GadgetVicar

Sioux Jackson

Sioux Jackson died on Tuesday. A service of thanksgiving for her life will be held at St Silas' on Tuesday at 11am.

Sioux was a remarkable little woman. I met her when one of the St Silas' congregation asked me to pray for her: she was in hospital with terminal cancer. I offered to visit, and we found ourselves swiftly becoming friends. I think it was our mutual love of Star Trek that helped us hit it off. That, and our ability to talk straight with one another. She chain-smoked (I asked her not to when I visited her home - I get asthma and didn't want to spend the rest of the day with other folk thinking that the stress of life had turned me to the fags). She had a cheeky wit (but she could take as well as she gave). She loved and made music (but was self-deprecating about her abilities). My goodness, how she could draw! She loved children and supported those in need. She'd had a tough life but was a cheery soul in spite of it all. I'm thankful to have known her. A few minutes before she died I said to her, "I'll see you again, Sioux". I look forward to that day.

Gibson Street Gala

One of the highlights of the year for the local community is the Gibson Street Gala. Over the last few years we've loved being part of it. It's one of our highlights too! This year it will take place on the 20th of June. I was at the little organising committee meeting  today. 

This year we face the challenge of having to find a considerable amount of money just to pay for the closing and cleaning of the street. Something like £2500-£3000. This really needs to happen to make the whole thing work. There isn't the same money around to fund these kind of community events that there has been in previous years, so it's going to be tough, but I'm sure we'll get there.

We've got an able chairperson and some enthusiastic volunteers who will persevere, but if there are any philanthropists out there who want to give us a helping hand with some cash, why not drop me a line?

The Life of Christ

Why not get yourself down to Kelvingrove Park to see The Life of Christ on Friday 16th May at 10.30am or Saturday 17th May at 2pm? Thief No. 2 is a personal friend of mine. As is Pontius Pilate. The company some clerics keep, eh?

Pearl's Paintings

 

A portrait of Pearl O'Donnell.

Millennial Competition

Yes, several of you noticed that we have now taken down the millennium sign. We of course operate on 'St Silas time' , hence the delay of  six years in doing so (we use 'African Time'- 'Europeans have watches, Africans have time').

This plaque now needs a home. I did consider Ebay, but have opted instead to offer it to anyone who wants it (might look good on a bedroom wall?!).

So, if you would like to own this historic piece of art, please suggest an alternative use for it, and post it as a comment here. The winner will be announced late on Saturday night and the article itself can be picked up on Sunday (sorry, but we can't post it out).

Advent Blog

Neal B. is putting together an Advent Blog. Why not sign up for a day, and be spiritually creative (is there any other way?)?

Writing From The Heart

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. Sylvia Plath

It is said that everyone has a book in them. It's also said that you should write about what you know. I've been toying with the idea of writing a book for half my life. In fact, I have a manuscript lying in the bottom of a drawer that was written over fifteen years ago, chronicling the adventures of a young ordinand at seminary. This is in no way autobiographical......well, maybe a bit a lot. I've never done anything with this, for a number of reasons, most of which I couldn't possibly go into here. Two that I will share are doubting that I've got anything worth saying and that I'm saying it in a way that anyone would want to read.

Science Fiction is a love of mine. It's a genre that I've considered trying to write in, but I always get bogged down, usually because I start writing, then realise that I'm ripping off a concept I read somewhere else. Being truly original is a tough gig. And then the self-doubt kicks in. It operates at a spiritual and all-consuming level.

Spiritual self-doubt can be as destructive as spiritual self-confidence. We are meant to not only rely on God, but also reflect him.

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. (2 Corinthians 3:3-5)

Now I have another idea for a book that I'd like to pursue. It's been niggling away at me for several years. This feels like the one I could really do something with! It would be on a discipleship theme and I hope it would focus practically on an issue that blights Christian effectiveness. I now need to make the time to realise it. And overcome that creativity killer - self-doubt.

How do you really know unless you try?

Stunning in Toryglen

When I first saw this, I thought it was computer generated imaging. Today, I discovered that it was filmed for real in Toryglen, Glasgow. See how it was made here.