Magazine of Giffnock South Parish Church
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MARCH TheThe SentinelSentinel 2014 Volume 52 No 3 I didn’t go cos I can already see in the dark– I don‘t need the electric. Magazine of Giffnock South Parish Church Historic visit to meet with religious leaders in Greece Were you there? See photos on page 2 and egap. The Moderator of the General Assembly of The Church of Scotland, the Right Rev Lorna Hood, met with the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church. Discussions included foodbanks and care for the poor. See page 5 for details of further events Page 2 We have just read that St Martin’s Anglican Church in North London are accepting Bitcoins, the virtual currency, from worshippers wanting to donate to their renovation fund. The Rev Chris Brice said that the move to a cyber collection plate showed that they were “In touch with what’s going on around us”. Can we expect Giffnock South — surely always at the forefront where modern technology is concerned – to follow suit? We await, with interest, an announcement from the Finance Committee. Contributions for the April edition of The Sentinel should be sent to the Church office or emailed to [email protected] by 16th March. CHURCH NEWS The Rev Roy Henderson writes from Pollokshaws Kirk’s 25-year-old minister amongst the youngest to be ordained This is a prayer I wrote for ‘Place For Twenty-five year-old Michael Mair is looking forward to leading Hope’, the conflict transformation his own congregation in Edinburgh after he became one of the and mediation service. My thinking youngest ordained ministers within the Church of Scotland on was influenced by the idea that January 23. The new minister said he hoped his ordination would prayer can sometimes be misused as encourage other young people to consider taking up the calling to a way of silencing people and ministry. prematurely closing off conversation. Accordingly, this is a prayer in three He said: “The General Assembly last year heard about the dearth voices, each with its own font. It of young people becoming ministers. My ordination means I will ends as a question not a statement. become one of a handful of minsters under the age of thirty. I hope my ordination can inspire other young people to think about the ministry, even to become elders or Let Us Pray just to become more involved in the lives of their church.” Let go of GIFFNOCK SOUTH NEWS pretexts, agendas, There will be a joint meeting of the Session and the Board at 7.30pm on Wednesday presuppositions. 12th March to consider the 2013 accounts. Even these? The Stated Annual Meeting of Giffnock South Parish Church will take place on Let us Wednesday 26th March and not after the service on 30th March as stated in the unprepared, January ‘Sentinel’. prepare SHE IS SPECIAL! We always knew that Elaine was special but just how special was to be surprised revealed on Friday evening 7th February, when Giffnock South and friends explored by the Electric Glen AND IT WAS DRY! When planning an outing we recommend the other. consulting her before booking. And by ourselves? Here are some who, wrapped up well, enjoyed the spectacle. Let us pray Yes. Let. Us. Pray. Us... you, me, we, us. Us? Aye. Aggressively, vulnerably, laughably, wonderfully, undeniably ... … human. Us. And within and in spaces between deeper still than the words.. Sighs. Divine expression... recognition? When we can say Amen? (RH 8/1/14) Lent begins on the 5th March and, this year, my Page 3 challenge to you is this: don't give something up for Lent; take something up. The idea of giving something CHURCH DIRECTORY up comes from the link between the forty days of Lent and Christ's forty-day fast in the wilderness. In the The Minister: desert Jesus faces his fears and emerges determined to fulfil his calling. From now on, he seeks and Rev Catherine Beattie BDMin expresses his unity with God, and he invites us to seek it too. 0141 258 7804 Lent, then, is really about following Christ's path 07709 086 767 Mobile towards an intimate union with God: It's true, we cannot reach Christ's forti'th day; [email protected] The Minister’s Yet to go part of that religious way Letter Church Officer: Is better than to rest: We cannot reach our Saviour's puritie; Mr Graham Morton Yet are we bid, Be holy ev'n as he. 0141 638 3594 In both let's do our best. (George Herbert: from Lent, 1633) Church Office Hours: Going without something for a while in order to focus on something more The church office is open in the important can be useful. But pointless unless it results in permanently changed mornings from Monday to priorities. So, this year, I invite you to take up an ancient practice which will help you do just that. A practice which acts like a conduit to God. A practice in which Friday from 9am till noon God's consciousness begins to adjust and shape your consciousness. It is called Lectio Divina - or 'sacred reading'. 0141 638 2599 Step 1: Dust off that old Bible and put a bookmark at the start of St Mark's [email protected] Gospel. Step 2: Find a quiet place and time in your day. Turn off your mobile phone. Session Clerk: Step 3: Read a very short section of the Gospel (maybe three verses or so) Tony Ireland slowly and aloud. Step 4: Pause for a moment of silence and then do it again. Be attentive to any 0141 639 6532 Home words or phrases, which particularly strike you. 07831 525 513 Mobile Step 5: Allow your reason, imagination and memory to make connections between those words or phrases and your present situation. Church Website: Step 6: Sit with your thoughts and feelings and then shape them into a simple prayer. Www.giffnocksouth.co.uk Step 7: Do it each day if you can, but always come back to it if you miss a day. Scottish Charity:SCO007807 Lectio Divina is surprisingly simple, but surprisingly powerful. Joyce Rupp beautifully encapsulates what it can be during Lent: Enjoy a cup of tea or The cosmos dreams in me while I wait in stillness, coffee before and after ready to lean a little further into the heart of the Holy. the service every I, a little blip of life, a wisp of unassuming love, Sunday a quickly passing breeze, come once more into Lent. No need to sign me with the black bleeding ash of palms, fried and baked. I know my humus place. TEXT OF THE This Lent I will sail on the graced wings of desire, MONTH yearning to go deeper to the place where Sing to the Lord a joyful song, I am one in the One. Oh, may I go there soon, Lift up your hearts, your voices in the same breath that takes me to the stars raise; when the cosmos dreams in me. To us his gracious gifts belong, (Joyce Rupp: Lent 2001) To him our songs of love and praise. May your Lent be a joyful voyage of discovery. John Monsell (1811-1875)Hymn 184 All good wishes, Catherine. Page 4 The Guild The Art Club The Art Club was initiated by a group We were delighted to have a good of Church members and has now number of visitors to see the pictures grown to 25 artists. It meets weekly showing us how hard a life Mary on Monday afternoons in the Winton Livingstone endured supporting her explorer husband, Hall between 2 and 4 p.m. As many David. who attend are now non-members or members of other Churches it is The Guild has plenty to look forward to as the session classed by the Church as a draws to an end. Community Group and since last September the hall rent has been doubled. In order to On Wednesday 5th March at 7.30pm David Walker will continue, a community grant was applied for and it was enlighten us on "Glasgow’s Hidden Treasures". Come granted by East Renfrewshire Council, thus allowing the along and all will be revealed. Club to continue into the foreseeable future. th On Wednesday 19 March at 2pm Eileen Robertson will There are a few vacancies for anyone interested in take us on a trip to Israel and Palestine, visually only, as recreational drawing and painting to join in Club Sessions our summer outings are not so far reaching. with George Poston, late head of Art at Langside College, On Wednesday 9th April at 7.30pm Kay Blair will take us as tutor. A fee of £20 is payable in September and far afield, this time to "St Petersburg Forum" working January with activities closing at the end of April. with women in needy situations. As ever all members of The contact is Jim N. Scott (tel: 639 3306). Giffnock South and friends will get a warm welcome, so don’t be shy, come and join us for an entertaining visit. Eastwood Court Curling Bonspiel The March service at Eastwood Court Care Home will We are still looking for folk to take place on Tuesday 18th at 6.30pm. The theme will be play in the Bonspiel on "Looking ahead to Easter" and we will have our usual Wednesday 5th March at four hymns, choir items, poetry and readings. All church Braehead Curling Rink. members are welcome at our 30 minute informal act of worship. Some people spoke to me expressing an interest in playing but have not so far LODGING HOUSE MISSION marked up the sheet on the church noticeboard.