GRAPEVINE No 100 Spring 2013 THE MAGAZINE OF THE DIOCESE OF BRECHIN From The Right Reverend Dr Edward Luscombe From The Right Reverend Dr Nigel Peyton When I arrived in the Diocese of Brechin forty-two One of the remarkable joys of returning to the years ago, I was surprised to discover that there had diocese where my ministry and family life began in not been any diocesan magazine or newsletter since 1976 is re-joining a continuing story. The story of the 1950. It was not until 1982 that the first issue of city of Dundee and the Brechin diocesan story of "Grapevine" appeared under the editorship of the people and places and their Christian faith journeys Reverend Ian Hay, then Rector of St Andrew’s, over many years. The photo of Bishop Ted and me Brechin. The primary below characterises the reason for the long shared threads of absence of a magazine ministry and the passing was financial. We only mantle of leadership. embarked upon the Another picture on the venture when the back page illustrates the Diocese was sufficiently maturing lives of some solvent to meet the cost ‘Cathedral youngsters’ of publication and was thirty years on. reasonably confident Michael Turner’s that it could continue. research reveals that in I am delighted that the spring of 1985 I Grapevine has now edited Grapevine No. reached its hundredth 10. However my reign edition, and I would like was short-lived as I left to congratulate Michael All Souls Invergowrie in Turner on his achieve- A Brace of Bishops the autumn of that year ment in which he has to become Vicar of inner played no small part. Between Ian Hay and Michael city All Saints Nottingham. Bishop Ted reminds us of Turner there have been other editors who have put in the background and purpose and benefits of a many hours of hard work to produce the magazine – diocesan house magazine. Back in the Scottish Nigel Peyton, the late Jim Bremner, the late Richard Episcopal Church I now find myself as the bishop Jones and Sidney Fox. To all of them the diocese member of the provincial Information & owes its thanks. Communications Board and a regular columnist in the Dundee Courier newspaper – and in Grapevine. There are inevitably different views about the right Now in 2013 alongside Grapevine we have the content of any church magazine. Debates over the monthly Brechin Bulletin (already at issue 73) and our years in the General Synod about "inspires" and its new diocesan website <www.brechin.anglican.org> predecessors amply confirm this. It is difficult, if not where all our publications are archived. Back in 1985 impossible, to strike a balance that satisfies everyone. who would have imagined this possible or so My own view is that Grapevine is a "house magazine" accessible? Information technology and social media and should relate to people and places within the – Facebook, Twitter and blogs – propel us ever faster Diocese of Brechin. (As a confirmed cruciverbalist I into the future. I have looked forward to celebrating would exclude the crossword from that restriction.) It Grapevine’s centenary and pushing the boat out with is often the only place in which we can share in the a colour cover! successes and achievements of our congregations and members, as well as their trials and tribulations. In the same way that the Acts of the Apostles in the Sometimes, too, it is the one place that records the New Testament Bible tells the story of the beginnings contributions to the life of the Church by deceased of the Church, its excitements and struggles, so clergy and lay people. Grapevine has not always got it Grapevine continues to tell our story of mission and right, but on the whole has been remarkably service amidst the opportunities and challenges of the successful. 21st century. Those who follow need to appreciate their roots and Grapevine is the Brechin family Now we have reached a hundred, I am grateful for journal. that, and wish the editor and Grapevine ad multos annos. 1 One hundred (not) out A century – a mark of acknowledgement of the The archive of past editions achievement or a measure of contribution to the life of the does have a few gaps. Numbers survival? church and society made by those 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 29, 30, 53, 55 and A batsman scoring 100 runs is who have died. All these have 56 are missing. Perhaps some or rightly to be congratulated; the enabled information of what has all of these are lurking at the back adding of the last penny to taken place in the life of the of a cupboard or in a rarely complete a pound is hardly worthy churches in our diocese to be opened drawer. If you come of applause. Yet the majority of more widely known. But in addition across any of these please let the people seem to be fascinated by over the years there has been a editor know so that the records numbers. Apart from primitive sharing of some of the things may be made more complete. tribes whose counting system which have taken place in the Achievement or survival? I amounted to “One, Two, A Lot”, dioceses with which we are linked, leave you, the reader, to judge; mankind likes to record, calculate Iowa and Swaziland. but hopefully something some and celebrate. Grapevine has also been a time in Grapevine gets you Remember The Millennium vehicle for making people aware thinking or makes you smile. (though for the purist this should of what is in the future – MT have been 1 January 2001, there forthcoming gatherings, planned being no Year 0) and all the social and liturgical occasions, celebrations hyped up by the introducing clergy about to take up The Judas Tree media, and the commemorative posts in our congregations, artefacts bearing the quasi alerting people to challenges and In Hell there grew a Judas tree magical number 2000. In fact this opportunities which are date would not have been marked anticipated. However, because of Where Judas hanged and died had it not been that a Scythian the comparative infrequency of Because he could not bear to see monk, Dionysius Exiguus (Dennis Grapevine the late Bishop John His Master crucified. the Dwarf) invented the Anno Mantle inaugurated the monthly Domini era by stating Brechin Bulletin to carry news of The Lord descended into Hell (erroneously) that ‘the present forthcoming events, thus And found His Judas there, year was 525 “since the diminishing this aspect of Forever hanging on the tree incarnation of our Lord Jesus Grapevine. Christ”’. And so the calendar of the Grown from his own despair. western world has ever since But Grapevine has also served followed. as a medium to share thoughts on So Jesus cut His Judas down, Grapevine has not been a wide variety of subjects Took him in His arms, published, however, for a period of connected with the Christian life It was for this I came, He said, decimal years, but this is the and faith. So, for example, over hundredth edition. Originally in the years there have been And not to do you harm. 1982 there were three editions contributions concerning matters of faith and morality, music and My Father gave me twelve good men each year and then four, but, And all of them I’ve kept, following a period of erratically art, devotion and prayer. produced editions in the late Sometimes these more general Though one betrayed and one denied 1990s, from 2000 it has pieces have linked into Some fled and others slept. consistently appeared three times discussions taking place in the a year. Initially it was subtitled The wider church, such as issues of In three days’ time I shall return Diocese of Brechin Review, but children and Communion and of To make the others glad, ordination, gender and sexuality. after a brief flurry of the But first I had to come to Hell description as The Flagship Hopefully this has enabled Diocese, from 1999 the tag readers to be better informed on To share the death you had. what is being debated. became The Magazine of the My tree will grow in place of yours Diocese of Brechin. This change Printing technology has perhaps more accurately reflects developed considerably over the Its roots strike here as well. the nature and purpose of the past 30 years. Although the There is no final victory periodical. earliest editions had some clear Without this soul from Hell. Certainly there have been illustrations, photographs were not reviews of events which have so distinct. Now, however, images, So when we all condemn him taken place – meetings of synods as long as they are of decent As of every traitor worst and action groups, clergy quality, can be reproduced with institutions and significant high resolution. And if it is true a Remember that of all His men celebrations, sermons which have picture can say as much as a Our Lord forgave him first. been preached and reports of thousand words, that is all to the Ruth Etchells conferences held and quite rightly good. 2 It’s not often that the publicationHonestWhile the formto of Godsuch were outdated simplifications of of a theological book receives conceptions is understandably the nature of divinity. Instead he much public attention. For most anthropomorphic (i.e. having encouraged the notion of a God people, theology remains a human characteristics), the Who was beyond time and space, specialized field that is unlikely to content must ultimately be more yet immediately present in human be of interest to anyone but abstract, since when we use the experience.