrated in 1909, is the carved wooden altar, with its reredos which features a carved relief of the Last Supper.

The attractive rose window above the altar shows the Risen Lord surrounded by six Angels. Another interesting feature is the small Baptistry which juts out of the west wall of the church.

Jesus calls us over the tumult
Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;
Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”

As of old Saint Andrew heard it
By the Galilean lake,
Turned from home and toil and kindred,
Leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, “Christian, love Me more!”

In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still He calls, in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love Me more than these!”

Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,
Savior may we hear Thy call,
Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
Serve and love Thee best of all.

3rd Sunday of Lent

Here we see a fig tree - unlike the one we hear about in the gospel today, this one is bearing fruit.



Time for my favourite Lent hymn!

Christian, dost thou see them on the holy ground,
How the troops of Midian prowl and prowl around?
Christian, up and smite them, counting gain but loss,
Smite them by the merit of the holy cross.

Christian, dost thou feel them, how they work within,
Striving, tempting, luring, goading into sin?
Christian, never tremble; never be downcast;
Smite them by the virtue of the Lenten fast.

Christian, dost thou hear them, how they speak thee fair?
“Always fast and vigil? Always watch and prayer?”
Christian, answer boldly: “While I breathe I pray!”
Peace shall follow battle, night shall end in day.

“Well I know thy trouble, O my servant true;
Thou art very weary, I was weary, too;
But that toil shall make thee some day all Mine own,
But the end of sorrow shall be near my throne.”



Happy Sunday!

Lenten Pilgrimage - 16

Today we are visiting the church of St John the Evangelist in Forres.



The Church was designed in 1841 by Patrick Wilson but very soon afterwards remodelled by Thomas Mackenzie in the Italian style, with its rose window, three - arch loggia at ground level and its impressive four-storey Tuscan Campanile.

Despite its deceiving appearance, it is one of the older buildings of the Scottish Episcopal Church in Scotland.

The most striking features of the interior of the Church are the three wall-sized murals. Two are by the artist Hole and dated 1906 and 1912 while the third is by Haswell Miller. It was created in 1936, after a design by Hole. The imposing mural behind the High Altar is of “The Last Supper” and that in the Baptistry is of Christ Blessing the Children.

Well, today is a real day of jubilation - it is my 60th birthday! Here is a photo I had taken a few days ago to mark the great day.



Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things hath done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mother's arms
hath blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever-joyful hearts
and blessèd peace to cheer us;
and keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son, and Him who reigns
with them in highest heaven,
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.



Happy birthday to me!

Lenten Pilgrimage - 15

Today we are visiting the Gordon Chapel in Fochabers.



We welcome you to the Church of St Elizabeth, Gordon Chapel, in the village of Fochabers, Moray. The Chapel is one of more than three hundred churches in the Scottish Episcopal Church. We hope that you find here something of the love and peace of God. Gordon Chapel is in the United Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness, one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. We greatly value our heritage and maintain a fully catholic sacramental and liturgical life.

We particularly hope that you enjoy looking at the images of our world-famous stained-glass windows designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and made by William Morris and Company. During 2009-2011, Gordon Chapel underwent a major programme of restoration including the re-harling of the entire building as well as a new roof. The stained-glass windows were removed for restoration work and were reinstalled in early summer 2012.

The windows were formally rededicated at a special service on Sunday, 12th August 2012, which is the anniversary of the original consecration of the church in 1834.

Guide me, O thou great redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
Hold me with thy powerful hand;
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through:
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer;
Be thou still my strength and shield;
Be thou still my strength and shield.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death, and hell's destruction
Land me safe on Canaan's side:
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee;
I will ever give to thee.