28 inspires NOTICES Appointments Ordinations Resignation BAIN MURRAY ADAM The Rev Andrew Bain to be Rector of St The Rev Sarah Elisabeth Murray Ordained The Rev Dr Andrew Keith Malcolm Adam Anne’s, Dunbar deacon 26 June 2013 at Holy Trinity, Keith from St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow by the Rt Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of BLACKLEDGE Moray, Ross & Caithness. Appointed as HART The Rev Philip Vincent Blackledge to be Diocesan Curate The Rev Professor Trevor Andrew Hart Rector of Holy Trinity, Melrose. from NSM St Andrews, St Andrews REYNOLDS COKE The Rev Katharine Stirling McDonald HOPKINS The Rev Robert Francis Coke to be Priest Reynolds Ordained Priest by the Rt Rev The Rev Ian Richard Hopkins from St in the United Diocese of Moray, Ross and Dr John Armes, Bishop of Edinburgh on Thomas, Corstorphine Caithness. 17 August 2013 in Old Saint Paul’s Church Edinburgh. Appointed as Assistant Curate. HUGHES DIXON The Rev Angela Hughes from Rector at Captain Kerry John Dixon to be Deacon SHAW Holy Rood, Carnoustie and Holy Trinity, Missioner in the Diocese of Brechin The Rev William John Shaw by the Rt Monifeith Rev Dr John Armes, Bishop of Edinburgh DOWNS on 15th September 2013 in St Mary’s STANDEN The Rev Lynsay Marie Downs to be Rector Catherdral, Edinburgh. The Rev Dr David Charles Standen of St James-the-Less, Penicuik and St from Rector St Michael and All Saints, Mungo, West Linton. Edinburgh HART HICKFORD The Rev Professor Trevor Andrew Hart to The Rev Canon Micheal Francis Hickford be Rector of St Andrews, St Andrews from St Ninians, Invergordon Subscription form inspires is produced 4 times per year Name (Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter) and costs £1.50 per copy. You can either subscribe annually or purchase a copy from most Scottish Episcopal Churches. Address Please return this form together with a cheque made payable to The Scottish Episcopal Church to: The General Synod Offi ce, 21 Grosvenor Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 5EE. Postcode Annual Subscription Rates £8 (UK) Signature including postage & packing Date £10 (Overseas) including postage & packing Be inspired today! Magazine of the Scottish Episcopal Church Autumn 2013 £1.50 inspires In this Issue: Births, Deaths and Marriages Fabulous Fonts The Oldest Bedtime story ever Being the Perfect Godfather Dating Strategies For Christians © Creative Commons Andrew Michaels Andrew Commons © Creative inspires Keep up with news from the scottish episcopal Church in between 02 printed editions of inspires, by subscribing to inspires online at www.inspires.org.uk/subscribe 06-07 / Final Journeys spires spires in Editorial Team The Very rev Kelvin Holdsworth Convener, information & Communication Board 14-15 / Being the Perfect Dr rosemary Hannah Godfather Contact details inspires 21 Grosvenor Crescent, edinburgh, eH12 5ee. 0131 225 6357 [email protected] Publisher General synod of the scottish episcopal Church scottish Charity no sC015962 Subscriptions 0131 225 6357 [email protected] 10-11 /Happy Death Advertising Mary Wilkinson 0131 225 6357 [email protected] An audio version of Inspires is available free of charge for those registered blind and partially sighted from the Dumfries Recording Service. For information please contact Andrew Murray at the Dumfries Recording Service, 24 Catherine Street, Dumfries, DG1 1HZ. Tel 01387 253927 The views expressed throughout this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor, nor are they necessarily the offi cial views of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply endorsement of the goods or services. 18-19 / Crafting a Bible for 16-17 / Godly Permission must be sought for any form all Ages, Colours and Creeds of reprinting. Grandmothering? Autumn 03 From the Editor This has been one of the most interesting editions of inspires to put together. The feedback that i’ve been getting from recent issues seems to indicate that people genuinely like having a clear theme linking the articles in an edition together. This magazine takes at its theme Births, Deaths and Marriages – three great transition points. There’s an article from robin angus on how to be a perfect godparent. a refl ection from Christine Mcintosh on what it means to be a grandmother in the church looking on at generations who don’t seem to prioritise anything overtly religious in life. Freda Marshall also writes from the perspective of a grandmother – this time one getting to know grandchildren through social media. Meanwhile, Benjamin Morse writes about his own experience in trying to provide a bible for young children. Turning to marriage, John Mcluckie writes about those getting married for the second time. a young couple write about why they looked to celebrate their own commitment in church rather than anywhere 04-05 / Second Time Around else. Kate sainsbury writes about a certain young woman looking to talk about marriage. and i have a refl ection on what it feels like to be a single person in church wondering whether the church has anything to say to me about dating strategies. ruth innes and Kirstin Freeman both write about their experiences of being with the dying. This is such an important ministry in our church yet one that most people see very rarely. i’m grateful to them for treading so gently on territory that can be so diffi cult. as usual, i’m grateful to all the writers who have contributed to this issue. They touch on gentle points in people’s lives. Points where God sometimes breaks in. i hope you fi nd things here to inspires, provoke, motivate and encourage you. all good wishes KelVin The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth Convener of the Information and Communication Board of the Scottish Episcopal Church 08-09 / A Family Album 04 inspires Second Time Around The Rev John McLuckie is Vice Provost of St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh For a long time, our church struggled condemnation from others and may have to form communities, to deepen our life with the question of whether or not a strong sense that they have failed. In of faith or to face up to evil in our world. divorced people may be allowed to marry this situation, should the church not offer A promise stands for us as a point from again in church. Indeed, it is within living love rather than judgement? Separation which we live, a defining statement of the memory – very painfully for some – that and divorce are difficult and painful person we intend to be and the person our church exercised a similar discipline experiences for all involved and no one others can trust us to be. towards remarried divorced people as is takes the decision to end a marriage lightly. currently exercised in other churches. Our experience, however, is that we As a sacramental state, marriage was When a divorced person then comes to are not always able to live up to these considered indissoluble and those a point when they want to marry again, promises. Sometimes our failure who remarried were held to have put this is also a pastoral opportunity for the to live true to our promise will be themselves beyond the sacramental life church to support a couple setting out the opportunity for us to renew our of the church and were not, therefore, on a new stage in life and to celebrate commitment but, at its most extreme, permitted to receive communion. Our their publicly stated commitment with we sometimes find that we are unable to church now permits the remarriage of them. This may also be an opportunity to continue on the course of life we began divorced people and it is very common meet any pastoral concerns that continue in good faith. For many, the experience for such marriages to be celebrated in from a previous marriage such as the of the breakdown of a marriage is that our churches. So what has changed? Do care of children or a relationship with a the elements that make for a successful we no longer consider marriage to be a former spouse. Our current practice in the ongoing commitment to the promise – lifelong commitment? Episcopal church provides for the pastoral forgiveness, understanding, mutuality, involvement of the bishop whenever a awareness, affection – have been Our marriage liturgy and our canon law divorced person seeks remarriage and unravelling for some time before the final make it very clear that we do, indeed, this offers a further level of discernment breakdown happens. The promises made regard marriage as a lifelong commitment and reflection for those who have been in a marriage are not unilateral. This so where does this leave those of us married before. does not mean that they are completely whose marriages have, for whatever conditional, but that they are dependent reason, failed? There are a number of Some of the main theological issues that on a constant exchange between two ways to respond to this question. Some arise concern the nature of promise and people. Some married people make are pastoral and some are theological. the place of forgiveness in the Christian the painful decision that this exchange life. Publicly stated promises are a vital has broken down the extent that it is Our pastoral concern as a church is to be part of our life of faith and are a point of impossible to continue. Does this not present for people at important moments stability and reassurance in an uncertain compromise the possibility of making of their lives. Those moments can be world. The promises we make are a such a promise again? joyful or painful and some are a mixture reflection on the nature of a God whose of both.