St Giles' News

St Giles’ Cathedral: The High Kirk of Edinburgh

St Giles’ News April 2019

St Giles’ Cathedral is a registered Scottish charity SC003565

Helen bids us farewell—but states ‘I’ll be watching you!’

I thank the Minister for his characteristically generous invitation to occupy this place in the current edition of the St Giles’ News. Nearly forty years ago in 1980 I came to St Giles’ as Probationer Assistant Minister, continuing for a further two years following Ordination in June 1981. These years were some of the most significant in my life. They introduced me to an approach to ministry and particularly to the art of liturgy that became fundamental and for which I am forever grateful to the then Minister, Gille- asbuig Macmillan. During this period the first fruits of the St Giles’ Renewal Appeal became apparent with the opening of the Lower Aisle, and most significantly, the positioning of the Holy Table in the Crossing and the introduction of the pattern of Sunday worship which has continued to the present. What a stroke of luck for a young minister to be part of the life of St Giles’ at that time! Visiting periodically until I fully returned in 2009, I was always interested in new developments, including notably the installation of the magnificent Rieger organ, the introduction of vibrantly textured banners and cloths, new lighting and stained glass, painted crown and stars beneath the old bell hole, and the emergence after centuries of grime of the true soft colours of the interior stonework. Now when visitors from across the world come to what many regard as the Mother Church of Presbyterianism, they no longer find a dowdy matron presiding over Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Instead, I like to think that a colourful, inviting presence welcomes people of differing denominational and religious affiliation as they step inside, offering a hope- ful, expansive sense of the sacred to all. It has been my great good fortune and pleasure to be back in St Giles’ as Assistant Minister for the last 10 years. During this period Gilleasbuig Macmillan retired after forty years of ministry, and in due course Calum MacLeod, the present Minister was inducted. Throughout I’ve enjoyed varied opportunities, and renewed connections with people I first met in the 1980s as well as forging new ones with more recent members of the congregation and many others associated with St Giles.’ As I prepare to leave, I offer my sincere thanks for the immense privilege of being part of the ministry and worship of this great church, as well as very good wishes to all for the future. St Giles’ will always have a central place in my heart. In a way, and from a discreet distance, in the words of a 1980’s song, ‘I’ll be watching you!’

FAITH IN POETRY GROUP The next meeting will be on Wednesday 29th May in St Giles’ Lower Aisle from 7.30 – 9pm when we will reflect on a poem in Mark Oakley’s an- thology The Splash of Words: Believing in Poetry. All will be welcome. Page 1

Happy Easter!

Content Saturday, 27 April—St Giles’ - 5.30pm ‘Journeys in the Spirit’—Reflections on poetry & Page 1 Message from Helen Alexander prayer. Helen Alexander in conversation with Irina Page 2 Editorial & Forward Dates. Janet Morley. See Easter Supplement Page 2. Saturday, 11 May Page 3 Tribute to Helen Alexander Christian Aid—Three Bridges Challenge. See Page 4 Dedication of a new Communion Table Page 18 Pages 5 & 6 Long serving Elders Sunday, 12 May to Saturday, 18 May Christian Aid Week. See Page 18. Pages 7 & 8 News from the Session Saturday, 18 May to Friday, 24 May—Assembly Pages 9 & 10 Introducing our new Moderator Hall General Assembly of the Church of Scot- land Page 11 Catering in the Night Shelter Sunday, 19 May—St Giles’—10.00am Page 12 Homeless Sunday—The Kevock Choir & General Assembly Service. Preacher—The Report from the Foodbank Moderator Pages 13 &14 Pontius Pilate Sunday, 19 May—Afternoon—West Princes Street Gardens—General Assembly Fringe Pages 15 & 16 Refugee Welcoming Project - event Heart & Soul—Fun for all the family with My Daughter is my Sister live music, stalls, and exhibitions. Pages 17 & 18 The Holy Blood Aisle Wednesday, 29 May–Lower Aisle—7.30 to 9.00pm Faith in Poetry Group. See Page 1. Page 18 Christian Aid A full list of Concerts and music in St Giles’ that is Page 19 Consecration Crosses constantly being updated is available from the Cathe- Page 20 Contact Details dral’s website. www.stgilescathedral.org.uk A little bit of Editorial

One day, I will get the hang of how to produce a professional newsletter. Those that understand such matters keep suggesting that an electronic newsletter should not exceed 16 pages and that is what I always intend to produce—but somehow those good intentions never seem to work, and, once again I end up with an edition that is 20 pages long. My fundamental fault is that I hugely appreciate all the contributions that I now almost routine- ly receive and I simply don’t like to say ‘no’ or carry them forward to the next edition. So, whatever the ideal length should be , I am personally incredibly grateful to the many who contribute articles which in some cases involve considerable research and effort. It is always very risky to highlight an individual for particular thanks but the constant flow of highly professional photographs, provided at almost a moment’s notice, by Peter Backhouse contribute very considerably to the quality and appearance of this newsletter. Indeed the newsletter is ’peppered’ with them and I sincerely thank Peter for his kindness and support. And finally, I was very grateful to Prof Helen Bond, Head of the Divinity School at New College for authoring the article (pages 13 & 14) on Pontius Pilate—thank you Helen. Happy Easter

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Happy Easter! Family Matters

The Reverend Helen Alexander

A Tribute to mark her retiral as Assistant Minister—May 2019

It was with considerable delight that The Rev Nancy Norman, one of our monthly ministers, so willingly agreed to write this tribute to mark Helen’s retiral next month. Nancy’s own involvement with St Giles’ dates back to 1977 when she was appointed as the Minister’s Assistant for Congregational Co-ordination and Pro- gramme before leaving six years later to attend New College. After being ordained, Nancy’s career saw her moving to the Borders where, amongst other duties, she was appointed as minister of the independent charge of Lyne & Manor. Since her retirement in 2012, Nancy has undertaken many Locum opportunities.

‘Do you know Helen Alexander?’

My questioner, a tall, middle aged man, with a kindly face and a thoughtful, rather reserved, manner, had seated himself at my café table, and the talk had turned to St Giles’. From his initial question, he went on to explain that an infrequent visit to St Giles’ had coincided with a Morning Service conducted by Helen. Her sermon was brilliant, he said, and my imagination was not so much captivated as liberated. I wrote to her, he said, asking -- something I’ve never felt it necessary to ask of any minister -- forHelen a copy Alexander of her sermon.

My questioner could have been any one of us.

If life seems to be often a matter of coincidence of time and place, then we here are blessed, are we not, in the ministries offered in St Giles’ over these past forty and more years; blessed to be in the company of those into whose hands, for a time, the care of this great church and responsibility for its worship have been handed; blessed in and through the weaving of words and music and art, stone and shadow and light that make St Giles’ a place of nourishment, mystery and beauty -- from which we go and to which we are drawn to return again and again.

With relative ease we exchange views and news of this and that, but when it comes to putting into words things deeply felt, that is another matter entirely -- in this case the gathering up of so many different thoughts and expressions of gratitude to Helen, from whom friendship, leadership and inspiration have been given in no small measure.

Helen’s ministry began in St Giles’ in 1980, as a Probationer in training under Gilleasbuig Macmillan. Her gifts were recognised early on and she was ordained a year later -- the first woman to be ordained in St Giles’. Following ministries in Orkney, in the University of Edinburgh chaplaincy and in Australia, Helen returned to St Giles’ by invitation in 2009, as Assistant Minister to Gilleasbuig before his retirement in 2013. With Finlay Macdonald, Helen served through the period of the vacancy, and has continued alongside Calum MacLeod, earning trust and admiration for the dignity and warmth with which she conducts her min- isterial responsibilities.

Her long association with St Giles’ gives good cause to mark her retirement; but it is really Helen herself whom we love and the qualities and gifts she has exercised in her ministry that are the reasons for our gratitude to her. Not least these: her linguistic sensitivity, born of a deep faith and a finely disciplined mind; her prayers, and her preaching, the freshness of her thinking, a stimulus to our imaginations; her love of poetry, drawing from our deepest selves what we did not know that we knew, what we had been searching for and did not expect to find; her brilliance at bringing the things of faith to bear upon our own time and culture; a watchful eye -- to ensure that what happens happens well; and simply ‘being there’ for others, for quiet authority coupled with humility.

Helen’s kindnesses will be remembered by so many people, those moments of human interaction that can never quite be cap- tured by words.

It is more than appropriate that we record our indebtedness to Helen. May it be that our heartfelt expressions of gratitude and good wishes -- in whatever form they are offered -- accompany her into these next portions of her journey. And may her retirement be a happy and fruitful one.

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Family Matters (continued) A new Communion Table in the Preston Aisle

At the 8.00pm Service on Sunday, 3 February, the Minister dedicated a new Communion Table, in the Preston Aisle.

The Table was a gift in the memory of Miss Dorothy Miller, who died on 10 September 2015 and was presented to St Giles’ by her family. Dorothy’s nephew David, who was present at the service of dedication, was sincerely thanked by the Minister for the gift.

Dorothy, remembered fondly by most present at the service, was a much admired member of the congregation and had served as an Elder and a member of the Session since 1979. Indeed she formed part of the first group of ladies to be ordained as Elders of St Giles’ and many of that group, who are still active members of the congregation, were present at the service.

The new table was created by the furniture workshop at the Grassmarket CommunityHarvest Project Thanksgiving under the direction of its manager Tommy Steele assisted by Susan Harper.

The decorative roundels for the table were designed by Sheana Ashton who submitted the following comments.

“ I was delighted to be asked to create ornamentation for the new communion table donated by her family in memory of Dorothy Miller.

I submitted a selection of Celtic themed designs for the front of the table and floral designs for the other side of it. The designs had to be suitable for the scale of the base of the table and in relation to its sur- roundings in the Preston Aisle.

The ministers and the family chose the designs they thought would be most appropriate to represent and reflect Dorothy, her interests and her taste: the Celtic knot, symbolising the Trinity, and a roundel of lilies. Respectively, these reflect the religious faith of someone who was among the first female elders to be ordainedThe group in Stat PenicuikGiles’ and House her contribution to flower arrangement in the cathedral.

The workshop in the Grassmarket Community Project undertook the making of the table and the burning of the designs into it.

Jean Ferris has hand-sewn a beautiful linen cloth to cover the table for the celebration of Holy Communion.

Do look at the table if you are in the Preston Aisle.”

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Family Matters (continued)

40 years of service—that’s impressive

An anniversary that acknowledges the service undertaken by ladies as Elders of St Giles’

Gary Winney On Sunday, 3 February 2019, as reported elsewhere in this newsletter, some 30 members of the Congregation, together with the choir, family and friends, attended the 8.00pm Service in the Preston Aisle to witness the Dedication of the New Communion table in memory of the late Doro- thy Miller who died on 10 September 2015.

Will Briant What many of us didn’t know, until it was pointed out, was that the timing of the Service coincided with the Fortieth Anniversary of Dorothy’s ordination as an Elder of St Giles’ on 4 February 1979.

Iain in actionIndeed, 4 February 1979 was a significant moment in the modern history of the Cathedral because, on that Sunday, twenty-six Elders were ordained, of whom seventeen were women - and this was the first occasion upon which women Elders had been appointed in St Giles’.

Out of the twenty-six Elders appointed in 1979, nine are still actively involved as members of the Session and other activities such as singing in the choir, arranging flowers, helping in the shop, supporting Presbytery and stewarding. Several others, having retired from active duties, remain active members of the congregation and take an ongoing interest in all the work that continues to be undertaken. And inevitably, as in the case of Dorothy Miller, the list also includes those who have since passed away and will always be missed by the many who knew, loved and respected them.

In terms of firsts, it is interesting to note that two years earlier Nan- cy Norman was appointed as the Minister’s Assistant for Congrega- tional Co-ordination and Programme.Mark Nancy Oakley fulfilled that role for nearly six years working alongside the Minister, Elders and Congre- gation. Nancy’s period in St Giles’ was then followed by nearly a year’s chaplaincy in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. In 1988, Nancy was ordained in Peebles to work as an Associate Minister in the triple-linked charge of Eddleston, Lyne & Manor, and Peebles Old, and then continued as minister of the independent charge of Lyne & Manor. Since retirement in 2012, Nancy has fulfilled a series of Locums in the Borders before re- Will at work turning to St Giles’ - but on this occasion, as an ordained minister. As Nancy wrote in her article for this newsletter in July 2018 “this was as unexpected as the original invitation in 1977. To have been on the edge of the transformation of the building and its worship, as an observer over these forty years, has been and continues to be an incalculable privilege.”. Will Tamblyn And although, not quite reaching the 40-year mark, this particular article would seem incomplete if it did not record that in 1980 the Rev Helen Alexander became the first woman Assistant Minister to be appointed to St Giles’ – but Helen’s long and distinguished service has far more appropriately been dealt with in a separate article.

Although the main purpose behind the creation of this article is to acknowledge the fortieth anniversary of the ordination of women as Elders of St Giles’, it would be highly remiss not to acknowledge the outstanding work undertaken by all others who continue to serve on the Session but were ordained as Elders more than 40 years ago— namely Kim Walker and Roy Durie.

The following Elders, who were ordained on 4 February 1979, are still members of the Session – Douglas Burke, Elisabeth Downie, Elizabeth Kemp, Jill Kirkwood, Sheila Mackay, Gail Maxwell, Ian Morrison, Lindsay Sawyer, Elizabeth Shaw and Elizabeth Wright.

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Family matters (continued)

How about a challenge ? Here is a picture of the Session, extracted from the archives, taken in 1991. How many of the current Session can you identify?

Kim Walker is the longest serving member of the Session having been ordained in 1962. Kim is very easily recognised. He is the central person, standing at the rear in the right hand doorway , wearing glasses and a dark suit . 57 years and still going strong—that’s a very impressive period of time.

Congratulation to Aaron & Laurel It was great news to hear that Aaron is now engaged to be married to Laurel Hoffman. Their wedding will take place on 15 June in Palm Beach, Florida. Until his return to the United States in 2017, the Rev Dr Aaron Janklow, a close friend to many of us, acted for several years as one of our Assistant Ministers. Aaron now serves as the Executive Pastor of the Royal Poinciana Chapel in Palm Beach Florida. As the picture of the happy couple was taken on the beach in January, it is easy to see that the change of climate from Edinburgh to Florida must be a really tough challenge! We wish Aaron and Laurel a very happy and successful marriage.

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News from the Session

Mark Batho The major topics—an outline from the Session Clerk

I have used this space in previous editions of St Giles’ News to highlight one or two specific issues that the Kirk Session has been considering. Other Members of the Kirk Session have also contributed to these pages with, for example, reports from John Robertson, our Treasurer or from John Andrew who is Convener of the General Committee – the committee responsible for overseeing all the work that takes place on the fabric of the Cathedral. But I thought it might be helpful on this occasion, if I ran briefly through all of the main things that we covered at our last Session meeting with the aim of conveying an idea of the scope of Session business.

We began, as always with prayer and a reading from Scripture. From the Treasurer we then had a detailed report on the provi- sional financial outcome of the calendar year 2018. John advised us of an increase in income that was primarily attributable to the dedicated efforts of our Heritage and Culture Team and broadly static expenditure across the piece (though the devil, as ever, lies in the detail!). He also offered an early assessment of the 2019 position. His report prompted discussion and ques- tions before being received with thanks by the Session. We then received, in the absence of the Convener, a detailed written report from the General Committee – the substance of which you can read elsewhere in this edition of the St Giles’ News – covering such diverse matters as the removal of graffiti from the outside of the building; a proposed dendrochronological analysis of the Cathedral’s mediaeval timbers as part of the South East Scotland Dendrochronology project 2018-21; and a report on how to replace the halogen bulbs (which are no longer being manufactured) in our main lighting with LED bulbs.

Moving on, the Session then received and welcomed a report on the activities of the Neighbourhood Group, which included the Homelessness Sunday Concert, the annual Can Collection and volunteering by members of the Congregation with the Bethany Night Kitchen.

A standing item on the agenda is Calum’s report to the Session which is known as the Moderator’s Report (Calum, as our Min- ister, is the Moderator of the Kirk Session). This included a report back from our Financial Infrastructure Task Group on progress with our work to develop proposals for improving the experience of tourist visitors to the Cathedral – much more on this over the next few months. Under the same agenda item we approved a new admission to membership of the Congregation; we expressed our deepest thanks and best wishes to Helen Alexander as she retires as our Assistant Minister at the end of May; we discussed the process for appointing Helen’s successor and we formally approved the motion to set this in train. And we then, fulfilling a Presbytery requirement, gave the Session’s formal attestation to the accuracy of the Communion Roll.

And last of all, before the meeting closed with the Grace, I advised under ‘any other business’, as I am required to do, that there had been no incidents in the previous quarter that required to be reported under Safeguarding legislation.

While no two Session meetings are the same, I hope that this gives some flavour of the kind of business that takes place at our meetings. Always varied, sometimes challenging, never dull!

Mark

FINANCIAL MATTERS A NOTE FROM THE TREASURER At the time of writing the draft annual accounts for 2018 are being finalised, ready for the auditors to commence their examination. From these preliminary drafts, it appears that unrestricted congregational giving has held up reasonably well, and is broadly similar to 2017. Largely as a result of the new signage suggesting £5 as the donation tourist visitors might wish to give, visitor income is very significantly higher than in 2017, although, possibly as a consequence, trading in the shop has been slightly lower.

Continued next page John Robertson

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News from the Session (Continued)

Financial matters continued

Against the overall increase in unrestricted income, expenditure has risen, too. This was mostly in areas where some increase was expected. Some of this expenditure can be met from donations which have been given for specific purposes (“restricted donations”). Legacies totalling approximately £37,200 were also received. While legacy income is, by its very nature, sporadic, it is a very important and welcome contribution to

our finances. John Robertson The accounts will now be audited, and, when finalised, presented to the Kirk Ses- sion in June for approval. After that, probably in early July, a Congregational Meet- ing will be arranged to receive the accounts.

John

An update from the Convener of the General Committee

April 2019 – Principal Works Report.

For this edition of the St Giles’ News, I am pleased to report significant progress on a number of projects and maintenance activities that have been reported in previous editions. Works to the Crown Tower – Following extensive design, a detailed survey and obtaining the necessary John Andrew listed building and World Heritage consents, works have commenced on the installation of additional gilded finials to the eight lower stone pinnacles on the Crown Tower. This installation will complete the works undertaken on the upper pinnacles some 20 years ago. This work is being undertaken following an inspirational idea to complete the finials and the donation of the necessary funds by a significant donor to the Cathedral. The principle works will be undertaken by specialist rope access techniques that negates the requirement for extensive and intrusive scaffolding. Works to inspect the pinnacles, undertake minor repairs and prepare for the fitting of the finials has commenced together with the manufacture of the finials by a specialist blacksmith. The fitting of the new finials will take place in the following weeks. I will ensure that further news is provided as the project progresses. Graffiti Removal – Following previous reports on the approval of proposals to remove the graffiti from the stonework at the East End of the building I am pleased to report that the works have been successfully completed by specialist conservation techniques. The outcome has resulted in a good result and no evidence of the previous damage now remains. Painting of West Entrance Doors – Any regular worshipers will have noticed the improvements to the appearance of the En- trance Doors from West Parliament Square. After many years’ wear the coats of varnish and stain have been delicately removed, The real John Robertson the existing wooden doors and cast-iron decoration cleaned, oiled and a new protective treatment applied. The North Doors on the Royal Mile have also been similarly renovated together with minor treatment and reoiling of the East Doors. The restoration will be completed with the cleaning of the lower kick plates and the replacement of the missing door furniture. The result has made a much-needed improvement to the external appearance of the Cathedral and has received favourable comments. I hope that you agree. Report on Lighting Proposals – The Committee has received the initial report from specialist consultants as reported in the last newsletter and is now considering the future implications and will prepare proposals for further review. This will be a long-term project and further updates will be provided in future newsletters. Floor Cleaning – The Cadeby Limestone floor that gives such a significant impact to the interior of the Cathedral requires regular cleaning to retain the colour and remove unsightly marks and stains. This specialist operation, which is undertaken once a year, has recently been carried out in advance of the Easter celebrations. The works were carried out over three evenings once the Cathedral was closed and required the seating, other furniture and fittings to be cleared and replaced on completion. Our thanks for this major task must go to the Beadles for the extensive work required. I will continue to provide further updates on the progress on the ongoing works and also other items under discussion by the General Committee in future editions of the St Giles’ Newsletter and will be pleased to discuss the work of the committee in person should further information be required. John M Andrew FICE

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Introducing our new Moderator The Rev Colin Sinclair

Prepared from information made available from the Church of Scotland website

Rev Colin Sinclair, who is the minister for Palmerston Place

Church in Edinburgh, will take on the year-long role of am- bassador for the Church of Scotland in May 2019 at the Gen- eral Assembly, succeeding the 2018-19 Moderator Rt Rev Susan Brown. He says: "I am honoured to be selected for this opportunity to representPreston the Aisle Church & Communion of TableScotland nationally and internation- ally. Hard at work! “It will be a pleasure to encourage church members in their Colin Sinclair faith and to see the impact of their faith in communities across our country. “I have thoroughly enjoyed being a parish minister and despite the challenges we face I believe the Christian Faith is still relevant to Scotland. “Our message is still Good News and it still changes lives.” Colin grew up on the south side of Glasgow, the second son of Alex and Isobel Sinclair, who were "occasional churchgoers." St Andrews in Jerusalem It was as a pupil at Glasgow Academy, that Colin first became interested in the Christian faith. To escape getting into trouble after a prefect saw him taking the wrong staircase, Colin dodged into a darkened room where a Scripture Union camp video was showing. "I enjoyed the film, thought the activities looked great and I felt I could put up with the “religious stuff,” he says.

"I did love the camp and had great fun, and I liked theA Lentenleaders. Banner But to

my surprise I also enjoyed the meetings with their livelyWork in singing progress and straightforward message about Jesus Christ. "I went back to camp the next year and decided then to follow Jesus Christ. So started an exciting adventure of faith that has lasted over 50 years." AthleticLilian as Cameron wellSt Andrew’sas spiritual, in Tiberias as an economics student at Stirling University, Colin spent just about as much time on the sports field playing rugby as he did in Christian Union activities or volunteering with Scripture Union. During his years at Stirling Colin began to realise God was calling him to be a Minister. He went to selection school and even though around six in ten applicants were rejected, he was accepted. Before he could begin his ministry studies, however, Colin was approached by Scripture Union and asked if he would consider going to Zambia as a training officer in an exchange that would allow two Zambian students to study in the UK. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse, part of a lifelong commitment to Scripture Union. So aged 20 with an honours degree in Economics, he embarked on his first work with Scripture Union. The job, which involved travelling around Zambia, living out of his car and speaking at schools, churches, hospitals and colleges, ended up lasting three years. "Those three years changed my life," he says. "Being away from everything familiar I was able to sort out which parts of my faith were mine, and which were not. I encountered people from many different countries and with many different beliefs. I met all the Church of Scotland missionaries there and everyone was very supportive. I learned to trust God."

Continued next page The Team

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Continued from previous page

After earning a 1st in Church History from New College, where he also played rugby for the Lions, Colin completed his probation and was ordained at Palmerston Place Church. His first solo parish was at Newton on Ayr. “I learned to be a parish minister. On Sundays I had Bible class, services in the morning and evening followed by Youth Fellowship. I had to come up with four fresh talks every Sunday, so I worked hard, but I really enjoyed it. In 1981 Colin married Ruth Murray, a medical social worker and the couple went on to have four children, Joanna, 35, Timothy, 31, Rachel, 28 and Bethany, 22. After six years in Ayr, Scripture Union offered Colin the job of General Director in the Glasgow office – a job he held for the next 8 years while staying involved in his local parish. Scripture Union’s mix of fun and faith became an en- during commitment even after he returned to Parish The family Ministry at Palmerston Place, in Edinburgh in 1996. Colin and Ruth ran a Scripture Union holiday camp for teens in the Highlands, at Alltnacriche near Aviemore for 27 years. In 2004, Colin took on the role of International Chair of Scripture Union, working with 130 SU movements around the world and travelling widely to countries such as Ghana, Peru and the Philippines. Colin’s contribution to the Church of Scotland has included serving on many Councils and committees at both local and national level. Most recently, from 2012 to 2016, he was Convener of the Mission and Discipleship Council which also involved serving on the Kirk’s governing body, the Council of Assembly. Since 1996, he has been the minister at Palmerston Place, where he and Ruth— now grandparents—have offered marriage classes, nurtured a thriving congregation and hosted many groups of students and probationer ministers. Somehow, he also found time to write “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Bible”. “I love being the minister for Palmerston Place, “he says. “The heart of everything we do is Jesus and that’s what excites me. Colin's enthusiasm and the happiness he finds in faith seem to be infectious. Soon after he became “mesmerised” by the story of Jesus, his parents found their own way to faith. And all four of his children are involved in the Church. Joanna works as Young People’s Ministry Leader at Holy Trinity WesterSteve Hailes. Aisthorpe Timothy is the minister at Partick Trinity in Glasgow. Rachel is International Project Coordinator for Glasgow City Mission, and Bethany is a trainee midwife after working with Africa Inland Mission in the Dem- ocratic Republic of Congo. Colin has seen several members of his congregation go into ministry and others find their Christian faith for the first time. But he says his greatest satisfaction is seeing how their faith impacts their lives. “As a student volunteer at SU camps I was delighted one day when one of the campers professed faith in Christ,” he says. “So I shared this with the Camp Leader who replied that, while he shared my happiness, he had learned over the years to find greater pleasure when those who came to camp went on to live lives of Christian usefulness, serving in society in some way or taking a position of leadership. “I think that has become my philosophy over the years. What’s lovely is seeing young people who started off as SU campers become leaders themselves. I have loved seeing folk grow up, whether it is to become elders in the Church or to go into vocational ministry or to take their Christian faith into different avenues of public service.”

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News from the Neighbourhood Group

CATERING IN THE NIGHT SHELTER

Article submitted by Victor Ashton

In providing a meal for them, the people we meet as guests in the Bethany Night Shelter are, of course, the most important as- pect of what we try to do. Generally, they are responsive, friendly, grateful.

Tiberias One recalls particular moments: the Nigerian lady coming to the servingFiona Graham tables after her meal, smiling and saying “Compliments to the chef!” There was the elderly Polish gentleman, also offering his thanks, who kissed the hand of one of the serving ladies, to her embarrassment and amusement. One recalls a few gratifying moments where matters had turned out well in people’s lives: the lad in his early twenties who had landed a live-in job in a hotel, declaring triumphantly, ”Only another five nights in the shelter!” Best of all was the news that one old man who had wintered in the Night Shelter for years past had at last been reconciled with his family. Our team The night kitchen is one of the most important things we have ever undertaken in the Neighbourhood Group and the work done on the two evenings allocated to us each winter has generally been fulfilling. Our team of volunteers has four hours of quite intensive work, including humdrum preparation in the kitchen. It involves being able to relate to folk who have come in from a long, dreary day on the streets, having endured whatever the weather and the public have thrown at them. There is nothing glamorous about it. Usually, the volunteers in the team go home tired, relieved that all has gone reasonably well, thankful to be returning to the comforts of a shower and a warm bed.

Up until Christmas,2018, the Bethany Night Shelter—and therefore the Night Kitchen—was held in a different church hall every night. Currently, thanks to The Shed the investment of a great deal of money, a permanent location has been estab- lished at Diadem, a church at the intersection of Chesser Avenue and Gorgie Road. Now, guests have proper single beds, instead of foam-rubber mats on the floor. There are showers and a laundry with washing machines and tumble Gathered at the foot of the Mound driers. Not everything is perfect: we have our reservations about the kitchen, its equipment and the distance from the serving area. The Diadem

Logistical problems, but the team copes. At our last kitchen, on 7th February, seventy—eight meals had to be cooked, ready to be served exactly on time, since, each night, there are two minibus intakes of guests arriving within 40 minutes of each other. In preparation, there are days of provisioning, buying in bulk as cheaply as possible, so that a two course dinner and a breakfast can be provided for £3 a head. Quantities have to be considerable: the peel- The Accommodation ing of 25 kilos of potatoes is a standard requirement. The provisioning for the Night Kitchen, costing over £200 a night, is paid for byPeter the Backhouse Neighbour- hood Group, from what it is able to raise out of its various fund- raising activities.

People from the refugee community working on the allotment We have always been impressed by the Bethany staff. Each night, five of them work a twelve hour shift, ready to deal with problems, to supervise the guests and to see they have a safe night’s rest. We have been impressed by their commitment, their tact, their compassion.

Indeed, the people are important — the guests, the Bethany staff, the volunteers of the Night Kitchen team. It is a privilege to work alongside volunteers who cheerfully get on with work that is often tiring and tedious, trying to serve their less fortunate fellows. Anyone from the congregation who would be interested in helping on a Night Kitchen team, especially anyone willing to drive a minibus, might contact [email protected]

The staff

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News from the Neighbourhood Group (continued)

HOMELESS SUNDAY

On 27 January, under the direction of Graham Lovett the Kevock Choir returned to St Giles’ and, in front of a large audience, presented an exciting and most enjoyable concert.

Their highly popular presence enabled us to raise much needed funds in support of Homeless Sunday.

On this occasion funds were raised in support of Cunningham House, situated in the Cowgate. Cunningham House, run by CrossReach, provides temporary shelter to largely men and some women.

A member of staff from Cunningham House spoke during the interval and explained the work they fulfil in support of homeless people to get them back into work and settled in their own place. The Kevock Choir The concert raised £1,077.63 and Cunningham House was so grateful that they sent a beautiful 'thank you' card signed by the residents showing their appreciation. The front of the card states: 'THANK YOU' two small words which mean 'SO MUCH'.

The Neighbourhood Group is extremely grateful to Graham Lovett and the members of the Kevock Choir for the wonderful concert and their continuing support of this important annual event. Stephen Preston Entrance to the concert was free but voluntary donations were collected at its con- clusion. The ambience of the evening was enhanced by the presence of the Moon hanging above the Holy Table as part of a wider exhibition taking place at that time. King Charles I

NOT ONLY FOR CHRISTMAS

Advent and the Advent Appeal seem a long time ago. However, the benefits of the congregation’s generous response at that time will continue right through the year.

Apart from the wonderful quantity of food brought into the church during the four Sundays of Advent, many kind people made financial donations. As well as buying food which went towards the overall total of 1.25 tonnes, some of these donations enabled a foodbank re- serve fund to be set up, augmented by money given by the Neighbourhood Group. In all, it amounted to a considerable sum. This has been a great boon in supporting the work of the foodbank.

Occasionally, in the Foodbank, one comes across crates of food allocation labelled ‘No Milk’ or The‘No Southside Fruit Juice’. Choir This derives from particular shortages in the Edinburgh Food Project warehouse where crates are made up for distribution with balanced allocations of tins of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, soup, pasta etc. In a voluntary organisation, which depends entirely on the generosity of members of the public giving what they choose to give, it is inevitable that particular shortages should sometimes occur.

In common with some other contributing congregations, our foodbank fund can be employed to help at such times. Two members of our congregation work as volunteers at the warehouse. When there is a shortage of a particular food item, they and the office of the warehouse signal it by email. It is then quite a simple matter for a bulk purchase to be made, usually at a discounted rate because of the amount of the purchase. A car load of the food items is then delivered to the warehouse at Broomhouse Road to be weighed and ,in due course, allocated.

Since January, five such deliveries have been made on behalf of St Giles’, involving over half a tonne of food items in particular shortage. At various times, there have been car loads of tinned meat, of sugar, of milk and of orange juice. The Neighbourhood Group foodbank fund will continue to try to plug particular gaps throughout the year.

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Pontius Pilate—In historical terms was he a goody or a baddy?

Helen Bond, Professor of Christian Origins and Head of the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh very kindly agreed to provide us with some answers. Helen’s research focuses on the social and political history of Judaea under Roman rule, the historical Jesus, and the canonical gospels. She is the author of Pontius Pilate in His- tory and Interpretation(Cambridge, 1998), Caiaphas: High Priest and Friend of Rome? (Westminster John Knox, 2004), The Historical Jesus: A Guide forBethlehem the Perplexed (Bloomsbury, 2012), Jesus: A Very Brief History(SPCK, 2017), and has recently completed a book comparing Mark’s gospel with other ancient biographies. She has acted as historical consultant for a number of TV programmes (including BBC’s Nativity, and History Channel’s The Bible), and has appeared in over 50 documentaries (and in two episodes of Songs of Praise this Easter). She lives in Falkirk with her husband Keith (a surveyor with the council) and 15-year old Katriona and 12-year old Scott where they are all members of Falkirk Trinity church.

“The intriguing thing about Pilate is the degree to which he tried to do the good thing rather than the bad. He commands our moral attention not because he was a bad man but because he was so nearly a good man. One can imagine him agonising, seeing that Jesus had done nothing wrong; and wishing to release him. Just as easily, however, one can envisage Pilate’s advisors telling him of the risks, warning him not to cause a riot or inflame Jewish opinion.” Writing these words at Easter 1996, Tony Blair accurately summarizes the figure of Pilate as he’s presented in the gospels: a Roman judge who, despite recognising Jesus’ innocence, eventually capitulates to political expe- diency and fear of a rioting crowd. But is this an accurate portrait of the historical Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judaea from 26-37 CE? By lucky coincidence, we know quite a lot about Pilate from contemporary Jewish sources – and most of it isn’t good. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (born the year Pilate left Judaea) tells of a blunt, insensitive man, a military commander who expected to be boss in his own province. Soon after his arrival, he changed the garrison at Jerusa- lem, now deploying a cohort of troops which had images of the emperor on their standards. Shocked by the introduction of graven images into Jerusalem, the Jewish popula- tion protested around Pilate’s headquarters at Caesarea on Sea for five days and nights until the governor finally gave in and removed the standards. Whatever his faults, Pilate clearly couldn’t afford a riot or the bad report of his activities that would inevitably have reached the emperor. Pilate Rome had very few officials in the provinces, and Pilate would have stayed in Caesarea most of the time with a small entourage, occupying himself with matters of national security and the payment of taxes. Day to day government was left in the hands of the native priestly aristocracy in Jerusalem, with the High Priest at their head. The fact that the High Priest was a Roman appointment by this time, however, ensured that only men who could be trusted to pursue a pro- Roman policy could ever hope to occupy the post. Pilate seems to have worked well with Caiaphas and re- tained him in office throughout his decade-long governorship. Presumably he found in him a man with whom he could do business. On at least one occasion Pilate and Caiaphas worked closely together. Pilate built a new aqueduct for Jerusalem, using funds from the Temple treas- ury to finance the project (presumably with Caiaphas’ permission). But something seems to have gone wrong – either the governor used up too much money, or there was some objection to the route of the aqueduct. In any case, large numbers of people protested when Pilate was next in Jerusalem. Suspecting that there might be trouble, Pilate had hidden plain-clothes troops in the crowd. At an agreed signal, the soldiers attacked the protesters; many were beaten to death, while others were killed in the stampede. (This may be the incident re- ferred to in Luke 13.1-3). An exact contemporary of Pilate’s, an aristocratic Jew from Alexandria named Philo, remembers him in highly unfavourable terms. He accuses him of being “a man of inflexible, stubborn and cruel disposition,” and notes his “venality, his violence, his thefts, his assaults, his abusive behaviour, his fre- quent executions of untried prisoners, and his endless savage ferocity.”

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We have to be careful with Philo’s account – he is given to colourful language and anyone he regards as an enemy of Jews is liable to be described in a similarly negative way. Yet it would presumably have been difficult to present Pilate like this if his governorship had been remembered as an unmitigated success. Clearly Pilate’s reputation was of a harsh and brutal man. Although the Roman headquarters was at Caesarea, the prefect would have An 1584 made his way to Jerusalem at certain times of the year. This was particularly the case at Depiction of Philo festivals when the large crowd of pilgrims made riots all the more likely. The largest of these pilgrimage festivals was Passover in the Spring, celebrating national liberation from slavery in Egypt, when large crowds of Jews would come from all over the eastern empire to the holy city. Ironically, of course, the sight of the Roman governor and his troops in the city served to remind people that the nation was once again under foreign oppression and riots were common. It was in this highly charged atmosphere that we need to understand the death of Jesus. Pilate’s net- work of spies and informers would doubtless have told him about the Galilean holy man, of his popularity with the crowds, of his talk of a kingdom, and how some at least hoped that he might shake off the hated Romans. Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city and his demon- stration in the Temple were also worrying: what might he do next? The unease of Caiaphas and his priestly advisors would have only convinced Pilate of what he already suspected: that Jesus was a threat to law and order at the volatile feast, and that he needed to be done away with quickly. Pilate might well have interviewed Jesus, as the gospels suggest, but any “trial” was unlikely to have been long. Ruins of Caesarea The lives of non-citizens were held very cheaply by Romans, and the outcome was clear. Why, then, do the gospels suggest that Pilate dithered, even that he was favourably impressed by the prisoner? We need to remember that the gospels were written in the late first century at a time when converts to the new faith were now coming largely from the paganLinda world. & David These new believ- ers, however, had a problem: they liked Jesus’ teaching, but were worried at the thought of following a man who had been executed as a rebel against Rome. Early Christian strategy was to insist that Pilate had not wanted to Ecce Homo—Antonio Ciseri—1891 execute Jesus, that the Roman judge had actually been impressed by him ‘Behold the Man’ (in the gospels of Luke and John he declares Jesus innocent three times!). At the same time, Christian relations with Jews were becoming ever more difficult, with Christians being excluded from synagogues, and even persecuted in some areas. As followers of Christ increasingly saw themselves as distinct from Jews, it became all the easier to put the “blame” for Jesus’ execution on the Jewish leaders and to exonerate Rome. Did Pilate very nearly do the good thing, as Tony Blair suggests? I doubt it. The good thing in his eyes was to maintain law and order, to get through Passover with minimum fuss, and to keep his own career on track. Pilate could not have known that the prisoner was special, or that his own part in the proceedings would be written up in a very particular late first century context - or that, on the basis of his role in the gospel accounts, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church would one day make him a saint.

The St Giles’ emailing list

We can only send the St Giles’ News and other periodic communications by email if we have specific permission to do so. However, if you are not on the emailing list but would like to be added then please send an email to [email protected] to give us the necessary permission. If in doubt or you would like further information please contact the Editor— Simon Bolam—at 07850 790051. Equally, if you would rather we stopped contacting you by email then please let us know.

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Refugee Welcoming Project

Fiona Graham, Convener of our Refugee Support Group, works very closely with the Welcoming Associ- ation to identify ways by which St Giles’ can provide help and support for refugees, migrants and others who have arrived into the UK in the hope of being able to start a new life free from fear and oppression.

Although we see much in the news of the plight of many refugees and migrants, we rarely get the opportunity of hearing from one of them about their experiences in their home country that led them to Fiona Graham leave, travel across Europe and seek safety and a new life in Edinburgh.

As Editor, I am very grateful to Fiona and Adil Ibrahim (Senior Community Development Practitioner, Welcoming Association) and to Tarek Awad, in particular, for the following article. I therefore, on behalf of the St Giles’ News, thank Tarek for taking the time to share his experiences with us and at the same time hope his ‘dream’, as expressed in the final sentence of his article, can quickly become a reality. And finally Tarek has provided his email address should anyone wish to get in touch with him—[email protected]

My Daughter is my Sister!

Tarek Awad

My Name is Tarek. I was born in Homs, Syria in 1983. I came to the UK in December 2017 through the Syrian Resettlement Programme after spending a few years in Lebanon. I currently live in Edinburgh with my wife and two sons. I have other family members who are still in Lebanon whom I would like to join us in Scot- land. These are my daughter, mother, father and 2 young sisters.

Tarek & Mays Here, I would like to tell you a bit about my 10 year old daughter (Mays). Although, Mays is registered with the UNHCR as being the daughter of my mother and father, the truth is that she is actually my daughter. Recently, she and I had DNA tests done which confirmed this. The reasons for this anomaly are complicated so I will explain them below. Mays’ mother and I used to be married. However, the marriage did not work out and we got divorced. She was pregnant at the time we separated but for religious reasons we did not get divorced until after Mays was born. Unfortunately, I do not have any paperwork regarding the divorce or indeed my marriage to Mays’ mother. After the divorce, I did not keep in touch with Mays’ mother. I later heard indirectly that she had re-married and moved to Idlib. This area has been heavily bombed with very few survivors. Therefore, I suspected that sadly she was probably killed as a result of this. I wish to emphasise here that Mays herself never had any contact with her biological mother since her birth. From 2008 to 2010, I was conscripted into the Syrian army. As a result, I was not able to live at home with my daughter Mays. Therefore, it was my mother who brought Mays up during this period. After my period of conscription ended, I had to work to support my family. This included Mays and also my parents and sisters. I was the main breadwinner for the family. It was difficult then to find a job in Syria where I would earn enough to do this. I found work in Dubai, which meant I was required to spend most of my time there. As a result, Mays continued to be looked after and brought up by my mother in Syria. As a result of all this, Mays grew up regarding my mother as her mother. Due to her young age it was difficult for me to explain to her that I was actually her father. However, I intended to do so when she was old enough to understand. In 2011 the war in Syria started. Due to my age and my previous period of military service it seemed almost certain that I would be conscripted into the Syrian army again. I did not want to fight for the regime (I am opposed to the regime) and therefore I left Syria and went to Lebanon. This was in June 2008. Whilst in Lebanon, I met another Syrian refugee to whom I became married in Lebanon in 2015. We later had a son together. We all stayed in Lebanon until we were grant- ed resettlement in the UK in December 2017. Continued next page

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Refugee Welcoming Project - continued

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The rest of my family in Syria (my daughter Mays, my parents and two sisters) also had to leave Syria. They left after I had done so. However, there was a problem in that Mays had never been formally registered in Syria at the time of her birth due to the above circumstances. In order to go to Lebanon, through the correct channels she needed to be registered. At this time, she could not register under my family book in Syria because I was not there. Therefore, she had to register in Syria as my parents’ daughter. She has also been registered as my parents’ daughter with the UNHCR. Notwithstanding all this, I do want Mays to eventually know the truth of matters, in that I am actually her father rather than her brother. I believe that she might already suspect this but I want her to eventually know it for certain. I would like to beChurch near of theher Holy so Rude that in StirlingI can see her frequently and have a normal parental relationship with her as much as possible. I want to be able to see her growing up and see her every day as every father does. I want her to see her younger siblings (I have two sons now) and for them to get to know each other and live happily together as a family. On the other hand, Mays is also obviously very close to my other family members who are currently with her in Lebanon. That is particularly the case for my mother, who has brought Mays up as if she was her own daughter. It would be enor- mously upsetting to separate them. My family in Lebanon are in a very vulnerable situation. The Lebanese authorities have made things very difficult for Syri- ans living there. I am particularly concerned for the safety of my sisters and daughter. I will explain why. My youngest sister has been targeted in at least two separate attempted assaults. In 2016 she was walking to school when she was followed by a man, who touched her inappropriately. She had to shout and scream to raise attention of what was hap- pening. On another occasion, in late 2017, she was walking on the street, when two motorcyclists approached her. They drove alongside her with one on each side. They spoke to her offensively by making inappropriate sexual remarks. It seemed that they wanted to abduct her. Fortunately, she was able to run into a nearby supermarket so that they could not continue their advances . As refugees without proper residency documents my family are not able to access full protection of the law in Lebanon. The Lebanese police refused to assist my sister in the past. Because of all these circumstances, my family are all extremely vulnerable and I am very anxious for their safety and well- being. I can add that as my daughter Mays gets older I am very concerned that she too will become more and more vulnerable to these sort of problems. My dream now is that my family in Lebanon would be allowed to join me in the UK.

Tarek

The Welcoming Association 20 Westfield Avenue Easter Sepulchre—St Giles’ EDINBURGH EHG11 2TT

0131 346 8577 www.thewelcoming.org

Welcoming Newcomers Learning Together Celebrating Diversity

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The Holy Blood Aisle

An article written by Dr Robin McCaig Robin is a well known and highly knowledgeable Visitors Services Guide and a Sunday steward

St Giles’ has seen many changes since the Scottish Refor- mation of 1559 yet some traces of its pre-Protestant history remain including the names of both the church itself and several of the aisles within it. Although the majority of the current aisles are named for historical figures (Albany, Preston, Moray, Cham- bers) associated with St Giles’ there are three that may seem slightly out of place in a Presbyterian church: St Eloi (patron saint of the “Hammermen” - Edinburgh’s metal smiths) which now houses the Argyll memorial; the Holy Cross aisle in the Robin McCaig north east corner; and the Holy Blood aisle on the western side where the Moray memorial and window are situated. The Holy Blood Aisle The names of these aisles remind us that they were once private chapels maintained by various groups for their own worship. The Holy Blood aisle contained an altar used by the Confraternity of the Holy Blood which was affiliated to the Cult of the Holy Blood based in Bruges. In a chapel in that city is a vial believed to contain the blood of Christ preserved by Joseph of Arimathea after the crucifixion. According to tra- dition the relic was brought back from the Holy Land by a Count of Flanders following the Second Crusade (1147-1149) although modern scholarship suggests it was more likely looted from Con- stantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204. Whatever its origins the blood is still ven- erated in Bruges today and is the centre of an annual procession in which the St Giles’ Confraternity would have participated.

The Holy Blood aisle was built in 1518 filling a gap between “St Anthony’s Aisle” (an area now occupied by the organ) and a door in the south wall. Although the name endures it was largely (if not entirely) rebuilt in the Burn restoration of 1830, but the Confraternity has left us a relic of their own: a banner intended for display during church processions. Known today as the “Fetternear banner” (it was rediscovered in the nineteenth century at Fetternear - a palace of the Bishops of Aberdeen) it is Scotland’s only surviving church banner and is kept by the National Museum of Scotland where, tucked away on a lower Fetternear Banner floor, there is a life-sized image of the banner with a touch screen display (at the time of writing the artefact itself is away for conservation).

Like the Holy Blood aisle the banner dates from around 1520 and is made of linen and elab- orately embroidered with silk thread. It is unusual in being double-sided (the back mirrors the front so that the banner can be viewed from each side) which means double the embroi- dery and thereby double the cost. It bears the arms of Alexander Graham of Fintry one of the Confraternity’s four “kirkmasters” (an elected office responsible for the maintenance of the altar). It is logical to conclude that Graham of Fintry made a gift of the banner, which was most likely crafted in Edinburgh, although it is not his sept’s only connection to St Giles’ - the arms of Graham of Fintry with their distinctive Graham scallop shells, also appear in the window of the Chepman aisle for a descendant of the kirkmaster who attended the funeral Basilica of the Holy Blood of his kinsman Montrose in St Giles’ in 1661 (and who, despite his service to Charles II is Bruges said to have spurned, as a Scots baron, the offered reward of an “English” knighthood).

Vial believed to contain the As their name suggests the practices of the Confraternity of the Holy Blood were blood of Christ tied to Christ’s passion and this is reflected in the principal designs of the banner: the dominant image is of Christ as the Man of Sorrows crowned with thorns and bleeding from myriad wounds. Surrounding it are other depictions of the stages of the Passion including Peter’s sword and the cockerel on the whipping post; Judas with his purse of silver; and the open tomb draped with Christ’s seamless coat and the dice used by the soldiers to determine its new owner.

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Even in 2019 such imagery has not disappeared entirely from St Giles’ - a version of the Arma Christi showing the instruments of the Passion is at the centre of the blue ceiling above the Nave while the front of the Lorimer designed table now in the Preston aisle (beneath a different sort of banner - those of the Thistle Knights) also has angels bearing representations of the stages of the Passion.

A final notable feature of the banner is that it is unfinished and so probably never featured in a procession in Edinburgh, Bruges or anywhere else. The reason for this may be a connection to Gavin Douglas the Provost of St Giles’ from around 1501 (in 1470 St Giles’ became a collegiate church removing it from the direct authority of the Bishop of St Andrews. The Provost was its head). Douglas was a supporter of his nephew, the Earl of Angus, and the “English Party” in Scotland following the Battle of Flodden (1513) and became Bishop of Dunkeld in 1516. In 1521 his faction fell from power and (as commemorated by a plaque on one of the pillars framing the present Sanctuary) Douglas died, of the plague, in exile in London in 1522. The banner includes his arms (with the famous Douglas heart) in an upper corner and it can be conjectured that, despite the money already spent, the Con- Gavin Douglas fraternity of the Holy Blood preferred not to be associated with one no longer in favour with the young King James V or his mother Margaret Tudor.

Christian Aid

A message from Duncan Watson

Christian Aid week this year runs from Sunday 12 until Saturday 18 May. Last year was the first year that, due to a reducing numbers of collectors, we were unable to do a street collection and it seems unlikely that we will be returning this year. If you would be interested in reviving the street collection, however, please get in touch with Duncan Watson (details at the end of this newsletter).

Another opportunity for contributing to Christian Aid week is through the St Andrew’s & St George’s West annual book sale. Now in its 46th year, the book sale raises around £100,000 each year from the sale of books, paintings and photographs.

For the more active, there are fund raising opportunities to be had through sponsored walks across the Forth, Tay or Erskine bridges on Saturday 11 May. The more competitive among you might also want to try and bag all three on the same day! Raising funds for Christian Aid can also be a sociable activity, hosting either a light lunch, afternoon tea or even a “big breckie”.

For information on any of these activities, please see the Christian Aid website at www.caid.org.uk or, again, get in touch with Duncan. The Three Bridges Challenge Saturday 11 May Bethlehem Editor’s comment—Duncan has already convinced (I think that is a polite way of telling me) to join him and take part in the Three Bridg- es Challenge and I am more than happy to fill my car with other ’volunteers’. It will be a long day but something rather different. Several years ago a few of us climbed Lochnagar in support of Christian Aid. At least this challenge is on the flat or at least nearly so in comparison. Have a look at the website and see what you think. However, there will be no excuses for falling asleep during a Ser- mon on the following day.

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CONSECRATION CROSSES and a MEDIEVAL DOODLE

An article submitted by Lynne Gladstone-Millar, a member of the congregation and a knowledgeable en- thusiast on the history of St Giles’

When I was a Steward I was often stationed at the West Door, South Side. Between handing out hymn books, as we did in those days, I used to enjoy pondering on an engraved semi-circle carved into a stone in the wall a few feet away from the book table. What tale did this stone have to tell? Clearly it had originally been a full circle containing a Consecration Cross, but ConsecrationIan Moffat Cross when complete it must have been on a wall nearer the Sanctuary when the Ca- west wall thedral was a much smaller place of worship. Masons were thrifty in those days and did not hesitate to re-use stones for new work. In the Preston Aisle there is an example of a gravestone being re-used in the building of its east wall. Early in the thirteen century the Pope woke up one morning and asked whether all the little churches in Scot- land had been consecrated. The Vatican staff had no idea, so Cardinal Otto drew the short straw and was despatched forthwith to Scotland to find out. The churches had been happily having services, some of them for centuries, but, no, he discovered, they had not been consecrated. Bishop David de Bernham Consequently, Bishop David de Bernham, the Primate at St. Andrews, was bidden to get on his horse and do the needful. He was no slouch. In the next nine years he galloped up and down the country consecrating 140 churches. He was a methodical person, and wherever he went he wrote in the fly leaves of his Pontifical Offices the names of the church and the date, and this manuscript survives in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. A consecration service was not a trivial matter. For it to occur a church had to ensure that not only did they have the necessary crosses, candelabra, holy oil, wine, salt and incense, but the lead on the roof had to be in good orderIrina Vettraino and the building sound. Then for the ceremony at the Consecration Crosses the church had to have Duodecim cruces pictae foris et duodecim intus. Twelve painted (or decorated) crosses outside and twelve inside. These were sometimes simply painted on the walls or were incised as is ours. Although they varied in design and application, they were always done within a circle. The Bishop’s notes After consecrating a hundred churches, the Primate and his retinue came to St. with doodle at the top Giles’. We had apparently satisfied him that we qualified for the ceremony, and thus he recorded in his Offices that he had consecrated St. Egidiee de Edenbgh – St. Giles’ Church, Edinburgh – on the 6th October, 1243. He then had a break before going to Longmormacus in March. Our west wall cross has been dated as 13th century, so it is reasonable to suppose that this is one of the crosses blessed by Bishop David de Bernham in 1243. There are actually two Consecration Crosses in St. Giles’, the one on the west wall and the other one being on the stairs going down to the Lower Aisle. However, the latter is of a later date, possibly when the Cathedral was briefly rededicated as an Episcopal church. The Pontifical Offices have been preserved and have come down to us with an en- dearing Tomdoodle Foggo of a Primate on the first fly leaf page. Who did it? Was it a bored young thirteenth century monk toiling away in the scriptorium? Did he in a mischie- vous moment seize his quill and embellish his manuscript thus? I would like to think so. Consecration Cross Consecration Cross on wall Stairsleading to to Lowerthe Lower Aisle Aisle A technical problem Page 19

Contact Details—April 2019

*Minister: Rev Calum I MacLeod [email protected] *Assistant Ministers Rev Helen Alexander [email protected] Rev Craig Meek [email protected] *Session Clerk Mark Batho [email protected] *Treasurer John P Robertson [email protected] *Business Committee Convener Carole Hope [email protected] *General Committee Convener John Andrew [email protected] *Presbytery Elder Gary Winney [email protected] *Minister’s Secretary Alison Wylie [email protected] *Organists Michael Harris: Master of the Music [email protected] Jordan English: Assistant Organist [email protected] * Phone 0131 225 4363

Beadles 0131 226 0672 David Hall & Alan Foggo [email protected] Finance Office 0131 225 8683 Suzanne Whitehead [email protected]

Neighbourhood Group William Taylor: Convener [email protected] Lesley Elliot: Secretary [email protected] Simon Bolam: Treasurer [email protected] Christian Aid: Duncan Watson [email protected] Edinburgh Clothing Store: Jean Ferris 0131 332 5584 Foodbank: Victor Ashton [email protected] FreshStart:: Carole Hope [email protected] Refugee Welcoming Project: Fiona Graham [email protected]

Heritage and Cultural Department 0131 226 0674 Sarah Phemister—Head of Heritage and Culture [email protected] Stephen Preston—Deputy Head of Heritage and Culture [email protected]

Archivist 0131 225 4363 Kevin Hall [email protected]

Shop 0131 226 0673 Irina Vettraino: Retail Manager [email protected]

Editor 07850 790051 Simon Bolam [email protected]

Cathedral’s Address St Giles’ Cathedral, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1RE 0131 225 4363 www.stgilescathedral.org.uk

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