20th June 2020
Dear Friends,
Re-opening of St. Andrew’s Scots Kirk (SASK)
We trust that you are physically and spiritually well and we do look forward to seeing you back in
church in the near future. We have to make some changes to comply with the new situation.
This letter is to inform you that the Kirk Session of SASK has been monitoring the advice of the
Ministry of Health, the Public Health officials and the Police on when it would be safe to re-open the church and the protocol we should all follow as it is re-opened.
The Kirk Session has decided to reopen the church from Sunday 21st June at 9.30am.
As you may know numbers worshipping have to be limited to 50 at this stage. SASK is planning to do this on a first come first served basis and to avoid any awkwardness at the door we have asked our congregation to inform the Church Officer by phone, so call Kumar on 0779978870 in advance of your intention to worship. The Church Officer will let you know if the 50 person limit has been reached for the week. We are keen to see members back in church.
With regard to the protocols to follow, please read the list below which we ask you to follow.
We will introduce temperature checks at the entrance to the church and will not permit anyone
with a higher than normal temperature to enter. Further, we would ask that you and your family to wear masks when on the premises. This is the recommended guidance.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Graham de Kretser on 0774708013
We will get through this together and look forward to your cooperation in following the advice
given below.
Yours sincerely,
Rev Ian Gilmour
Interim Moderator
Graham de Kretser
Session Clerk
Protocols to be followed by SASK:
Essential Requirements
General Setup
The church has been deep cleaned. The congregation should sit with no more than 2 persons per pew and 2 metres apart (members of the same household can sit beside each other).
Cleaning
The church will be fully cleaned before each service.
Arrival
All members of congregation to wash hands before entering the church building through the main door. Temperature will be checked and recorded on entry into church.
During the service
End of the service
Please leave by one of the side doors and not the main door through which you entered the church building. We ask you to please leave the church premises reasonably promptly after the service is completed as the building needs to be sanitised before the Korean Church members enter. Sadly, we cannot serve refreshments for the foreseeable future and ask that all conversations are enjoyed while members keep a 2 metre rule between them.
Located in the heart of Colombo, the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, St. Andrew’s Scots Kirk has come to be known as an oasis to its many passing visitors. Within this beautiful early 20th Century building one finds that moment of solitude, away from all the hustle and bustle of the busy city outside, for a quiet time with our Lord.
We invite you to worship with us whenever you are able to.
Revd Ian Gilmour, here with with Kumar, our church officer at Haputale, is delighted to be serving St Andrew’s.
He arrived earlier this year to be Locum Minister from another St Andrew’s congregation (St Andrew’s and St George’s West) in Edinburgh, Scotland. He finds the church members friendly and committed and is pleased to have witnessed more people attending church. Ian worked in banking, local government and accounting before entering the ministry. He has served mainly in Scotland but has been involved in projects in Africa and America. He is married to Donna and their family will all come to visit Sri Lanka. The best thing about St Andrew’s Scots Kirk is that people are open to attempt a new thing. His favourite saying from the bible is,
"God is love, and those who live in love, live in God and God lives in them."
Let us, with confidence approach God in prayer.
Let us pray,
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jesus,
You love to offer invitations.
We gather today because of
your invitation to Abraham,
inviting him to step away from the known
through trusting in your promise
of a new family, who would be
willing to share in the care of Your creation.
I wonder if any of you have ever mistaken one person for another, it can be
easily done at night, in the rain especially in a crowded place.
People can dress in the same colours or style as someone you know and if it is dark or you have been crying you may not see the person as you normally would. Usually we recognise a person when we see their face in the light or we hear their voice.
The Call to Worship from the Psalm for today Psalm 16.
I am always aware of the Lord’s presence
he is near, and nothing can shake me
I am thankful and glad
and I feel completely secure
You protect me from the power of death
and you will not abandon me.
Let us come close to our Maker, let us pray.
Lord God
We come to worship You on Easter Day,
Recalling in Sri Lanka the trauma and fear of this day last year.
We gather for worship at Easter still working through our sadness and loss.
Readings: Philippians 2.1-5 and Matthew 21. 1-11
What has Palm Sunday to say to a city under a stern curfew and a world which is in lockdown in many countries?
Prayer: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, our Rock and our Redeemer.
Readings: Ezekiel 37.1-10 and John 11. 17-44.
Prayer: Wherever we hear the words may we also receive your word, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Our readings today are the reading that Christians are hearing around the world in the churches today in the midst of the C-19 crisis and they are extraordinary! The first reading is set in a valley of bones, dry bones.
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