Eagle December 2017

The Scottish Episcopal Church The Parish Magazine of St John the Evangelist Forres Charity Number SC010346

Christmas Eve to December Second Sunday of Lent The Eagle 2017

Detail from a Neapolitan Christmas Crib as issued by the Irish Post in 1987

This edition of the Eagle is available in full colour on St John’s Website

June Airey won the Mince Pie Challenge and she is Reigning Champ until December 2018. This is her with the new trophy, kindly made by Sally Ross -Mowat—photo supplied by Gillian Horrocks

The Cross of Can- dles and Basket of Memoriam Labels from the Blue Ser- vice– with a reflection of the Crucifix- ion Window in the Mirror Tiles forming the Cross. 15th December 2017 Editor’s Photograph

2 NOTICES

NEW EMAIL ADDRESS—please note that the St John’s email address has changed St JOHNS to:[email protected] NOTICES OUR PRIEST IN CHARGE—during the in- terregnum is the Very Rev. Alison Simp- son. Her contact details are given on the back page. Alison is Dean and Rector of St. Columba’s Church, Nairn. The Installation of our new Priest in Charge, Rev. Dr. Hamilton Inbadas will take place in church at noon on Saturday 20th January 2018 in our Church, followed by lunch in the Church Hall. CHURCH CLEANING–more volunteers are needed. Please contact Barbara Westie (email [email protected]). Even better if you can come as a pair. USE of the PARISH ROOM–if you would like to use the Parish Room please contact Tina on 01309 676936 or email [email protected]. THANKS—to all those who helped with the Coffee Morning in St Leonard’s Hall which raised £711.43 (plus an additional gift aided donation of £150). ADVENT PRAYER STATIONS AND CAROL CONCERT—pictures of the Advent Prayer Sta- tions are available on the church’s website, as are some pictures, videos and sound tracks of the Carol Concert on Sunday 17th December. CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE —there will be a Family Service with a Eucharist at 11am on Christmas Day (Monday 25th December). This service will be led by the Rev Patrick Thompson. VESTRY MEETING—Monday 8th January at 7.30pm in the Parish Room. WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY—Thursday 18th January to the 25th January 2018 – full details in the pew sheet and/or posters. Materials for 2018 have been produced in the Caribbean and use Exodus 15, a song of triumph over oppression, as the motif of the Week of Prayer. These dates mark the octave of St. Paul and are the tradi- tional dates for the week—local events may take place on days outside of these dates. BURNS CEILIDH—Saturday 27th January in the Church Hall – details in the pew sheet VESTRY MEETING—Monday 5th February at 7.30pm in the Parish Room. 3 BOOK CLUB—The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown, meeting at 12 St Leonard's Drive, Forres at 7pm on Tuesday 6th February.

Can wacky Christmas jumpers really mend a broken heart? For fans of The Christmas Cracker by Trisha Ashley and The Christmas Surprise by Jenny Colgan. Heartbroken after being jilted at the altar, Sybil has been saved from despair by her knitting obsession and now her home is filled to bursting with tea cosies, bobble hats, and jumpers. But, after discovering that she may have perpetrated the cock-up of the century at work, Sybil decides to make a hasty exit and, just weeks before Christmas, runs away to the picturesque village of Tindledale... MOTHERS' UNION - Tuesday 13th February at 2pm meeting either in the Parish Room or at 9 South Street. AUCTION AND PANCAKE PARTY – Shrove Tuesday, the 13th February in the Church Hall – details in the pew sheet ASH WEDNESDAY - the 14th February 2018 - there will be a Service in Church at 7pm of Laying on of Ashes followed by a Eucharist to mark the start of Lent. FROM LIZ AND IAN NELSON—A great big ‘Thank You’ for all my cards and gifts but mainly for your very effective prayers while I was ill. It meant so much to both of us during that deeply worrying time. Your prayers are certainly working as I feel stronger every day and manage to cope with wee dips that remind me to take it easy. Thank you all. This last episode scared our family so much they want us to live much nearer to them, preferably in Inverurie. Ian has finally relented and plans are well under way. We look likely to be living just round the corner from Pauline and Da- vid so can visit. I look forward to meeting our first Lady Bishop too. We will miss you all and thank you for a memorable, eventful and lovely nine years as part of the St Johns family. Best wishes, Liz and Ian. PS Not gone yet! YOUR NEXT EDITION OF EAGLE— will be in church from the 2nd Sunday After Lent, Sunday 25th February. Your editor and webmaster is Michael Ellison, who can be contacted :- St. Crispin’s, 9 South Street, Forres IV36 1DE Email [email protected] Telephone 07932 000398 Eagle is produced on a two monthly basis, with Eagle arriving in church for the last Sunday in February, April, June, August, October and December. Please submit articles for publication in Eagle by the second Sunday of each of these months. The editor would like to thank all the members of our congregation who have contributed articles for this Edition and also thank all for your kind words of support and encouragement for the previous editions. The Editor reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication) Many Thanks Michael 4 A Christmas Message Dear friends, This is such a busy time with all the preparations for Christmas at home and at church and yet we know there comes that moment when we have to stop. There is no more time and no more last-minute preparations can be done and we need to stop and just enjoy the celebration. When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem after their long journey from Nazareth, they were exhausted. Mary was in the last stages of pregnancy and there was no room any- where. All they can do is stop and accept the space they are offered……and it is then that the magic happens….that night…the gift that is Jesus Christ is born. So let’s make sure we stop for a moment in all the busyness and fun of this Christmas season and remind ourselves of the wonder of this celebration for this is where God comes to us to show us love. Where God is revealed not in power and majesty, but in a tiny child born into a world of poverty and threat and occupation forces; in other words a world just like ours. And what we see when we stop and look into the face of that child is a love which is deep and true and not damaged by our frailty. A love which holds us and invites us to learn more about God and about one another. To belong to that kind of love is indeed a wonderful gift. I wish you all God’s richest blessing through this Christmas season and look forward to shar- ing with you in your preparations to welcome Hamilton, Grace and their family to Forres. I ask your prayers for them as they say their farewell’s to Dumfries and prepare for this new ministry, With every blessing Dean Alison

5 Our Front Cover—Neapolitan Crib "During three weeks or a month, there is a species of devotion to be seen here, almost peculiar to Naples.... This is a dedication of a Presepio ... in many of their churches, and many of their private houses. ... It is a group of little figures, or puppets, representing the whole transaction. There are the Wise men of the East, with a star over their heads on one spot: The shepherds attending their flocks, with the Angel de- scending over them on another: The Virgin, the Infant, Joseph, and the ass, on another. In short the composer has introduced such figures and historical facts, into the group, as the New Testament, and sometimes his own genius, have suggested." - Samuel Sharp, March 1766 Naples British surgeon and traveller. This is one of the earliest descriptions of a Neapolitan Christmas crib which became by the middle of the eighteenth century part of custom in Naples. Up to the 16th century only monasteries had nativity scenes. Later on, they found their way into many aristocratic homes although, during the 16th and 17th century, they were still designed by the clergy. Originally Christmas cribs with figures and stage-like sets first appeared in Naples about 1670. It was soon practiced by the leading aristocratic families who kept open-house at Christmas to let local towns folk come in to see the presepio. The displayed scenes were enriched with a vast number of extras and additional figures, numerous animals, as well as everyday objects such as clothes, jewellery, and furniture and bridle gear. The Neapolitan cribs had a special meaning and symbolic importance in the way they combined the magnificence of the divine representation and popular tradition. The devotional and reli- gious scene of the Holy Family was surrounded by scenes depicting the life of pleasure and everyday life which represents the profane. Initially the nativity scene was placed inside a cave and later the manger of a humble stable. In an attempt to underline the triumph of Christianity over paganism, the Holy Family was later placed inside the ruins of an antique classic temple. The everyday populace was represented by groups of men playing cards or groups were shown having fun around the table. A rotund landlord or a scantily clad, voluptuous landlady served all kinds of food and wine, often accompanied by mandolin players. The figures were common and humble people from 18th century Naples, wandering around, engrossed in menial tasks or daily life. In I734 Charles III of Bourbon became king of Naples. The royal family shortly after led the way in fashion and it was reported that the King modelled and baked little clay cakes for the Royal

6 Crèche, arranged shepherds and devised perspective views. The Queen was said to have sewn costumes for the figures to please her husband and children. Charles’ interest in the making of Christmas crib figures took its momentum. But the most typical characteristic of 18th-century crib art is the magnificence of the settings providing a background for the main thematic scenes - the Nativity, the Annunciation to the Shepherds, and the Tavern Scene. It is especially these settings that provided the presepianti and craftsmen with a medium for their artistic creativity. Many craftsmen with the most diverse spe- cialisations contributed to the creation of the many masterpieces of crib art produced in this period. They included architects, painters, sculptors, wax and clay modelers, and tailors. Some specialised in producing sceneries and accessories. Modifications to crib figures included a reduc- tion of the figurines size, adjustable heads and limbs, interchangeability of pieces, the use of actual cloth for the clothes. In the 18th century the wooden heads were replaced with wax or clay ones. These pliable materials allowed a degree of finesse and expressiveness, especially in the figures facial expressions. The bodies were largely made of tow and wire, their arms and legs are finely carved of wood, and their heads and shoulders are modelled of terracotta and accu- rately finished. Figurines were also often enriched by accessories, jewels, and embroideries of 18th century costume. The shepherds were portrayed in as natural a fashion as possible. Sets and lighting effects became more elaborate and were changed every year. The cribs were also noteworthy for their clever play of perspective and the artful disposition of the figures, amidst the scenery which enhanced this. The central group of the crib was the Holy Family or the Mistero, Next were placed the three Magi, all splendidly attired. They approached the Divine Infant with expressions of tender awe and piety, marvel or mystical expectation, gesturing with their hands. Behind the Magi came the mingled crowd of brightly dressed, exotic travellers, who symbolised the homage rendered by all nations to the baby Jesus. These figures often have some of the most elaborate accessories exe- cuted by Neapolitan silversmiths and other specialised craftsmen. The world of the exotic was then counterbalanced by the humble shepherds and common folk. Naturalism appeared in the figures of people of the inn of Bethlehem - rich burghers, merchants, valets, peasants; or women coming from the countryside to peddle their produce, colourfully displayed in miniature baskets. All of the figures are made to relate to one another, in chatter or in laughter, or divine reflection. Some of the crib craftsmen became celebrated masters such as Giuseppe Sammartino (1720- 1793), renowned for his monumental sculptures in marble and in stucco. His pupils were also famous Salvatore di Franco, Giuseppe Gori, and Angelo Viva, and one Lorenza Mosca (d. I789), was employed at the Royal Porcelain Factory at Capodimonte and became stage director of the Royal Christmas Crib. By the middle of the nineteenth century nearly all the great family cribs of the preceding century had been broken up, their sets dis- membered, their figures sold singly or in small groups to dealers and collectors, who would then show them in vitrines, as objects of curi- osity rather than devotion. however the magic of the Neapolitan cribs endures primarily because of the warmth of simple, sincere emotions which are set against a theatrical backdrop. The Crib which is on display at the Museum of Ireland, was used for the 1987 An Post (Irish Post) Christmas Stamp, itself a miniature work of art.

7 Dean Allison’s Sermon th 19 November 2017—Pentecost 24

The Gospel Reading that Sunday was the parable [Mathew 25 14-30] about the Rich Master who was about to go on a lengthy journey and gave one his servants 10 talents, a second servant 5 talents and a third servant a single talent. When the Master came back he asked to see the servants; the first two had used their talents and doubled what they had been given whilst the third servant (fearful of his master’s wrath) had buried the talent he had been given. His master’s dis- pleasure was very evident in the parable. Earlier this week I watched an on-line interview with Matthew Bryce. He is the young man who went out surfing and ended up being swept out to sea and was in severe dan- ger of dying from hypothermia. He was being interviewed at the point where he was returning to the sport he loves with greater caution and maturity but still with the same excitement as before. He spoke about learning painful lessons about risk and how he never realised how much the margins of risk were increased by him being out on the sea alone. Now, after coming so close to losing his own life, he wants to help others negotiate the balance between challenge, excitement, risk and reward. The nature of life is risk. Great ships were never meant to cling to the coastline, they were built to cross oceans and few great discoveries were made by always playing safe. Even in our personal lives, there are no risk free ways to fall in love or to mend broken relationships and reconcile past hurts. Jesus’ parable in the gospel for today is one of risk and reward and it is shaped around the responsibility which comes with great gifts. In the story, the wealthy landowner entrusts his servants with some substantial sums of money. Now to get the point of this story we need to understand that this is not about putting a few pounds in the bank for him – this is about serious amounts, far more than any estate worker would ever see. A talent was a measure of gold worth about 15 years wages for an ordinary labourer, so even the smallest amount described in the parable is probably about as much as they could earn in their working life. It is a lot of money and consequently there is a lot of responsibility and a lot of trust involved. Imagine just for a moment those who would have listened to this story for the first time. The jokes they might have made about what kind of crazy landowner would have given that to his workers. Or, the questions they might have challenged Jesus with – why did they not just take off with the money and how that would take him into a con- versation loyalty and risk, trust and love. We know the story well, there are three servants and three amounts – one has five talents to manage, another two and another one. Even the worker who only gets one talent is still dealing with a major sum and consequently they have to risk a lot to get a return – and remember the return is not for them but for the landowner.

8 The first two do well and they are duly rewarded but we are not really told how they manage to achieve such a return. What we are told is that the landowner then believes that they have shown their worth and he continues to risk even more to their trust. The other of course, digs a hole and buries the coin. He does not even take it to the bank but keeps it safe so it stays the same. Absolutely no risk involved here, except that he might lose it. Now, this is where it all becomes interesting, because to make sense of this we need to stop thinking about money. We also need to stop thinking about the word talents because it actually has very little to do with our gifts or lack of them, even though it is a passage we often quote to support Christian stewardship because this is not a parable so much about us, as about God and how much God loves. It is about the love God invests in the creation of the world, in giving life to all things and in God’s Son who comes to share that love and it is about how much we are prepared to risk in entering into a relationship with God. How much are we prepared to be open to God and God’s generosity. How much are we prepared to trust ourselves to that love which is so outrageously generous and beyond anything we can imagine. Jesus is telling the story to say to his hearers, this is what God is like, this is the kind of relationship you are entering into and it is up to you whether you take the risk of trusting in what God can do and what God can do through you, or whether you simply accept that this is who God is but I will keep God in a place I’m comfortable with and not let that extraordinary generosity touch me – I’ll do the spiritual equivalent of dig- ging a hole and burying it because the risk is too great – God might challenge me, nudge me in ways I’m not prepared to go. If you read the passage from the prophet Zephaniah set for today, we find that’s where the people are. They live comfortably and believe they have bought the right to keep God at a safe distance. They don’t want God challenging them, changing anything – they don’t trust God with their future. The Thessalonians are in a very different place. They want God’s Good News but they are a bit apprehensive. They realise it is not something to be taken lightly, but they are prepared to take the risk, supporting one another in what it might mean and where it might take them. It is no accident that these readings come at a time when we are beginning our prepa- ration for Advent; the time of expectation and anticipation. For this is the time when we look forward to welcoming the ultimate encounter of love where God becomes man and enters our world as a tiny child. Once again we are con- fronted with the risk of believing in a God who would offer us that kind of love and what that might mean. Is it an adventure, something to be engaged with, an encounter to be explored or would we rather bury God in a place we are comfortable with – if you read the story to its end, people tried that and it didn’t work

9 Sleep in the Park The BBC reported that on the 10th December that more than 8,000 people spent the night in Princes Street Gardens in Edin- burgh as part of Sleep in the Park, according to organisers Social Bite. The numbers included Primus Mark and his family, on what was a very cold night. Participants had to raise at least £100 to take part and dona- tions topped £3.6m at the beginning of the evening. Liam Gal- lagher, Deacon Blue, Amy Macdonald and Frightened Rabbit also performed stripped- back sets. John Cleese told a bedtime story and Rob Brydon, Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Bob Geldolf spoke to the crowd. In a tweet on Sunday morning, Sir Chris Hoy said temperatures dropped to -5C and he woke up covered in a layer of frost. Deputy First Minister John Swinney also took part in the event alongside fellow MSPs Kevin Stewart, Angela Constance and Ben Macpher- son. Paddy Baxter was one of those who took part in the event. He told BBC Radio Scot- land: I think I wore everything I owned... I had a pair of sports socks, hiking socks, hiking boots, then I had running tights, long-johns, trousers. I've got an Under Armour top, a T- shirt, a jumper, a thermal jumper, a woolly jumper that my mum knitted for me, and a jacket - a ski jacket - so even with all that, I was still cold. Journalist Paul English said it gave him an insight into homelessness. I'm not saying for a second that one night sleeping in a park in Edinburgh makes you an expert on what people who are unfortunate enough to live in these conditions are going through. But there is a certain amount of understanding and empathy that does come from having had that experience last night that even I didn't - and many others like me -

10 appreciate. "People that I've spoken to on waking up this morning, they had an insight into something that last night when they bedded down, they didn't actually have.

Josh Littlejohn, the co-founder of Social Bite, said there were 11,000 homeless house- holds in Scotland. When I think about all of the amazing different people, sleeping in this garden tonight, the one thing that strikes me about these statistics of homelessness is that they are not insurmountable. Scotland is a small enough country, a compassionate enough country and a collaborative enough country, where nobody has to be homeless here. If we put our heads together, we can wipe out homelessness in five years. It is not a question of resource; it is simply a question of focus. And what the participants have all done tonight, by giving up their beds, is put a razor-sharp focus on the issue. Efforts to eradicate rough sleeping were boosted on Friday with the announcement that about 475 new homes are being made available for homeless people. About 275 permanent housing association and council properties are to be provided in Edinburgh through the EdIndex Partnership. Wheatley Group, Scotland's largest housing and care group, has also committed to up to 200 homes for rough sleepers in Glasgow and the central belt. Prior to the event on the 7th December, Primus Mark wrote about his own experience of being homeless on the Scottish Episcopal Church’s website:- “I felt humiliated, an outsider, we became the ones people avoided” says the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church as he speaks about his experience of homelessness. The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church took part in the ‘Sleep in the Park’ event in Princes Street Gardens this Saturday to highlight the issue of Homelessness and to raise funds and awareness to bring Homeless- ness in Scotland to an end. Bishop Mark was joined in the ‘Sleep in the Park’ by his wife, two daughters and his son’s part- ner. In preparing to take part in the event,

11 Bishop Mark reflects on his own experience of being homeless for a couple of years, saying “I will always remember the day that my wife Jane and I were forced to leave our first home together, a home we had slowly improved as we enjoyed the first year of married life. We were forced to leave because the landlord had sold the property to a developer and the house was to be demolished. This also brought to an end my local employment. “The processes of applying to housing lists, housing associations and the Council were all unknown to us and life just seemed very scary and uncertain. We decided to take the opportunity to ’get on our bikes‘ and to find accommodation and work and so we placed the little furniture and possessions we had into a relative’s cellar and set off. “We slept on friends’ floors, we slept in railway stations and on buses – we were always on edge wondering where we would be next. People were good to us but with each new month it became harder to look and feel smart and presentable for interview, harder to fit in. The final straw for me was when the verger at the church we headed for on the Sunday morning asked us to sit in the porch and said “the Vicar will bring you a sandwich when the service ends” I felt humiliated, an outsider, we became the ones people avoided. “This period of our lives lasted just under two years and, as I have said, many people – relatives, friends – were wonderful; and I am aware that my pride probably stopped us simply sloping off to my parents. Yet on reflection it was so easy to slip into a place where you began to disappear, where you were no longer noticed. “So when people ask me why I am ‘Sleeping in the Park’ this weekend, it is because I know what it is like to have no real home, no resources to fall back on and to live with the fear and vulnerability that this brings. I urge you to please support your local homelessness charities, and try to do something to help. I know how important this can be to someone.” The Scottish Episcopal Church supports Home- less Sunday (28th January 2018) – an annual awareness raising day and works closely with Scottish Churches Housing Action. Full details of the ‘Sleep in the Park’ event can be read here: https:// www.sleepinthepark.co.uk/ Article and first two photographs from www.bbc.co.uk/news and http:// www.scotland.anglican.org/news-and-issues/. Photograph of Primus Mark from his twitter feed via Facebook.

12 Homeless Jesus Castings of the life- size statue have been placed in cities world- wide since 2013, although some churches have refused to display it. Church and homeless charity representatives hope the sculpture will help raise awareness of homelessness. Scottish artist Peter Howson has made a painting of a homeless Jesus that will be shown alongside the statue. The world-famous sculpture, created by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz, has been placed at Nelson Mandela Place, near Glasgow's St George's Tron Church, after plan- ning permission was granted earlier this year. Although the shrouded figure is fairly anonymous, the wounds in the feet signal it is meant to be Jesus. Schmalz was inspired when he saw a homeless person on a bench in Toronto. He named the statue Matthew 25, in reference to a quote from that gospel - "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Castings of the statue are placed near churches around the world, including in Madrid, Singapore and the Vatican. A smaller version of the statue has been blessed by the Pope. The first churches to which Mr Schmalz offered his statue refused to display it. Others see the bench as controversial because it explicitly depicts Jesus as homeless. Permission to install the UK's first version of the statue on a pavement outside a West- minster church was rejected by the council there in 2016. Scottish artist Peter Howson, who was awarded an OBE in 2009, painted a canvas interpreting Je- sus as homeless man when he first heard about the efforts to

13 bring Mr Schmalz's work to Glasgow. Mr Howson said he hoped his painting, Homeless Jesus 2017, would aid in awareness whilst highlighting the plight of the homeless, and homelessness issue. The sculpture is extremely powerful and its message is universal...I wanted to ensure that his face re- mained anonymous to highlight that this figure (although Jesus) could, in fact, be any one of us, at any given time," The Christ figure in Mr Howson's painting, as in the statue, is only known to be Jesus through the wounds on his feet. Mr Howson, who has struggled with addiction in the past, created many paintings of Glasgow's homeless population during the early years of his career. He converted to Christianity about 20 years ago, and since then many of his works have depicted biblical scenes. The painting of homeless Jesus took him six weeks to complete. About the process, he said: It moved me in a way I wasn't expecting and I was drawn to the lonely isolation and helpless situation of the figure depicted...I want people to look and think and understand its message. The Bronze [sculpture] speaks volumes. I hope my canvas will too After being displayed at the same church as the statue, Mr Howson's painting will tour across Scotland at events that "promote and highlight the plight of homelessness".

14 Mothers’ Union News

The Mothers’ Union have (as mentioned in previous editions of Eagle and in the pew sheet) decided to raise funds for Mary’s Meals at their monthly meetings at St John’s and the group who have tea/coffee after the Thursday Eucharist before the Bible Study Group have also added their dona- tions to the same cause. There is also a collecting box at the Sunday morning tea/coffee. The good news is that in just under two months the collections have raised £516.47 with a further £91.70 being raised at the retiring collection after the BLUE service held on church on the 15th De- cember. The collections are ongoing and hopefully the funds will continue to be raised, but it was important that the funds were handed over to Mary’s Meals prior to the end of December. The reason for this was that every gift given to Mary’s Meals before the end of 2017 will be matched by three amazing donors, up to a total of £1.9 million. This means that every donation will go even further, providing twice as many hungry and impoverished children with a nutritious daily meal in a place of education. Thanks to the generation of the Mothers’ Union and our congregations an additional 88 children will be fed for full year in 2018. Fran Lawson on behalf of Mary’s Meals wrote in mid December— Thank you again for everything you are doing to help Mary’s Meals keep our promise of a daily school meal to more than 1.2 million of the world’s poorest children every school day!

15 SUNDAY EUCHARIST PRESIDENTS, READERS and INTERCESSORS ROTA DATE Eucharistic President OLD TESTAMENT PSALM NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL Reader and Intercessor 25th December 11am Rev Patrick Thompson Isaiah 11 Luke 2 Reader Meghan Philp Christmas Day 1-9 1-20 Int’csr Rev Patrick Thompson

31st December 8am Tina Coffey Isaiah 61 148 Galatians 4 Luke 2 Reader Emma Moffatt Christmas 1 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 10-62.3 4-7 22-40 Int’csr June Airey

7th January 8am….Alison Manson and Derek B Isaiah 60 72 Ephesians 3 Matthew 2 Reader Pat Ellison Feast of Epiphany 10am Rev Canon Robin Forrest 1-6 & 10-14 1-7 1-12 1-12 Int’csr Derek Bedford

14th January 8am….Deacon Anthony 1 Samuel 3 139 1 Corinthians 6 John 1 Reader Kirsteen Mitcalfe Epiphany 2 10am..Dean Alison Simpson 1-10(11-20) 1-5,12-17 12-20 43-51 Int’csr Pat Ellison

All Readings from here onwards are subject to confir mation by Rev. Dr. Inbadas

21st January 8am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas Jonah 3 62. 1 Corinthians 7 Mark 1 Reader Gareth Whymant Epiphany 3 10am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 1-5,10 6-end 29-31 14-20 Int’csr Wiz Latham

28th January 8am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas Malachi 3 24 Hebrews 2 Luke 2 Reader Anne Docherty Feast of the Presentation 10am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 1-4 7-10 14-18 22-40 Int’csr Deacon Anthony 4th February 8am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas Isaiah 40 147 1 Corinthians 9 Mark 1 Reader Derek Bedford 2nd Sunday before Lent 10am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 21-31 1-12 16-23 29-39 Int’csr Glenda Thompson

11th February 8am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 2 Kings 2 50 2 Corinthians 4 Mark 9 Reader Gill Horrocks Sunday next before Lent 10am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 1-12 1-6 3-6 2-9 Int’csr June Airey

14th February 7pm Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas Joel 2. 51 2 Corinthians Matthew 6 Reader tba Ash Wednesday 1-2 & 12-17 1-18 5.20b-6.10 1-6 & 16-21 Int’csr tba 18th February 8am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas Genesis 9 25 1 Peter 3 Mark 1 Reader Wiz Latham Lent 1 10am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 8-17 1-9 18-22 9-15 Int’csr Derek Bedford 25th February 8am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas Genesis 17. 22 Romans 4 Mark 8.31-28 or Reader Sheila Biggs Lent 2 10am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 1-7 & 15-16 22-end 13-25 Mark 9.2-9 Int’csr Pat Ellison 4th March 8am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas Exodus 17 95 Romans 5 John 4 Reader George Latham Lent 3 10am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 1-7 1-11 5-26(27-42) Int’csr Wiz Latham

Priest in Charge:- The Very Rev. Alison Simpson until 20th January 2018 St John’s website: www.stjohnsforres.wordpress.com Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas after 20th January 2018 Diocesan website: www.moray.anglican.org The Rectory, Victoria Road, Forres, IV36 3BN Provincial website: www.scotland.anglican.org Clergy Email [email protected] Phone: 01309 672856 16 SUNDAY EUCHARIST PRESIDENTS, READERS and INTERCESSORS ROTA DATE Eucharistic President OLD TESTAMENT PSALM NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL Reader and Intercessor 25th December 11am Rev Patrick Thompson Isaiah 11 Luke 2 Reader Meghan Philp Christmas Day 1-9 1-20 Int’csr Rev Patrick Thompson

31st December 8am Tina Coffey Isaiah 61 148 Galatians 4 Luke 2 Reader Emma Moffatt Christmas 1 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 10-62.3 4-7 22-40 Int’csr June Airey

7th January 8am….Alison Manson and Derek B Isaiah 60 72 Ephesians 3 Matthew 2 Reader Pat Ellison Feast of Epiphany 10am Rev Canon Robin Forrest 1-6 & 10-14 1-7 1-12 1-12 Int’csr Derek Bedford

14th January 8am….Deacon Anthony 1 Samuel 3 139 1 Corinthians 6 John 1 Reader Kirsteen Mitcalfe Epiphany 2 10am..Dean Alison Simpson 1-10(11-20) 1-5,12-17 12-20 43-51 Int’csr Pat Ellison

All Readings from here onwards are subject to confir mation by Rev. Dr. Inbadas

21st January 8am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas Jonah 3 62. 1 Corinthians 7 Mark 1 Reader Gareth Whymant Epiphany 3 10am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 1-5,10 6-end 29-31 14-20 Int’csr Wiz Latham

11th February 8am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 2 Kings 2 50 2 Corinthians 4 Mark 9 Reader Gill Horrocks Sunday next before Lent 10am Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas 1-12 1-6 3-6 2-9 Int’csr June Airey

I’ve noticed over the last few months that there are many more Coal Tits in my garden and around my feeders than I can ever remember. I suspect that this is due to a suc- cession of mild winters and a shortage of Sitka Spruce seeds, their favourite food. My attention was caught too by a recent newsletter from the BTO………. Participants in the BTO’s Garden BirdWatch survey have been keeping weekly records of the birds seen in their gardens over the last 20 years, an incredible citizen science project that enables us to understand how birds use human habitats such as gardens. Coal Tits are among our smallest garden birds, and are often driven away from bird feeders by the larger, more aggressive Great Tits and Blue Tits. In the summer Coal Tits normally remain within woodland, and are recorded in fewer than a third of gardens. In the winter they are seen in more gardens, and are generally recorded by at least 40% of Garden BirdWatchers in November, when they are driven to garden bird feeders by cold weather. However, in some years they are seen in many more gardens, and research using GBW data has shown that their presence is affected by seasonal availability of tree seed crops in the wider countryside. This year is turning out to be exceptional, with Coal Tit seen in an unprecedented 70% of gardens in No- vember!

Photograph by John Harding

18 Smaller and less colourful than most of its relatives, the Coal Tit has a grey back, black cap, and, most distinctive of all, a white patch at the back of its neck. Both sexes are the same, though juveniles have a yellowish tinge. Their bills are smaller and more slender than other tit’s, so they can feed more successfully in conifers, with their natural diet including insects and beech mast as well as conifer seeds. A regular although rather shy visitor to feeders, they dash in, grab a seed, and dash off again, sometimes taking and storing food for later. Unfortunately, their memory is not very good, so you will often find sunflower seeds germinating in the most unlikely places! Great Tits can sometimes be seen watching a Coal Tit stashing away its seed and then go and steal it. Coal Tits will nest in hollows in trees or in mouse holes, preferably in conifer trees. Their nests are similar to those of the Blue Tit, consisting of moss, wool, dead leaves and spiders' webs, but are additionally moss-lined. They will use nest boxes but are often ousted by the larger tits, preferring those that are less than 1m from the ground. Coal Tits are resident and mainly sedentary, though a few Continental birds do winter here, especially in the south east. The calls of the Coal Tit are a bit like a weedy, higher-pitched version of the Great Tit, with a thin-sounding ‘tsee-tsee-tsee’ call and a basic song of ‘teachoo-teachoo-teachoo’ repeated several times. While searching for food, coal tit flocks keep contact with in- cessant short dee or see-see calls. If you find the lives of our garden birds to be of interest, and would like to join in and count the feathered occupants of your garden, please contact me or visit the BTO Garden BirdWatch website (www.bto.org/gbw). If you know of a local organisation who would like a talk on garden birds call: Mike Gray 07596 366342 or [email protected].

19 We Are Not What You Think We Are: Olivia Smith on Young People

“Seek us out and let us in. Involving young people is important because we can affect your present as well as your future. We can help you prove to the world that church isn’t a thing of the past, you’re still present and growing today.” This is what one articulate young woman told the autumn Synod of the Diocese of Edinburgh. Olivia Smith is a delegate at the Provincial Youth Week at Glenalmond, and one of the Diocese’s under-18 Diocesan representatives on the Provincial Youth Committee. She worships at St Columba’s-by-the-Castle. The Diocesan Youth and Children Officer invited her to address Synod, and we were inspired by her maiden speech. Here is the text of Olivia’s address in full: “What do you think of when you think of teenagers? For many people the thought of teens conjures the illusion of a horde of hooligans with their hoods up, smoking suspicious substances, and yelling abuse at innocent passers-by. Loud, obnoxious, definitely not the sort to take part in organised religion. However as a member of said age group I can tell you that’s simply not true. Being a young Christian and meeting other young Christians has revealed to me an extraordinary, diverse, unique, and yet united group of people. Although there is a signifi- cant lack of teens in church there are still a lot out there who are passionate about their religion and eager to explore it. And where can one find this mythical teenager with interests and passions? Glenalmond! The only way I can really convey to you how brilliant Glen really is, is by describing my first experience. I was, to put it mildly, highly reluctant to go. I thought that Christianity and religion in general was a mess of racist, misogynistic, homophobic rubbish (no offence, God!) I hardly ever set foot in church and the last thing I wanted was for a cult of conservative God freaks to drag me kicking and screaming back. And was that what I found? Nope. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here. The first real surprise was in house group

20 when I was sitting awkwardly among complete strangers waiting for them to get down on their hands and knees and start singing Hail Marys. Instead what happened was when we got to talking we had a laugh, got to know each other and I was put complete- ly at ease within five minutes of arrival. I thought it would be different when I confessed my doubts about the presence of prejudice within the church and its place in modern society. But instead of them holding up crucifixes and throwing holy water at me, they acknowledged the validity of my point and weren’t afraid to discuss it. And from there it just got better. We talked about the issues of Christianity, we were allowed to organise our own worship, and we opened ourselves up to each other, creating a bond as strong as Dwayne Johnson’s rippling biceps…but I’m getting off topic. And that in a nutshell is the brilliance of Glen. That’s what I find every year when I return. That’s what all the other newcomers discover. This year I met a boy who told me “I didn’t expect much when I came. But Glen’s helped me at a really difficult point in my life, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been before.” And part of what makes it so brilliant are the people. If you want to know what the Glen folk are like, think of every teenage stereotype ever – they’re the exact opposite of that. Badly behaved – they’re kind and friendly. Lazy – they’re creative and active. Moody – they’re the most persistently, almost annoyingly happy people I’ve ever met, in all age groups. But it’s not the delegates who make it brilliant. The leaders have a way of getting down with us without patronis- ing us. Equal parts responsible and childlike, always ready to provide support and always up for a laugh. The crowning glory on this is the freedom we’re given to discuss Christianity. We’re allowed to debate different issues and express our opinions, we’re even allowed to express our beliefs in our own worship. I think this shows a level of trust and respect quite unique to any other youth camp I’ve been to. This is the sort of thing we ought to do in our churches. It’s the sort of thing that could attract more youth. First of all, don’t just read the Bible to us and expect us to take it as it is. Let us discuss the messages in it and apply them to today’s situation. Let us talk about social and political issues so we can have debates and express our opinions. Sec- ondly, let us organise worship. Okay I can see a couple of expressions going what, really? Well don’t be so sceptical. You could get lots of creative and thoughtful ideas and a fun break from the same form of service every week. It also shows a lot of trust which we really appreciate. When I first approached my minister about the idea of the

21 young people organising a worship I was delighted with how receptive he was to the idea. And the reaction I got from the congregation who enjoyed having something different was amazing. Yet another great thing about Glen is that it carries on being useful to the delegates even when they’re not at an event. It’s not easy having a religion when you’re a teen. When many of our peers think of churchgoers they think of the Westboro Baptist Church and gaggles of priests throwing holy water at gay people and stealing stem cells from hospitals. Having Glen is a reminder that we’re not all like that and it provides an opportunity to talk to other young churchgoers, exchange views without being judged. That for me has been very important in keeping my faith. The spirit of Glen should be kept up, not just in church services, but in the way you approach teenagers. Whenever someone asks me “how do you talk to young people?” I just say “how do you talk to anyone?” If you want to get on with us then ask us questions, start discussions, treat us with the same respect you would anyone else. Don’t try to be down wid dem kidz. We don’t want you to be cool or relatable. We don’t care if you don’t know the latest dank memes, we don’t care if you don’t know what dank memes are. We just want you to talk to us with the same respect and consideration you would to another adult. You shouldn’t be afraid to approach teenagers, we don’t bite! It’s important to cross the divide between youth and adults because we have at least one thing in common: the desire to live in a better world. So start talking to us about whatever issues you want: refugees, poverty, war, whatever. This way we won’t have youth issues and adult issues. We’ll just have issues that we can all address. In conclusion, what I’m trying to say to you is: in the words of Mika; “we are not what you think we are”. We shouldn’t be made to sit by silently until we turn 18 then we can finally speak up for ourselves. We’re not a bunchy of moody, boorish Neanderthals grunting at the evolved mature adults. We’re here, we’re ready to participate, we want to speak to you, and we want to speak for ourselves. Please don’t deny us that. Keep supporting Glenalmond, be open to young people participating in church, and talk to us about what we can do to contribute. And when I say that I don’t just mean “hands up who wants to… ” No. Seek us out and let us in. Involving young people is important because we can affect your present as well as your future. We can help you prove to the world that church isn’t a thing of the past, you’re still present and growing today. It’ll also create a future generation of people who are passionate about their religion and will continue to share and explore it for generations to come.” Photo of Olivia with Bishop John and the Rector of St Columba’s-by-the-Castle, by Da- vid Paton-Williams. This post was originally published on the Diocese of Edinburgh’s website: http:// edinburgh.anglican.org/2017/11/diocesan-youth-synod/

22 New Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney

th On the 9 November, he Episcopal Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church elected the Rev Canon Anne Dyer as the new Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney. Canon Dyer is Rector of Holy Trinity church, Haddington (since 2011). Her wider church involvement includes being a member of the Scottish Episcopal Institute Council and a member of General Synod. Being in the first group of women for each of these Orders, Canon Dyer was ordained Deacon in 1987 and Priest in 1994 in Rochester. She served as Warden of Cranmer Hall, Durham and before that was Ministry Development Officer in the Diocese of Rochester. Prior to ordination Anne Dyer read Chemistry at St Anne’s College, Oxford and was a Busi- ness Systems Analyst with Unilever before training for ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and studying theology at King’s College London. Canon Dyer is Chair of the East Lothian Foodbank and is also a regular lecturer across Edinburgh and the Lothians on the subject of fine art and theology. On hearing of her election Canon Dyer said “I am delighted to be elected by the Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church to serve as Bishop in the United Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney. It will be a privilege to lead the people of this diocese as they continue to make known the love of God to those in their communities and beyond. I am looking forward to both the challenge and excitement of serving and worshipping together in diverse locations across the diocese and to joining the College of Bishops.” Canon Dyer is the first woman to be elected Bishop in the Scottish Episcopal Church. The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church voted to allow the election of fe- male bishops in 2003. The See of Aberdeen & Orkney became vacant last November when the Rt Rev Dr Robert Gillies retired as Bishop of the Diocese. The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church says “I am delighted to welcome the Rev Canon Anne Dyer to the College of Bishops. Anne brings with her a wealth of experience in theological education and mission development, and has so many of the gifts sought by the diocese together with a deeply loving and generous personality. I am also delighted that those gifts have allowed us to elect a woman to our College of Bishops. Please pray for Anne, her family, for the congregation at Haddington and for the Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney as they journey on in faith.” Canon Dyer was born in 1957, is married and has a daughter. From http://www.scotland.anglican.org

23 Santa’s Bone could be the correct age A fragment of bone claimed to be from St Nicholas - the 4th-Century saintly inspiration for Father Christmas - has been radio carbon tested by the University of Oxford. The test has found that the relic does date from the time of St Nicholas, who is believed to have died about 343AD. While not providing proof that this is from the saint, it has been confirmed as authentically from that era. The Oxford team says these are the first tests carried out on the bones. Relics of St Nicholas, who died in modern-day Turkey, have been kept in the crypt of a church in Bari in Italy since the 11th Century. Authentic age—But the popularity of the saint, and the associations with Christmas, have seen many fragments of bones being taken to other locations, raising questions about how many of these are authentic. The tests in Oxford have been carried out on a fragment of pelvis, which had been in a church in France and is currently owned by a priest, Father Dennis O'Neill, from Illinois in the United States. Prof Tom Higham, a director of the centre, says this is unlike many such relics which often turn out to be much later inventions. "This bone fragment, in contrast, suggests that we could possibly be looking at remains from St Nicholas himself," says the Oxford archaeologist. There are hundreds of other bones claimed to be from St Nicholas, including a collection in a church in Venice. And the researchers now want to use DNA testing to see how many bones are really from a single individual - and how many might be linked to the bone tested in Oxford. The Oxford team are interested in whether the part of the pelvis they have tested matches the relics in Bari, where the collection does not include a full pelvis. Dr Georges Kazan, co-director of the centre at Keble College, says: "It is exciting to think that these relics, which date from such an ancient time, could in fact be genuine." For the researchers, this might seem like Christmas has come early. But the findings cannot provide evidence that this is definitely from the real St Nicholas. "Science is not able to definitely prove that it is, it can only prove that it is not, however," says Prof Higham. From http:/www.bbc.co.uk/news

24 SOUL FOOD— Nurturing the things that really matter

I appear to be being prompted to put together a series of articles, drawn from my studies of science and spirituality, and of that which lies at the heart of all the great faiths. So here is the first. LIVING WITH EVERYDAY MIRACLES CS Lewis once said that Miracles do not break the laws of nature, which was a major insight, given when he wrote that. And today, if you want to understand how the world works – then ask a quantum physicist, or a healer who understands the science. They’ll tell you that everything is energy. Bar nothing. Bar No Thing. Things, in fact, which appear to have coherence and a substance all their own, in reality do not. That’s an illusion. They are merely energy. Energy moving about at different vibrational frequencies, which makes them more or less dense. And that includes us. We exist in physical form, and in a particular physical form, only as a function of the frequency at which we are vibrating. The exciting bit, is that this manifestation can be changed. A major task of the spiritual Master is understanding and harnessing the laws of metaphysics. Walking upon water, raising Lazarus from the dead, and feeding rather a lot of people with rather a small amount of food were miracles to the amazed onlookers only because they did not understand what Jesus did and how He did it. He knew that the laws of metaphysics are there to understood, and worked with. It’s how God moves mountains, it’s how He has caused species to evolve, it’s how the Universe (Multiverse, actually) got created. It’s why prayer is so powerful, and why it manifests miracles in our lives. Some modern day physicists, such as Brian Cox, might tell you that one day we will explain the entire world. This notion, which might appear to some to be just a tad arrogant, would also seem to take the magic, the mystery and the miraculous out of our world. Other scientists in the same field, such as David Bohm, Fritjof Kapra and Paul Davis would rather suggest that the more we understand, the deeper we are beckoned into a mystery that we can never fully understand, but which it is our purpose to explore. In other words, imprisoned as we are, in this life, in physical form, we can never hope to access the Mind of God. But we can hope to glimpse it. Through deep prayer, through meditation, or yoga, or contemplation and through many other spiritual disciplines; the Good News is that we really can truly glimpse it. It’s one of the things Jesus came here to demonstrate to us. Why is this so? Because we are fashioned in God’s image. Because God lives in us, and we in Him. Because, ultimately, there is only One Thing in the Universe. There is no separation. It’s all energy, which flows into and out of everything that exists, including us, and including what we have called God. This Truth has many deep and profound implications, not least of which is this: if there is no separation between you and God, between me and you, between us and them – then, when we truly and deeply see this to be so, all grievances, all feuds, all wars, must end. Permanently and forever. When we are able to release our minds, whose default mode is always to be right and to make

25 others wrong (it’s just an evolutionary survival strategy, nothing more) we sometimes get a glimpse of the Promised Land, what Jesus described as “that Peace that the world cannot give”. When we are able to drop deeper than thought, deeper than emotions, deeper than the physical, and into the infinite mystery of all that the Soul can grasp, then in those moments we can actually experience who we truly are – droplets of Divinity in an ocean of Pure Consciousness – that is God. This is the Everyday Miracle of the Life we live. For in each single moment there is always a choice. The choice is either to get trapped in the physical realm of everyday thoughts and emotions, or to express the Divinity that we are. My own spiritual teacher, Neale Donald Walsch, tells us that our primary purpose is to live into the Agenda of our Soul – which sees far beyond Time and Space. Expressed succinctly, the choice is always, “in each Glorious Golden Moment of NOW, to express ourselves in the next Greatest Version of the Grandest Vision ever we had of Who We Truly Are”. Now, circumstances do get in the way. But circumstances appear only in order to create a con- text in which we can exercise this wonderful choice – and to co-create, with God, the next every day Miracle. So, whatever the challenge, the question must always be: how will we choose to show up today, in the face of that? Rev Dr Judith Hampson (Interfaith Minister). Abridged References David Bohm, Wholeness and the Implicate Order (1980), The Undivided Universe (1995). Fritjof Kapra, The Tao of Physics (1975), Belonging to the Universe, Explorations on the Frontiers of Science and Spirituality (1991). Paul Davis, The Mind of God, Science and the search for Ultimate Meaning, An Ontological Inter- pretation of Quantum Theory (1992). Neale Donald Walsch, Conversations With God, an Uncommon Dialogue 1-3 (1998), The Only Thing that Matters (2012), Conversations With God 4 – Awaken the Species (2016).

Gareth deciding whether there should be a star or should he be the angel at the top of the Christmas Tree. Elf and Safety insisted it had to be the star (but which one!!) Thanks to Hamish for supplying the tree. Photo by Pat Ellison

26 St Drostan Regional Synod

Pat and I attended this meeting, which was held in Holy Trinity Church Elgin on Saturday 4th No- vember. It was an opportunity to find out what has been happening since the Regional Synod we attended last year as well as meeting with Clergy and Laity from other churches in the region. The notes are taken from the minutes as produced by the Secretary, Jeff Lowndes from Gordon Chapel, Fochabers. The meeting started with a Eucharist and there were several presentations along with the more formal part of the meeting. + Mark was unable to attend the meeting which was chaired by Rev Canon Christopher Ketley Presentations Refuel 2018—Craig McKay spoke on the subject of ‘Refuel 2018’. The first ‘Refuel’ was held this year in the grounds of Gordon Castle, Fochabers. The 2018 event will be held in the same loca- tion and is now Scotland’s only large scale non-denominational family Christian outdoor festival. The organisers hope that the SEC will have a marquee at the event for use by the Episcopalian Churches. The organisers, whom are linked to Alpha Scotland and the Evangelical Alliance, are hoping this year’s event will see an increased attendance. They are hoping to find more places to stay for delegates and speakers by recruiting Accommodation Ambassadors. “ The Refuel Pitstop Pal. Basically, anyone coming to refuel can pay an extra £50 to be found a host in Moray who will provide B & B for the week. In return the host would get £50 off the cost of their ticket (look after 2-3 people and that could be a free ticket to Refuel! The event will take place from the 23rd to 28th July, which unfortunately are the same dates apparently as Glen 2018. Scottish Episcopal Institute—Gail Sanderson (Diocesan Secretary and SEI Ambassador) spoke about the Scottish Episcopal Institute, its background and current activities. The base of the SEI is now in the General Synod office. The SEC can’t afford to sustain a College building and it is not really necessary to do so. But through all of this change, the hallmark of SEI has been the quality of its training. The training courses are validated now by the University of Durham and have been commended for their rigour. They are up there with the best. The outlook is very positive. The number of ordinands is increasing significantly and more are going into full time training because there are more younger ordinands coming forward. The SEI is about to interview another full time tutor to look at pioneering new methods of training and training courses. Gail invited the audience to sign up for the SEI’s electronic newsletter which gives further information about the Institute and events which are open to the public. Changing World – Changing Church—Ruth Jefferies (Holy Trinity, Elgin) spoke about her experience of the Church of Scotland Discussion Day on the subject of a changing church in a changing world. Moray Presbytery had invited local Churches to attend their discussion day considering issues of mission. There were about thirty people present and through informal discussions we heard some of the methods that various of the Churches in Moray have been trying to deliver worship that caters to the means of their congregations. They heard about “messy Church” – aimed at children and often running on Saturdays. Other congregations have tried “cafe style” services, often mid week and in a shortened format with a focus on also meeting the social needs of older congregations. Ruth concluded that the day had been interesting and it was good to be able to consider common issues with people we have often worshipped with at ecumenical events, knowing that what we have in common is greater than that which sometimes holds us apart 27 Churches in the East of the Diocese—A brief discussion took place about how the churches in our area may work better together, share resources and plan for the future. Various ideas were suggested and it was thought that the subject would be suitable for a meeting in its own right to do justice to it. It was agreed that the stipendiary priests in this area would get together to explore this further. Storehouse Community—Rev Christopher spoke about the ‘Storehouse Community’.

 A simple Rule of Life for the people of God to follow.

 A fresh expression – a new way of being church – yet in a way going right back to the early church. If you would like to know more contact Rev Christopher by email or telephone. Some other notes Letter from Bishop Mark—The Chairman read out a letter from +Mark in which he apologised for his absence and gave details of some items in his busy schedule now that he is not only our Bish- op but covering the Aberdeen Diocese and of course is Primus. He aims to give us an update on his activities and plans very soon. An update was asked for on the progress of Canon 31 (Item 4 of the previous minutes – same sex marriage). The Chairman explained that the process had begun – clergy undertaking such mar- riages would need to be registered, not all would do so and not all churches would be involved. It is understood that two clergy members have been registered and a further clergy member was expected to registered. Details will be promulgated widely in due course hopefully via the Dioce- san Website so that the people who need to know will find a place where the service is available and where they will be welcomed. There being no queries, comments or objections to the Diocesan Budget it was duly noted The meeting closed at 12.15 with prayer – Rev Christopher led us in saying The Grace together. The date of the next St Drostan Synod Meeting will be 3rd November 2018 and it will be held in Holy Trinity Church Hall. Please note this in your diary now – hopefully the organisers can encour- age a better attendance next year. As non synod members it was a very welcoming meeting, a chance to meet with clergy and laity from other churches in the East of the Diocese. In particular we would like to especially thank Jeff Lowndes for his enthusiasm and welcome. We were so impressed that we took up his invitation to attend the next Sunday Evening Choral Evensong at Gordon Chapel on Remem- brance Sunday (12th November). We were even cajoled into reading two of the three lessons at the service. There is now a regular interchange of cartoons between Jeff and Michael.

28 Youth Fellowship News

We have been quite busy at Youth Fellowship. The activities have been very fun and interesting. some of the things we have done include, Pumpkin Carving, Pizza making, Challenging God within our own lives and creating our very own 12 Days of Christmas. The prayer board is still very popular and this is usually kept at the front of the church for the congregation and visitors to have a look at and use in their own prayers. We are looking forward to another fun and jam packed programme for the start of 2018. Here are the 12 Days of Christmas versus written by our very own Meghan Philp and Chloe Camp- bell. Meghan Philp On the 1st day of Christmas my true love gave to me one chalice bearer On the 2nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me two daily prayer books On the 3rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me three wise men On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me four mangers On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me five bibles On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me six inns On the 7th day of Christmas my true love gave to me seven liturgies On the 8th day of Christmas my true love gave to me eight pew sheets On the 9th day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine vestry members On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me ten Bishop Marks On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me eleven sermons and On the 12th day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve communion wafers Chloe Campbell On the 1st day of Christmas my server gave to me one baby Jesus from Mary On the 2nd day of Christmas my server gave to me two cups of wine On the 3rd day of Christmas my server gave to me three pew sheets On the 4th day of Christmas my server gave to me four choir members On the 5th day of Christmas my server gave to me five different sermons On the 6th day of Christmas my server gave to me six communion wafers On the 7th day of Christmas my server gave to me seven Bishops priesting On the 8th day of Christmas my server gave to me eight new Laura's On the 9th day of Christmas my server gave to me nine diocesan hoodies On the 10th day of Christmas my server gave to me ten lovely ladies On the 11th day of Christmas my server gave to me eleven service sheets and On the 12th day of Christmas my server gave to me twelve bells chiming

Laura Smith—please see the Youth Fellowship Programme for the start of 2018 on Page 5

29 Boys’ Brigade News Graeme Ferguson wrote on the 29th October on behalf of 2nd Forres BB Company May we thank you for your courtesy and support in hosting our enrolment service today. We found the service very personal to the BB and our boys really enjoyed being part of it. We also wish to thank the congregation for being so welcoming and supportive. The positive feedback we have received has been very gratifying and we look forward to continuing to reinforce our relationship with St John's. Please pass on our thanks to Patrick for a lovely service and my personal thanks to him also for his kindness to all the boys. Kind regards, Graeme Since then Sally Ross-Mowat reports that the Boys’ Brigade had been busy preparing for Christmas. With a programme full of exciting activities this term. In Mid November they enjoyed an evening of crafting and together created a herd of jolly reindeer. A big thank you to all who donated cardboard tubes! Later, on 12th December, the Anchor Section went to St John’s. Deacon Anthony had set up a beautiful scene for the children to learn from. Once everyone had settled Anthony talked to them about the nativity and answered questions on a whole variety of subjects that seemed to be on the boys minds! Then he said a prayer and the children sat quietly for a few moments to think of the people in their lives. The boys had a careful look at the figures around the crib, enjoying being so close and having the freedom to gently touch the animals. Thank you to our Deacon for such a wonderful opportunity

Situation Vacant Sadly, our treasurer Grant Swain has resigned as Church Treasurer. The vestry are anxious to recruit someone (or even a team, as it could be a shared role) to take Grant’s place. If you would be willing to undertake some (or all) of this task and have a bit of experience, please get in touch with Tina Coffey ([email protected]) with a brief resume of your skills in this department. Thank You

Photos of the 2nd Forres BB Company making reindeers out of toilet rolls and visiting the crib supplied by Sally Ross-Mowat. Thanks also to Graeme Ferguson for the group photograph on the previous page.

Advent Prayer Stations—thanks to the Bible Study Group 32