For the twelfth day of Introduction, Rev Scott Brown, the minister at Buchlyvie with Gartmore in Stirling Presbytery and convener of the Church of Scotland’s Committee on Chaplains to His Majesty’s Forces, has written a reflection on our theme for this 12 months — Prepare The Method For The Lord.
Introduction and Christmas are explicit seasons inside the Christian Yr, as we look forward to and have a superb time the approaching of the Christ Child.
In 2002, I was the Chaplain in HMS Cardiff, and we had Christmas inside the port of Jebel Ali, near Dubai.
I was invited onto the Canon Roger Royle show on BBC Radio 2 on Christmas morning. It was as soon as a rare enjoy standing on the strict of the ship, on a mobile phone, determining that you just have been being heard by means of an vital collection of different individuals. It was as soon as the usual combination of light-hearted questions, about what the ship’s company was as soon as doing otherwise to have a superb time Christmas inside the heat of the barren area.
The Senior Costs’ Mess promised me a bottle of port if I could get the phrase “pineapple’” into my interview. Roger’s question of, ‘” is the meals another from an ordinary Christmas lunch?”, could handiest be replied alongside the traces of, “no longer too different, nonetheless we’re inside the heat of the barren area, so probably no longer Christmas pudding, probably pineapple or completely different end result!”
On a further important phrase, little did we realise that what we now title the second Gulf Warfare was as soon as only a subject of weeks away.
On the ship’s Christmas Day supplier, there have been 3 points to focus on – that the Prince of Peace would reign, particularly in that space and at that actual time; that we’d know one factor of the hope of the Christmas message; and that we had a chance to hope for our households and members of the family, along with these which have been deemed to be our enemies.
Separation from members of the family is an peculiar part of Supplier existence, and every Supplier man or lady understands that, nonetheless it’s particularly robust over the Christmas season.
We contemplate our military workers and their Chaplains who’re deployed currently, inside the Royal Navy, the Navy and the Royal Air Strain, and we contemplate their households at home.
The perform of the Chaplain very so much acquired right here to the fore inside the weeks that adopted that actual Christmas. In all 3 Companies and merchandise, the Chaplain or Padre would care for the religious and pastoral care of their different individuals, the place they’re. Colleagues have been supporting our households at home while we have now been deployed. The Committee on Chaplains to His Majesty’s Forces continues this function, on behalf of the broader church, to provide care and enhance for our Chaplains and their households. For those individuals on the Committee there is no bigger privilege.
Might those deployed this Christmastime, know too the same peace and hope and the love that endures all points. Might the ministry of their Chaplains be a blessing to many.
Be a part of this 12 months’s calendar
Prepare The Method For The Lord is the theme of the Church of Scotland’s 2022 Introduction calendar.
We invite you to affix a day-to-day e-mail or check our on-line Introduction calendar for some day-to-day inspiration.
Right through the season, we’re going to hold you tales, motion pictures and prayers that highlight how church individuals throughout the nation are celebrating the supply of Jesus and sharing their faith, hope and love with everyone of their communities.
Apply along with this 12 months’s Prepare The Method For The Lord Introduction calendar