CORNERSTONE 177 Website
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Cornerstone The magazine of the Scots Kirk Lausanne Number 177, December 2015-January 2016 he Word became flesh and made his dwelling among T us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Cornerstone No. 177, page 2 Notes from the Manse Dear Friends, Recently I received a letter inviting me to go and collect my C permit from the Swiss authorities. I understand that this is a significant milestone in the experience of living in Switzerland as a foreigner and ponder what the C might stand for! The first thought that comes to mind is . I don’t know exactly what the full extent of holding this permit entails but I’ve already heard from the treasurer. Indeed, with a note of glee in his voice he has informed me that from now on I’ll be receiving my stipend as a gross sum, that is, without tax deducted at source. This brings certain new elements of in- volvement and responsibility and it looks like I’ll soon be needing to file tax return forms! A further “ implicit to this new status is a stronger sense of permanency. No longer a potential “fly by night” short stay resident I am welcome to stay on and indeed, to leave the country for longer and still be welcomed back, perhaps even without too much bureaucratic paperwork! Maybe For about a year or more now, as my fifth anniversary here approached, I have been stretched and challenged living where we do. In order to explore and better understand the experience, I’ve come to see “community” as a key word in defining what is most challenging. This letter is not the place for me to spell out where this might lead the church in the future. Suffice to say, living in the Manse, there is no sense of neighbour- hood or community around us. With a view to making a difference, however, I am asking why is this so. As a start and although the Scots Kirk “community” lives in a wide radius mostly outside the city, I invite you to stop by my office in the Appin Room when you are in town during the week. I’d welcome your visit and please don’t use the excuse that I am “probably busy”. I am your minister and Well, that leads me to another thought I have about the on my C permit. I don’t necessarily have the three C’s in the right order but I am certain is also for Communication. This is also a key word. In the course of a recent conversation with a longstanding member of the church I realised that, in Cornerstone No. 177, page 3 general, the congregation is unaware of these challenges and difficulties. So I offer this as an honest, open and sincere act of communication. Please do not think things are standing still. They are not! Slowly as my grasp of the French language improves I am initiating new contacts and professional interactions with some residents and Swiss people so that the Scots Kirk will be able to offer more to the City of Lausanne. Please support me with your ommitment to the future of Scots Kirk. It is my prayer and I hope your prayer as well, that through our shared engagement and commitment, the days ahead will see the Scots Kirk grow in worship, witness and service to the world about us. I didn’t even get to mention that but thankfully that’s covered elsewhere in this new issue of Cornerstone. Enjoy reading! Ian A very Happy Christmas to all our readers! Cornerstone No. 177, page 4 Cornerstone Publishing Programme 2016 Edition Number Deadline for text February-March 178 17th January April-May 179 13th March June-July 180 15th May August-September 181 17th July October-November 182 18th September December 2016-January 2017 183 13th November Cornerstone No. 177, page 5 Advent and Christmas Events 2015 Sunday 29th November 10.30 1st Advent Morning Worship Monday 30th November to Saturday 5th December 16.00-19.00 Open Church for Advent (activities for children from 16.00) Sunday 6th December 10.30 2nd Advent Morning Worship with Holy Communion, followed by Christmas Lunch Monday 7th to Saturday 12th December 16.00-19.00 Open Church for Advent (activities for children from 16.00) Friday 11th December Scots Kirk’s Got Talent + Nativity Play Saturday 12th December Christmas Midnight Run Sunday 13th December 10.30 3rd Advent Morning Worship 17.00 Carol Service at Eglise St-François Monday 14th to Saturday 19th December 16.00-19.00 Open Church for Advent (activities for children from 16.00) Sunday 20th December 4th Advent Morning Worship with Children’s Nativity Play Monday 21st to Thursday 24th December 16.00-19.00 Open Church for Advent (activities for children from 16.00) Thursday 24th December 23.00-00.15 Watchnight Service Friday 25th December 10.30 Christmas Morning Worship with Holy Communion Sunday 27th December 10.30 Morning Worship Cornerstone No. 177, page 6 Notice to parents and guardians We occasionally publish photographs in Cornerstone, on the Kirk’s website and—to a lesser extent—on the Kirk’s facebook page of children and young people belonging to the Scots Kirk. If for any reason you would prefer that a photograph of your child should not be used in this manner, please let the editor know on [email protected]. Thank you. Deadline for the next edition of Cornerstone: 17th January 2016 Cornerstone No. 177, page 7 Please note that there will be NO Soup & Cheese Lunch in January. Soup & Cheese Lunches in 2016 3rd February, 2nd March, 6th April, 4th May, 1st June, 6th July, 3rd August, 7th September, 5th October, 2nd November, 7th December. Cornerstone No. 177, page 8 Ian Reddihough (1919-2015) We are using these pages of Cornerstone to mark the death, on 1st October at the age of 96, of Mr. Ian Reddihough. Ian was a longstanding member and great benefactor of the Scots Kirk. As his minister, I knew him as an elderly gentleman, happily residing at home in Switzerland; a man who treasured his Yorkshire origins as well as the many experiences and adventures of a long and well-lived life. As the Scots Kirk we now say together to our old friend, I hope that through the following short stories from some of his more longstanding friends, you too may glean something of the warm and generous heart that marked Ian’s life and his place in our midst. To God be the Glory! Ian McDonald Susan Giddons wrote: Mr. Ian Reddihough, who died recently, was a long-standing and faithful member of the Scots Kirk congregation. I shared a pew with him for a while before he was unable to come to church any more through ill-health, but I didn’t know him well. He sometimes sent me kind messages about Cornerstone and funny stories to include! Tea with Ian Reddihough Mr. Reddihough would phone us inviting us to tea on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. He would make cinnamon toast, or have a cake or ginger shortbread and we ate this with his own blend of tea (STRONG). He liked to talk of Yorkshire where he grew up and of family Christmases and holidays and all the fun that he and his siblings had with their cousins. On return visits to Yorkshire from Switzerland, he enjoyed having afternoon tea in Betty's Tearoom's either in Ilkley or Harrogate and always had one of Betty's famous « Fat Rascals »... a kind of large fruit scone decorated with almonds and a glacé cherry. He also liked going to the opera in Leeds. He would talk of his time in South Africa and of the war years in England which he spent doing administrative work in a Government office near London. He would laugh and say that he was the only man there and was surrounded by young ladies. Sometimes on Saturday evenings he and a group of friends would go up to London to the Savoy Hotel for dinner and dancing. One of the young ladies in the group was employed at Bletchley Park and of course was under oath to say nothing about her work. At first, when he lived in Pully, he used to often give dinner parties and he kept a book of all his menus and made comments ... good, too dry, needed more seasoning etc. which he gave me to read one time and we had a laugh about Cornerstone No. 177, page 9 some of his remarks. He still loved the opera and would go to Zurich and to Munich for this. He was very talented and generous, not just the Tapestries which he made for the church, but he would make beautiful little needle cases, bags, cushions and spectacle cases, all done in tiny cross stitch, for the knitting and sewing stall at the bazaar. We miss him. He was such a character and we are very glad that we had the opportunity to get to know him better. Ian Frederic Reddihough was born in Yorkshire on 25th June 1919. His mother died young. Ian left home aged 16. He spent the war years in England and after knitting innumerable squares for blankets for the war effort, he learnt to make tapestry as at that time there was no more wool left in England but plenty of coloured cottons.