Govan and Linthouse Parish Church Magazine March 2011 G and l Mag Mar 11 Sidelines In Hunan province in China, there is a range of mountains, the Tinamen Mountains. To get there you have to go on the ‘Highway to Heaven’ which is a snaking road, coiling itself up the mountain and rising from 200- 1300 feet from base to summit. If you go by bus or car, you have to stop for the last hundred metres or so, and get out and climb 999 steps, the heavenly ladder. If you survive that, and get to the top, there is a modern Buddhist temple, and an eroded cave entrance, where all that is left is this massive, natural arch in the rock. It is so large, that they have occasionally had air displays where the planes fly through the arch and above the heads of the daily visitors. This arch, the locals believe, is the gateway to heaven. Apparently (I have never been) the views at the top are breathtaking, and people feel that they have a heaven’s-eye view on the rest of the world. Wouldn’t it be good if we could have a heaven’s-eye view on our parish, our efforts, the glaring gaps for which we are responsible, the people we hardly notice, the way in which our church world impacts upon the non-church world - if it does at all. What would it look like? Would there be a view of those things we do well? Could we see where we have been negligent or careless? What would be the heaven’s-eye view of our church in its parish context? Our Presbytery, indeed the whole church, is going through another organisational convulsion. By the year 2014, we need to have reduced the numbers of ministers and parish workers (like the team here in Govan) to 1000 over the whole of Scotland. We cannot afford to pay for more. There are ministers who have retired in the last few years, who can remember when there were 3,500 ministers, not that long ago. In the Presbytery there will be 30 something fewer posts. This does not necessarily mean that another 30 churches will close, but some undoubtedly will. Over the next months or so, we have to know and understand that heaven’s-eye view. It will be important when we come to discuss our parish with the committees. It is even more important for us. Like the road in China, that may involve us in many sharp turns and steep ascents, but we have to know what we are doing and what we are trying to achieve. We have to know where we could do better, and we have to commit ourselves, those who are still fit, to doing it. Some of you, I know, would do more if you could. Some of you are already giving all your time and we are grateful that you do so much. But the time has come to begin a new phase. May God Bless each of you as we look together for the heaven’s-eye view. Moyna Dear friends I hope you all had a blessed start to the New Year. As I mentioned in one of my recent sermons, the origin of the word “January” comes from the Roman mythological figure Janus, the god of beginnings and endings. Most often he is depicted as having two heads, facing opposite directions; one head looks back at the last year while the other looks forward to the New Year. Janus’ simultaneous look into the future and the past inspired the structure of this letter. I would like to write a few words about some of the highlights of 2010 and then I will glimpse into the future of 2011. I started my job as Associate minister in Govan and Linthouse Parish during the Holy Week in April 2010 - soon I will celebrate my one-year anniversary here. It was such a special time to be introduced to the congregation - I will never forget the kind welcome I received from people and the creative Easter services, such as the Good Friday service when we could throw dried flower petals into the shrine. As a team we’ve already begun to plan the theme for this year’s Easter services around a very good film: “the Jesus de Montréal“. Throughout the summer months of 2010 Moyna and I developed four new liturgies for the daily services, each one for a period of three months. In January 2011 we began to use the first liturgy and I am very pleased that everybody seems to enjoy the new format. I think the two different Scripture readings (which always include a gospel passage) enrich the worship at Morning Prayer. My favourite aspects of the new services are the spaces for silence and reflection including the music piece. In my experience the space for silence and reflection is one of the most crucial parts of a Morning Prayer. I encourage everybody to take this time and not to rush through the precious time of devotion, which prepares us for the day and challenges ahead. In autumn 2010 I went to the Godly Play conference. Since then I have made the material for three of the stories and told two of them in context of services. On Christmas Eve I told the nativity story with big figures in Linthouse and last Sunday I told the Parable of the grain of Mustard seed. I used the story of the baptism as part of home visit in order to prepare the family for the sacrament of baptism. In spring 2011 I am organising a Discovery Day where all the leaders of the Youth Organisations and Sunday school leaders can come together and learn more about the Godly Play story telling approach. It might be a model that will help us to enrich and develop the content of our work with young people. May our God of the past, present and future guide us as a Church and servants of Christ through the New Year. May the Father, Son and Holy Spirit surround you with hope, faith and love. Kind regards, Judith I would like to say a huge thanks to all those who helped in any way at the school Christmas services. Both were a huge success and the feedback from the schools has been good. Pirie Park came to Linthouse for their service and did a version of the angry innkeeper which was well done by the pupils. The innkeeper came in his pyjamas (the comments about me not having mine on the Sunday are noted!), and the children did the voice over’s themselves. The children sang well and really enjoyed being part of the service. Prior to the service, the team had gone in and spent a day in the school making Christingles with the children and these were a lovely, bright, addition which lit up the church with their colour. We decided to light only a few though for fear of having the Fire Brigade called out! Some parents stayed after for tea, coffee, and mince pies which was great. A few days later, Govan High came to Govan Cross for their service with around 30 pupils coming. This may not seem a lot but given the attendance on the last day of term, and that the young people had the choice of whether to come or not, it was a good attendance. Again, they seemed to enjoy being part of the service, and took part in singing. The school band accompanied the carols and one young girl gave us a lovely recorder solo. Well done to her because it's not easy to stand in front of people, especially your peers, and do this. After the service the pupils were given lunch provided by the school, and thanks to church folk for being on hand to help serve them this and tea and juice. Before the service, some of the young people had arrived early. As I chatted with them, one girl asked if she could go and see the baby in the manger. Within a few minutes, the group were giving an impromptu nativity! It was great to be part of their telling of the Christmas story and led to a good discussion. These services are wonderful opportunities for young people to engage with church life, as are the visits to Govan Old. They allow us to let the young people see a bit of what our life together is like and to provide a sense of welcome for them into that life. They also allow us to let the young people know that we value them and see our church as firmly part of their heritage. The young people of Govan and Linthouse parish are very accepting of church as an important part of their community, and they are genuinely interested in what we do and offer. Working with them, growing with them, is a privilege, and as we continue to stand alongside them, we pray we can help them find their voice, and their way in life. As a team, we are grateful for the welcome we get from schools, and for the faith they have in us to provide valuable support to them. I know the staff in all our schools in Govan are very committed to the children under their care and in some ways it is a risk for them to bring us in. But we are fortunate to have a good relationship with the schools, and an open invitation to pop in whenever.