The Rector writes . . .

Potty Power . . .

Will she? Won’t she? Come on! You can do it! Catherine and I waited with bated breath. Come on ... come on... come on …Yes! The eagle has landed. Our third child has had her first go on the potty. We scream in excitement, as only parents with young children will understand – holding one another as we dance around the living room in celebration as our two year old looks on considering adoption as a possible future option.
Still excited, we phone the grandparents, “We have some great news!” The grandparents wait and wonder, “Have you bought a new car? ... Have you won the lotto? ... Have you been made Bishop?” they ask? “No, something far more important – Bethany has used the potty for the first time,” I reply. The phone went quiet, as they no doubt wondered whether to call the social services or whether we had finally lost it.
Meanwhile, back at the Govan household, the two year old steps off her throne and claims her rightful prize – a pair of Fifi and the Flowertots knickers.
All this excitement took me back to a time when one of our older children, who will remain anonymous, was also feeling proud about their new found toilet skills. We were happily browsing around B. & Q. D.I.Y. store, one afternoon, deliberating whether to buy a pine or oak finish wardrobe when we realised that one of the children was missing. We traced our steps backwards and found him on the toilet of one of their display bathrooms ... proudly relieving himself on the week’s special offer! He was so proud of what he had done but couldn't understand why we had to leave the shop so quickly!
Potty training is one of many all-important milestones in our children’s development, like taking their first steps and speaking their first words. They are all part of a child’s steps to gaining independence and the first steps towards adulthood.
As a Father, I look at my children often and feel a sense of pride in all that they do. The love I feel for my children is unconditional and I feel great joy in even their smallest achievements and there is nothing I wouldn’t do to look after them and make them happy.
As I pondered on these things, it made me think about our Father God in heaven and how much he too must delight in his children and how he showed this love in Jesus, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him would not die but have eternal life.’

Oh, well, gotta go, the two year old is ready for number two’s!

With love, Kesh x



From the Pulpit . . .

A church committee went to hear a prospective Rector preach. The best thing they liked about his sermon is that it was only 10 minutes long. They immediately invited him to be their new Rector. His first week in the new church he preached a 30 minute sermon. The next week his sermon was almost 2 hours.
The Deacons met with him and asked him to explain. His response was, that the first time the committee heard him preach, he had a new set of dentures in his mouth that hurt him terribly so he could barely preach 10 minutes and had to stop talking because of the pain. The second time he preached, he said that his dentures felt fine so he preached a normal 30-minute sermon.
They said that explains those 2 sermons, but please explain to us this last sermon that was 2 hours long. He said that's easy, I got up that particular morning and accidentally put My Wife's Dentures in my mouth, and when I started talking I couldn't shut up!


A Rector was planning a wedding at the close of the Sunday morning service. After the benediction he had planned to call the couple down to be married for a brief ceremony before the congregation. For the life of him, he couldn't think of the names of those who were to be married.
"Will those wanting to get married please come to the front?" he requested. Immediately, nine single ladies, three widows, four widowers, and six single men stepped to the front.


One beautiful Sunday morning, a Rector announced to his congregation:

"My good people, I have here in my hands three sermons...a 1000 euro sermon that lasts five minutes, a 500 euro sermon that lasts fifteen minutes, and a 100 euro sermon that lasts a full hour.

"Now, we'll take the collection and see which one I'll deliver.