The history of Scotland begins around 10,000 years before the present day, when modern humans first began to inhabit Scotland after the end of the Devensian glaciation, the last ice age. Of the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age civilisations that existed in the country, many artefacts remain but few are of writing.
Presbyterians are indebted to Scotland for this is the country of our native church, the Church of Scotland. I had the opportunity to visit the offices of of the Church of Scotland while in Edinburg last year and I talked to some of their staff people about how their church operates. It is similar, as one would expect, to the ways of my denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA). This is because the Presbyterian Church (USA) is a descendant of the Church of Scotland.
For the past couple of years our congregation has celebrated a Kirkin' 'o the Tartans worship service. This service seeks to connect us to our Scottish Presbyterian heritage through the use of bagpipes in worship and other liturgical elements that herald from the Church of Scotland. The sermon preached by a guest preacher focuses on our heritage and the service is followed by a luncheon in the Fellowship Hall.
My family heritage is partly Scottish as my grandfather Neeley was descended from the McNeils of Scotland. However, all Presbyterians are spiritually descended from Scotland so the nature of ones genealogy is of little concern for the Kirkin' o' the Tartans worship service.
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