Minister’s Letter
May 2008
May looks set to be a busy month in the congregational calendar. The first week should see the Manse family remove from Netherton, Borgue, to take up residence again at The Manse. We are all looking forward to getting “back home”. The house is certainly looking well after its major makeover. Thanks are due to Jim Nisbet, Ray Purdy, Jim Whyte and Neil Cavers for all their work seeing the project through to completion within both budget and time. An invitation has been extended to the Congregation to view the work on the Manse during the afternoon of Sunday, 4 May. I hope many of you will take the opportunity to do just that.
The Kirk Session is encouraging of us to make sure that the Manse is acknowledged first and foremost as our home and so, in future, callers on parish business are asked in the first instance to ring the door bell by the study door situated at the side of the property. I return having made a resolution to observe Monday as my “day off”. It remains to be seen how long and how effectively the new will be observed!
May will also see the return of Christian Aid week door-to-
door collections round the town between 11th and 18th May.
Margaret Hughes is busying herself organising these at the
moment. 
A good evening is in prospect in the Church
Hall on Friday, 23rd May at 7.30 pm, with the Christian Aid Quiz
night. Earlier in the evening there will be the official Opening
of the Church’s Flower festival running from 23rd —
26th May. Addie Clarkson and her volunteers are already busy
working upon the arrangements with local people and businesses
being invited to support the event by donation or sponsorship of
a flower arrangement based on a favourite hymn. Hope to see you
there! By that date, Ivor Waddell and myself should have
fulfilled our commissions to the General Assembly of the Church
of Scotland being held in Edinburgh from 15th - 21st May.
It is earnestly hoped that by that time the Pastor of the Kenyan Congregation in Tseikuru, Kenya, we are twinned with, Timothy Kioko, will be in Scotland, having secured a visa from the British High Commission in Nairobi to enable him to travel here for his three weeks’ stay. Timothy’s arrival should coincide with the closing days of the General Assembly, enabling his attendance as a visitor to sit in on Assembly debates and discussions, with opportunity also to take in some of the sights of our capital city. Thereafter, Timothy will come to Kirkcudbright for the remainder of his three weeks with us.
The month’s full programme of activities in our Church very much reflects the year’s work of the congregation in microcosm. As with all the work of our Congregation, much goes on behind the scenes, prophetic of the Lord’s own hidden working, to keep the congregation’s witness to her Lord vital and strong. Last year’s work was celebrated during the course of the Annual Meeting of the Congregation in the Church Hall on Wednesday 23rd April.
And so at the new month’s beginning, I urge each one - keep up your good work and witness to Christ’s Kingdom and as Tom Robertson used to say “To God be the glory”. Now I wonder if that Hymn will feature in the Flower Festival?
May you have a May to remember!
Your Minister and friend,
Douglas Irving