We've all been there. Whether for ourselves or for a younger generation. The flat pack furniture arrives and we make an earnest start with the instructions. It's much easier when there's two of you - particularly if one of you has a very handy set of tools and a good amount of experience in building furniture.
A huge thank you to James who helped to get the two new bookcases for the office built!
The ministers among you will appreciate just how much joy the bookcases have released. Whilst they weren't in boxes for long, it's lovely to have some of my books more readily available again. Packing up a manse study is not an easy task and deciding what to keep and what to give away is pretty tough.
When we move into a new space, we often take time to shape it in ways we like. Some of you will be spending time over the summer shaping your garden, although you might not need a watering can. Some of you might be embarking on a project in the house - redecorating or refurbishing. Some of you might be taking the opportunity of fewer meetings and quieter days to bring some order to the chaos of your own manse study.
As a presbytery, we inhabit a shared space together and not simply geographically. One of the ways in which we shape that space is through sharing values and allowing them to influence the ways in which we work and engage with one another.
These are the values we agreed to aspire to as we emerged into one presbytery in January 2023:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Respect
- Integrity
- Nurturing
- Outward looking
- Effectiveness
Over the coming weeks I'm going to reflect on each of them in turn and I wonder how you feel we are doing in embodying them in our presbytery. Where do you think we are living up to them and where do you think there's room for improvement?
This Sunday we join with Buckie North and Rathven as they move from a linkage to a union (2.45pm at Buckie North) and next Thursday (6.45pm in Aboyne) we gather for the induction of Rev Sharmann Maromo at Aboyne-Dinnet linked with Cromar. It will be lovely to worship together, to celebrate what God is doing in our midst and to encourage one another. I am looking forward to sharing in them with our Moderator, Rev Shuna Dicks. Please join in if you are able. There are a number of services coming up over the summer months and it is a great way to get to know one another better. Your participation is much appreciated.
Rev Stella