Lessons and Carols - worship 29 Dec

Welcome to worship, and a very Merry Christmas to you as we continue together in this season of Christmas.  Today,  our service follows (more or less) the traditional pattern of ‘Lessons and Carols’ – as through scripture readings, carols, and through poems, we recount God’s great love story of God reaching out to us, of God becoming one of us, of love moving beyond just an idea and into flesh and blood and bone and a birth in a stable....

You'll find the WORSHIP LINK HERE.

Below, some notices...

CHURCH NOTICES

Annual leave - and so the cycle of annual leave begins again for a new year... This is to flag up that I’ll be taking leave from the 30th of December through to the afternoon of Wed. the 15th of January.  Once again, the Rev. George Shand will be providing both pulpit and any emergency pastoral cover while I'm on leave. George can be contacted at ph. 07765987163 or email - georgeshand@live.co.uk
For general parish queries, contact either Dr Dee Yates at ph. 01864 504093 or Miss Heather Watt at ph. 01899 850211
For worship online, I’ll put up the usual links to other congregations that you might like to visit:

Biggar Parish Church - LINK  
Dunfermline Abbey - LINK 

Annual attestation of congregational roll - this will be done in a one-off meeting immediately after the service on the 29th Dec. 

Christmas decorations - 5 Jan: after worship next Sunday, if we could have some volunteers to pack away the Christmas tree and decorations, that would be really appreciated.

Further ahead:
Wed. 22 Jan - Southern Ministries Cluster meeting: a meeting in Lanark, St Nicholas Halls of our cluster rep's to discuss going forward together as a union, and to start to get the building blocks in place.

'A Christmas Carol - or two' - worship for Sun 22 Dec, Advent 4

Welcome to worship on this 4th Sunday of Advent. The traditional theme for this Sunday is 'love'. On-site, we're holding our Carol Praise service, and online, you'll hopefully get a wee taster of that. Some lovely carols have been chosen by various members of the congregation, so please do enjoy this time of worship.

The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE

Church notices -
Sun 22 Dec., 10.30am: ordination to the eldership of Ralph Barker. Over the last couple of weeks, an edict has been read out in accordance to Church Law, announcing the intention of the Kirk Session for Ralph Barker to be ordained an elder to Upper Clyde Parish Church. There being no objections, the Session and I are delighted to say that his ordination will take place during morning worship.

Memory tree: as has become our practice over the years, during our 'Tidings of Comfort and Joy' service, we place a memory tree in the church. At its base is a box of blue baubles which can be used to hang on the tree to remember those who, for whatever reason, aren't able to be physically present over this Christmas season. The tree will stay up until Sun 6th. For those of you who can't get in to the church building, if you would like a bauble or two to be placed on the tree on your behalf, please do get in touch and we'd be happy to do so.
This year, we've also arranged for a tree at the lytch gate - where the path leads up to the church. Ribbons have been placed in a box at the base for use - if you're passing, please feel free to tie a ribbon to the tree in memory of a loved one...

Sun 29 Dec., 10.30am - Service of lessons and carols: a traditional service of lessons and carols will be held next week - and we'll have the opportunity to sing some of the carols we didn't manage to sing in our service this week!

Mon 30 Dec. - Wed. 15 Jan. - annual leave: the Minister will be taking two weeks off at the beginning of January before launching back into a full work schedule [at last!!]. The Rev. George Shand will be providing both pulpit and pastoral cover during this time.

Further down the track...
Wed. 22 Jan. - Southern Ministries Cluster meeting: the first of our meetings for this year, as part of the process of our congregations exploring a union. Representatives for UCPC will be the Minister and a member of the Session, who will report back to both the Session and congregation thereafter.

Meantime, a happy, holy, and blessed Christmas to you!

Sun 15 Dec - worship update

Hi folks

A wee update: had the op. on Friday - which was successful - however there was an unexpected glitch which saw me stay in hospital until Monday evening instead of going home on the same day. Was told to 'take it easy' for the rest of the week. Given that, I've asked the Rev. George Shand to cover again, Sunday 15th onsite for the morning service. As per usual, just providing a couple of links to online services that you might like to visit:

Biggar Parish Church - LINK  
Dunfermline Abbey - LINK 
Hamilton Old Parish Church - LINK 

Sat 14 Dec., 2pm - 'Tidings of Comfort and Joy': The service on Sat. afternoon at 2pm in church, 'Tidings of Comfort and Joy' will be conducted by Dee and Heather - a quiet space in a busy season to remember loved ones no longer with us...

Sun 15 Dec., 7pm - Evening carols concert: the Leadhills Silver Band will be holding their annual carol concert in the village hall, Leadhills

Sun 22 Dec., 10.30am - 'Carol Praise service: we'll be holding a 'Carol Praise' service in the parish church on the fourth Sunday of Advent. Let us know your favourite carols, and we'll try to include them - and, if we don't manage to get them into the service on the 22nd, we'll see if we can include them in the service the following week [which will be a service of Lessons and Carols].

Worship Sun 8 Dec - online worship links

Hi folks

A wee update: I'm away for a few days on sick leave, as per previous post. In light of that, just providing a couple of links to online services that you might like to visit.

Biggar Parish Church - LINK  
Dunfermline Abbey - LINK 
Hamilton Old Parish Church - LINK 

'The invisible man' - worship Sun 1 Dec: Advent 1

Welcome: Voices of prophets from long ago, a story of One foretold, and of the invisible made visible... A message of hope is in the air. Join us for worship on this first Sunday of Advent...
The worship link is HERE.

Church notices:
Christmas newsletter update - our Christmas newsletter is done – and here on our website in digital form. Click on the tab above marked 'Christmas newsletter'. Meanwhile, hard copies are with the printer and should hopefully be collected early in the week and then, posted out. 

Farewell: After our service this morning we’ll be saying a wee farewell to Angela, who’s with us for the last time, today, before she steps down as our Community Outreach Worker, and works a little more close to home. Over her four years with us, we've appreciated her presence with us in worship, and in the wider community; her work in helping us realise some of the projects we dreamed up several years back in our Local Church Review - such as 'Let's get growing', the farming and Anna chaplaincies; her willingness to pitch in where needed, her diligence, and sense of humour. We will miss her but she goes with our prayers, our love, and our blessing at this time of endings and new beginnings.

Sun. 8 Dec. 10.30am: Worship cover: this coming Sunday, the Rev. George Shand will be making a return visit, while I'm is recovering from my wee operation on Friday. George will also be providing urgent pastoral cover over the short time that I'll be away. Online worship: I’m hoping to put up some links to other services, for you to join.

Sat. 14 Dec., 2pm: 'Tidings of comfort and joy' a service of remembering in the parish church. A quiet space to remember those no longer with us... during this service, and throughout the rest of the season to Epiphany [Sun 5th Jan], our memory tree will be available in the church - should you wish to add a bauble as a visual prayer, or reminder, of someone on your mind and in your heart who may not be with you over Christmas, for whatever reason....

Memory tree: this year, we'll also be putting up a tree outside by the lytch gate at the foot of the path leading up to the church. At the base of the tree will be a box containing assorted ribbons. In the midst of all the Christmas songs and activities, the loss of a loved one can be just that bit sharper. If you would find it helpful, please feel free to come along, and take a moment to tie a ribbon on the tree as a way of remembering a loved one. The tree will remain until just after Hogmanay.

Sun. 15 Dec. 10.30am: Worship. Our theme will be 'joy'.
and then, at 5pm: worship at Leadhills Village Hall: join us in the hall to sing some Christmas favourites, and celebrate the coming King. Refreshments thereafter, followed by the annual village carols with the Leadhills Silver Band.