Together@MCT starts again for a new year tonight at 5.30pm at Saughtonhall Church with pizza and plans.  Together will happen every second month on the last Sunday but those are all the plans we have so far.  Tonight we hope people will help with ideas and get a little more involved in how Together happens and what it looks like.

A two part station, one with a bowl of water and a towel and the other with a communion cup full of water, used at Together @ MCT in June.

Clean

Water
It gives us life
We are made of it
We need it
To drink
To clean us

We wash to clean our skin, our outsides
We clean off the dirt and grime of our lives
Jesus washed his disciples feet as a sign of service
To wash them clean of the world outside
Wash your hands in the bowl
Clean off the dirt of the world and remember Jesus

But how do we clean our insides?
We are baptised with water
Water that cleans our hearts and our souls

Jesus is the water of life
He came to give us life
Life to live, to enjoy and to share
So take the cup
Drink the water of life
Let it refresh you and clean you and give you life

… after a busy Saturday.

I spent this morning with the lovely people of Righead URC in east Kilbride leading worship and talking about the Child Friendly Church Award that the URC operate.  It helps churches to think about how they include children and young people in all aspects to the life of the church.

At the moment I’m watching Chelsea V Middlesburgh while trying hard not to fall asleep.  What is daylight saving all about?  I want my hour in bed back!

Later we’re heading off to Edinburgh for Together @ MCT.  More on that later!

Tonight is together @ MCT at Saughtonhall Church.

We’re walking a Lent Labyrinth and drinking lots of Hot Chocolate!  With marshmallows of course.

Together @ MCT happens this Sunday from 5.30pm at Saughtonhall URC, Edinburgh.  It would be great to see you there to walk our lent labyrinth and share some hot chocolate.

This morning I was in Dunfermline leading worship on Epiphany Sunday, the day when we think about the wise men who journeyed to meet the Christ child.  It was communion and I used a mixture of bits and pieces nicked from all kinds of places but it felt like a really coherent service.  It even had a U2 related sermon which is always fun, well for me anyway.  I still haven’t found what I’m looking for was today’s song.  It seemed to me to fit well with those ‘wise’ men who went looking for the king in a palace in Jerusalem and found him in a house in Bethlehem instead.

Tonight was our latest http://togethermct.ning.com.  We walked with the mise men, following the star to Bethlehem.  We put together a labyrinth, complete with MP3 meditations and a star which moved across the sky (look closely at the left hand curtain)!  I think we are starting to see a little group of regulars and I’m very hopeful for the future of our worship experiment.

Friday saw a journey of a different kind.  We live across the road from the church where Phil O’Donnell’s funeral mass was held so i spent most of Friday morning standing at our front window watching footballers going into church and listening to the service relayed outside on speakers.  It was a beautiful service and Phil’s team mate Chris McCart gave a moving tribute to ‘Uncle’ Phil.

Rushing ahead a little to Epiphany, but our next Together @ MCT falls on 6th January and you would be most welcome to join us on our journey if you are in or around Edinburgh at 5.30pm.

It’s not even advent yet and I spent last night thinking about Epiphany!  We had a planning meeting for Together last night and it takes place on 6th January, which is Epiphany.  And to be honest I didn’t know what Epiphany was either!  It is the visit of the wise men, the magi, the 3 kings.

So, Together in January will follow the journey of these 3 men from the east, following the star to Bethlehem to meet a king in a stable.  I’m really excited about it.  I think the team have come up with some great ideas that we now need to flesh out.  It should be interesting, thought-provoking and challenging.  And there will be hot chocolate with marshmallows and maybe even cream!

And… drum roll… Together is online on Facebook (togethermct group) and at http://togethermct.ning.com so come join us!