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August 2019 Volume 21 Issue 4 www.stmacharsranfurlychurch.org.uk - 1 - Minister’s Letter A talented bunch If you were to list all the skills and In September we’ll be looking at participate in the £2 challenge talents of all of our church the topic of spiritual gifts; or (explained elsewhere). I also hope members, it would be a very long perhaps better called: gifts of the and pray that you will (re-)discover list indeed. We’ve got many Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives the gifts that the Spirit has given people, young and old, believers skills that are to be used you and you will use them for the contributing and using their gifts for the growth of the church. Paul building up of our church and time for the building up of the mentions quite a few in his letters, fellowship. As Paul explained to church – both in a physical and such as in 1 Corinthians 12. These the Corinthians; each one of us is spiritual sense. People visit, listen, are not for our own ‘glory’ but to needed and we all have a calling to give, bake, pray, welcome, read, be used for the building up of the exercise our gifts. sing, plan, fix, create, lead, teach fellowship; and we ourselves are You’ll be surprised to find how God and so on. Without people built up as we use them for one can use you! exercising their gifts and giving another. their time, there would be no So I hope you’ll come along to our Hanneke church. services in September and Guild News Guild Week has been changed this year from them as much as we do. November to 8 - 15th September. This is to allow With this project together we will share our Guilds who meet in the summer to take part. experience of lived stories of isolation and loneliness. Together we will expose these problems and Our Guild is taking part in the Church Service on together we will provide a solution to them. Sunday 8th September and in the afternoon we are having an Afternoon Tea in the Church Hall in aid of Crossreach is the social care arm of the Church of one of the six Guild Projects : Crossreach – Join up Scotland. For the last 150 years we have been the Dots . providing loving Christian care to those who find Crossreach is the social care arm of the Church of themselves in vulnerable circumstances right across Scotland and Join Up The Dots is a partnership Scotland With over 70 services, we provide support between them and The Guild to tackle the problems when and where it is needed from birth to end of life of loneliness and social isolation in Scotland. for people of all faiths and none. We rely on the Tickets are £5.00 and can be obtained from any of generosity of individual supporters and philanthropic the Committee. minded organisations to run many of our services. Please come along and support this very worthy Crossreach’s Join up the Dots project is a truly cause. collaborative partnership between Crossreach and the Guild to tackle the problems of loneliness and CROSSREACH social isolation is Scotland. Through Crossreach’s work nationally in Scotland across all ranges and segments of society. Crossreach comes across problems of loneliness and isolation and their effects on people’s physical and mental wellbeing. We know that you too encounter these problems through your work locally in your own communities and that you want to alleviate Front Cover : Summer Blessings – Photo By Trish Telfer - 2 - The Lych Gate Congratulations to to Ewan Allen who married Rebecca Cox at Airth Castle, Pat and Stanley Falkirk on 25th May. The damp weather did not spoil Chalmers who anyone’s enjoyment of the day.” celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on Saturday 1st June 2019 with all their family at Crieff Hydro. They all had a lovely celebration dinner on the Saturday night and Pat and Stanley were presented with a framed card from the Queen. to Margaret Wharton who married Donald Nicol on Arran on the 8th June. to Jennie Durward who was awarded the BEM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in recognition of her 33 years as a volunteer for Accord Hospice in Paisley. www.stmacharsranfurlychurch.org.uk - 3 - The History of St Machar’s Ranfurly Church. The following document has been And leave the name thou hast before And hence with his name changit he unearthed by Donald Robb from a SAINT MACHAR IN SCOTLAND And called him Maurice, that before pamphlet entitled ST MACHAR AND HIS Lang time to name had Machor Saint Columba then sent Machar to ASSOCIATED CHURCHES originally evangalise the Isle of Mull. He preached Saint Columba and Machar resumed compiled by Maurice L Gaine in Bridge of the Gospel, baptised, and healed the their homeward journey via Tours in Weir in February 1979. sick so successfully that much envy was France, to pay homage at St. Martin’s SAINT MACHAR - AD 540 - 594 aroused amongst his colleagues. Columba tomb. St Martin was held in esteem by Saint Machar is the Diocesan Patron Saint advised Machar to withdraw from Iona the Celtic Church, a 10th century stone of Aberdeen: the Feast Day being and go to the Picts to preach, convert cross to his memory is still standing on observed on 12th November. This short and baptise. A bishop’s staff, Iona within the shadow of Saint pamphlet is intended to publicise the life vestments, holy books, and seven Columba’s Abbey. St. Columba and work of Saint Machar more fully, at companions were Columba’ s parting subsequently resumed his journey least within the Parish of Bridge of Weir. gift: homeward, but Machar continued to Even in the 14th century Saint Machar was In God’s name thou tak on hand reside in Tours, performing episcopal given scant regard: an ancient poem of And pass into far land duties. He never again saw his that age recalls: And preach God’s word alwhere homeland nor the scene of his great But in this land we ken him not To them that in wane truth are (error) ministry on the banks of the Don, for Where he wonder work is wrocht And press thee busily for to win he died and was buried in Tours in Their souls that lyis in sin AD 594, side by side with St. Martin. ARCHDEACON JOHN BARBOUR’S POEM His last words were This ancient poem, probably in legend After three days Machar and his colleagues landed in North Scotland, In manus tuas Domine form, about the life and work of St. My soul I give Machar, comprising over 1600 lines is where a Christian - Farquhar - directed him to a community on a machair that nobly appropriate for a Saint who had recorded in a manuscript now held in the given so much to the early years of the library of Cambridge University. From its is now Old Aberdeen. Machair is the Celtic term for level ground near water. church in Scotland. style dialect and syntax, it was probably The ancient poem explains: ALTERNATIVE HISTORY written by John Barbour between 1395 and 1425. During that period John Saint Machore then thankfully Fenton Wyness, in his book “ Aberdeen - Barbour was Archdeacon of Aberdeen. His gifts took and al the place by City by the Grey North Sea” suggests This metric life of Machar, as with Sought to and fro til he fand that a Saint Mochriecha, a missionary associated references in the Aberdeen A stead til hyme was gaunand from St. Ninian’s monastery at Breviary (1509) and Manus O’Donnell’s ( = suitable) Whithorn visited the Celtic region which “Life of Saint Columba” (1520), are the Besyde a river bank that rane is now Old Aberdeen, in AD450, i.e. a earliest extant documents remaining; Into the sea and lyk was thane century earlier than the ancient poem obviously based on older Latin writings As it a byschopis staf had bene relates. A church was established on a now lost for ever. Certain extracts from Til his disciples can he say machier near the Don at Haughs of the ancient poem will be cited, yet Lo here myn dwellingplace for aye Seaton. Similar churches were set up near these do scant justice to the simple For my master to me can tel machiers on Donside at Invermossat and Corriehoul, and on Deeside at earnest faith, and fascinating panorama And so began the great work of Machar of life included in the poem. Balnagowan. Eventually St Mochrieha amongst the Picts which had a span of became equated with the name Machair, MACHAR’S EARLY LIFE over ten years; and the foundation of the Celtic geographical feature so Saint Machar was a son of Fiachna, a the first St. Machar’s Church. This important in early ages. The author Prince of Ulster and his wife would be a simple rude wood hut but also questions the legend of the Finchoenia. His parents were probably thatched with heather, sited as the river bishop’s pastoral staff likeness of the Christians for Machar was baptised by Don sweeps boldly round in the form of river Don, since the “bachuill mor” Saint Columba who named him a bishop’s crosier: carried by holy men in Celtic times Mocumma or Mochonna ( = My And after that he gart work was simple and bore little resemblance Follower). His infancy was marked by By crafty men a costlyk Kyrk to the elaborate staff of mediaeval Divine Favours.

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