As it’s St Fillan’s 900th anniversary I’m looking at Rev. Rutherford’s children’s address, where he talks about the history of the church. We have come to the end but there are a few objects he has not covered and as there is a baptism this week – I’m adding one of my own – the baptismal font.
What would you pick out in St Fillan’s to show to visitors. Would it be the leper squint, the Hewitt brother’s memorial, the window showing the view to Inchcolm?
For me, if I had to choose one, it would be the baptismal font. If you look at it is is chipped and damaged. When the church was unroofed in 1790 someone must have tried to take it away and it got damaged. In 1926 when they came to restore the church it was found lying in the churchyard. It was put on a new pedestal and placed at the front of the church.
Maybe we are like the Baptismal Font, battered, broken and forgotten about. But we have been found by Jesus and restored to our rightful place. Our bruises are not disfigurements but tell the story of our lives. So like the Baptismal Font we can take our place and serve our community.