In our efforts to help others, it can be easy to forget about caring for one’s self

In addition to my commitment to East Kilbride Old Parish Church, I am also responsible for the oversight of two churches in Motherwell.

It’ sas ad fact in the Church of Scotland, like other denominations, that there are simply not enough ministers to cover all the churches in a geographical area.

In East Kilbride we are part of the Presbytery of Hamilton, so together we have collective responsibility for churches in Airdrie, Coatbridge, Hamilton and much of the surrounding area, including Motherwell.

Over the last year or so, I have got to know the folks there and have hopefully been able to support them as they work out what it means to be the church when they don’t have their “own” minister.

They have not been left without any anchor in these difficult times, as they are fortunate to have two part time posts allocated to them, one of a parish assistant and one of a part time unpaid locally ordained minister. It has been a great help to me to have them on board and it has been wonderful watching the ministry team develop.

Last Sunday, one of the churches, Crosshill, opened for worship for the first time. Obviously, these events take a lot of planning and the office bearers made sure every guideline was met to the letter, and it was agreed that the locally ordained minister would conduct the service. In East Kilbride Old we have had one trial service in the church, but the feeling right now is that we continue with the online worship.

This meant that the service for East Kilbride Old had been recorded the previous Thursday to go out on Sunday morning, so I was free on Sunday morning.

I could go to worship in Motherwell, just to be a worshipper in the pew, not have any responsibility to lead anything, or to say anything, or to make sure everyone was doing what they should do.

I could simply go to church and worship God.

It was a lovely experience. Obviously, there were the social distancing arrangements, no singing, face mask at all times, sanitising, no hospitality or lingering at the close of the service, but just for half an hour, I could sit in a beautiful church sanctuary and be ministered to. I was responsible for nothing instead I could just sit and simply be ministered to.

Sometimes when we find that our natural role is to be a caregiver, we find it difficult to accept that care in return.

It maybe sometime until we return to regular air travel, but can you remember what the in flight demonstration says about oxygen masks?

It says that you should put on your own before you put on someone else’s, for only if you take care of yourself, can you then take care of someone else.

In these tough times, when so much care and compassion are being demanded of us, may we take time out to refresh, be cared for, and be ministered to.