Bertha Cowan pictured with her son Martyn and daughter Rosie at morning worship in Railway Street Presbyterian Church last Sunday morning.

Church is very much a place where families come together to worship God and the morning service in Railway Street Presbyterian Church last Sunday was no exception when Railway Street organist Dr Bertha Cowan was joined by her son Martyn and daughter Rosie, who were both former members of Railway Street.

Martyn, now Assistant Minister in First Presbyterian Saintfield, led the worship and his sister Rosie, now a lecturer in the U.S.A. joined with other members of the Railway Street praise band as she accompanied her mother Bertha who presided on the organ. The Cowan family threesome were founder members of Railway Street Church Orchestra (formed in about 1985) when Bertha on piano, Rosie on violin and Martyn on Cello and bass guitar accompanied the then organist Peter Wilson.

In a challenging address based on Jeremiah 36 V 1-32 entitled 'Responding to God's word' Martyn spoke of 'Micaiah - a model of how to receive God's word' and 'Jehoiakim - a warning about rejecting God's word'. Martyn said that while we can go to our local shop and 'pick and mix' our sweets he explained that we must not 'pick and mix' from God's word the things that fit our agenda. He concluded by saying that Jesus Christ was punished in our place and emphasised the need to trust and obey his word.

04/08/2008