Contributed by Ted Clarkson

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If you wander into the 11:15 service this week, you might notice a significant increase in the amount of plaid around the nave for our annual Kirking of the Tartans where we remember and give thanks for Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church and the profound impact they made on The Episcopal Church here in the United States.

If you look around the church on any other Sunday of the year, you will see images and symbols of our connection to the Scottish branch of the Anglican Communion:

  • One of the chairs on the altar has a needlepoint depiction of a thistle.
  • In the Apostle Windows in the narthex, Saint Andrew is holding the house in Aberdeen where three Scottish bishops consecrated Samuel Seabury as the first bishop of The Episcopal Church.
  • Our Episcopal flag has a blue field with a Saint Andrew’s cross of smaller white crosses in the upper left corner.
  • Most importantly, our first prayer book used the Scottish form of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

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For the past several years neXtgen has worked with parish staff to pick a convenient Sunday in November to celebrate the Kirking. We chose November because The Episcopal Church recognizes three individuals with a connection to Scotland during this month: Samuel Seabury on the 14th, Margaret, Queen of Scotland, on the 16th and Saint Andrew the Apostle, the patron saint of Scotland, on the 30th.

The actual Kirking of the Tartans (kirking simply means blessing) happens in the middle of the service when a procession of tartan banners representing different Scottish clans follow bagpipes to the altar to receive a blessing. If you have a scarf, a pin, a kilt or anything with your family’s tartan on it, you are invited to join in the procession and present it to be blessed as well.

Following the service, we will have a reception in the parlor complete with haggis, neeps, and tatties! Stick around for a few shortbread cookies and a “cup o’ kindness” with your parish family. Remember, this is occasion to celebrate our beloved Church and you don’t have to be Scottish to take part. (Seabury, Margaret, and Andrew weren’t!)

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