Episcopal Churches of St. James’ Stonehaven. St. Philip’s Catterline. May 2020 Services at St. James’ & St Philip’s during May 2020 There will be no services at St James’ and St Philip’s until fur- ther notice. As ordered by the government, both church buildings and the hall will be closed. DIARY NOTES May 2020 Day/Date Event 3rd May There will be no services until further notice. 4th Sunday in Easter 10th May 5th Sunday in Easter 17th May 6th Sunday in Easter 24th May Sunday after Ascen- sion 31st May Whitsunday 2 From David These are difficult times that we are living in, without a doubt. It is difficult to write this letter because I cannot know what the circum- stances will be in a few weeks’ time when you come to read it. Every- thing may have changed by then. We can only hope and pray that it will have changed for you for the better. However, in the interests of lifting your spirits, I thought it might be worthwhile giving you my take on some of the buzzwords that seem to be gripping our lan- guage. Buzzword Usage Proper meaning What they really mean is .. Epicentre ‘The The epicentre is The centre or the origin of epicentre the point on the the outbreak, but they want of the out- surface of a to make it much more dra- break’ sphere above a matic. point within the sphere, used in describing the location of an earthquake. Ramp Up We’re A ramp is a What they really mean is going to sloping platform. double or treble either the ‘ramp up’ It can be shallow increase or the rate of production or steep. Either increase. They don’t know way, it tells us how much production is nothing about going to increase, or why it’s how slow the not increasing, but will get earlier level or there somehow, sometime. increase was, or No comparative numbers of when we will course. That would spoil the reach some drama. reasonable target. Tsunami ‘A tsunami A tsunami is a The numbers (of patients) are of patients’ large sudden going to rise, and might single wave, overwhelm our hospitals, which over- but will they really leave whelms sea devastation behind, and do defences, after we expect an equally sudden which the sea drop 3 returns to back to normal? A tsunami normal, but sounds much more terrifying. leaves the coastal communities devastated. At pace ‘We’re A new use, not What was the pace (i.e. speed) developing in the before this crisis? If they can this policy dictionary do it quickly now, why at pace’ couldn’t they before? Furlough ‘If you put Simply, leave of Just makes it sound more your absence. Can complicated, important and workers on be paid or novel. furlough, unpaid. we will pay Usually used 80% of for the military their pay’ or missionaries. Stockpile ‘We have a Materials held We have prepared for this large stock- in reserve for an event, which was unforeseen. pile’ emergency. And we will be eating tinned tomatoes, pasta and toilet rolls for the foreseeable future. Partner ‘We are A partner has to We are trying to work with working share a) the other organisations, but with our aims and b) the finding it difficult because partner risks of the they will keep diverging from agencies’ partnership, what we want them to do. otherwise it is not a partnership, just some form of co-operation. 4 Lock down The country The opposite of We will tell you what is in lock lock up. you can’t do and, down whether or not it is the best thing, we will harangue you until you do it. Social ‘We have Keeping at least We can’t be bothered Distancing implemented 2 metres away defining it accurately social from people not (e.g. in the Peak distancing’ in our own District, on Brighton household. beach) so we’ll use a new phrase. Status update I’m giving A status is just Updating sounds you today’s the situation a more dynamic and status up- one point in important than ‘the date’ time. You can’t current/latest figures’ update it. or ‘changes since yesterday’. Why am I finding this difficult? Because of the poor use of words, and the over-dramatisation of events. At the end of this month of May, we will be celebrating Whitsunday. The Gospel for that day describes how all the apostles and disciples starting to talk in many languages. It sounded chaotic. But the point was NOT to confuse, NOT to overdramatise (and they had something to dramatise, didn’t they), but to speak so that everyone in the crowd could understand the message. Perhaps we ought to follow their example, and change the words, the language, and make absolutely certain we understand the messages that are being given. Please don’t take buzzwords as ‘gospel’. They are not. Only by understanding the messages accurately can we be disciples, people with discipline, following the message of our Lord Jesus Christ about hope and resurrection. Watching the news now might never be the same. It wasn’t for the disciples on that first Whitsunday. It shouldn’t be for us. 5 Diocesan People News In the present time of church closure due to the coronavirus crisis, almost every aspect of church life has changed. It is a very hard and difficult time for all congregations, to be unable to gather and meet and worship. The church continues in very different forms: we are praying in our homes, connecting pastorally using telephones and some share worship by online methods. In the middle of all this difficult change, there continue to be changes in jobs, clergy posts and the people who make up the Diocese of Brechin. Clergy Appointments The Rev David Gordon, was licensed at the priest in charge of All Souls’ Invergowrie and the interim priest of St Paul’s Cathedral, Dundee, at a vestry meeting at St Paul’s on Tuesday 17th March, just as restrictions on church activities were applied in Scotland. As the churches are now closed to the public and no worship is possible, David is leading on the pastoral care activities within the church communities and communication within those communities. A full service to celebrate the start of his ministries will be held once the church closures are reversed and the church communities can once again meet for worship. The Rev Canon Kenneth Gibson, priest in charge of Holy Trinity Monifieth, will be licensed in June 2020 as the full time interim Rector of St Mary Magdalene’s Dundee, following Rev David Shepherd’s retirement on Easter Day 2020. Kenneth will leave Holy Trinity Monifieth vacant after six years of ministry in that charge. He will continue to serve as the Synod Clerk for the Diocese of Brechin. A service of licensing and celebration will take place once the lockdown restrictions have been lifted. The Rev Roxanne Campbell, serving at St Ninian’s Dundee as the Diocesan Curate, will move for her second year of curacy to St Mary Magdalene’s Dundee. Her supervisor will be Kenneth Gibson. This move will take place in the autumn, once she has 6 been ordained priest. Gary Clink, ordinand with St Mellitus College, based remotely out of the Diocese of London, will (subject to satisfactory reports) serve his self-supporting ministry curacy at St Mary’s Arbroath, with the Rev Pete Mead as his training incumbent. Gary, who lives in Montrose, will be ordained deacon at Michaelmas (late Sep-early Oct). New Bishop’s PA Mr Elliott Scarfe has started as the PA to the Bishop and Diocesan administrator. In the current coronavirus lockdown he will be operating from home by receiving emails, answering phone calls remotely and accessing the cloud-based filing system. Elliott, who is a member of St Ninian’s Dundee, will be getting to know the wider Diocese and Province over the next few weeks and months. Please keep all these people and the charges and networks they serve in your prayers in the present time of loss and uncertainty. We trust in God, as disciples of Jesus Christ, that we will pass through this time and be able to gather once more in all of our church communities. +Andrew St James in 1949 – continued 5th August 1949: Applications for the post of Rector were read from the Rev W A Stephens (Stranraer), Rev W N C Renner (Good Shepherd, Murrayfield, Edinburgh). The Secretary informed the Vestry that Rev J Gait (vicar of St Martin’s Leeds) would consider the post if offered. At this point Mr Gait left the meeting. After some discussion it was decided not to take action in the meantime and the Secretary was asked to get in touch with the Bishop as to who he had in mind. 7 19th August 1949: It was decided that the Secretary should get in touch with the Rev K Dodds, at present taking duty at Broughty Ferry, to take duty at St James during October and possibly longer if he proved suitable. It was also agreed that the Rev W A Stephens of Stranraer should be asked to come and meet the Vestry. A letter from the Bishop was read out. He had been asked for his nomination but he did not give this in his letter. The Vestry decided to go ahead by themselves to fill the vacancy as soon as possible. Mr Dalgarno proposed that Mr C Grant be elected Secretary to the Vestry.