The Week Ahead
The beginning of this week looks busy for us here in Tarbert.
Tomorrow the Sacrament of Baptism will be administered at our morning service as Febin and Maggie Christopher take solemn vows on behalf of their little daughter Evelyn Lucy. The Congregation rejoice with Febin, Maggie and Evelyn’s grandparents Alasdair and Katie MacLeod Meavaig (South) and Febin’s parents Joseph and Lucy in Kerala India, and assure them of our prayerful support at all times.
The sacrament of Baptism is always a special occasion not only for the families and friends involved but for all the congregation. We will all stand for the vows and the sacrament as there is responsibility upon all of God’s people to pray for and support all parents and their children as they take their vows. Additionally the Sunday school will come back into the church at the end of the service in order to see Evelyn being baptised.
Tomorrow morning we will be looking in Genesis 22 at Abraham as a wonderful example of a praying parent. Abraham prayed fervently for his son Isaac, and God answered his prayer on behalf of his son and himself. Abraham is a vital person to us in our understanding of Baptism as a sign of God’s on-going relationship with His people. God made a promise of lasting covenant relationship with Abraham in Genesis 15 and confirmed this later in Genesis 17 with the sign of circumcision. In the Presbyterian tradition we believe that the sacrament of baptism is a sign and a seal of that continuing covenant relationship between God and His people.
Tomorrow morning the crèche is once again available in the vestry for pre-schoolers. If anyone has suitable toys or books for the crèche please speak to Fiona Macleod or if anyone is able to help out on the rota please speak to Agnes Morrison.
In tomorrow evening’s service we will look at the story of Isaac and Rebecca and especially the searching question in Genesis 24:58 (NKJV)
“Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”
On Tuesday evening 29th August there are three meetings in the church. The Praise and Worship group will meet in the vestry between 7 and 9 , and The First Fruits Fellowship meet in the Macrae Meeting room at 7.30 PM. The Management Committee will meet in the Macrae centre on Tuesday evening at the slightly earlier time of 7 PM. The main reason for this is that a group of Korean Christians will briefly visit the church shortly after arriving on the evening ferry . They are coming specifically to pray for the work of God in this congregation, and will be journeying to Stornoway to similarly pray for the congregation of Martin’s Memorial. The group are led by Dr Sang In Lee from South Korea who studied with our minister at Aberdeen University where he received a doctorate in New Testament studies. Sang In was an assistant in one of the largest churches in Seol, and he now pastors a church in Seol with a vision for mission and outreach.
The prayer meeting will be held in the Macrae centre on Wednesday evening at 7.30 PM as usual .