Said goodbye to a remarkable man yesterday, at the most extraordinary funeral. John Brown, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, wore his achievements lightly - and there were many, not least a flair for magic. Complementing his undiminished thirst for knowledge was his openness to the existence of a Creator. Lifelong friends and academic colleagues paid tribute in words, while his children, Lorna and Stuart, paid theirs in music - jazz music to be precise. The Browns' local minister, Rev Dr Stewart Gillan, preached a skilfully crafted homily while Rev Roddie Rankin, with whom John enjoyed an on-going dialogue over curry, led the prayers. John's widow, Margaret, was the epitome of composure through

While the rest of society counts down to Christmas in "shopping days", Christians engage in "double-waiting"... to celebrate Jesus coming into the world and to remember his promise to return "at the end of the age" in judgment and glory. The Bible is adamant about two things: nobody can predict when Jesus will return so we must be ready - now! So the question is: how to live in a state of permanent readiness for the return of the one who holds all the cards? This is about much more than keeping one's room tidy. Rather, it summons us not to put off what really matters: getting right with God, sorting out that grudge, answering that call to service. Advent reminds us that NOW is the time, tomo