Bishop Nick Bundock spent the morning with the vestries in Christ Church, Dalbeattie, and then St Ninian’s Church in Castle Douglas. Together, the two vestries and others from the congregations shared a luncheon with the Bishop and the newly-appointed Rural Dean, Elizabeth Breakey. 

 

Bishop Nick celebrated a “Liturgy for the Southern Tour” with each of the vestries. It was a moving service during which the Bishop gifted each congregation with a Lenten Rose as “a sign of God’s quiet faithfulness to this community – in all seasons, known and unknown”. He also had a bag containing stones with words etched upon them, and in the next part of the liturgy, he invited a member of the vestry to choose a stone from the bag, saying “This stone bears a word – May it be a gift from the Spirit to you today. A word for this place, for this time”. The word bestowed on Christ Church congregation was JOY and the word given to St Ninian’s was GRATITUDE. The full text of the Southern Tour Liturgy follows.

Liturgy for the Southern Tour

Gathering

We gather in the name of Christ,

Rooted in the land and in the love of God.

This place is holy

Not because it is old,

Not just because it is beautiful

But because Christ is here,

And we are here in his name.

Christ is among us.

 

Silence is held

 

Scripture

Hear these words from the prophet Isaiah:

“You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (Isaiah 58:11)

 

The Gift of the Lenten Rose

This Lenten Rose will bloom when days are short and nights are long.

It holds beauty in winter, hope in hard places.

As I hand it to you, may it be a sign of God’s quiet faithfulness to this community – 

In all seasons, known and unknown.

 

Bishop hands the Hellebore to a church representative

 

May it root deep,

May it grow strong,

May it bloom as a witness to Christ,

Who is alive and already at work among you.

In the name of the Creator, the Christ and the Wild Spirit

Amen.

 

The Word Stone – A Prophetic Blessing

 

Bishop offers a cloth bag of word stones to someone from the congregation to draw one.

 

This stone bears a word –

May it be a gift from the Spirit to you today.

A word for this place, for this time.

 

Word is drawn and read aloud.

 

God of every good word, 

Let [Joy] [Gratitude] be not just a hope but a hallmark here.

Let this community embody [Joy] [Gratitude] to stranger and friend,

To the weary and the joyful,

To all who long to belong.

May it be so.

 

The Blessing

 

May the ground under your feet be blessed.

May the light before you be Christ.

May the Spirit who dances through creation

Sing in your worship,

Heal in your hurting,

And dwell in your days.

Thanks be to God.