Rosyth St Margaret’s Scottish Methodist Church Episcopal Church Contact the newsletter of the partnership between Rosyth Methodist Church and St Margaret’s Scottish Episcopal Church Issue 57 June/July 2011 Rosyth St Margaret’s Scottish Methodist Church Episcopal Church Scottish Charity SC028559 Scottish Charity SC028426 in partnership Our partnership is formally recognised as a Local Ecumenical Partnership, with a constitution and Covenant signed on 14 June 2000 Ministers: Rector: Deacon Sarah McDowall Rev Tim Bennison 01383 720532 01383 611000 07411 616163 Rev Andrew Letby 0131 663 1545 Curate: Senior Steward: Rev Valerie Walker 07720 327766 Mary Kidd 01383 872332 Vestry Secretary: Pastoral Secretary: Sandra Young 01383 415021 Gwyneth Kirby 01383 624779 Treasurer: Treasurer: Alan Taylor 01383 823902 Howard Kirby 01383 624779 our regular pattern of worship Sundays (except 4th) 9.30am Episcopalian Sung Eucharist (occasionally 9.15am – see diary pages for details) 11.00am Methodist Morning Worship (including Sunday School) 2nd Sundays: for the Young Church 9.00am Breakfast and “Sunday Funday” 11.00am All-age service 4th Sundays: Worship together 11.00am Joint Communion Service 6.00pm “Sunday@Six” us at the junction of Queensferry Road and Woodside Avenue. The car park is behind theOur church, postal address and limited is Queensferry local on-street Road, parking Rosyth, is Dunfermline, available, but KY11 there 2JH, is lots and more you’ll space find in the parking area at the junction with Park Road. – Page 2 – You’ve done what?! A discussion overheard … Tim: You’ve done what?! A donkey? I only Valerie: That’s a good idea; and yes, I left you there with the other ministers for suppose there is a bit of risk involved. I ten minutes! was quite surprised when the Fife Police Valerie: Well, we were trying to plan Palm suggested that we have a police escort. Sunday – and the donkey conveys so much They’re obviously worried that people of Jesus’ message that I thought it would be might cause trouble because we’re a good to have one. And it’ll be a lot of fun. religious group. The kids will love it and it’ll get everyone’s Tim: I’m more worried about being kicked attention! or bitten by the donkey! Tim: Yeah! No doubt about that. But have Valerie: Don’t worry, he’ll be more you thought this through? And where on interested in the carrots I’ve got. Anyway, earth will you get a donkey from anyway? Sydney’s got his own insurance. Valerie: Well, the disciples found one for Tim: Sydney!!? Stupid name for a donkey! Jesus. I’ll just make a few phone calls. I’m Valerie: I suppose there are lots of risks that sure there’s a donkey sanctuary somewhere we can try to minimise, and then there’s the in Scotland. weather which could ruin everything. Tim: Yes, but it’s a lot of organising isn’t Tim: Yes, but that’s what it’s all about it? We’ve never done this before. What will really isn’t it. Recognising when something people think? We could end up looking very, matters so much that you’re prepared to very stupid! stand up for it and take the risk. Look at Valerie: Yes, that’s true I suppose, but that’s what Jesus did – reaching out to crowds just a risk we’ll have to take. Think about of people, challenging the religious norms what Jesus did. He wasn’t afraid of being in ways they weren’t expecting. Making it ridiculed. If he was, he’d have ridden into relevant to everyone, religious or not and Jerusalem on a great big horse like a normal risking the consequences of his actions. leader. /continued overleaf Tim: Oh trust you to mention Jesus. Curates are just impossibly holy sometimes! Valerie: But it’s not just Jesus, it’s us too. What’s in this issue … Surely we’re called, as Christians, to reach This issue has been slightly reorganised, out to people in the community and engage with them in a way that’s meaningful and Report on Easter events (pp4–7) interesting; but we can only do that if we get so you will find: their attention. They’ll be pretty surprised Invitations (pp8–9) to see a donkey walk past their front gate Young people’s section (pp10–11) with lots of happy church people waving Fellowship News (pp12–15) palms and pampas grass. You’ve got a lot of that in your garden. Diary for June/July (pp17–19) From the Super’s desk (pp20–21) Tim: Yeah, I suppose so! Maybe we could have a little service along the way Conversation with the Editor (pp22–25) somewhere. Enjoy! – Page 3 – Holy Week in Rosyth /from overleaf We made the front page! Valerie: And when we go out with Sydney, Our Palm Sunday walk from Rosyth I bet people will ask us what we’re doing. Methodist Church through the park and And that will give us an opportunity to talk back to the church, was a procession led by to people and for them to realise, maybe, Sydney, and we also had a police escort. the kind of people who go to church aren’t This was a joyful and colourful occasion and enthusiastic children who joined in And on the day . so very different from themselves. The weather was brilliant; the police were motorists stopped to see what was going on, lovely; hordes of people came out to see us andwere were given happy palms to andbe given flags. palm A number crosses. of and it really felt as though we had connected The story that the Dunfermline Press ran with our local community. the following Thursday is printed on our It truly was an all-age event: from the kids back cover. Actors are against working with in push-chairs holding newspaper palms to children or animals, because they steal the the ladies with pampas grass waving from show, and that’s certainly what happened their zimmer frames. And what an amazing to us! sight, seeing all those children who would never normally go anywhere near a church, enthusiastically stroking the donkey, taking palm crosses and asking what it was all about. Definitely a risk worth taking! If you want to see more detail in the ofphotographs, this newsletter. you will find on the back cover a link to a high-definition version Ready– Page for the4 – off! Holy Week in Rosyth “Walk with Jesus” Alan Taylor followed the procession with The Palm Sunday walk was blessed with his camera: warm sunshine. By contrast, on Good Friday morning the weather was quite cold, with mist from the Forth. So our 2 hour ‘pilgrimage’ round Rosyth was not very pleasant, although we enjoyed each and hot cross buns we received when we other’s company, and the hot cup of coffee were especially welcome. finally reached Rosyth Methodist Church We stopped at 15 places en route, including the police station, a school and other community buildings, and at each point we heard an appropriate reading and prayer and sang a chorus or verse of a hymn. The walk had been introduced in 2010 by the then Roman Catholic priest, and the thoughts we shared were based on the traditional Stations of the Cross, applied to the Rosyth context. The presentation had been updated for this year’s walk by Margaret Glancey, well-known and greatly respected throughout the Rosyth churches. Sadly Margaret died early on Good Friday morning itself, which made our walk a very poignant occasion. We will remember Margaret again next Good Friday. At her Requiem Mass, Fr Peter Murray gave a very positive tribute about Margaret’s life and ecumenical work, and a short article about her appeared in the Dunfermline Press for 26 May. – Page 5 – Holy Week in Rosyth Christ in the heart of Rosyth Our new Paschal Candle The labyrinth was arranged by the Rosyth Our Joint Service for the Celebration of Ecumenical Group under the leadership Easter was led by Rev Andrew and Deacon of Deacon Morag Crawford of the Rosyth Sarah who began the service with the Church of Scotland. Lighting of the Paschal Candle, an ancient It was held in the Parish Church Hall on symbol of the Risen Lord. (See page 17 of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and Issue 50). the invitation was to take a thoughtful walk The new one which through the events of Holy Week. Stewards was dedicated that were on hand to answer or discuss any morning I gave in questions which might arise. memory of my late We hope that those who walked through husband, Jim. Thirty this year were stimulated in thought, and years have passed our prayers are with them. since we arrived in Jack Fowell Scotland with our young children, A labyrinth? Rebecca and Andrew. On St Patrick’s Day, The concept was described on page 25 of Jim took up his the February 2010 issue and you can see photographs of the 2010 Rosyth installation on page 36 of the June 2010 issue. forappointment the Sea ofCadet five Corps,years as for Area Scotland, Officer Ireland and NE England, probably together as a Naval family. Andrew now livesthe happiest in England, five and years Becky of in our Ireland, family which life leaves me deeply-rooted in lovely Limekilns, where I have lived for 25 years. I regard it as privilege to have dual membership of both St Margaret’s and Rosyth Methodist congregations, another great family to belong to, and feel so encouraged as we move forward together in our Local Ecumenical Partnership.