Message from Rev Neil Dougall, Interim Moderator
The Covid outbreak means that all services, meetings and activities at Traprain Kirk have had to be suspended for the time being. That is a huge loss for us and our community … but it is not the end of the story.
In times of crisis and difficulty God’s people do not despair and they do not give up. There are three things we do:
- We Pray.
We pray for our nation, our community, our neighbours and ourselves.
Pray for the health service to cope with demands.
Pray for our government to act wisely.
Pray that vulnerable and isolated people will be given resilience.
2 We Worship.
I am minister of St Andrew Blackadder Church in North Berwick. This congregation posts Sunday services on their website, http://www.standrewblackadder.org.uk. The service for the week will be available each Sunday by 10.30 am. Why not settle down, in your own home in front of your screen, at 11 am on Sunday morning and worship with the other people you normally worship with?
- We Care.
Just because we can’t meet doesn’t mean we can’t talk. Phone calls, texts and emails make a huge difference when we can’t meet people. If everyone made a conscious effort to talk to two people every day, we would strike a huge blow against isolation. Who will you reach out to?
18/3/20
Welcome to the Parish of Traprain! We are a union of three ancient parishes – Prestonkirk, Stenton and Whittingehame. Prestonkirk is in the town of East Linton, approximately twenty five miles east of Edinburgh. The church sits on an elevated position overlooking the River Tyne. Stenton and Whittingehame are located on the opposite side of the A1 in farmland by the Lammermuir Hills. The kirk at Stenton is on the main street whilst Whittingehame is in fields by Whittingehame House and Tower.
We belong to the Church of Scotland. We are Presbyterian in government and Reformed in theology. Members and non-members, people of all ages and nationalities are welcome to worship with us. There is an open invitation to Christians of all denominations to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Young people are especially welcome and there are opportunities for them to participate in our life and worship every Sunday.
Pause for Reflection
Believe it or not, there are two billion Christians in the world – and that number is increasing dramatically. Almost 500 of them belong to our congregation. What a thrilling opportunity to belong to such an inspiring movement which reveals the face of Christ to our troubled world and shares the secret of life in all its fullness. Open these windows and doors and find out some more!
Anyone who is interested in knowing more about the faith and/or becoming a member of the kirk should contact the minister.