Letter from the Manse

February 2025

Dear Friends,

Dr Jack
Dr Jim Jack is the Minister at Duddingston Kirk

With the closing of our 900th anniversary celebrations we can perhaps still hear the choir singing to the hand bells in the distance in our
minds! And as the memories of 2024 start to fade, we move on into a New
Year.
As the 900th celebrations were coming to an end two of our young people shone lights upon us. The first was Jack Capener who spoke to a packed-out Garden Room about his recent six month trip to the Andes in South America.
Jack shared with us the people he met, their culture and ways, their Christian faith and how
welcoming they had been to him. This illustrated talk was an inspiration and came from a young man who is not only a wonderful communicator but also a wonderful person.

The second was Alfie Leishman who played some Bach on his guitar to the Congregation on the Sunday before Christmas. I have invited Alfie to share regularly about his studies and his life from an early age when he went off to the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music for many years and now in his final year at the Glasgow Royal Conservatoire. Alfie’s music is a major national talent.

Both of these young men I have known since they were young children. Both of them have come through our Sunday Club and both have a very special place in our hearts.
I was so pleased that they both were able to have been part of our 900 celebration.

The BBC has played its part of our celebration too. Toward the end of 2023 we featured on Songs of Praise on BBC1 with me talking about our up and coming 900th. The programme also featured Dr Neil’s Garden. And then in January 2025 both Dr Neil’s Garden and Jock Tamson’s Gairden were featured on BBC2 with Monty Don’s British Gardens. This episode also featured the King’s Garden at Birkhall near Balmoral. It has been a wonderful year of 900.

On a personal note I wish to thank all of you for your support, prayers, cards and condolences on the recent death of my mother. Mum was very proud that I was Minister at Duddingston. A few months before she died I was able to show her a photograph that was given to me. It was taken from the Abercorn gallery of me baptising a grandchild of Ken McGlashan. What Ken did not realise is that both my parents were in the Congregation that Sunday and therefore in the photograph. I was able to show it to my mother who was delighted to see it.

Our other big new was shared with the Congregation on the first Sunday of the year. It is that Liz and I intend to retire together at the end of April. I know we don’t look that age!!!! Between us we have served the Church of Scotland for 76 years. We shall gracefully sail into the sunset knowing that we have tried to serve God in our respective congregations and have so many wonderful memories to take with us.

Enter our Kirk, not as a stranger, because you belong here. Discover its history in every stone.
Rest a while and enjoy the peace of this place of prayer and worship.

Rev Dr Jim Jack