The Magazine of St. Andrew’s Parish Church Dundee Issue 666 Tuesday 17th December Glasite Hall Relaxed, informal worship, promoting fellowship and Café Opens 7.15pm faith - with coffee and cake! Worship Starts 7.30pm Sunday Service Times Session Clerk December - 10.00am : January - 11.15am Mrs Helen Holden February 10.00am : March - 11.15am Deputy Session Clerk Full details on page 4 Mr Ron Chimiak * Messy Church Finance Co-ordinator Mrs Sheila Valentine Saturday 14th December - 11am - 1pm * Gift Aid Promoters Afternoon Tea & Fellowship Service Mrs Fay Scott Mrs Alison Collins Sunday 15th December - 2pm * Freewill Offering Mrs Audrey Johnston Café Church Tuesday 17th December - 7.15pm Fabric Co-ordinator Mrs Anne Barrowman Church Officer Teas/Coffees Saturdays 10am - 12noon Mr Ron Chimiak Sundays after service Presbytery Elder Girls’ Brigade Mondays 6.30pm -7.45pm Mr Tim Xenophontos-Hellen Scottish Dancing Mondays 7.30pm Roll Keeper Guild alternate Tuesdays 2pm Mrs Evelyn Scanlan Bowling Club Thursday evenings at 7pm Director of Music Gardening Group restarts in spring Ms Ruth Irons Something else happening? Hall Letting Convenor Let the congregation know by including it in Mr Roddy MacKinnon the pre-service slides on Sunday mornings. Safeguarding Co-ordinator Please email information, by Friday at the Mrs Pam Chimiak latest, to Garry Collins Christian Aid Co-ordinator Mrs Lynn Hutchinson Reader Co-ordinator Mrs Merelyn Baxter Sunday Seekers Mrs Sharon Miller Contributions for the next edition are welcome Sunday School/Club Co-ordinators anytime during the coming weeks, Mrs Fay Scott but at the very latest by: Mrs Alison Collins FRIDAY 3rd JANUARY email to [email protected] The November edition of the Wyvern will be Session Meetings for 2020 available for collection by distributors will be intimated in the on Sunday 12th January January Wyvern Cong Ref No - 291743 Scottish Charity No - SC011775 Dear Friends, While children look forward to Christmas with great excitement – as one of the younger girls rightly said at the Girls’ Brigade yesterday evening (25th November), an Advent calendar helps us to “count down to Christmas” – older generations may be more inclined to look back to Christmases past. When I visit families who have had a bereavement, for instance, it is not un- common for their reminiscing to include mention of their Christmas traditions: everyone gathered together, favourite recipes, games played and so on. This can provide a welcome and needed respite from the sadness of their recent loss. Christmas Day for the Holy Family would have been a much more ordinary day if they had not been required by the Emperor to make the long journey south from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Mary would have been surrounded by female relatives, to support and encourage her during the birth and tend to her needs and the infant’s afterwards. Joseph likewise would have had family around him. Arguably the appearance of a perfect baby boy would have put a stop to any speculation as to why he had come along so early in the couple’s relationship. The Bethlehem birth of course fits with the Old Testament – once again, we look back. To the prophet Isaiah: “The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down; but just as new branches sprout from a stump, so a new king will arise from among David’s descendants.” (11:1) To the prophet Micah: “The Lord says, ‘Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.” This verse is the response of the chief priests and teachers of the law to Herod’s question, ‘Where will the Messiah be born?’ In our worship, through the words of scripture and hymns, we shall be reminded of these and other sayings surrounding Christ’s birth, while our prayers will include the concerns of the present and future, for ourselves, our country and our world. And if we are moved to give, or give more, to the Foodbank, or to buy charity cards or Fairtrade gifts, or visit someone who would otherwise be alone and lonely, then we are bringing in a little of Christ’s future Kingdom to our own time. …...continued overleaf 3 …...continued from previous page I am sure you can think of other ways in which to honour the Lord as we look forward to his Advent. And however you will be celebrating Christmas, may the peace of the Christ Child be within and around you. And may God bless you in your spiritual and commercial preparations to honour the coming of our Saviour. Caroline DECEMBER- 10am (unless stated) 8th Mr Tim Xenophontos-Hellen- Christmas Gift Service 15th Rev Caroline Taylor 15th Rev. Caroline Taylor - Afternoon Tea & Fellowship Service - 2pm 22th Mr Tim Xenophontos-Hellen- Christmas Family Service with Sunday Schools 24th Rev. Caroline Taylor - Meadowside St Paul’s - 6.30pm St Andrew’s - 11.30pm 29th Rev. Caroline Taylor - United Service at Meadowside St Paul’s - 11am * JANUARY - 11.15am 5th Rev. Caroline Taylor - Family Communion 12th Mr Tim Xenophontos-Hellen 19th Mr Tim Xenophontos-Hellen 26th Rev. Caroline Taylor For the next few months, any queries or changes you may have regarding the distribution lists for the Wyvern, can I ask you to direct them to Brian Forsyth? My husband is going through a hard time health wise and I really need to be supporting him 24/7. Thanks in advance. Anne H F Lowe 4 Eternal God, from the time of your people Israel to churches today we have built places of worship to honour you and to enable us to gather as one Masons, wrights and slaters have all played their part to create buildings which are functional, beautiful, and inspiring and so we pray for the Three United Trades of our city: for the gift of experience, the development of new technologies and the maintaining of traditional skills, the opportunities for apprentices. Jesus worshipped both in local synagogue and Jerusalem temple opening people’s minds to your Kingdom while and rejecting false worship the extortion by the stall holders in the temple courtyard the large donations made just for show and so we pray that we might truly follow your Son’s teaching. How blessed we are to have a Saviour who walked the earth He might not have worn gloves or a bonnet but his cloak was once the means by which a woman was healed: an ordinary garment worn by an extraordinary person a truer statement of his status than the dyed purple cloak forced on him by his enemies Many were the times he ate at people’s houses no doubt enjoying the finest meat at the home of Simon the Pharisee though no servant came to remove his sandals and wash his dusty feet And in the borrowed upstairs room he held as if precious the bread of the Last Supper before blessing and breaking it Most of what Jesus needed was provided by others like the silver coin he was handed in the presence of his opponents so that he could point out to them that Caesar’s head was there inscribed. Bakers, cordiners, glovers, tailors, bonnet makers, fleshers, hammermen, weavers and dyers: our Nine Incorporated Trades, their symbols representing skills which remain relevant in this digital age and so we pray for the members today and the work that they do We include in our prayers all those who own or work in independent businesses at a time when the internet is a threat to the survival of the high street as it used to be. Ever-living God, may your Spirit guide and inspire us granting us courage and vision in the service of our Lord and our city Let us celebrate the past and all that it taught us while living each day as it comes and with hope for the future through Jesus Christ our risen, reigning Lord; Amen Note from Caroline: this prayer is adapted from the one used on Trades Sunday; last month’s prayer contained a mistake: the patron saint of India is the disciple Thomas, not Andrew. 5 Roddy Taylor 2009 – Our new minister, Janet Foggie wrote “It is a lovely time to join the people of St Andrew’s Parish Church and to be a part of the Friendships and a new family”. She continued, “I have been touched by the warmth of welcome and the many acts of kindness received. May God grant to you all warmth and kindness this festive season”. 1999 – A new banner was displayed in the Glasite hall. The Guild Project included creating a Millennium Banner and Dundee Presbytery was allocated The Book of 1 Chronicles. Our Guild chose to illustrate verse 23 describing ‘There were potters in the service of the King and lived in the towns of Netium and Gederah. A fitting text for our connection with craftsmen and appropriate to honour the work of the potters. 1989 – The Christmas Fayre held on 18th November on a very wet morning with over 70 ‘Fund Raisers’ working behind the counters. At a time when money is becoming tighter St Andrew’s yet again dug deep into their pocket to raise a £3,065. 1979 – The Badminton Club are again arranging an outing to the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh on January 19th to see the pantomime Cinderella, starring Stanley Baxter. Ticket price was £4.50. 1969 – At the morning service of 23rd November Miss Dorothy Doig was installed as captain of D15 Company of the Girls’ Brigade having served successfully as acting captain.