- Video: Presbytery of Buchan – some congregational stories:
(Crimond and Lonmay represented by Mr Tim Barker)
Lonmay Newsletter
Welcome to this edition of the Lonmay Newsletter.
Now that Spring is with us, you can tell as the rain is wet and plentiful, let us see what has changed at Lonmay Church since the previous edition.
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Although the weather is slightly warmer, please remember to wrap up warmly and try to avoid catching anything serious. This is especially true when taking part in the annual hedge cutting.
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Although the plan from Presbytery was for Lonmay Church to close it’s doors by the end of 2024, that hasn’t happened. We plan to stay open for worship as long as we can, God willing. Services and Fellowship continue as normal until further notice.
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Please continue to come along to the weekly Sunday Service at 12:00 o’clock and be ready to sing along to the varied selection of hymns. These are either sung along to the wonderful organ accompaniment provided by Alice or by recordings provided by Tim.
Tim also produces the texts and ‘Thought for Sunday’ which is posted weekly below this newsletter. In addition, Tim sends them out to a distribution list every week. If you wish to be included in the distribution, let one of the session know or ask Tim directly.
It has been a difficult period of uncertainty, and your support, prayers and encouragement during this period has been really appreciated. Please continue to pray as we move into the next stage of the Presbytery Plan and ask the Lord to continue to lead and guide decisions which have to be made.
Just to let you know that Sunday School will NOT be re-opening due to the retirement of Lorna and Yvonne. Many thanks to Lorna and Yvonne for their dedication and commitment to the Sunday School over the last number of years.
Blessings.
Lonmay Thought for Sunday 8 March 2026
But God is the strength of my heart – Psalm 73 v 26.
A very warm welcome to this latest edition of Thought for Sunday.
The heart is a very important part of our bodies, without which we would not be alive!! An obvious statement which seems out-of-place in this article – yet how many of us keep attention to the state of our hearts? Many undertake regular exercise to keep the heart active – others have annual check-ups to ensure that it is working well. Many have adaptations which help the heart to operate efficiently when parts are not functioning as they ought. More are on long-term medication to help the heart maintain its purpose.
All this appears logical and information which we all know well. So, what can the Psalmist mean when he states, ‘God is the strength of my heart’? The previous verse helps with the context. The Psalmist asks ‘Who have I in heaven but You, and nothing on earth I desire but You. My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart.’ He is reflecting on his own life and how important God is in his life, and even when human flesh may fail or want to give up, God provides the strength to continue.
Just as we need to take care of our human hearts, so we need to allow God to work in our hearts too. After all, God who created the first man and then woman, knows all about the working of our hearts. He is aware that there will be times of doubts, despondence, despair, where we long for answers that seem so slow in coming. He knows how easy it is to allow our hearts to go after short-term solutions, instead of waiting for His reply. As He loves us so much, He only wants the very best for us, and that comes from our heart that is functioning His way and not ours!!
May we this week, allow God to strength our hearts for Him in service and devotion, knowing that His love for us is far greater than our love for Him. He will strengthen our hearts as we focus on Jesus.