THE TEAPOT TALES

For a number of months I have been trying hard to win the latest in the long line of competitions on the Tom Morton Show after successfully winning a bag, pen, cd, dvd, Party Animal cd and Tom Morton Show fan I duly today entered the competition - Hot or Grot. I got through and then was thoroughly defeated by Mary from Lewis. I now await the arrival of my coaster, a picture of which will appear on the website as soon as possible.

Off now to enjoy a cup of tea made by Pam but unfortunately not in the Tom Morton Show teapot. Sigh.

WHEN LOBBY WAS A DUNDEE WORD FOR HALLWAY

Since coming to Glasgow I have learned many words and educated some of the natives with some words as well.

One word I like is Lobby (pronounced low bee). This was a word for hallway, now I have came across the term Lobby Groups. I thought that they only existed in political circiles, but now they have made into the realms of Church life.

I was listening to the Church of Scotland General Assembly (yes I know I need to get out more) and they were debating Civil Ceremony's there were moves for and against, motions and counter motions. Then just when I thought I understood they introduced Barrier Motions!!!!!!!! Now there's a thing worth explaining. But not here!

Then I discovered that there are, what appears to be, lobby groups set up to help each camp....and so the debate goes on, with the fear that it may cause serious harm to the Church of Scotland.

The thing is, the world watches all this and wonders. They listen to rival groups quote the Bible at one another to justify their own point of view. And for what! After the debates have finished, they will still hold the same views.

I don't know what the answer to the debate will be, but my fear is that the Church will seem even more distant to the people who need to hear the Good News the most. Have we not got more importnat issues to be talking about?

THE AMERICANS ARE COMING
This Friday sees the arrival of a group from Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama. Hopefully this will be as good a week as last year and we will be able to touch lives of people with a music ministry that will make a difference. If you read this, pop along and see them at a concert near you

THE PRAt MOBILE

The latest instalment about my car concerns the bonnet catch, which as you will remember from the last post is broken. People keep jumping out to tell me. Firstly a guy in Forfar followed me through the streets to jump out at me at traffic lights, then on the motorway. Yes the motorway! A guy jumped out to tell me. Mind you we were stationary at the time. So, I must go and get it fixed..............sometime.

MAY GOD'S BLESSINGS SURROUND YOU
(May.......get it!)

I had a bit of shock horror the other night.......................somebody actually reads this thing! So prompted as I am I have decided to update with the latest events in the busy-ness of ministry. It seems hard to believe that it was March that I last wrote anything and boy has such a lot happened.

Quite a major thing for the church has been the decision to renew our heating system. We have taken a step of faith and instead of just installing a similar type we are running the heating system through the whole building with space to expand as well. By winter time we will have an all singing all dancing heating system. So it will be Bahamas in the bathroom right enough.

On the church front I have been out knocking doors in the community. If I knock your door in the near future and you are reading this - please tell me. What a great experience door knocking has been. People have been receptive and responded well to the questions asked. Two new people have come to the church and I will be starting again this week after a break, due to easter.

June will be a busy time. We have the Americans coming for a week of mission and outreach to the community. Please check the website for details of the dates for the concerts. And believe it or not June sees our pantomime auditions. Oh yes it does!

Sad to say tickets for Aladdin will be on sale from all good outlets soon.......well the church.

The PRAt Mobile!!!

I seem destined to keep this car for ever. A couple of weeks ago it was parked on waste ground that doubled as a car park and I was sure something bad would happen to it. But low and behold it survived unscathed. I did pass comment that God must have been looking after it and was quickly reminded that with wheel trims missing, bonnet latch broken, etc. Joe Public would have thought that it had already been abandoned and was not worth disturbing.