St Anne’s

28/03/2026

23/12/2025

Sunday 21st December: Advent Reflection - a reflection from Revd Laura Symon

As we come to the Fourth Sunday of Advent, our hearts are drawn to the quiet, steady light of love—God’s own heart beating at the centre of the Christmas story.

This weekend, in many churches and carol services, we will sing the carol It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, and its tender phrase rings out: “the love-song that they bring.” The angels’ ‘glorious song of old’ to the shepherds was not just an announcement, not only good news—it was a love-song. A melody from heaven that tells weary people they are seen, cherished, and held by God.

The question for us, in the noise and rush of these final Advent days, is: Where are we hearing that love-song today? Perhaps it comes in a moment of stillness, when God’s peace settles more deeply than words. Perhaps it is heard in the kindness of another, the sparkle of the frost on a winter morning, or in Scripture that reminds us we are beloved. The angels’ song has never stopped; it continues to echo through acts of compassion, reconciliation, mercy, and courage.

And another question follows: How are we singing it? Advent invites us not only to listen but to join the chorus as we await the coming of Christ. Each gesture of patience, each choice to forgive, each act of generosity becomes a note in God’s continuing love-song to the weary world. We are called to carry the music of heaven into a world that seems to have forgotten how to hear it, and into the lives of those who desperately need to hear that they are loved.

May we hear the angels clearly—and may their love-song become our own this Christmas and always.

04/12/2025

Advent Reflection for Thursday 4th December 2025 – a reflection from Revd Blayne Peacock, Curate at St Columba’s Nairn & St Paul’s Strathnairn

I always find the days approaching Advent something of a paradox to those us living in the North of Scotland.

The days are shortening, and the light disappears early.

In the mornings we scan the dark sky, and black clouds for any glimmer or thread of light that suggests that dawn is on its way.

Yet the light of our faith will soon ✨️ appear.

The birth of the Christ Child, that fully illuminates the spiritual darkness of the world 🌎 brings hope of a new dawn that is on its way.

As Episcopalians we are a people of faith.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

This is demonstrated in the following writing found on the wall of a prison cell after the Second World War.

“Faith is an attitude of the heart that believes in the morning.

Faith commits to the morning.’

Faith invests in a source of light, even when no light might be visible.

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining."

The person writing this must have done so during a period of extreme pain and suffering.

There are many in our world just now who are suffering trauma from oppression, poverty, disease or illness of the body or mind.

We pray that the light of our faith, may bring them a healing balm and deliverance in their time of need.

Although we are approaching the winter solstice, there is the hope of the source of eternal light on the horizon.

We reiterate the words of the carol, 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel.'

Revd GS Blayne Peacock.

Photo by Charles Aldus on Unsplash

01/12/2025

Advent Day 2 – a reflection from Bishop Rob Hardwick

I wonder what I would have heard had I been there that night. Would I have heard the choir of angels singing or simply the murmurings of barnyard animals shifting around in the shed round the back. Would I have seen the star in the sky or even the poor and lost couple walking the streets. Would I have understood the significance of the hushed silence of the divine presence or simply shivered at the imagined chill of a cold east wind. Would I have understood the message of Emmanuel, God with us, or would the cosmic implications of that evening have passed me by?

True to life one person can say “It’s a miracle, a God incidence!”, while another says “Bah Humbug - mere coincidence." Certainly, very few people in Palestine saw and heard or understood what took place that first Christmas night. The choir of angels singing were maybe drowned out by the revelry and trading going on in Bethlehem. There was a bright star in the sky but only noticed by pagan astrologers from the East. If anyone did see Mary and Joseph on that most fateful night, they were obviously too preoccupied to offer any assistance.

You see, what we see and what we hear depends not upon the events but rather who we are as people, and whose we are. In the end perhaps one of our well-known carols puts it best: ‘No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin. Where meek souls shall receive him still, the dear Christ enters in’.

May we be alive to all that God reveals to us this Christmas. May we be alert to the plight of the homeless and to the songs of angels. And may we open our homes and our hearts like Mary and ponder and treasure these precious moments and experiences in our hearts.

+ Rob Hardwick

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

05/04/2025

Palm Sunday April 13th at 10.30am

Eucharist with dramatic reading of the Passion

Evening Prayer 4.30pm Monday 14th April, Tuesday 15th, Wednesday 16th

Quiet service of Evening Prayer in St Anne’s.

Maundy Thursday April 17th at 4.30pm

Contemplative Eucharist

Good Friday April 18th 2.00-3.00pm At the Foot of the Cross

A series of prayer stations around the church for personal contemplation alonsgide hymns and readings.

Easter Day April 20th at 10.30am

A joyful Eucharist for Easter Day with activities for children and an Easter Egg hunt after the service.

19/03/2025

16/03/2025

15/03/2025

As we continue to focus our journey on the theme of today we offer the alternative words of the Lord's Prayer as offered in the New Zealand Prayer Book. This was used this week as the Diocesan Clergy gathered on retreat:

Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and for ever.
Amen.

~ New Zealand Prayer Book
📸River Forrs by Very Revd Sarah Murray