REID MEMORIAL CHURCH E-MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2020 AUGUST 2020

FRONT PAGE: E-MAGAZINE Craigmillar Park Church’s Prayer Garden [Image: Ann thanisch] CONTACT INFORMATION

MINISTER REV. ALEX McASPURREN [email protected] Tel. 667 1623

SESSION CLERK Mrs ELIZABETH CLARK [email protected] Tel: 667 6705

ROLL KEEPER Mrs LINDA FARRER Tel: 667 5129

CHURCH OFFICE ANSWERPHONE IN OPERATION Tel: 662 1203 EMAIL [email protected]

ELDERS IN CHARGE OF ELIZABETH & GRAHAM CLARK COMMUNION ARRANGEMENTS [email protected] Tel: 667 6705

MISSION DEVELOPMENT MICHAEL McMULLIN WORKER [email protected] 07444 082 627

SUNDAY DUTY ROSTER SHEILA CAPEWELL

TREASURER JUDITH SMEATON Tel: 662 0149 [email protected]

MAGAZINE EDITOR Mrs LINDA FARRER Tel: 667 5129 [email protected] Graphics and design by DAVID WHITE

ORGANIST Dr MARTYN STRACHAN Tel: 339 3217 [email protected]

HALL BOOKINGS Mrs JOYCE ROSIE [email protected] Tel: 667 2527

SAFEGUARDING COORDINATOR ANNE BLACK [email protected] Tel: 447 4149

CLERK TO THE Mrs SUSAN MACKAY Tel: 667 0910 CONGREGATIONAL BOARD [email protected]

ORDER OF SERVICE INTIMATIONS DAVID WHITE [Currently suspended] [email protected], by Wednesday morning please.

FACEBOOK @REIDMEMORIAL [REID MEMORIAL CHURCH, ] ON THE MOVE

DEAR FRIENDS, This week will see our country take another step on the journey from lockdown to a way of living with which we are more familiar. It isn’t a journey to what we once regarded as ‘normal’, but a pilgrimage to something different. In recent weeks we’ve been able to go to the shopping mall, have a haircut, or even go out for a meal. The church, though, seems to remain closed and inactive. But that’s not the reality of it. True, our buildings are mostly closed yet the church has continued to worship in the home of each believer; it has come together ‘virtually’ via the wonder of modern technology; and it has quietly, almost invisibly, continued to serve the wider community. If you doubt this, speak with those who work with the foodbanks or the homelessness projects in our city. As we see the commercial world re-open for business we naturally ask about when the church will do likewise. The church hasn’t stopped during lockdown, but it has changed how it has done things. As we journey out of lockdown we will continue to change. This will not be through revolution but through evolution. The difference is that the former is often sudden and involuntary, while the latter is gradual and a choice. We are free to choose not to change, not to evolve; we are free to endeavour to go back to where and what we were at the beginning of this year. The danger with this is that we run the risk of becoming stagnant. We could, however, choose to move on; we could elect to evolve. We could choose to journey to something new. That choice to journey is a choice to become a pilgrim. In choosing the pilgrim way, we choose a path that was taken by our spiritual forefathers in scripture. We see the pilgrim way in the choice of Abram to leave Ur; we see it in the wilderness journeys of the Exodus; we see it in the wandering lifestyle of Jesus, and in the missionary journeys of Paul. It isn’t just the believer who is a pilgrim. There is a good argument to the effect that we are a pilgrim people of a pilgrim God. After all, as the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness God went with them. He was with Jesus, too, in his wilderness experiences. It is now the time for the people of God to become pilgrims once more. It is time for us to deepen our experience of God. It is time for us to journey to wherever God is taking us post-lockdown. It is impossible to go back to a world that is pre COVID-19, but it is possible for us to evolve where we are; it is still a journey of faith. It is time for the church to be seen once more as a people of faith. It is time to move on. Yours in Christ, ALEX

‘GOD DOESN’T MIND IF YOU ARE MESSY’ SAYS ONLINE SERVICE A vicar who has nearly 170,000 followers on Instagram and who regularly broadcasts on YouTube, says that God welcomes us all, however ‘messy’ we may believe our lives to be. The Revd Chris Lee, vicar of St Saviour’s in Wendell Park, London, warned against any of us being ‘embarrassed’ about the state of our lives when considering whether to ‘open our hearts’ to God or not. ‘God is not going to stand at the door of your heart, knock and look in and think to Himself ‘you know what, I am not going to come in, it is a little bit messy there’,’ he said. Chris Lee was leading a recent weekly online service for the Church of England. He said that Christians are not called to be ‘bouncers’ who police whether people are leading ‘good enough’ lives to come to church. ‘No, as (the Gospel of) Matthew records Jesus saying, whomever welcomes one of you, welcomes Me. Anyone is welcome, God’s grace is sufficient for all of our needs.’ He added: ‘God’s welcome is wide, His love is deep, He is generous to all who come to Him. LOCKDOWNTALES

CANON DAVID WINTER IS FEELING VERY SOLITARY JUST NOW… What have you missed most during lockdown? It's a good question, because it is about the things that make us tick. When I examined my list, I found obvious things - going to church, live sport on TV, meeting up with friends for a coffee or a beer. But as I thought more deeply about it, I realised that what I missed most was TOUCH. For nearly four months I have not touched another human being! That is an astonishing deprivation. When a baby is born, its first experiences are all of touch. The strong hands of the midwife, mother’s excited and loving embrace, tiny hands reaching out to feel mummy’s face. We touch our way into life. And then it goes on. Holding hands with friends, being hugged by grandma, your first serious kiss, and perhaps a last tearful one at the end of a much-loved life. We greet each other with a holy kiss, the Bible says. And why not? Sight, smell, hearing and touch. Four senses. And I think lockdown has taught me that the greatest of these is touch!

DAVID WHITE IS UNTHWARTED... Linda was asking for readers’ thoughts about lockdown. Disappointments: cancelled holidays, not being able to go within two metres of family for three months, and daughters missing out on university in Stirling and Freiburg. A few cancelled gigs. That’s about it. Not disappointments: clean air, bigger stars, quieter roads, safer cycling, being useful from home, not having to go anywhere, more time on my hands, family at home, more birdsong, reading and listening to music, radio and podcasts, explosion in online lockdown art, and massively-increased productivity in songwriting and recording (soundcloud.com/boy-48). TRANQUILLITY RECOMMENDED!

If you are feeling stressed in the current circumstances, and would like a break with peace and tranquillity guaranteed, try one the Reid's sessions for private prayer on Mondays and Thursdays: there's the welcome familiarity of the church surroundings, discreet background music, and physical distancing and other precautions to keep you safe. Sit, relax, reflect, pray, or just enjoy the atmosphere engendered by years of worship and prayer helping you to feel closer to God. Stay as long as you like (although, we have to point out, all the doors are open to ensure a good supply of fresh air.) And you can come back as often as we are open! ELIZABETH CLARK WORSHIP IN A POST-LOCKDOWN KIRK

The primary purpose of the people of God is to glorify Him. We do this mainly through thanksgiving and praise, as well as through service. As we continue our journey out of lockdown we will soon be able to meet once more as a congregation. Once again we will be able to gather on a Sunday morning to answer our call together to glorify God. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the virus has not gone away, and this means that restrictions continue to be in place. This article will look at those restrictions, and how they will affect the worship we offer. SINGING: this may be the greatest change that we will experience. Many of you will have read conflicting news reports about the risks of virus spreading when singing. Although the research, at present, be inconclusive the Government and the Kirk have wisely chosen to be cautious in their approach. This means that there will be no singing. There will be music however it will not be hymn tunes or other singing items. BIBLES: these, along with hymn books, have been removed from the pews. Sharing books is an effective way to spread disease, hence their removal. There will continue to be readings from the Bible at each service, though both readers and members of the congregation will have to bring their own to church. SOCIALISING: you will not be surprised to learn that there will be no gatherings for tea or coffee after church. Rather, you are encouraged to leave immediately after the conclusion of the service. You will be aware that pubs and restaurants are allowed to open, however the church is covered by different guidelines from those businesses. NUMBERS: we continue to be obliged to engage in social distancing, meaning there will be a cap on the total number who may attend. Additionally there will be an absolute cap on attendance of 50; this is set by the Government. MASKS: at the time of writing these are not mandatory, though we are recommending that you wear an appropriate face covering when coming to church. With all of these apparent negatives, what remains of worship? What will we be doing when we gather? Services will take the form of Morning Prayer. There will continue to be the reading of scripture; there will be music for reflection; and there will be a short meditation upon one of the readings. This should last around 30-35 minutes. We will also be continuing to produce material for posting on our webpage. We realise that these services are not what we are used to nor what we would desire. They are, however, a positive step on the journey. ALEX McASPURREN POD CASTAWAY

Although podcasts are nothing new, it’s no surprise that in the last few months there’s been a surge in both numbers of listeners and new ones on offer. Podcasts offer the chance to listen to discussions about the topics you want, when you want, and they’re fun to contribute to if you get the chance - you can even start your own. They’re ideal if you have some extra time on your hands at the moment, you can listen to them on the go, and of course you can unsubscribe to a title if it turns out it’s not your cup of tea. In the area of Scottish Christian podcasts, my current favourites are Walk With Me - a good bite-sized Bible reading podcast, just looking at one verse a day, read by members of the-Free Church of . Being only two minutes long it’s hardly taxing or upsetting to the daily routine. PEP - Personal Evangelism Podcast - is a half-hour look at the topic of communicating our faith, featuring interviews with church leaders and faith-based influencers, led bySolas founder Andy Bannister, whose book was reviewed in ReidOn... last month (keep up). Generation Podcast is in the same vein, with interviews with church leaders who chat about their experiences bringing Jesus into centre-stage. I’ve just subscribed to The Good Book Company’s podcasts, which focuses on written Christian ministry, which is taking on new dimensions during lockdown and since the rise of social media. You can find podcasts by searching for a topic and adding the word podcast eg. ‘bible podcasts’ DAVID WHITE ‘YOU HAVE NOT LIVED TODAY UNTIL YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN NEVER REPAY YOU’

30th AUGUST: JOHN BUNYAN THE MAN WHO WROTE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS

After the Bible, John Bunyan’s wonderful Christian allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, is one of the most celebrated and widely-read books in the English language. It has been translated into more than one hundred languages around the world and keeps its place as a Christian classic. The names of people and places from its pages are familiar in some countries where English is spoken: we need only recall Mr Great-Heart, Mr Valiant-for-Truth, Giant Despair, Madame Bubble, the Slough of Despond, Vanity Fair, the Delectable Mountains, the Hill Difficulty and the Celestial City. Bunyan was born on 28 November 1628, at Elstow, near Bedford, England, of a poor family. He had little formal education and his father taught him to be a metal worker. His first wife died young. His second wife, Elizabeth, helped him considerably with his blossoming literary career. His conversion was the result of reading the Bible, and the witness of local Christians. From that time the Bible became the great inspiration of his life. He wrote more than fifty books on Christianity. A Baptist by conviction, he had little time for the Established Church. Bunyan became a popular preacher, but because of his opposition to the Established Church and because he did not have a Church of England preaching licence, he was imprisoned in 1661. It was in prison that he wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. It was not only Bunyan’s greatest book but was destined to become one of the most popular Christian books in the world. Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory, using the names of people and places from the Bible to teach spiritual lessons. The vivid and unforgettable imagery in Pilgrim’s Progress covers the whole Christian gospel from sin and condemnation all the way through faith, repentance, grace, justification, sanctification, and perseverance to heaven itself. Bunyan died on 31 August 1688. His portrayal of the death of Mr Valiant For Truth is Bunyan at his allegorical best. This brave old soldier of Jesus Christ had received his summons to ‘go home’. Calling his friends together he says, “My sword I give to him who shall succeed me in my pilgrimage… My marks and scars I carry with me, to be a witness for me, that I have fought His battles, Who will now be my rewarder…“ So he passed over, and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side...’ THE TRANSFIGURATION BEHOLDING THE GLORY Have you ever felt a tingle down your spine or a frisson of excitement, maybe due to a piece of music, or the sight of an evening sunset at sea? We look, we hear, and our sense of wonder as something sublime unfolds before us produces delight and awe. We see a hint of glory that can even lead us to worship. The monk who lived in cell no 6 at the Dominican convent of San Marco in Florence must have felt that when he entered his room and saw for the first time the fresco of the Transfiguration that Fra Angelico had painted. The sight would have stopped him in his tracks, just as Peter, James and John were stopped in their tracks as they beheld their Lord transfigured before them on the mount. From 1436 Fra Angelico painted a whole series of frescoes for the convent from the High Altar to the Chapter House to the cells of the monks. Here in cell no 6 there is a restrained simplicity and directness about the Transfiguration. One of the three disciples looks out towards us, while the other two are caught up in wonder and awe as they look on Jesus with the faces of Moses and Elijah on either side. Here Fra Angelico is not seeking to impress a wealthy patron: he is providing a focus for devotion and prayer for the monks of his community. The scene speaks to us of that sense of awe and reverence. On August 6 we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration. The Gospel accounts relate that special moment of revelation to the inner group of disciples. The glory shown to them evoked a sense of wonder and marvel, but also a sense of loss. For the glory proved elusive and just out of human reach. The moment of revelation passed, and the disciples had to go down the mount again to meet the crying needs of the world, all but forgotten when they were with their Lord on the mountain top. The monk in his cell would ponder the glory of Fra Angelico’s fresco, knowing that he would be called from his cell to take up his monastic duties. But the painting would go with him to sustain and nurture his life. It is the same with us: we have moments of glory. But they pass, and we must return to our daily lives. As we look on this painting, we sense that glory and wonder which can sustain us through life. 4th AUGUST SITHNEY - THE SAINT WHO PREFERRED MAD DOGS TO WOMEN You know how some men find women’s interest in romance and clothes hard to cope with? Well, Sithney (or Sezni) should be the patron saint of all such men. According to a Breton folk legend, Sithney was a hermit of long ago, minding his own business, when one day God told him that he was going to make him the patron saint of girls. Sithney was horrified. He foresaw a future where thousands of young women were forever plaguing him to find them good husbands and fine clothes... the thought of it appalled him. So Sithney begged God for some other job, something more peaceful, than dealing with young women. ‘Very well,’ said God. ‘You can look after mad dogs, instead.’ Sithney replied cheerfully: ‘I’d rather have mad dogs than women, any day.’ And so it was. Since that time, young women have pestered other saints to bring them husbands and fine clothes, while sick and mad dogs have been taken to drink water from the well of St Sezni, patron of Sithney, near Helston in Cornwall. LAUNCH OF NEW CLIMATE SUNDAY A new campaign, Climate Sunday, (www.climatesunday.org) has been launched by a coalition of churches and charities, as part of a call for action on climate change. From next month, 6th September, churches throughout the UK will be encouraged to have a Sunday dedicated to the theme of climate change. This could be held at any time in the next 12 months. The scheme was recently launched on World Environment Day, by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. It supported charities that range from CAFOD to Christian Aid, from Operation Noah to Tearfund. The campaign Climate Sunday will offer free resources to encourage churches to hold a climate-focused service, to make a commitment as a community to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions in the long term, or to join with other churches and groups before the 26th UN climate-change conference (COP26), in urging the Government to do more about climate change. Unfortunately, the conference to be held in Glasgow this year, has had to be postponed. > > The campaign will conclude on 5th September 2021 with a national Climate Sunday event to pray for action on global warming. The Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, the C of E’s lead bishop on environmental issues, said: ‘Although our focus has been shifted from climate changes in recent months by the challenges of responding to Covid-19, the climate crisis has not gone away. Climate Sunday will be a brilliant resource to help Church of England parishes understand and respond to the climate crisis.’

DRAMATIC RISE IN HOME EXERCISE INJURIES DURING LOCKDOWN

Something like 7.2 million Britons injured themselves while trying to stay fit during lockdown. There has been a dramatic rise in exercise-related injuries, ranging from sprains and strains to pulled muscles and back injuries. Of those of us injured during lockdown, 30 per cent of us were doing classes online or via apps, 28 per cent were weight training and 22 per cent were using home gym equipment. A doctor at BUPA points out that although ‘exercise is enormously important for both our physical and mental health, new regimes and workouts should be taken on with caution.’ The British Chiropractic Association (who reported a 660 per cent increase in traffic to its website!) warned that if you do yourself a small injury, do not try and ‘run it off’ or ‘push through the pain barrier’. There’s no science to say that it works. Instead you are risking more damage and a longer lay-off by not listening to your body.’ THE STORY BEHIND JUST AS I AM The hymn ‘Just As I Am’ must be one of the most famous in the world. It has been sung by tens of millions of Christians at Billy Graham Crusades the world over, just for starters! Yet it was not written by a professional who was ‘aiming’ at a specific market, as many songs seem to be written today. Instead, it was written by an artist in Victorian times. Her name was Charlotte Elliott, and she was born in Clapham in 1789. She grew up in a well to do home and became a portrait artist and a writer of humorous verse. All was well until Charlotte fell ill in her early 30s and slid into a black depression. A minister, Dr Caesar Malan of Switzerland, came to visit her. Instead of sympathising, he asked her an unexpected question: did she have peace with God? Charlotte deeply resented the question and told him to mind his own business. But after he left, his question haunted her. Did she have peace with God? She knew that she did not, that she had done some very wrong things. So, she invited Dr Malan to return. She told him that she would like to become a Christian but would have to sort out her life first. Dr Malan again said the unexpected: “Come just as you are.” The words were a revelation to Charlotte. She had assumed that she would have to put her life in order before she could hope to be accepted by God. Instead, she realised that Jesus wanted her just as she was - and He would take care of the sin. Charlotte became a Christian that day. 14 years later, in 1836, Charlotte wrote some verses that summed up how it had been between her and Jesus that day. They ran:

Just as I am, without one plea, Just as I am, tho tossed about But that thy blood was shed for me, With many a conflict, many a doubt And that thou bids’t me come to Thee Fightings within, and fears without, O Lamb of God, I come! I come! O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Charlotte could not have dreamed that 150 years into the future, her verses would be sung by millions of people all over the world, as they responded to the Gospel presented at many great Billy Graham crusades, and made their way forward to do just as the hymn describes - to come to Jesus Christ, despite sin and fear and doubts, to come ‘just as I am.’ STILL HELPING THE PRISONERS Prison Fellowship has reminded its supporters of the hardships facing prisoners during coronavirus. Many prisoners have had to spend nearly 23 hours a day in their cells. Though such lockdown has been essential for the protection of both staff and prisoners against the coronavirus, it has had the effect, says Peter Holloway, CEO of Prison Fellowship, of creating for the prisoners ‘a much harsher sentence’ than they would normally have had. He goes on: ‘Most Prison Fellowship volunteers are not acurrently allowed into prison, and we feel the loss of that 'ministry of presence' as an organisation. Yet we are not passive! We know that soon our programmes and that loving presence of our volunteers - showing Christ’s love in a thousand small ways - will be more essential than ever.’

WHEN TOURISTS GET LOST Have you ever got into trouble while abroad? The true story is told of a group of tourists who went to Israel some years ago and arrived in Jerusalem very eager to see the sights of the old city. Four members of the group were so engrossed in taking pictures of each other by the Wailing Wall that they ignored the summons from the tour group leader to go back to the bus. A little while later, they > > realised that they were all on their own in Jerusalem. That’s when their problems started. The four tourists decided to head back to their hotel. But no one could remember the exact name of the hotel. So, they hailed a taxi, and asked it to drive around Jerusalem looking for the hotel. An hour or so later, the driver gave up and demanded payment. That’s when they discovered that they did not have enough money to pay the driver. So, the driver took them to the police, who demanded some identification. That’s when the four tourists remembered that they had left their passports in the hotel safe... Some hours later, the tour guide tracked down the missing tourists. They greeted her withWHEN tears of relief asTOURISTS she provided the police with their passports, paid their debt, and prepared to lead them safely back to their hotel. The policeGET gave some parting LOST advice to the tourists: ‘From now on, you stay close to your friend!’. Stay close to your friend. It’s good advice for all of us. If your life is going in the wrong direction, if you have run up debts of wrong doing, if you feel lost and alone, you need to take action. You need to stop going on like this. Turn around and go in another direction. The Bible calls this action of ‘stopping and turning around’ repentance. Repentance is when you stop going in one direction, and you turn to God. For the good news is that there is a heavenly tour guide on whom we can all call. Only God can save us from the mess we are in. He sent us His Son to forgive us our sins, to provide us with an identity, and, if we walk with Him, lead us safely through life. As the Bible says: ‘The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ (Romans 6:23) CRAIGMILLAR PARK CHURCH NEWS

Our neighbours at Craigmillar Park have been focusing on repairs to their church hall and when it will be appropriate to reopen their church. You may be interested in this article from a recent edition of Prism:

GARDEN PRAYER WALK: Our church garden is looking lovely this year; we are very lucky to have such talented and committed gardeners. It has also been fun to spot occasional visitors to the garden, perhaps people taking a break in their daily exercise or sometimes people waiting for a bus at the nearby stop. It’s good to see the community use our resources even if we cannot yet be open for services. Taking up an idea some other churches have introduced, we have set up a small ‘prayer walk’ in the garden, for use by anyone who happens to be there. There are five prayer posts, each with a Bible verse, a suggested activity, a hint for a short personal reflection and a prayer. If you are passing, why not try it out? Please maintain appropriate social distancing! ‘In your paths, Lord Jesus, we walk, our hands in yours as you lead us forward, in step, together, open to you and your world for your sake. Amen’ WITH THANKS TO ANN THANISCH MORNING PRAYER

When morning in russet and saffron clad Is mantling the hills in a dew-soft plaid To the song of the moorland two-wings glad Let my heart upraise; When light creeps in through the chinks of the door When the mist ascends from the mountain floor, When the ocean shimmers like burnished ore, Let me give thee praise. O God of the morning, Christ of the hills, O Spirit who all the firmament fills, O Trinity blest who all goodness wills, Keep us all our days. - from Prayers of the Western Highlanders

The next issue of REIDON... will be August. Please send Linda any articles or notices by 21st AUGUST - see page 2 for contact details.

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