Epiphany … is that gentle time between the aftermath of Christmas and Lent, enjoying the manifestation of Christ through the different stories of his doing things - John takes it to 7 occasions, scattered through his Gospel. Usually we seem only to associate it with the Magi and their 3 Gifts, each of which points to an aspect of his adult life. The Orthodox Church makes more of Epiphany than Christmas - maybe we should do some sort of link-up, in another year, to see their insights. As it is, Gold=king, Frankincense=priest. prayer, Myrrh=disinfectant and embalming spices:- all things that many hymns remind us to consider.

This last Epiphany, Liz and I experienced an interesting manifestation. We went to the ceremony of civil registration of a partnership under the new law. We came away educated, moved and full of appreciation. The ceremony and celebration clearly was about a partnership and it did not pretend to be, nor hijacked, a wedding and its wording. (Would that the media be more accurate in their description of such things.)

Clearly both parties undertook to care for and be responsible for each other, so that there was an opportunity to recognise a family element about the relationship. For many faced with a lonely future, locked out from society by their sexuality, here is a way forward to nurture someone else and have that reciprocated. Obviously such a relationship will never be procreative in the sense that the Church celebrates unions, but that is not to say that the partnership will not be fruitful in other ways, as many other childless relationships can be. The words used to celebrate and seal the relationship by law were sensitive and well chosen. As someone wisely remarked, sexuality is a problem, but not if you do something good with it. Here was a relationship that has been given room to be and consequently will develop and deepen.

Both Liz and I felt that here was greater sincerity and potential than we have witnessed on other occasions. Words of Thomas a Kempis, amongst many others, come to mind: "Never be entirely idle: but either be reading, or writing, or praying, or meditating, or endeavouring something for the public good". We thought, in the right context, it is a very good thing. And here is the epiphany about it: a recognised union enables each person to be a fuller person and demonstrate that. Yes, they will share any gold, yes they have prayers for them and for each other, and yes they have support and strength even unto and in death.

MONDAY
It is as if the gods
Decreed the end. From Brittle to Portree
Down comes the rain in rods;
The great wind hounds the sunshine off the sea;
And out of the loud darkness overhead,
Where Gillean stands and Glamaig, comes a rout
Of roaring rivers – torrent, fall and spout
Striving in thunder. Earth is drowned and dead,
And microscopic man,
O’erwhelmed, must find such shelter as he can.

TUESDAY
Mediterranean! Here
Are azure seas serenely hued and lit;
Windless and calm and clear
The long sea-lochs look down the infinite
To where the fairy curtains slowly rise
On hills of Harris. All the little isles
Float in contentment. Ben-na-Caillich smiles
To Blaven. And, mistrustful of his eyes,
Man hears a Voice say “I
Am good at changing faces. I am Skye.” H.B.

The NADFAS St.Felix study

I have at last been able to read and appreciate at least some of this scholarly and detailed work. I learned a lot about our church which, as churchwarden, I never knew. The inventory of all fixed and movable features and properties has been examined in considerable detail and this will be of enormous value to the churchwarden making his annual checks. We, the PCC and all who are interested in our church, owe a big 'Thank You' to Simon and Wanda Reynolds and their team for the diligence and skill with which this study has been conducted. AJN

STOP PRESS – Organ Appeals

1. Nether Silton. Thanks to the hard work and initiative of Christine Challis an organ has been located and the initial 1/3rd raised. Chris Walker has played it and likes it. So we are setting out to raise £2k.to buy an AHLBORN SL200, suitable for small churches and home (classic/ church) use, on offer at £1,750. Also an extra £250 to endow a small organ scholarship so as to encourage a young local player.

2. Cowesby. We have been given a second-hand organ suitable for church use/music, to be delivered shortly. More anon.

3. Leake. After 20 years plus, the organ is fading. While the Bates organ, which we were lent last summer, was ideal there was nowhere really to put it. Unless we can raise an extra £20,000 on top of the cost of £18,000 to make a gallery for it …………. T.H.