Dear friends,
Our congregational life has been overshadowed in the earlier part of this year by the unexpected loss of two of the most active and prominent members: Moira Kerr and Helen Knox.

We were shocked by Moira's death on 27 December and again on Monday 8 February by Helen's. Helen had been unwell for much of last year and had entered Hilton Gardens Nursing Home for respite care pending a possible move to sheltered housing in Larkhall. Being unwell on the Monday morning she was taken to Wishaw General but suffered fatal cardiac arrest in the ambulance on the way.

Around 250 attended the funeral service in Dalserf church on Wednesday 17 February. Our Guild in particular has been bereft, Helen being the president and Moira the Vice-President. In each case there was no doubt whatsoever about their Christian faith and therefore their eternal destiny and for that reason while we are undoubtedly sad our sadness is not "as those who have no hope" (1 Thess.4:13).

While a preoccupation with death would be unhealthy the same is true of the increasing tendency in our society to avoid the subject, understandable as that is. Apart from the wisdom of preparing for something which is inevitable for everyone, the Christian can afford to look death in the eye without fear because for him or her its sting has been removed through the death and resurrection of Jesus. So true is this that the apostle Paul could say "for me...to die is gain" ( Phil.1:21 ). The unbeliever may regard such a declaration as simply an attempt to whitewash an uncomfortable truth but the reality is that for the Christian death marks the beginning of a new mode of existence which is incomparably better and higher than this life at its most blissful. While I would want to encourage people to live life to the full I would also want to encourage a robust acceptance of the inevitability of death and preparation for it by getting and keeping right with God. I sincerely hope you will feel free to speak to me if you have any concerns regarding this matter.
 
Your faithfully
Cameron McPherson