www.kiltarlityandkirkhill.org.uk Kiltarlity and Wardlaw Churches FROM THE INTERIM MODERATOR Dear friends, “Hurry up please it’s time.” I’m not in pubs as often as some but I’ve actually never heard that line. I’ve heard bells go, and barmen saying “Time, gentlemen and ladies,” but not precisely “Hurry up please it’s time” – a line in a poem by T.S. Eliot, “The Wasteland.” The question which lingers in the poem is whether time means anything to us. “The days are getting shorter.” “This year has rushed past.” “They’re growing up before our eyes.” “You blink and you miss it.” “I’ll be glad when this year is over.” All these sorts of phrases tumble out, but T. S. Eliot was asking, how might we better measure out our days ? What might we use our time for ? In one perspective we are but an indistinguishable flash against a backdrop of almost unimaginable billions of years. In another, however, the perspective which we work with is this hour or this day – and if we stop to think about it, what are we doing with this time that is ours ? I don’t want to plunge anyone into despair – though T.S. Eliot’s poem, written in 1922, was not full of hope – but rather to reflect that every new day is a gift to us ! That requires a bit of directed work on our part. Not only can we get up on the wrong side of the bed, so to speak, but we do allow ourselves sometimes to go through days, even months and years, rather more full of complaints and cynicism and dark thoughts than with thankfulness in our hearts. It needs work on our part to be thankful ! To see beauty around us; to treasure kindness; to forgive those who cause us pain or disappointment; to trust in God even, or I might say especially, in the experience of great trial or torment. Can I encourage you to work at thankfulness and thanksgiving ? As I work at it, I believe prayer is key. One thing prayer is about is stopping, stopping from just rushing around, just filling our days, just being taken over by everything that happens. We stop to pray because the truth is that God loves us ( how, why, what for – that follows on ! ) We stop from only rushing around to know the truth that we are given time not always to be doing but just to be ( and how much society, modern life needs people to be able to stop and talk ! ) We stop to pray lest we enter in on all that life will throw up for us without protection ( for we need more than our own resources, every one of us ! ). Hurry up, please ? I offer it to you in this sense: you and I can take time to pray, regularly (“continually” is the advice in the Bible: I Thessalonians 5: 16-17), and the sooner we do it, the better. With all good wishes, Peter The Bible is meant to be bread for our daily use, not just cake for special occasions. Anon The Parishioner Newsletter Issue 69 – November 2013 Page 1 of 24 www.kiltarlityandkirkhill.org.uk KNOX WOULD BE UNIMPRESSED BY WOMEN IN KEY CHURCH ROLES SAYS MODERATOR The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland believes John Knox would be "not very impressed" by the participation of women in key church roles today. Speaking recently in an interview with BBC History website, the Rt Rev Lorna Hood says Knox was "hugely important" to the Church of Scotland, but questions his view of women. Knox famous decried a ‘monstrous reigment of women’ in 1558 when he published ‘The first blast of the trumpet against the monstrous reigment of women’ in Geneva. The work was directed against England's Queen Mary, but it did not endear him to her successor, Queen Elizabeth I, who refused him passport through England. Mrs Hood - only the third woman to serve as Moderator of the General Assembly since women were first permitted to be ordained to the ministry in the 1960s - acknowledges Knox's legacy to the Church: “I think he was hugely important to the Church of Scotland; in fact there are those who would say that he was the founder of the Church of Scotland but not in fact of Presbyterianism which was developed by Andrew Melville some years after the death of John Knox, with the Second Book of Discipline. “As we go into the Assembly Hall each year at the General Assembly there’s a huge statue of Knox so you can’t fail to see him on the way past and realise how important he is within the church.” However, she adds: “It’s only 50 years since women have been ordained within The Church of Scotland. We’ve moved a long way from Knox’s view of seeing women leaders as being repugnant and subversive to having equal opportunities. Would Knox approve ? Probably not !” Invitation to Afternoon Tea As part of Beauly and District Care Project senior citizens in the local communities are invited to enjoy afternoon tea ( or coffee ), some lovely home baking, and most importantly, some chat. Please spread the word and encourage any friends, neighbours or relatives to come along or, better still, bring them along. The minimum cost is £1 per person. If transport is required, please get in touch with one of the contacts below. Community Place Time Dates Contact Kiltarlity Tuesday, Elspeth Kiltarlity 2.30 - 4.00 Village Hall 12 November 741 627 Kilmorack Tuesday, Frances Kilmorack 2.30 - 4.00 Village Hall 19 November 782 496 Kirkhill Thursday, Flora Kirkhill Community 2.30 - 4.00 28 November 831 373 Centre Dr. McLardy will make a presentation about the Beauly and District Care Project at the Kirkhill Guild’s meeting on Wednesday, 13th November at 2:30 p.m. in the Guild Room at Wardlaw Church. Advance notice ! There will be a special Christmas afternoon tea, with entertainment, on Thursday, th 12 December 2013 in Kirkhill Community Centre. The Parishioner Newsletter Issue 69 – November 2013 Page 2 of 24 www.kiltarlityandkirkhill.org.uk The Third Sunday Praise is on th Sunday, 17 November 2013, starting at 6:00 p.m. This Wardlaw Church event is a mixture of praise songs interspersed with short Bible readings and prayers. This event gives everyone a chance to learn and sing new hymns and songs. At the November Third Sunday Praise event, Hannah Clyne, an ex-pupil of Kirkhill Primary and Charleston Academy will be giving a presentation on a big and exciting challenge she has taken on. Hannah lives in Cabrich and attends Muir Community Church in Muir of Ord. Hannah is partnering with Mama Hope, an organisation that supports African organisations already positively transforming their own communities, to raise £12,500. This money will strengthen the on-going work of two Christian-based education projects in Tanzania, St. Timothy’s School and the Queen Elizabeth Academy. Hannah says “I have taken on this challenge because through my walk with God I have come to learn that social justice is very close to His heart and so I have developed a strong belief that everyone is capable, everyone is equal and everyone is deserving of the opportunity to live a happy and healthy life. God has given me a heart for Tanzania and having spent a lot of time there, I know that both of these schools are full of children who are able, eager to learn, ambitious, creative and loving. It is seeing them succeed and go on to transform their own lives, families and communities through education that drives the staff of the schools and it is this that is driving me. In January, I will go to Tanzania to begin 4 months at the two schools working on the projects. All of the money raised will go directly to installing solar panelling at St. Timothy’s to provide electricity to run computers for the children and also to the completion of the construction of the Queen Elizabeth Academy’s main building. I am dedicated to meeting this target and joining with these two communities to provide new possibilities for their children, but I cannot do it on my own. On the 17th November, I will be coming to the Third Sunday Praise event at Wardlaw Church to talk more about these 2 projects and how the church community can get involved. You can find out more at www.stayclassy.org/tanzaniakids or email me if you would like more information at [email protected]. Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Let’s change the world together !” People of all ages, from the youngest to the oldest, and from all Churches and none, will be made most welcome. There will be tea, coffee and home baking served at the end. Members of our Church family and others to be remembered in your prayers Graham Elkin unfortunately suffered a serious setback on his road to recovery at the beginning of October after making great progress over the previous 6 weeks. Graham had a massive seizure early on Monday morning, 30th September, and had further smaller seizures throughout the earlier part of that week. Since he ‘woke up’ on Wednesday, 2nd October, Graham has made steady progress and suffered no further seizures. The doctors, and other agencies, are now planning a programme to allow Graham to come home.