Blairgowrie Parish Church
Remembrance Sunday was celebrated during morning worship at Blairgowrie Parish Church on Sunday, November 12, which was conducted by the Rev Harry Mowbray.
The service commenced with the introit taken from the hymn Give Thanks For Life, The Measure Of Our Days, after which the Minister gave his welcome and intimations. Thereafter the hymn, There Is A Wideness In God’s Mercy was sung.
Prior to the Act of Remembrance, Mr Mowbray read a poem by Maria Casey.
During the Act of Remembrance, Jim Gibb read from Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen’. After the hymn All my hope on God is founded, Mr Mowbray showed the children a bunch of bright yellow flowers and said that we use flowers for a lot of things. We give them to say thank you or to say well done or to celebrate anniversaries, we also take them to cemeteries to say how much we love the people who have died.
At this time of year we have poppies because they mean something special. They help us to remember people who have died or been injured in conflicts. Poppyscotland help people who were wounded and still suffer from the result of war.
The hymn God Gave Me Eyes So I Could See, was sung prior to Mr Alasdair Drummond reading the scriptures from Joshua ch 24 vv 1-3a, 14-15 and Micah ch 4 vv 1-5 which were interspersed by the choir’s anthem ‘For the Fallen’ by Malcolm Archer.
After the hymn, For The Healing Of The Nations, Mr Mowbray gave his sermon. He commenced by saying ‘remembrance’ a word that suggests thinking of events in the past.
However, we should learn lessons from these but should never be stuck in the past.
Joshua offers a choice to the Israelites saying you can go back or move on. He says we will serve the Lord as God brought them out of slavery and his people are certain they will move forward.
Joshua took a large stone in remembrance of the promise he made that day. Micah’s ministry took place when there was threat of war and he offers the people of Israel a vision. He holds out hope and affirms his unshaken faith. He encourages people to look forward to God’s kingdom of justice, peace and love.
Remembrance consists of three elements, to remember the past, value the present and also to look forward to the future.
The Minister then went on to speak of young men from Rattray and Blairgowrie who left to fight for their country and never returned, John McNab aged 23, Colin Smyth aged 22 and James Stephen aged 20.
Mr Mowbray said that life is a precious gift to be enjoyed not endured and should teach us to look at the small things, the small parts of everyday life and to look forward to a bright future.
The service was brought to a close with the hymn, Behold! The mountain of the Lord, and the Benediction and concluded with the national anthem.
Musical offerings by organist Lex Dunlop were Meditation Elegiaque by Dom Gregory Murray, The Flowers of the Forest, and Epilogue by Norman Gilbert.
This Saturday the Boys Brigade are holding a coffee morning from 10am to noon. Donations of cake and candy would be gratefully received.
Ushers this Sunday - Beadle, Jim Gibb, Myrtle Petrie, Alex Easton, John Dow, Alisdair Drummond, Connie Irvine and Ross Davidson.
Creche - Anne Stewart and Marjory Carnegie.
Tea Rota - Anna Graham, Mary Dow and Tracey Thom.
All reports and articles for the church magazine are to be sent to Margaret Drummond by Friday, November 17.