View FromThe Manse

From the Minister of St James’- Peter Webster

Dear Folks,

The bowling season has started again and I hope to have my first game before you read this. It is a league match against Tramways Bowling Club. This club originally drew much of its members from those who worked on the trams, the drivers and conductors. Perhaps my grandfather was among them as he was a conductor.

Strange but to many in the future this will relate to the new tram system and they may not realize that there have been trams in the past. So much of life seems to go in cycles.

We see it as schools are built and the demolished as numbers decline only for a new school to be built when the numbers of children increases again. The Church of Scotland is facing the possibility of the biggest split since 1834 when it experienced the disruption over the congregation’s right to call the minister of their choosing.

The Christian Church must try to remember that it is supposed to be following Christ and I don’t believe he ever went round in circles. He would want us to constantly be looking forward, doing what we can to progress God’s Kingdom in a world that needs direction.

May we all have faith to believe that where Jesus leads we will not stumble or fall

God Bless

Peter