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 , 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 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. Chaplain Gus McKay reports 2014 has got off to a good start with numbers of service users creeping up Could I ask all who want to play to add their names to the list as soon as possible or call me, Alan Smith, on gradually. He says this is encouraging as people feel 887 4900 to reserve a place. LHM can offer support but it is sad that more people need support. Numbers at their Church services stay constant and individuals seeking chaplaincy support March Dates at a glance have risen slightly. Speakers of other languages Sun 2nd 7pm: Karene Forrester—St Andrew’s Ambulance attending English classes twice a week have increased Tue 4th 3pm: Pancake Afternoon at URC with an average of 12 at a beginners’ class. The Wed 5th 7.30pm: The Guild-David Walker 7.50pm: Curling Bonspiel at Braehead learning centre holds open sessions which are proving Wed 12th 7.30pm: Joint Session/Board Meeting very popular, as they offer users free internet access as Wed 19th 2pm: The Guild-Eileen Robertson well as the opportunity to improve IT skills. During Wed 26th 7.30pm: Stated Annual Meeting February rehearsals started in preparation for the return April Dates of Scottish Opera. Sun 6th 7pm: New Cantata by The Choir GIFFNOCK UNITED REFORMED CHURCH NEWS Wed 9th 7.30pm: The Guild-Kay Blair Sat 12th 10am: Eastwoodhill Coffee Morning at Giffnock The lunchtime service is every Wednesday at 11.30am. South Church halls Lunchbite is every Wednesday at 12.15pm. Sun 27th After Church: Leave for Harrogate Our weekly coffee morning is every Saturday at 10am. All are invited and will be made most welcome at the I told the doctor I’d broken my arm in several places Annual Pancake Afternoon on Shrove Tuesday, 4th and the doctor said, "Well, you shouldn’t have gone to these places." March at 3pm in the URC hall. Page 5 EVENTS REPORT THE KITCHEN—THE LATEST Sunday 2nd March 7pm: Karene Forrester, a In last month’s Sentinel we included an article giving the member of the congregation, will explain the background to the reason why it was necessary to upgrade the importance of knowing basic first aid and will kitchen facilities at Giffnock South to meet modern standards of demonstrate various techniques. You never know space, equipment and safety and to address the requirements of when life-saving knowledge will be essential and the many activities taking place in the church and those planned attending this evening’s talk is strongly for the future. recommended. One month on and all is going well, but not without a few surprises Donations to St Andrew’s Ambulance. which, perhaps, are inevitable when working with buildings which are over 80 years old. Nothing too drastic has cropped up, but we The Harrogate/York/Castle Howard trip leaves the could have done without encountering dry rot, fortunately localised, within the area of the present kitchen on the site of a former toilet. church on Sunday 27th April 2014. There will be a The affected timbers have now been replaced or treated. meeting, for those going, on Sunday 23rd February Perhaps the most difficult part of the operation was removing the after the service. Final date for full payment to brick partition between the kitchen and vestry while at the same Brian Cochran is Sunday 16th March. One or two time supporting the walls to the upper floor. This was not helped places are still available and if you would like to go by the poor condition of the lime/sand mortar which required please speak to Elaine Clarke or Brian Cochran. particular care to be taken by the contractor, JFM Ltd. Pipes, drains, cabling and flues left over from previous usage of the building and now redundant have been removed or capped and new services installed and extended where necessary to meet the requirements of new kitchen equipment. When the structural work is completed the next phase of the work is the decoration of walls and ceiling. Irwin Houston is kindly undertaking this work. This will be followed by the installation of a floor screed and wall panels to meet the exacting standards required for food safety and hygiene. The final phase will be the fitting out, installation and commissioning of kitchen equipment by the specialist supplier and installer, ScoMac Catering Services Ltd. It is planned that this will be completed by the end of February. Once this stage is reached, the fabric committee will breathe a huge sigh of relief and will be happy to hand over to those who understand better how to use and operate kitchens. (Perhaps the Saturday 31st May: Visit to the Royal Yacht ladies of the congregation if this is not too contentious a suggestion?). Britannia at Leith. Lunch on board or at the Ocean Terminal. Cost of the bus is £10 for adults with A huge thankyou to all those who have had to put up with the disturbance, noise, dust and inconvenience of the past months children going free. Names, please, on the notice during the progress of the kitchen project. Be assured that the board if you want a place on this exciting visit. completed kitchen will be an excellent asset and a worthy addition to our buildings and well able to cope with all that is planned for the future of Giffnock South. Saturday 7th June: Summer Fete at the church. Saturday 30th August: Arran Family Awayday.

All who heard Olivia Giles speak on Sunday 26th January, must have been impressed by her courage and her resolve to help others afflicted by loss of limbs or mobility. If you would like to support her work and were unable to do so on the night the details are published here.

Making a Donation With St Valentine’s Day a recent memory we Online at www.500miles.co.uk :- Go to the Just Giving page where you thought you would like to hear about the can make a one-off or regular donation (with or without Gift Aid) chap who is going steady with a girl he met simply and securely by credit card. through an internet dating agency. He claimed it By post: Please make cheques payable to 500 miles and send to: Box was love at first site! 500, 44/46 Morningside Road, Edinburgh EH10 4BF Page 6 Parish Register Joining: We extend a warm welcome to:

William & Jessie Tennent

Funerals: Well done thou good and faithful servant. Rest safe in the Lord th Annie Liddell 17 January 2014 Margaret (Peggy) Brunton 12th February 2014 Robert Fyfe Late of Giffnock - died in Strathaven Leaving: We say goodbye to: Christopher & Ann Saunders Laura Meechan

To ensure that we comply with the Data Protection Act, we do not publish addresses in Sentinel. Anyone who requires further information about any of the intimations above should contact the Roll Keepers.

Duties 16 March 23 March 30 March Date 2 March 9 March If any of your personal details change, Office Bearers Team 7 Team 8 Team 9 Team 10 Team 11 please notify the Church Office at: 4 Greenhill Avenue, Giffnock, Glasgow G46 6QX Crèche Jillian Fenton Mhairi McAllister Lisbeth Taylor Nancy Webster Alison Campbell telephone 0141 638 2599 or Emma Forbes Karen Taylor Sheila Walker Lindsay Young Laura Amner email:

Tape Recording Charlie Hunter Bill Spalding Tony Ireland Alastair Campbell Neil Grimmond Leaving a gift to the Church Café Rota 1 Liz Burns Marjory Grimmond Kathy Fitzgerald Helen Black Sylvia Miller you love is a great way of

Eileen MacKissack Jean Mercer Doreen Rogerson showing how much you care about Giffnock South.

A legacy can help to spread Café Rota 2 Mora Kerr Alison Campbell Gavin Bodie Di Fotheringham Jean Lennox the gospel. Sheila Walker Sandra Mitchell Grace Bodie Myra Rao Irene Japp A gift in your will to the Marjory Grimmond Maureen Hogg church is exempt from Janet Hood Janet Hood Kirsty Duncan Sunday School Helen Black Elaine Steel Inheritance Tax. Fiona Bruce Maureen Coughlin Lorna Wylie Irene Nappies Eileen MacKissack Speak to your solicitor or Di Fotheringham Jean Lennox Myra Rao Margaret Scott Jillian Reid the Church Treasurer.

Flower Delivery Louise Orr Isabel Pitkeathly Aileen Sweeney Elspeth Turnbull Nancy Webster

Breaking Down Barriers Marking International Women’s Day on March 8, we discuss the changing role of women in the Church. Includes interviews with the Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rt Rev Lorna Hood; Pauline Weibye, Secretary to the Council of Assembly; and Ruth Rankin, the young minister’s wife who featured in a BBC series early this year. Encounter at The Well MARCH EDITION OUT NOW Jackie Macadam celebrates the multi-cultural advice centre in Glasgow, established by the Church of Scotland 20 years ago. The ‘Invisible Church’ Steve Aisthorpe offers further insight into research on Christians who don’t go to church. A Gift of the Spirit The Rev Gordon Jamieson believes good management is God-given. ‘A Wonderful Message of Hope’ The Moderator highlights the importance of chaplaincy in the Church. ‘God Alone is Great’ Donald Macleod offers a reminder of the purpose of worship. Life and Work can be delivered with A Taste of Intimacy your ’Sentinel’ - just phone The Rev Dr emphasises the importance of experience and encounter in sharing faith. Allan Gray on 639 1401 A Neverending Task An interview with Clapperton Mayuni, General Secretary of the Bible Society of Malawi. Page 7

...to the window wall

The beam goes in...... then the other wall...

...and is hidden! Decorating gets under way

The Guild goes to What a spread! the Central Hotel Good humour is one of the best articles of dress one can wear in society. William Makepeace Thackeray May’s ready to go

Lanterns light the way

Steps to wonderland

The burn burns

We are indebted to Archie Robertson for these superb photos

The cauldron Patterned path

The changing faces of the waterfall