I woke today at 0545 and got up to watch the Japanese Grand Prix. It wasn't worth it to be honest although the final outcome was satisfactory.....sort of. As dawn broke it became apparent that the storms of the last few days had abated and the sky was clear. The sun rose and turned the day into perfection albeit slightly cool perfection. The forecast for the beginning of the week is not good and I go away on Wednesday for my hospital check-up and return on Saturday. So I will lose four days from the run-up to my departure for New Zealand. That leaves me less than 10 days to do all that I need to do to the house and garden before I depart.
So I took a decision. I decided to put up the windbreak netting in the garden. Marcel and I had put in the posts when he stayed but it was too windy to do the netting. It's the first time in 34 years I've worked in the garden in full public view on a Sunday. My neighbours who would be upset are away. It's not a question of hypocrisy but of respect. I wouldn't want to do something openly in front of them which would offend them. because they are the most wonderful neighbours that anyone could have. I decided not to cut the grass because that would be noisy. However I need not have worried. The township buzzed to the sound of lawnmowers and flymos (weedwhackers). And not a one was wielded by an incomer. The washing fluttered on the lines. Someone mended their roof. Things they are a changin'.
Well, actually perhaps they are not changing as suddenly as we think People washed their cars in Stornoway when I came to the Island. Over the years many things have gradually changed. Because change happens. I am personally very pleased that the planes run on Sunday. I find it convenient and it was on a Sunday that I was told that Andy was dying and I needed to get to the hospital. I am pleased that the ferries sail on a Sunday now. I will not be pleased if the supermarkets open on a Sunday. I think it will be unnecessary. I don't think they will because unless only one (presumably Tesco) opens it will not make economic sense. But whatever happens those of the community who want to observe the Sabbath may do so. And those who want to do other things on a Sunday are likewise free to do them.
What church predominates the island?
ReplyDeleteOn the Isle of Lewis the church with the most churches and members is the Free Church of Scotland. I don't know whether it is still the case but the Stornoway Free Church had a few years ago the largest congregation attendance at a Sunday service of any church in the UK - 1200. I doubt that it's anything like that now. I shall enquire.
ReplyDeleteThere are many breakaway churches from the Free Church all with their own politics and churches.
The established church in Scotland is the Church of Scotland of which there are many on Lewis.
There is also the Episcopalian Church in Scotland (in communion with the Church of England) and there is a Roman Catholic Church in Stornoway. The word 'Mass' is a blasphemy to the Free Church.
There is a Baptist Church and a Salvation Army Meeting House and a Seventh Day Adventist Church.
There may be more but those are the ones that come immediately to mind.
That's amazing! You seriously might offend someone if you worked in the garden on the Sabbath? I find it comforting that there is still a place in the U K that is changing so slowly. Like you, I still think it is totally unnecessary to have supermarkets and shops open on Sunday but not from a religious point of view. But I can't imagine not being able to catch a plane on a Sunday so my reasoning is obviously flawed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the church info, very interesting. Can you also tell me, is the Church of Scotland generally more "low" church (less lithurgical) than the Church of England? I got that impression a number of years ago... My parents had a guest from Scotland staying and she was here on some sort of church business. I took her to a weekday evening communion service in a Church of Sweden which is Lutheran but kind of "high" church. She obviously found it a bit too solemn and quiet... And I gathered from her that the Church of Scotland differs quite a lot from the Anglican church,too. I might of course also have got things mixed up, because I don't think I ever heard of the Free Church of Scotland until now... or that there is a separate Episcopalian Church of Scotland...
ReplyDeleteMy own church experience extends over at least five or sex different denominations... Not sure exactly how to count because two of them changed organizatin during my membership... For a while, I was even in what we jokingly called a free-free one. It did not belong to any denomination, hardly had any organization within itself, and no church building. It got a bit complicated; in my opinion however never a "sect". I still have some very good friends from those days although we've gone in different directions since. (I might get round to writing a bit more about Me&Church some day, but I think I had better follow through my Me&Languages series first...) These days I don't really attend any church on a regular basis but am still official member of two (Church of Sweden which I was born into + one free church). Don't know about Scotland, but here it's getting harder and harder to try to pin anybody down in one specific religious corner... They (we) keep moving around... ;)