‘Quarantined books’
Good morning,
As Orientation Week begins in the University. And on the day of the first Sunday service of the academic year, a Service of Welcome. I look forward to seeing you if you have reserved your place in the Chapel service which begins at 11 am this morning. All the spaces allowed in the service – a total of 50 – have been reserved. Please do not come to chapel, without a reserved place, in the hope that you might be admitted. There are University courses in “Having Difficult Conversations” – and I would have to deploy those lessons!
One change in the Chapel is that Bibles and hymn-books have been removed from the Chapel. Here they are, beautifully stacked by Tracy and Linda.
There is also an online service today at 2 pm with the same elements – readings, prayers, sermon, music, and the chance to sing the hymns. Just click on this link Join Microsoft Teams Meeting, and it should take you into online worship. It’s the first service we’ve done on Teams and there may be teething troubles, but we’ll do our best. We’ll explore something of the Free Gardeners Societies of St Andrews, which flourished in the 19th Century. Here is one of their magnificent banners:
Yesterday, I saw lots of nervous new students arrive at their hall of residence, along with their even more anxious parents. It was heartening to see so much that was normal – cars full of boxes and cases, first conversations as students queued to receive their keycards, and parents filling a trolley at Morrisons with bedlinen and a semester’s worth of food.
Yours,
Donald.