Christmas Tree

Festival Photos by Michael

2 From the Rectory “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people” Dear friends,

After a period of waiting and preparation of Advent, we are entering into a season of celebration of the good news - joy and peace of the birth of the Christ child. Christmas often comes and goes with such force these days that it can take an effort even to recognise the ‘good news’ element of it. There is much to plan for, prepare and do, and at the end of it all some sit back and enjoy the accomplish- ment of a ‘great Christmas’ or exhausted from getting ‘Christmas’ right. A lot of what goes around Christmas have significant meanings for many of us – families coming together, times of fellowship, food, music and sharing gifts. At the centre of it all is the good news. The news that leads us from fear to peace and joy. I hope and pray this Christmas is one where we are led to such experiences of meeting the Prince of Peace and one where we seek to lead those in fear to peace and joy.

Not everyone gets excited about the festivities of the season. For many, it is a challenging time. Loneliness, inadequacy, fear, grief and guilt are some of the experiences of those who find themselves out of place and left alone. The low- liness of the manger, the uncertainties and fear we see in the Christmas story gives us a glimpse of God’s nature and the nature of the hope Emmanuel brings even from the darkest corners of our lives. The message of Christmas, of joy and peace, is indeed for everyone. The Blue service held in our church in the second week of Advent captured this and provided a peaceful space for those who find Advent and Christmas a difficult season for various reasons. You will see further reflections on the Blue service in Pat Ellison’s article in the latter pages of this edition. Our Christmas events started with the Christmas Fair and Christmas Tree Festival,

3 which were organised for the first time in St John’s. Many members of the con- gregation took active roles in preparing for and organising these events. Months of preparation and planning led to a successful weekend. It was wonderful to see families and individuals coming along to the church and spending time. It was a great occasion for an active engagement with the local community – not only of those who came to see the Christmas Tree Festival and the Christmas Fair but also of those from many organisations, charities, schools and many friends who joined together with us in making it all happen. It was particularly encouraging to see that these events led to significant conversations with some guests who visited. Carol James who spearheaded the Christmas Tree Festival has detailed more in this edition. Hop, Skip and Jump nursery has been busy preparing for their Christmas service. It’s been great fun rehearsing a few carols with the children. I look forward to their Christmas party and nativity. The nursery also took a special interest in our efforts to support the local Food Bank’s Christmas Appeal and spread the news to the parents. This contributed to a considerable increase of items in our collec- tion point. The thoughtful move from the nursery staff and the enthusiasm of the parents and their generosity are greatly appreciated. It is worth reminding ourselves that these small efforts are aimed at addressing local poverty.

Looking much wider, we are supporting the Church of South India’s flood relief work in Kerala as part of our global engagement. The collection from this year’s Christmas carol service will be in aid of the efforts of the church in Kerala to re- build lives after the devastating floods a few months ago. The appeal I wrote to the College of Bishops drawing attention to this was circulated throughout the province and several churches have responded with generous contributions. I am pleased that we are joining them and are part of the efforts in making a pos- itive difference in the lives of those in extremely difficult circumstances this Christmas. Keeping children and young people in mind, we are organising a Family Nativity Service on Christmas Eve jointly with the Forres Youth and Family Outreach, a project of the St Leonard’s Church. Again, another first and a lot of unknowns. But I am confident this would be another opportunity to celebrate Christmas and to bring home the message of Christmas to children and young people, hopefully in a language and style accessible to them. This has proved a great opportunity to work closely with other churches in town, a small step in the di- rection of ecumenical co-operation for joint initiatives. There is scope for fur-

4 thering this co-operation, particularly in the area of ministry with children. There are some early thoughts on this subject. So, watch the space! Another development set to start in January is the opportunity of ministry in two of the local care homes. Plans are in place to conduct monthly services in Cathy and Meadowlark care homes. I am encouraged by the warm welcome I have re- ceived in both these places. I look forward to engaging with the residents through these services as we extend St John’s services into the community. Soon we will find ourselves in the New Year, 2019! New opportunities and new challenges await us as we continue our journey with Christ as a community of his disciples. A journey in which there will be continued revelation, as on the epipha- ny of our Lord. May we together as a family of God travel along in this journey, guided by the star of hope, dazzled by the angelic choir and filled with the joy of the sight and presence of Christ child, the Prince of peace! “When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy”.

Every blessing for a joyful Christmas and a blessed New Year. Hamilton.

Flower Sponsorship

It has been suggested (and subject to discussion in Vestry) that people might like to have a loved one or special event remembered by providing flowers for a particular week; a suggested donation might be £20. A signup list could be made available in the back of church for the scheme; if you are a UK Tax payer, you could Gift Aid your donation in a yellow gift aid envelope (marked flower donation). You can remain anonymous with your donation if you so wish and you will also be able to write a short note about your dedication for the maga- zine, this is an example:- Flower Dedication 12th October ~ Trinity 17 Robert and Margaret Menzies Our Wedding Anniversary Schemes like this are used by a number of churches, and helps to increase the churches income with only a small administrative overhead. Hopefully with ves- try approval this scheme could be up and running early in 2019. Comments to the Editor please, of course this scheme would not operate in Advent or Lent.

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6 Mothers’ Union

Our members and friends will be aware that we have been collecting for Mary’s Meals since October 2017. The exciting news is that with our most recent donation to this worthwhile cause, acknowl- edgment reproduced opposite, we have now raised over £1,500 by the generosity of members’ at our monthly meetings, well as at the Tea/Coffee after the 10.00am Sunday Eucharist and 10am Thursday Eucharist. This means that the St John’s Mothers’ Union initiative has allowed 152 extra children to be provided with a hot meal at their schools throughout the third world. Even more excitingly we learn from Daniel Adams, the Execu- tive Director of Mary’s Meals, UK that they have incredible news! From early December until 1 March 2019, donations to our Double The Love appeal are being matched by the UK government, up to f2 million. What a wonderful opportunity to fill even more empty tummies and to share a world of learning and possibility with vulnerable children across Zambia. For so many children in Zambia today, working, begging or foraging for food to survive is a daily reality that eclipses any dreams of attending school. With your kindness, we are keeping the hope of a brighter future alive for the little ones we serve, including10-year-old Eneless. Amazingly, for one so young, Eneless is able to see beyond the daily struggles and is working hard at school, nourished by the simple mug of hot phala (porridge) she enjoys with her classmates each morning. "Porridge makes me powerful and strong because I know it is good for me. I used to be hungry but know when I eat, I feel good and I'm able to learn," says Eneless. Having discovered a passion for learning and the joy of finding out more about the world around her, this little girl now dreams of becoming a teacher herself. "School is important so I can get educated and be able to care for my parents when I am older. My favourite subjects are maths and social studies. I would love to be a teacher, I want to teach primary maths." What a joy it is to hear Eneless talk with such enthusiasm about the hope she finds in the classroom, full of energy provided by the meal your donation is helping to make possible. Thank you for helping Eneless to follow her dream that she will, one day, be the educator of future generations of children in Zambia, sharing the knowledge tomorrow that she is working so hard to gain today. They are thankful to the UK government for their match-funding support which will help their meals go even further and thankful to you for the love and trust you have placed in them. By supporting Double The Love, your church community can transform the lives of chronically hungry children in Zambia, and I pray that many more children like Eneless will come to receive this most amazing gift of a meal every school day. From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of children around the world who are today sitting in a classroom, well -fed and full of hope, thank you for all that you do for Mary's Meals. Daphne Dann

7 Blue Christmas

Pat Ellison, 16 December 2018 Christmas doesn’t work for everyone, Does it, God? St John’s has just delivered a second Blue service, on 14 December 2018. The people who attended came from a wide distance, and from a variety of faith perspectives. All of them responded to the notion of “feeling blue” in Decem- ber, to finding themselves with a sense of loss, or bereavement, or loneliness, or anxiety, as the juggernaut of commercial Christmas rolls over us all. The first time I attended a Blue service was about fifteen years ago, and I was quite sceptical – but not for long. It took place in a huge barn of a church, on a windswept and largely deserted High Street in a ground down town in the north of England. It was getting dark; the church was candlelit; the people attending were largely strangers to one another. With the quiet encouragement of some appropriate words, we began to acknowledge to one another our sense of loss, our grief, and to realise that we were not alone. Others felt the same. And most importantly, to understand that God shares in our grief and we are held in his arms of love. I know how you feel because I know you I know how you feel because I made you You can bring me anything… So to have the burden of grief acknowledged, to be invited to share it with oth- ers, and with God, is a small step towards healing – and to remembering that we are children of God, safe in his love even in our darkness. A prayer O my God When the dark clouds gather over me When my spirits are low when my spirits are low, when my heart is closed to the love of your people, when my eyes are closed to the beauty of your creation – then, Lord, let me feel your arms around me until the light comes again. Andrew Foster

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The blue Service at St John’s with the basket of names of people the congregation were praying for, lighted candles in their memory and sprigs of Rosemary for Remembrance.

9 Christmas Tree Festival Last May, I spoke to the fund-raising committee about the possibility of a Christmas tree festival, to help raise funds for the church. It was agreed that we should try and organise this in conjunction with the Christmas fair. There followed letters to around forty businesses and voluntary groups to explain what a Christmas tree festival is and to ask if they would like to take part in the event and spon- sor a tree. Some were very positive straight away and gave me helpful advice. In the end, we had positive responses from fifteen of them. In the meantime, Kirsteen negotiated with Hopeman Christmas Trees and found us the beautiful Nordmann firs which our sponsors decorated. They all commented on how lovely the trees were. My thanks go to the Knockomie Hotel, Village Greenery, Wright’s Home Hardware, S Bar- bers, The Washington, The Credit Union, Forres Area Community Trust, Forres in Bloom, Forres and Nairn Floral Art Club, 2nd Forres Brownies, 2nd Forres Rainbows, Kinloss Scouts, Kinloss Military Wives’ Choir, 2nd Forres Boys’ Brigade and Forres RSCDS for sponsoring the trees. In addition to the large trees, Christie Elite donated twenty small trees. Although the schools weren’t able to sponsor the full-size trees, they offered to help with the event in other ways. We decided to ask the children from Hop, Skip and Jump Nursery, Anderson’s Primary School and Dyke Primary School to decorate these trees. Small the trees might have been, but the inventiveness in the decorations was incredible. Visitors found them all delightful and said choosing a favourite was impossible. Forres Area Community Trust helped with a press release, and they designed the lovely posters that were distributed throughout Forres, Kinloss and Findhorn. When it came to setting up the church so that the trees could be displayed, and prepar- ing the trees to be decorated, so many people came and helped. From providing the boards, placing them over the pews and covering them, sawing the bottoms off the trees so that they would fit in the stands, lending Christmas tree stands, manning the church and then taking everything down again, it was great supportive team effort. Thank you to everyone who helped in the organisation of this event. You gave your time so generously to make this event a success. A lovely start to the festival on the Friday was when classes P4 and P5/6 from Anderson’s Primary School came and sang Christmas songs, and this brought many visitors into the church. Visitors were asked to vote for their favourite small and big tree and over 220 votes were cast. Many compliments were received throughout the festival and it is still being spoken about. So many people came specially to see the decorated trees. The winners of the favourite trees will be announced at the Nativity Service on 24th De- cember at 4.00. When all the trees were in the church with their decorations and we were ready to open

10 the doors for the event, it was quite an emotional moment for me. The trees were deco- rated in the most imaginative and creative ways. At times it had seemed like there were so many obstacles to overcome, but it all came together and we put on something a bit different. Will we do this again? Well, we know a lot more about how to do it now, but it is perhaps something to do occasionally, not every year. Carol James

Booking Essential—see church notice board for more details or ask Michael for a copy of the flyer and booking form

11 The birds in your garden

Have you heard Tawny Owls calling near you? Although their distribution has changed little over the last 40 years, Breeding Bird Survey data suggest that their population is declining. To confirm this the BTO is running a survey for all to take part in. https:// www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/project-owl/tawny-owl-calling-survey. It is de- signed as an on-line project to keep costs down, but if you don’t have a com- puter or smart-phone, maybe a relative or neighbour has. By listening out for Tawny Owls in your garden you could help the BTO under- stand their calling behaviour and distribution, and discover the impact of urban- isation and artificial lighting. So far over 8,500 people have registered for the Calling Survey, so they’re well on the way to their 10,000 target. It's easy to take part - just listen for 20 minutes during at least one evening be- tween now and 31 March 2019. You can listen from your garden, local park or woodland. You can even listen whilst lying in bed with the window open! All your records are valuable: the BTO is particularly keen on knowing about zero counts, because where owls aren’t is as important as where they are! If you enjoy taking part, you can keep going: the more weeks you can listen the better. Gaps between weeks don't matter. But did you know that a Tawny Owl doesn’t really call "twit twoo"? The "twit" or more accurately "ke-wick" is a contact call and the "twoo" or again more accu- rately "hoo-hoo-oooo" is the male's territorial call. Consequently, if you hear "ke -wick hoo-hoo-oooo" it is most likely a male answering a female. If you are not sure what a Tawny Owl call sounds like, there are recordings on the BTO web- site. You can listen out any time between sunset and midnight. If you hear a Tawny Owl outside the survey period, you can record that too. Just enter your results online, though if you'd prefer to do so on paper, you can, by emailing [email protected] or phoning 01842 750050. Tawny Owls prefer nesting in woodlands, but will also breed in larger rural and suburban gardens. Our most familiar owl, it is found throughout mainland Brit-

12 ain, and its hooting can be heard from late autumn right through the winter months, underlining that this is a species that breeds early in the year. They tend to be localised, as their need for suitable tree cavities or nest boxes for breeding will limit their numbers, and young birds don’t go far afield, most only moving a few kilometres to find a territory. Established pairs remain on their breeding territory all year and are very protec- tive of it, as it helps them find prey in years when small mammal numbers are low. It is defended with territorial calls which are often backed up with visual dis- plays. Territorial activity increases in early autumn, when young birds seek to es- tablish territories of their own, and continues into late winter. The first eggs can be laid in February, though most birds will not start laying un- til mid-March or later. Incubation starts with the first egg, leading to asynchro- nous hatching – a strategy which increases the survival chances of at least some chicks if feeding conditions prove challenging. Although Tawny Owls feed mostly on small mammals, mice and voles, they will also take small birds, amphibians, large insects and earth- worms – the latter from short grass on damp nights, when the worms are forag- ing above ground. They have even been known to take goldfish from garden ponds and bats emerging from their roosts. Good luck! And I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Mike Gray Tawny Owl photograph by Jill Packenham

13 Thank You Glenda and Patrick wish to thank the folk at St. John’s for their prayers and practical help, dur- ing this past year while Glenda has been under treatment for Breast Cancer. She has been doing very well in her recovery, and while not yet out of the woods, hopefully she is begin- ning to emerge. Thank you also to those who signed the card and were also able to be pre- sent in the Church Hall, after the 10am service on the 4th November, for the coffee and cake celebration for our Golden Wedding which took place while we were on holi- day near to the end of Octo- ber—and a special thank you to Gillian, for the delicious cake. Please remember Glenda in your prayers as she continues her ongoing recovery.

Thank you all

Glenda and Patrick

14 Mary Sets out for Bethlehem

Dawn unbuttons the morning’s soft unfold And bundles darkness into waiting bed; An early breeze shivers new drops cold And shakes awake sleepers whose dreams have fled; The sunlight steals up Nazareth walls of old while I prepare for my journey ahead

To Bethlehem this day I shall set out, Joseph my betrothed will be my escort; My time is near, my body leaves no doubt Though angels my motherhood will support. At Bethlehem the birth will come about Of which the prophet in his wisdom taught.

I’ll hear no more tut-tutting in the street At my condition that I cannot hide. So light hearted we packed our provisions neat, And I mount my donkey, ready to ride, Singing on my way:

“I’m a maid of Galilee More Comely than others be My face is perfect fair And more lustrous is my hair I walk about queenly proud Beyond Compare in the crowd But I am God’s favoured choice Wherein I humbly rejoice Being now obedient As his willing instrument Within me is strangely wrought Salvation the world has sought.”

Poem by John Scott

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Worship at St. John’s Church Forres Every Sunday, 10.00am Sung Eucharist using the 1982 All are welcome … Scottish Episcopalian Liturgy Every Sunday, 10.00am here’s what to expect and readings from the Scottish SungEpiscopal Eucharist Lectionary. There is usingusually the 1982 a Youth Scottish Fellowship Episco- gath- palianering Church a Sunday Liturgy School and for readingsyounger from children the Scottish Epis- copalian Liturgy. There is nor- The service is followed by Tea/ mally a short sermon and we Coffee and Fellowship for all in also have a Sunday School for Every Sunday, 8.00am Said Eucharist our Parish Hall. Using the 1970 Scottish Episcopal Liturgy younger worshipers. The service and readings from the 1929 Scottish Prayer is followed by fellowship Book, for those who like a more traditional sermon and singing free. service.

Wednesday Evenings. 7.30pm Youth Fellowship an opportunity for younger members to enjoy fellowship in the luxuri- ous refurbished parish room or a parishion- er’s home, fun, laughter and discussion to help us feel closer to God.

Second Tuesday of the Month 2pm Mothers’ Union an opportunity for more mature (men and women) to enjoy some fellowship in the luxurious refurbished par- ish room or a parishioner’s house, fun, laughter and discussion to help us feel closer to God. 16

Every Sunday, 10.00am Sung Eucharist using the 1982 Scottish Episcopalian Liturgy Every Sunday, 10.00am and readings from the Scottish SungEpiscopal Eucharist Lectionary. There is usingusually the 1982 a Youth Scottish Fellowship Episco- gath- palianering Church a Sunday Liturgy School and for readingsyounger from children the Scottish Epis- copalian Liturgy. There is nor- The service is followed by Tea/ mally a short sermon and we Every Thursday, 10.00am Said Eu- Coffee and Fellowship for all in also have a Sunday School for charist using the 1970 Scottish Episco- our Parish Hall. younger worshipers. The service palian Church Liturgy in our smaller and is followed by fellowship more intimate Lady Chapel . The service is usually followed by tea & coffee and many worshippers stay on for the Bible Study and Prayer Group

Every Thursday, 11.00am Bible Study and Prayer Group an opportunity to share thoughts and listen to others as we reflect on the readings and other aspects of our Christian Faith. In the intimate surroundings of our Lady Chapel, we share prayers & contem- plation

First Tuesday of the Month 7pm Book Club meeting at 7pm in a pa- rishioner’s home to discuss a book read recently by club members. 17 Mary Celebrates Epiphany

In my arms I’ll lift you high First to Jew, then next to Gentile I pray that both will reconcile, Now I’ll nurse your tiny cry

Playful in my care you’ll be And I’ll raise you a godly man Beholder to God’s saving plan, Though your time is brief with me

I dandle you on my knee And sing you my sweetest lullabies To calm your fret and close your eyes, Love for you must perfect be

Of sin your life will be free Earthly passions you must forgo God’s love for mankind you will show Oh my child, remember me

Infant glee you’ll share with me But when manhood’s state you reach Men will marvel at what you preach “That God’s work is seen in me!

My dear son, do I forsee Your earthly kingdom has no throne, And your death on a hill alone Victim of iniquity?

My child your flesh is of me But your spirit comes from the Lord To lead us with one accord To mark your Epiphany

Poem by John Scott

18 Good King Wenceslas

Good King Wenceslas is a Christmas carol that tells a story of a Bohemian king go- ing on a journey and braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (December 26th, the Second Day of Christ- mas). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step for step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia or Svatý Václav in Czech (907–935). The name Wenceslas is a Latinised version of the old Czech lan- guage "Venceslav".

(Saint) Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav [ˈvaːtslaf] Václav the Good was the duke (kníže) of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935. His Wenzeslaus, probably by Peter Parler, younger brother, Boleslaus the In St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Cruel, was complicit in the murder.

His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his elevation to sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and came to be seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known "Good King Wenceslas", a carol for Saint Stephen's Day.

Wenceslaus was the son of Vratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia from the Přemyslid dynasty. His grandfather, Bořivoj I of Bohemia, was converted to Christianity by Saints Cyril and Meth- odius. His mother, Drahomíra, was the daughter of a pagan tribal chief of the Havelli, but was baptized at the time of her marriage. His paternal grandmother, Ludmila of Bohemia, oversaw his education and, at an early age, Wenceslas was sent to the college at Budeč.

19 In 921, when Wenceslas was about thirteen, his father died and his grandmother became regent. Jealous of the influence that Ludmila wielded over Wenceslas, Drahomíra ar- ranged to have her killed. Ludmila was at Tetín Castle near Beroun when assassins mur- dered her on September 15th, 921. She is said to have been strangled by them with her veil. She was at first buried in the church of St. Michael at Tetín, but her remains were later removed, probably by Wenceslas, to the church of St. George in Prague, which had been built by his father.

Drahomíra then assumed the role of regent and immediately initiated measures against the Christians. When Wenceslas came of age, he took control of the government. He in- troduced German priests, and favoured the Latin rite instead of the old Slavic, which had gone into disuse in many places for want of priests. To prevent disputes between him and his younger brother Boleslav, they divided the country between them, assigning to the latter a considerable territory.

His Reign—After the fall of Great Moravia, the rulers of the Bohemian duchy had to deal both with continuous raids by the Magyars and the forces of the Saxon duke and East Frankish king Henry the Fowler, who had started several eastern campaigns into the adja- cent lands of the Polabian Slavs, homeland of Wenceslas's mother. To withstand Saxon overlordship, Wenceslas's father Vratislaus had forged an alliance with the Bavarian duke Arnulf, a fierce opponent of King Henry at that time. The alliance be- came worthless, however, when Arnulf and Henry reconciled at Re- gensburg in 921.

In 924 or 925, at about the age of 18, Wenceslas assumed leadership of the government and had his mother Dra- homíra exiled. He then defeated a rebellious duke of Kouřim named Radslav. He also founded a rotunda consecrated to St. Vitus at Prague Castle in Prague, which exists as pre- sent-day St. Vitus Cathedral.

Early in 929, the joint forces of Duke Arnulf of Bavaria and King Henry I the Fowler reached Prague in a sudden attack that forced Wenceslas to re- sume the payment of a tribute first imposed by the East Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia in 895. Henry had Wenceslaus' assassination: the duke flees from his brother (with sword) to a church, but the priest closes been forced to pay a huge tribute to the door. (Gumpold von Mantua, 10th century)

20 the Magyars in 926 and needed the Bohemian tribute, which Wenceslas probably refused to pay after the reconciliation between Arnulf and Henry. Another possible reason for the attack was the formation of the anti-Saxon alliance between Bohemia, the Polabian Slavs, and the Magyars.

His Murder—In September 935, a group of nobles allied with Wenceslas's younger broth- er Boleslav plotted to kill him. After Boleslav invited Wenceslas to the feast of Saints Cos- mas and Damian in Stará Boleslav, three of Boleslav's companions, Tira, Česta, and Hněvsa, fell on the duke and stabbed him to death. As the duke fell, Boleslav ran him through with a lance.

According to Cosmas of Prague, in his Chronica Boëmorum of the early 12th century, one of Boleslav's sons was born on the day of Wenceslas's death. Because of the ominous circumstance of his birth, the infant was named Strachkvas, which means a dreadful feast. There is also a tradition that Saint Wenceslas's loyal servant Podevin avenged his death by killing one of the chief conspirators, but was executed by Bolesl.

Veneration—Wenceslas was considered a martyr and saint immediately after his death, when a cult of Wenceslas grew up in Bohemia and in England. Within a few decades, four biographies of him were in circulation. These hagiographies had a powerful influence on the High Middle Ages concept of the rex justus (righteous king), a monarch whose power stems mainly from his great piety as well as his princely vigour. Referring approvingly to these hagiographies, the chronicler Cosmas of Prague, writing in about the year 1119, states:-

But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in his Passion, no one doubts that, rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms gen- erously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.

Several centuries later this legend was asserted as fact by Pope Pius II..

Although Wenceslas was only a duke during his lifetime, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I posthumously "conferred on [Wenceslas] the regal dignity and title", which is why he is referred to as "king" in legend and song.

The hymn "Svatý Václave" (Saint Wenceslas) or "Saint Wenceslas Chorale" is one of the oldest known Czech songs. Tracing back to the 12th century, it is still among the most popular religious songs. In 1918, at the founding of the modern Czechoslovak state, the song was discussed as a possible choice for the national anthem. During the Nazi occupa- tion, it was often played along with the Czech anthem.

Wenceslaus' feast day is celebrated on September 28th . On this day celebrations and a pilgrimage are held in the city of Stará Boleslav, while the translation of his relics, which took place in 938, is commemorated on March 4th. Since 2000, the September 28th feast

21 day is a public holiday in the Czech Republic, celebrated as Czech Statehood Day.

In legend— According to legend, one Count Radislas rose in rebellion and marched against King Wenceslas. The latter sent a deputation with offers of peace, but Radislas viewed this as a sign of cowardice. The two armies were drawn up opposite each other in battle array, when Wenceslas, to avoid shedding innocent blood, challenged Radislas to single combat. As Radislas advanced toward the king, he saw by Wenceslas side two an- gels, who cried: "Stand off!" Thunderstruck, Radislas repented his rebellion, threw himself from his horse at the Saint's feet, and asked for pardon. Wenceslas raised him and kindly received him again into favour.

A second enduring legend claims an army of knights sleeps under Blaník, a mountain in the Czech Republic. They will awake and, under the command of St. Wenceslaus, bring aid to the Czech people in their ultimate danger. There is a similar legend in Prague which says that when the Motherland is in danger or in its darkest times and close to ruin, the equestrian statue of King Wenceslaus in Wenceslaus Square will come to life, raise the army sleeping in Blaník, and upon crossing the Charles Bridge his horse will stumble and trip over a stone, revealing the legendary sword of Bruncvík. With this sword, King Wen- ceslaus will slay all the enemies of the Czechs, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. Ogden Nash wrote a comic epic poem—"The Christmas that Almost Wasn't", loosely based on the same legend—in which a boy awakens Wenceslaus and his knights to save a kingdom from usurpers who have outlawed Christmas.

Legacy—Wenceslaus is the subject of the popular Saint Stephen's Day (celebrated on December 26th in the West) Carol, "Good King Wenceslas". It was published by John Ma- son Neale in 1853, and may be a translation of a poem by Czech poet Václav Alois Svo- boda. The usual American English spelling of Duke Wenceslas' name, Wenceslaus, is occa- sionally encountered in later textual variants of the carol, although it was not used by Neale in his version. Wenceslas is not to be confused with King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia (Wenceslaus I Premyslid), who lived more than three centuries later.

An equestrian statue of Saint Wenceslaus and other patrons of Bohemia (St. Adalbert, St. Ludmila, St. Prokop and St. Agnes of Bohemia) is located on Wenceslaus Square in Pra- gue. The statue is a popular meeting place in Prague. Demonstrations against the Com- munist regime were held there. His helmet and armour are on display inside Prague Cas- tle.

The Carol—In 1853, English hymn writer John Mason Neale wrote the "Wenceslas" lyrics, in collaboration with his music editor Thomas Helmore, and the carol first appeared in Carols for Christmas-Tide, 1853. Neale's lyrics were set to the melody of a 13th-century spring carol Tempus adest floridum ("The time is near for flowering") first published in the 1582 Finnish song collection Piae Cantiones. John Mason Neale published the carol Good King Wenceslas in 1853, although he may have written his carol some time earlier, since he carried on the legend of St Wenceslas (the basis of this story) in his Deeds of Faith (1849). Neale was known for his devotion to High Church traditions. According to older

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Czech sources, Neale's lyrics are a translation of a poem by Czech poet Václav Alois Svo- boda, written in Czech, German and Latin.

Academics tend to be critical of Neale's textual substitution. H. J. L. J. Massé wrote in 1921:

Why, for instance, do we tolerate such impositions as "Good King Wenceslas?" The original was and is an Easter Hymn...it is marked in carol books as "traditional", a delightful word which often conceals ignorance. There is nothing traditional in it as a carol.[

A similar sentiment is expressed by the editors (Percy Dearmer, Martin Shaw and Ralph Vaughan Williams) in the 1928 Oxford Book of Carols, which is even more critical of Neale's carol. This rather confused narrative owes its popularity to the delightful tune, which is that of a Spring carol...Unfortunately Neale in 1853 substituted for the Spring carol this Good King Wenceslas, one of his less happy pieces, which E. Duncan goes so far as to call "doggerel", and Bullen condemns as "poor and commonplace to the last de- gree". The time has not yet come for a comprehensive book to discard it; but we reprint the tune in its proper setting...not without hope that, with the present wealth of carols for Christmas, Good King Wenceslas may gradually pass into disuse, and the tune be restored to spring-time.

Elizabeth Poston, in the Penguin Book of Christmas Carols, referred to it as the "product of an unnatural marriage between Victorian whimsy and the thirteenth-century dance carol". She goes on to detail how Neale's "ponderous moral doggerel" does not fit the light-hearted dance measure of the original tune, and that if performed in the correct manner "sounds ridiculous to pseudo-religious words;" a similar development has arisen with the song O Christmas Tree, whose tune has been used for Maryland, My Maryland, The Red Flag, and other non-related songs.

Article from Wikipedia, stamps from Editor’s Col- lection,

23 1,080 years further on Yes, no doubt church will be filled over Christmas and the walls echo once again to the sound of the carols. But spare a thought for those less fortunate in our affluent country over Christmas. St. John’s Mothers’ Union continue to provide a box at the back of the church (often hidden behind the font) for non-perishable food donations to support the Moray Food Bank

The Trussell Trust says not only was December the busiest month for foodbanks last year, but year on year December figures are rapidly increasing, as it prepares for its busiest Christmas yet

New data released today shows December was the busiest month for foodbanks last year. During December 2017, The Trussell Trust’s network provided 159,388 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis; 65,622 of these went to children. This is a 49% increase on the monthly average for the 2017-18 financial year.

The figures reveal the year on year need for foodbanks in December is increasing steeply – the number of food supplies given to people mark a 10% rise from December 2016 when 144,677 were given out.

The charity expects a further rise this year, with increasing levels of foodbank use earlier in the year setting this December up to be the busiest month for foodbanks recorded. As

24 demand increases in the run up to Christmas, The Trussell Trust is asking supporters to donate as early as possible in December to help alleviate pressure from volunteers during its busiest time of the year.

The Trussell Trust says colder weather heaps pressure onto people already in crisis during the winter, increasingly families unable to cover the basic costs of living such as heating bills, food and other essentials.

The inability of benefit levels to cover essential living costs and issues with payments re- main the most common reasons for referral to a foodbank. It adds that the minimum five week wait for a first Universal Credit payment, experienced by those moving onto the new benefits system, has only made matters worse. The Trussell Trust’s chief executive Emma Revie said:

“Christmas is supposed to be a time for joy but what we’re seeing is the festive period becoming increasingly stressful for more and more people across the country. Our bene- fits system is supposed protect us all from being swept into poverty – but what we’re seeing is people struggling to heat homes and put food on the table because they simply cannot afford the basics anymore and that just isn’t right.

“We know it doesn’t have to be like this. In the short-term we’re urging the public to do- nate generously during the first part of December and into the new year, as unfortunately the need for foodbanks is not going to end after Christmas.

“Ultimately, it’s unacceptable that anyone should have to use a foodbank in the first place. We do not want to be here in the long-term, continuing to pick up the pieces. That’s why we’re urging the Government to ensure benefits payments reflect the cost of living and reduce the waiting time for Universal Credit to help ensure we are all anchored from poverty.”

The Trussell Trust has launched its Christmas campaign to help raise funds to support its network of foodbanks. The charity relies on voluntary donations to support its network of foodbanks to provide essential emergency food, offer additional support to tackle the underlying causes of someone’s crisis, and campaign for change to structural drivers of foodbank use. You can donate to the campaign here.

To find information on what items of stock are most needed at individual foodbanks in The Trussell Trust’s network, find their website via https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/ find-a-foodbank/ and click on the links to “Give help”/”Donate food”.

During December 2017, The Trussell Trust’s network provided 159,388 three-day emer- gency food supplies to people in crisis; 65,622 of these went to children.

This is a 49% increase on the monthly average for the 2017-18 financial year, which was 106,872 three day supplies to people. During December 2016, The Trussell Trust’s network provided 144,677 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis; 60,067 of these went to children. The Trussell Trust is here to end hunger and poverty in the UK. We sup-

25 port a network of 428 foodbanks, operating out of more than 1200 centres across the UK. It takes more than food to end hunger. We do three things: support our network to pro- vide emergency food to people referred; help foodbanks provide additional support to resolve the cause of foodbank referral; and bring together the experiences of hundreds of communities on the frontline to challenge the structural issues that lock people in pov- erty. They are campaigning for long-term change so everyone can see a future without the need for foodbanks.

The data is collected using a live online system into which foodbanks enter data from each foodbank voucher, and the number of three day emergency food supplies (containing enough food for 10 meals) is recorded, along with the reason for referral. Trussell Trust figures cannot be used to fully explain the scale of foodbank use across the UK, because our figures relate to foodbanks in our network and not to the hundreds of independent food aid banks. Research suggests that Trussell Trust foodbank centres ac- count for roughly two-thirds of all emergency food banks in the UK.

In Moray the food bank has been forced to close one of its bases – to pool its resources to meet growing demand.

The region’s only food bank is experiencing its busiest ever year, with families struggling to cope with the roll-out of Universal Credit.

Now the team has decided to close its storehouse in Keith to enable them to cope with the influx of referrals from their headquarters in Elgin.

The storehouse managed all the referrals for the town, but stock levels have depleted so much that the team decided to consolidate it all in one place.

Chairwoman Kathy Ross stressed the move does not mean families in the Keith area will now have to travel to Elgin to receive their food parcels. Gillian Pirie, volunteer develop- ment officer at Moray Foodbank, said:

This time last year I started out as a volunteer and I have personally seen the difference in that time – from the rise in food referrals to the low levels of stock due to the high de- mand. The reasons for the increase in demand lately has mainly been the roll out of Uni- versal Credit [UC], with payments taking up to five weeks, possibly more, depending on circumstances. People are finding it hard to spread their money out and pay bills as well as put food on the table.

We find the demands on food banks increase at Christmas due to children being at home in the holidays increasing the family food bills. The roll out of UC around this time will mean some payments for UC won’t be paid till after Christmas.

Helping those in need Moray Foodbank has helped feed more people so far this year than throughout the whole of last year, supplying 2,875 people in 2018 compared to 2,759 last year.

26 Many of those are repeat customers, as the figures show a drop in the number of referrals from 1,929 last year to 1,428 this year.

The introduction of community larders in various localities throughout the region has also helped with the reduction of referrals.

Overall, food bank use in Moray increased by almost 20% in the last year while statistics for the whole of Scotland also experienced a stark rise with numbers increasing by 15%.

Those figures were supplied by the Trussell Trust, who run a network of over 420 food banks across the UK.

Food bank providers blamed government cuts for the rise, claiming the increase is largely due to the in-built minimum wait of five weeks for a first payment for those put on Universal Credit – with many more people forced to wait even longer than five weeks.

More than three quarters of re- spondents in a survey, run by Unite the Union, of over 1,000 Universal Credit claimants said that they had been put into debt, or pushed further into debt by UC with some forced to use food banks to survive as well as bor- rowing from friends and family.

Please support this worthwhile outreach by Daphne Dann and the other members of the Moth- ers' Union

Press release from the Trussell Trust 27th November 2018 and article in the Press and Journal 30th November 2018

Please continue to support the food bank initiative of our Mothers’ Union, especially over the holiday period when Food- bank usage increases.

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28 NOTICES

Ron Fleming—as this edition went to press, the sad news of the death of {Father} Ron Fleming was announced by Julian. Ron died on the 16th December. He was a canny St JOHNS man, a real gentleman, a quiet man of integrity and it was a personal honour and privilege to know him in his NOTICES final years. Thoughts and Prayers are proffered to Bar- bara and all his family at this sad time.

Facebook—The Scottish Episcopal Church posted a daily calendar during Advent of reflections. Meghan Philp (a member of St John’s Youth Fel- lowship) presented the posting on the 15th December with the following words address- ing the social inequality issue of Period Poverty:-

The provincial youth committee has been discussing how we want to address social ine- qualities. One of our commitments is to challenge so called Period Poverty. We think it is appalling that whilst taxes are discounted for many other hygiene products, period prod- ucts still carry an extra tax because they are classed as luxury products.

We welcome the Scottish Governments move this year to give free products to students, but we don’t feel this goes far enough. We are therefore reaching out to the government to make clear our concerns, as well as reaching out to our churches to ensure we are collectively addressing this.

Jesus shows us that by doing what we can to challenge injustice we are living in his im- age. Our faith guides us to speak out when we see inequality, and we are pretty sure Jesus himself would support that.

Fundraising events—On top of the £1,035 raised at the Christmas Fair on a very wet day, the additional sales after the event raised a further £158.68 which makes the grand total at the time of going to press of £1,205.38. The October Coffee morning at St Leonard’s raised £623.10.

The Christmas Tree Festival which was the brainchild of Carol James, raised £265 in tree sponsorship and a further £97.21 in donations and £25 from sales of the Christmas Trees, making a total of £387.21. The total raised this weekend is £1592.59 of which £62 is gift aided and will add a further £15 to the net total for church.

A very big thank you to everyone who have helped with these events.

Remembrance Sunday and Blue Service Retiring Collections—The retiring collection at the Remembrance Sunday service raised £85 for the Poppy Scotland Appeal. The retiring collection at the Blue Service on the 14th December raised £50, £25 for Mary’s Meals and a further £25 for Church Funds. The Plough concert on the 24th November also raised £100 for Church Funds.

29 Christmas Eve—Nativity Service at 4pm for Children and Families

Christmas Eve—Midnight Mass at 11.30pm the Blessing of the Crib and Midnight Eucha- rist.

Christmas Day—Family Eucharist at 11am

Thursday 27th December—Sung Eucharist at 6pm for the Feast of St John the Evangelist. (Patronal Festival)

Sunday 6th January 2019—In addition to the nor- mal 8am and 10am Eucharists, there will be a Choral Evensong at 6pm for the Feast of the Epiphany. Please note that the Sermon at the Choral Evensong service will be given by Dean Alison Simpson.

Book Club - are currently reading Excellent Wom- en by Barbara Pym. Their next meeting will be at 7pm on Tuesday 8th January 2019 at 4 Leslie Place, Forres

The next edition of Eagle will be available in church from Sunday 24th February 2019 with articles to the editor by 9pm on the previous Sunday

Your editor and webmaster is Michael Ellison, who can be contacted :- St. Crispin’s, 9 South Street, Forres IV36 1DE Email [email protected] Telephone 07932 000398 The editor would like to thank all the members of our congregation who have contribut- ed articles for this edition and also thank all for your kind words of sponsorship, support and encouragement for the previous editions Many thanks, Michael

Our Priest in Charge’s contact details are:- The Reverend Dr. Hamilton Inbadas The Rectory, Victoria Road, Forres, IV36 3BN Telephone 01309 672856 Email [email protected]

Our website is www.stjohnsforres.org.uk, where you will find details of our services and other events and also a full colour copy of Eagle Scottish Charity Number SC010346 30 Christmas Fair Photos by Michael

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‘I Saw Three Ships... ♫come sailing in....on Christmas Day in the morning ♫…’ Reproduced with thanks to the artist ~ Jacqueline Hurley

Front Cover The Shepherds visit the Baby Jesus From William Hole’s Life of Jesus of Nazareth

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