18 November

Dear Friends,

One of the great privileges during my year as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland was to lead a number of Remembrance services.

One of the most moving was at Arass in 2017, the centenary commemoration, not least because one of Margaret's great uncles had died during the battle. We were able to find his grave and lay some flowers, the first family members to do so for the better part of 100 years. 

So with my late father having been an RAF officer during the 2nd World War, and serving in North Africa, Italy and the Far East, it was a great honour to lead the RAF Ceremony of Remembrance at De Nieuwe Ooster on Saturday morning, and then the Act of Remembrance in church on Sunday morning.

On Tuesday evening I was delighted to meet online with several of the Sunday school team. The plan is to introduce a Children's Address to the Sunday service from 28 November to encourage families back to church and breathe new life into the Sunday school

And following on from references to COP 26  in Sunday's sermon, the Bible study group are discussing our care for the environment and what ERC can do in response to the climate emergency.

Your interim moderator, Eric Foggit, will be leading your service on Sunday morning and I will be preaching in Eric's church in Brussels. 

And we are looking forward to staying with our daughter, Lindsey, and her family in Brussels, the first time we will have been able to see them in two years because of all the Covid travel restrictions.

Russell Barr