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TRANSCRIPT
Issue No. 641
June 2015
St. Anne’s Parish Church, Kaimes Road, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, EH12 6JR Charity No. SC006300
‘A community of sharing – sharing Christ with community in faith, love, hope and service.’
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In this magazine... Page 2 St Anne’s Services Parish Register, Editorial Next Magazine/Newsletter
Page 3 Minister’s Letter
Page 4-8 St Anne’s Development
Page 9 The Church Fair
Page 10 Session News - Finance Summer Walks
Page 11 Corstorphine Music Heart & Soul 2015
Page 12 Guild Outing Family Ceilidh
Page 13 FAN Club Shoe Box Appeal
Page 14 Summer Flowers, Sunday Coffee, Messy Church, Summer Service Coffee, Freshstart, Prayer
Page 15 Windows on His World
Page 16 Twinning News
Page 17 Junior Page
Page 18 Contact List, Diary Dates
Editorial
On looking at the magazine this month I am reminded of the Bumper Summer comics we used to get for our Summer holidays, extra large versions of our usual ones. Hopefully you will get as much entertainment from this “Bumper magazine”.
There is a detailed article for your consideration on proposals regarding St Anne’s re-development. The Twinning team have been busy with our visitors from Lusaka and we have all enjoyed meeting them. Although it is too soon for details of their visit to be in this edition, we still have news from Lusaka. Also included in the magazine are pictures from our very successful church fair, and a variety of other activities both past and future.
We hope you have a happy Summer and look forward to catching up with your news in the September magazine. We would also be very happy to receive postcards from your Summer holidays, home or away, for publication.
Best wishes,
Eds
Services from June to September
June
7th 11am Morning Worship - 1st after Trinity.
Service led by Rev. Prof David Fergusson.
14th 11am Morning Worship - 2nd after Trinity.
Service led by Rev. Murray Chalmers.
21st 11am Morning Worship - 3rd after Trinity.
Sunday School Promotion Service.
24th 7.30pm Evening Communion.
28th 11am Morning Worship - 4th after Trinity.
Including Holy Communion.
July
5th 10.30am Morning Worship - 5th after Trinity.
2.30pm Service at Struan Lodge.
12th 10.30am Morning Worship - 6th after Trinity.
19th 10.30am Morning Worship - 7th after Trinity.
26th 10.30am Morning Worship - 8th after Trinity.
August
2rd 10.30am Morning Worship - 9th after Trinity.
2.30pm Service at Struan Lodge.
9th 10.30am Morning Worship - 10th after Trinity.
16th 11am Morning Worship - 11th after Trinity.
23rd 11am Morning Worship - 12th after Trinity.
30th 11am Morning Worship - 13th after Trinity.
September
6th 11am Morning Worship - 14th after Trinity.
2.30pm Service at Struan Lodge.
Parish Register
Deaths (*) denotes member
22nd April Mrs Yvonne Baird
28th April (*) Mrs Bethia Doyle
9th May (*) Mrs Ivy Barrie
25th May (*) Mrs Lily Duncan
New Members
1st May Thomas & Lisa Watson
The Next Magazine This is the last publication until the September magazine, which will be issued on Sunday 30th August. The deadline for articles will be Sunday 16th August.
E-mail items to: [email protected] [email protected] or hand in to / slide under the door of the office.
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Minister’s Letter Rev. Jamie Griggs BD(Hons), MTh, ALCM
My Dear Friends
Perhaps you know this saying, attributed to Aesop: “When all’s said and done, there’s a lot more said than done”. I first read it, some years ago, on a poster in a school staff room. I suspect many might smile on first reading it, recognising that there is some truth in jest. As I sat in the Guild Room sharing the farewell lunch for our visitors from St Andrew’s Lusaka, I was struck (and not for the first time) at how inappropriate it might be to hang that poster in St Anne’s!
May has been an incredibly busy month: meetings of various teams; concerts; Christian Aid Week; our Local Church Review meeting; special services for Ascension Day, Pentecost and Trinity Sundays; the Guild outing to St Andrew’s; the regular meetings of the FAN Club and the Carers’ Group; the Family Ceilidh and the Church Fair. We have been greatly blessed by the visit of Whiteson Chenge and Betty Lyapa, from our twinning partner in Lusaka, who joined in with so many activities, with great enthusiasm, energy and much laughter, and shared more of their church’s story with us. There has been a Baptism, and two visits to Struan Lodge, as well as our regular diet of worship; and we have said farewell to a number of faithful members of St Anne’s, who gave greatly of their time and talents over many years. Amongst the many meetings, the Development Team and the Kirk Session have been considering the plans for the re-development of the Kaimes Road Halls, and you will find more details of the proposals to upgrade our facilities later in this magazine.
We are fortunate that our life here is so busy; we are more fortunate that we have opportunities to seize as we strive to be an open, welcoming community of faith; we are most fortunate that we have people willing to give so tirelessly and cheerfully of their time. Truly, a lot gets done – but imagine how much more could be accomplished if even more folk ‘came along’ and ‘joined in’…
In my sermon on Pentecost Sunday, I quoted a few lines from a song which has been recorded by many artists since it was written in the early 70’s:
Everything must change Nothing stays the same Everyone must change No one stays the same The young become the old And mysteries do unfold Cause that's the way of time Nothing and no one goes unchanged
Life is about change – as Cardinal Newman said ‘To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often’ – and we are at an exciting stage in our life here; we are not perfect – our loos and kitchens are definitely not perfect! – but we have such a tremendous opportunity opening up before us. We need commitment, action, prayer and faith if we are to continue our journey as a community of witness well into the future, and keep up such a busy parish life. Our congregation is built on the blocks of faith of our predecessors, who shared a vision and desire, and put their energy into bringing about change and making their vision a reality; we are called to do no less.
I concluded my sermon on Pentecost: “The Lord is here! His Spirit is with us, wherever we go”. His Spirit is present wherever His people gather; wherever they are changing, themselves, their surroundings or their activities. His Spirit is indeed with us, as we seek to respond to the needs of our community in whatever way we can. So come and join in – the more, the merrier!
May God bless you.
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ST ANNE’S REDEVELOPMENT Dear Member
As you are aware we have been considering the development and upgrading of the facilities at our premises here in Kaimes Road. This is a very exciting time for St Anne’s as redevelopment has been on the agenda for many years, in fact decades. The rationale behind the proposed development is contained in the Development Plan document.
We have now sold the Belgrave Halls. This sale realised a total of £553,193.30 after the deduction of solicitors’ fees. This money will provide the bulk of the funding required for redevelopment.
The proceeds from the sale of the Belgrave Site can be subject to a 10% levy from The Church of Scotland. However if the whole amount is put towards the development and a strong commitment is shown from the congregation to contribute further to this, then we understand that the levy will not be applied.
We must show this commitment by launching a strong fundraising programme to raise the extra money required to fund this project. We can also apply to a number of bodies for funding. We have not contacted any grant funders yet but our information is that they will look sympathetically on applications but would wish to see a matching commitment from the congregation. This would require a demonstration of intent from the Session as ruling Elders and Trustees and from the Congregation in general.
Our previous scheme of 2012-13 was considered far too expensive and consequently did not proceed. Our architects LDN have now produced plans which we feel are much more realistic and, with a little determination, within our means.
At the meeting of the Kirk Session on Wednesday 27th May, it was agreed that we should proceed with the process of applying to Presbytery for Agreement in Principle for our development plan. The plans which will go to Presbytery indicate our concept: we cannot instruct the architects to prepare detailed plans until Presbytery has given its agreement. We would like to share the plan concept with you, as well as the indicative costs prepared by Morham & Brotchie Ltd.
We will require much more than simple fundraising events to raise the desired amount. There are several options for this, one-off donations, pledges of so much per month or per year, or some other method that can be discussed. We will not be asking people to commit to more than they can afford. We recognise that everybody’s situation is different and circumstances can change.
We need YOU to help us raise the funds required to complete this project. If you have expertise or enthusiasm in Fundraising, Publicity, Marketing or any other skills then we need YOU! Please speak to the Session Clerks or the Minister if you would be interested in helping on one of these teams.
We must look forward in faith to this exciting project so that we can equip St Anne’s and its congregation for the future.
The Development Team
St Anne's Parish Church Development Plan Background:
On 25th May 1912, the foundation stone for the magnificent building of St Anne’s Parish Church, Corstorphine, was laid. The Congregation, then with a Communion Roll of 186, wished to open the new Church free of debt, but it was in faith that the building began, as the funds necessary were not in place.
Yet, the Building Committee was able to announce at the opening ceremony on 4th October 1913 that all the money required for the building of St Anne’s had been obtained, through the giving of the members, and many others.
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From the earliest stages of the design of our Church the aim was “to make the stones speak” and this was accomplished by engraving certain texts of Scripture on the walls, but, unlike those walls, no congregation remains static, as folk come and go. Today, we seek to keep the ‘stones speaking’, through joyful worship, and by reaching out to our local community and the wider world.
The Sanctuary with associated vestry, meeting room, small hall, kitchen and toilets were completed in 1913. In 1930, a new large hall and extension to the original 'core' were built. Since then various upgrades to the kitchen and toilet facilities have been made. However, these facilities are now tired and inadequate; disability provision is poor and does not meet legal requirements. We recognise that a major upgrade is required to support the use of our Sanctuary and Halls in the future. In addition the boilers driving our heating system are very inefficient by modern standards and need to be replaced. Our Sanctuary could benefit from improved lighting, draught screening and gathering space.
Following the sale of our satellite halls in Belgrave Road in March 2015, we have begun to progress the planned programme of refurbishment of the central core of our buildings, with only minor changes to the Sanctuary. We appreciate the challenges these changes to a Grade A listed building will bring and the significant approval processes that lie ahead.
We aspire to follow the example of all those who gave so generously in founding our church, sharing in a style of faith and worship they made possible. The years have brought new opportunities to reach out to our community, strengthen relationships and share the message of hope in a century which has seen rapid social change and new challenges for those who journey in faith.
Motivation for Development:
To respond to the call to be an effective place of Christian witness and discipleship in our Parish, in the 21st century.
To re-invigorate the Church Buildings to enable St Anne's to be a 'Hub of the Community' - a place where people want to come.
To ensure we meet disability provision laws.
To provide facilities that enable existing users of our buildings to continue their use, to attract new users and to allow us to develop new avenues of service with both spiritual and financial benefits.
To maintain our revenue through the letting of our available spaces.
Requirements:
Sanctuary
Improve and update the Sanctuary as a place of worship, in terms of heating and lighting.
Facilitate the development of a wider variety of worship styles with a more flexible space.
Make the Sanctuary a more welcoming place suitable for holding concerts.
Provide more meeting and gathering space.
North Area
Upgraded toilet facilities.
Kitchen fit for purpose (with separate cleaner/flower arranging area).
Separate vestry and office provision.
Welcoming day-to-day entrance with effective circulation space incorporating disability access to all areas.
Upgrade existing halls and rooms with the provision of more flexible meeting space.
Adequate storage space in all areas.
Other considerations – heating, sound, lighting, IT facilities, security system.
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Inputs:
Income from sale of Belgrave site, now lodged in the CofS Income Fund.
Commitment of the Kirk Session.
Commitment of the congregation.
Development Fund appeal.
Dedicated Fundraising Team to push this forward.
External funding possibilities.
Publicity Team to keep interested parties updated on progress and encourage further commitment.
Faith, determination, patience, hard work, volunteers, time and talents.
Methods:
Appeals via website.
Communication through magazine, parish leaflets etc.
Fundraising.
Engage the whole congregation and parish in the process – in worship and socially.
Clear link between worship and our plan – this must be part of Christian witness to the community.
Expected Outcomes:
St Anne’s a more welcoming place for worship and activities.
Facilities fit for purpose and attractive to users.
Disabled access to all areas.
Improved kitchen which meets safety and hygiene standards.
Adequate upgraded toilet provision.
Separate vestry and office provision.
Improved fire safety and security.
Improved circulation space.
More efficient heating system.
The Sanctuary suitable for use as a concert venue.
Potential Outcomes:
More effective and increased usage of the premises.
Increased revenue from use of premises.
Attracting young families through use of premises.
Increase in Church membership.
St Anne’s becoming a recognised concert venue for Corstorphine and the wider community with ‘Fringe’ benefits.
St Anne’s profile rising and becoming a valued part of the community.
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Expertise Required
Project Management
The actual project will have a professional Project Manager. However we will require a small group to liaise with the contractors at every stage and devise contingency plans and management plans for the period of disruption.
Fundraising
We will be looking for people who have expertise in, or enthusiasm for, fundraising.
Publicity & Marketing
Anyone with expertise in, or enthusiasm for, publicity & marketing will be welcomed on to this group. They will be tasked to keep everyone informed, the congregation, user groups, the parish and to generally ‘get it out there’.
Storage
Storage space was always going to be an issue and at a premium, so there will need to be an overhaul of all storage areas.
Resource Optimising Team
(or ROT as Jamie likes to call it). This group will tackle the storage issue by looking at everything we currently store and making a decision on whether or not we really need it. They will make suggestions as to the allocation of storage to each group. There will be representation from users before anything is disposed of. Each group of users can make a start now by reviewing their own accumulation of goods.
We hope to have these teams of people identified by the end of June so put your name forward to the Session Clerks or the Minister as soon as possible. Engagement is the name of the game, so don’t be shy – be involved.
So what is it all going to cost?
Quantity Surveyors Morham & Brotchie have provided indicative costs for the outline plans.
The core programme comprises kitchen, toilets, accessibility lift, extended Guild room, upgraded Kaimes door entrance, new vestry with changes to Session room and office, replaced heating system boilers and Sanctuary gathering space.
The indicative cost for this is £750,000 including VAT of £125,000.
In addition, improved lighting in the Sanctuary chancel and apse areas, storage in the south transept and glass doors in the vestibule are estimated to cost £112,000 including VAT of £23,000.
Every effort will be made to reclaim the VAT through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme but full recovery cannot be guaranteed.
However, assuming that we can recover the VAT and with the monies raised through the sale of the Belgrave site, we estimate that we will have to raise around £70,000 for the core programme with an additional £112,000 to realise the Sanctuary options.
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The Church Fair St Anne’s Church fair was blessed on Saturday with fine sunshine, plenty of hardworking helpers and a good turnout of visitors. Here are a few photos from the day.
The sums have still to be done so we do not know yet how much money was raised. Congratulations to everyone involved for a grand effort and apologies if your stall isn't featured here - I was only allowed one page!!
Susan Nimmo
For a brief moment the tea, coffee and home baking stall was not mobbed, the cakes, scones and pancakes were brilliant and I know of a few folk who made more than one visit!!
Una a fully trained guide dog for the blind and Patrick a young trainee paid us a welcome visit
with their owner and trainers. I was reliably informed that Patrick sings along to the Amen
at the end of his local church service.
The book stall was busy as ever, and thanks to
those who donated the contents of their book
shelves. The remaining books were gladly
received by the Oxfam bookshop and the
Debra shop in Stockbridge.
Our auctioneer in action. Guess who is behind the picture!
The Guides did a fantastic job in the kitchen producing quantities of hot dogs, soup and
pies which as you can see were very popular.
Throughout the day there was lovely musical entertainment including fiddle music and
David playing the organ.
There were many stalls in the hall and in the Sanctuary including Fair Trade.
In 1915 this beautiful vintage
car cost £280!! Thanks very much
to it's owner for bringing it along.
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Session News A snapshot of our finances to April 30th 2015
The treasurers were requested to provide a graphical view of the finances to date. In the graph below the columns represent total expenditure in the period and how this has been met.
In the four months to the end of April our congregational general income rose by £1,500 to £32,300 which represents a 5% increase. While hall lets have fallen in the period, our givings have increased by approximately 11%, so thank you to all those who have reviewed their offerings. At the same time, our expenditure fell compared to April 2014 by £1,800. As a result, thus far, the surplus for the year to date is £300 compared to a deficit of £3,000 last year. I must stress this is a snapshot for a third of the year and we should not be complacent with regard to the general finances.
Janet Hicks (Joint Treasurer)
Summer Walks
On 30th April the Walking Group risked the weather for the first of its daytime summer walks. Lead by Noel, 14 of us went by car to Aberdour Station then a local bus to Burntisland. The walk took us along a section of the Fife Coastal Path back towards Aberdour with glorious views of the islands of the Forth. The sun shone and we shed the layers of clothing, reaching the Silver Sands and its newly refurbished Cafe (well worth a visit) and enjoying a well-earned snack.
After lunch, we followed the path round to Aberdour Harbour and up the hill to the station, stopping en route for a "play" at the childrens park. We arrived back at the cars just as the hailstones came crashing down!
The Summer daytime walks will be announced in the Order of Service and all are welcome.
Laureen Lyall
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Corstorphine Music’s Concert Series 2014/15 finished as it began with another excellent performance on May 10th by the Bach Ensemble of Edinburgh. Following their successful concert last year, a good sized audience welcomed them back to the beautiful St Anne’s Sanctuary.
There is something particularly enthralling in hearing this Ensemble playing some of Baroque’s classic repertoire enhanced by St Anne’s wonderful acoustics… which sent us home with this glorious music and sound ringing in our ears. The musicians themselves love playing at St Anne’s and have received an excellent reception from their audiences.
Corstorphine Music was set up in 2014 in association with St Anne’s Parish Church, Corstorphine and Corstorphine Old Parish Church to bring quality Chamber Music concerts to our community. Over the past year, we have held 6 excellent concerts, 5 by candlelight and one lunchtime concert set between each of the two Churches. These concerts featured some of the best talent on the Scottish music scene including string ensembles, quartets, choirs, wind and brass quintets. We are very grateful to both Churches in this venture, and I would particularly wish to thank St Anne’s who have enthusiastically offered their support and encouragement throughout. We are taking stock as to where we go in the future!
Hazel Kelly Corstorphine Music
The Heart & Soul Sunday Assembly party is now fully established. We picnic in St Anne’s Church Hall (learning from previous experience under trees and umbrellas), but there were lots of brave souls under trees in Princes Street Gardens.
As usual it was raining so we took our Zambian guests to St Cuthbert’s Church, where they were very interested in the painted apse and a Pentecost video of the Power of Heavenly Fire.
The afternoon became sunny and even hot when out of the wind and we walked along the avenue of tents and met Keith, Calum & Aileen at the tent of the Abbey Church of Dunfermline and many friends at the Guild tent. We were saddened by the sight of people wearing t-shirts saying “Minister Wanted – Lanarkshire Presbytery Appeal”.
We found a seat at the grandstand and listened to Fischy Music – brilliant as usual – then after a coffee and a chat with Mary Ann, who was selling her ‘Prayer for Today’ book, we again settled down at the grandstand to watch a recruitment video to encourage young people to join the ministry – very professional and funny at the same time.
The closing service is a must, really triumphant Hymn singing. The Moderator’s wife is from Lochaber and her church was joined with us via Skype.
Don’t let the weather deter you next year – it does dry up!
Glenda Paterson
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Guild Outing On Tuesday 19th May on a particularly pleasant day and with Betty and Whiteson as our guests we set off on the Guild Outing to St Andrews.
We had a interesting journey to our destination and were ready for some refreshment at one of St Andrews delightful coffee shops.
The afternoon was spent doing our own thing whether it was visiting museums, shopping, taking in the sights or visiting the botanical gardens. We all had a very enjoyable experience.
The day was rounded off by a most delicious high tea in Anstruther and then it was homeward bound.
Elspeth Boyd
Family Ceilidh What fun was to be had on Saturday, 23rd May at the Family Ceilidh.
The air was filled with anticipation as we filled the Kaimes Road hall, there was something slightly different about the usual Sunday crowd. Ah yes, tartan was the choice for many and we all wore it in different forms: kilts, trousers, dresses, ribbons and sashes. As we chose our seats, we were all very calm and composed and then the fiddler started up. Seats were vacated, caution thrown to the wind and the floor was filled with a frenzy of birling, twirling, swinging, and clapping.
Our friends from Lusaka joined in with great spirit, and at times looked a little bemused, but that is what Strip the Willow is all about. Scottish hospitality was plentiful and good fun was had by all. The youngest dancer was 4 and the oldest…well, we’ll not go into that, but the wide range of ages and interaction between generations is what makes the Church a family.
Maxine Grant
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Shoe Box Appeal Yes it is that time again! – nearly 2 years since we sent 210 filled shoeboxes via Samaritan’s Purse to very poor children in Eastern Europe. Can we beat our record this time?
Over the summer holidays I will be making a start on covering the shoeboxes ready to pack them with goodies. I have a good quantity of boxes already and paper to wrap them in. We need items to pack in the boxes and we can always do with more boxes and paper. Please have a look over the summer and see what you can help us with from the following:-
Toys - something to love
Bears, soft toys, tennis balls, finger puppets, jigsaws, yo-yos, building blocks, small musical instruments, trucks, cars, clip on earrings, make up, hair accessories etc.
Educational supplies - something to do
Felt pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, colouring books, notepads, picture/puzzle books, chalks, pencil cases, stickers etc
Hygiene items - something to use toothbrushes, toothpaste, hairbrushes, hair clips, wrapped bars of soap, face cloths etc.
Other items - something to eat or wear
sweets (sell by date at least March 2016), gloves, scarves, sunglasses, caps, hats, bangles, necklaces etc.
If you prefer to give a monetary donation, this can be used to shop for items we are short of, or for the cost of sending the boxes.
Please leave any contributions in the hall on any Sunday or contact me and I can pick them up.
Thank you all for all your efforts to bring a little joy to many children who are in desperate need of some.
Kath Palmer
St Anne's FAN Club After a successful year, the FAN Club has now closed for the summer and the AGM was held on Friday 22nd May. The Chairman, Ann Scott, reported that the Club had grown from strength to strength. Now in its 5th year, it continues to attract members from the wider community to join those who already enjoy friendship and conversation.
There are now 81 members with an average of 54 attending the fortnightly meetings. The speakers over the past year have been varied, educational and entertaining and the draft syllabus for the 2015/2016 session is available.
Laureen Lyall takes over as Treasurer from Marjory Whigham who is standing down after 2½ years, and thanks go to her for her hard work. Otherwise the Committee remains the same.
It is proposed to give £200 to the Church towards heating and lighting and another £300 to the Development Fund. The Committee proposes to increase the entry cost to £1.50 when the Club starts again on Friday 18th September.
Roz Gibson
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Summer Flowers
Summer months are always a wee bit different as – if the weather permits – we are able to use our own garden flowers as well as those imported by the shops (here’s hoping!).
Rather than print a long list in this supplement, I have pinned the flower team rota for June, July and August on the notice board in the corridor.
Claire Grant
Sunday Coffee It has been lovely to see an increase in the number of people staying back for a cuppa and a chat each Sunday. If you have not been before please do come and join us. Everyone is very welcome.
During the month of June the following people will be happy to serve you with a cup of tea or coffee:
There are a number of vacancies towards the end of June and if you can help please add your name to the rota on the noticeboard. Many thanks.
Angela Ditchfield
Messy Church The next Messy Church event will be held at St Anne's on Saturday 20th June from 3-5pm and the theme is 'Joseph'. All Welcome - children bring an adult, adults bring a child!
Jamie Griggs
Summer Service Coffee For six weeks commencing Sunday 5th July, the morning service will be at 10.30am. Volunteers are required to serve coffee after these services. Please sign up on the list on the notice board if you are available to help.
Lyn Chalmers
As I have said for many years, neither
the need to support those who have been homeless or the work of Fresh Start takes a holiday but their volunteers do.
If anyone could spend a couple of hours unpacking linen on a Monday morning or on the 4th Wed of the month in the morning, at Ferry Road Drive then they should contact Lorna Bowry the Volunteer Co-ordinator on 476 7741.
We were overwhelmed with donations of tinned food from the Churches at Harvest time. However stocks are now running low and we would be very grateful for donations of soup, beans, spaghetti or macaroni cheese.
Thank you for your continuing support.
Heather Shanks
Christ Be With Me Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks to me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Christ. May your salvation, Lord, be ever with us.
St. Patrick
7th June 2015 Margaret Thomson
Myrtle Turner
Frances Gould
14th June 2015 Angela Ditchfield
Eleanor Kerse
Angela McKenzie
21st June 2015 Margaret Dawson
Angela Ditchfield
28th June 2015
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WINDOWS ON HIS WORLD - June 2015 A monthly look at world issues by the World Issues Team of St. Anne’s Parish Church, Corstorphine.
VOTE FOR JESUS!
What shall we remember of the General Election? Being bombarded with leaflets, broadcasts, TV debates and countless interviews, claims and counterclaims, dignity and vulgarity, sincerity and opportunism, all candidates with reasons why we could and should trust them, all desperate for our votes. If all that the candidates told us is true we are fortunate and highly honoured because each candidate knew precisely what we both want and need (even if we had not realised that ourselves). All candidates presented themselves as humble and self-effacing, not only intelligent but highly principled, unquestionably honest and trustworthy, with an impressive record of selfless public service and a vision for our community and our country that we had perhaps not thought of before. For some reason, which surely cannot be hubris*, each instinctively knew they were better than all their competitors! (* look it up in a dictionary!)
One wonders what it would be like if we were asked to vote for or against Jesus as happened more than 2000 years ago. How unimpressive He must have appeared – no smart clothes, the big muscular fists and shoulders of a carpenter, an undeniable Galilean dialect, friends who seemed more like lake fishermen than political aides and – more important than anything to do with his appearance, His message which made no political sense whatsoever. To be honest, His sanity must have been questioned! As if it was the most obvious thing in the world He said He was God’s Son, come to save the world (perhaps not so silly as it sounds because many of today’s candidates seem to feel the same), He not only said He could cure physical and mental illness but seemed able to do that, sometimes at the sufferer’s request and at other times when someone’s friends asked Him to do it. Perhaps more bizarre than anything else – He promised anyone who would join his party (or “cause”) that they must be prepared to give up everything - their jobs, their homes, their family life, their security and even their lives. Hardly a vote winner!
It is sometimes said that Jesus ignored the biggest issues of His time – the occupation, greed and atrocities of the Roman Occupying Power. Some explain the disloyalty of Judas on his disappointment that Jesus did nothing to rouse the people up against the Romans as he may have hoped, totally misunderstanding why Jesus was sent by God for Mankind worldwide. Even at election time it is so easy to misunderstand campaign “facts”, themes and slogans. Nevertheless it is our responsibility to cast our vote and by the time you are reading this, even if it was not your candidate who got in, you will be getting used to the prospect of being served by this or that party.
Whoever is in power we are still left with that disturbing question “What about Jesus, not as He was 2000 years ago, but as He stands before us today asking ‘Will you join me? Will you let me be your personal leader? Will you give your all for me? Are you prepared to be laughed at because, loving Me, you are different? Will you allow Me to be the most important person in your life? Will you take on what seem the most difficult and demanding, if not “impossible” tasks for me if I remind you I have never left your side and never will?’”
How wonderful if Jesus came in the flesh to win our votes – no boasting, no exaggerating, no idle promises, no personal gain, no half truths, no hubris! Just genuine love in action but at a price! That price is our eagerness to serve and not to count the cost, our eagerness to learn from Him, to talk to Him, to take risks for Him, to volunteer to serve in church teams, to teach in Sunday School, to be “different” in this increasingly secularised world. Yes – coming to church is good, but a total committal to Him is so much more.
Vote for Jesus – the only One who will ever make a real difference to this hubris-infected world!
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TWINNING News - June 2015 Our visit from Betty Lyapa and Whiteson Chenge from Lusaka has been a huge success and over all too quickly. The World Issues Team is extremely grateful to all who contributed to that success in so many differing ways. The next magazine will give a full account of the visit.
Before our guests arrived we had news from St Andrews Doctrine, Worship and Evangelism committee (the equivalent of our Worship and Education Team) about the activities in St Andrews from February until the end of the Easter period. This was too late to be included in the last magazine but too important not to pass on to the congregation.
St Andrews was host to the Consistory (Presbytery) Women’s Christian Fellowship Rededication Seminar and Service on Saturday 7th February. In Josephine’s words “it was awesome”. This I can truly believe as the Consistory includes the congregations of St Matthews, St Stephens and St Andrews, and having attended a similar event in St Matthews while we were in Lusaka the atmosphere is almost indescribable. The Women’s Christian Fellowship gathered together filled St Andrew’s church to overflowing to rededicate themselves to Christ’s call to serve. St Andrew’s has the capacity to seat 1000 people!
In Zambia not just Mothering Sunday is acknowledged but a whole week is dedicated to the role of mothers. There were meetings for prayer between 17.30 and 18.30 from 2nd March to 6th March followed by discussions on the theme “Christ Lead Us to Fullness of Life”. The discussions covered the lives of Dorcas, Esther, Prophetess Anna, the persistent widow and Mary and Martha.
From 9th to 14th March there was a week of Youth Prayers and discussions on the following topics:
Know your potential to make a difference. Make things better. Focus on the goal and persistence.
This was followed by a Youth conference on the 15th of March and then a Youth Sunday on the 16th involving the Youth Fellowship, Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade and Sunday School.
On Palm Sunday the Woodlands (the area of Lusaka in which St Andrews is sited) Ecumenical arrangement is for all Christian faiths to come together i.e. Anglicans, Roman Catholics, the Pentecostal Church and the United Church of Zambia. Participants from eight churches met at St Dominic’s Seminary at 7am for worship before marching to their respective churches, led by brass bands, for their own Palm Sunday worship.
All of Holy week is dedicated to prayer and voluntary fasting between the hours of 6am and 6pm with the congregation of St Andrews meeting each night at 5.30pm for prayer and the breaking of the fast.
On Easter Sunday a 5am service was held in the church followed by a later one of celebration at 8.30am.
What a witness to faith the Easter period is in Lusaka with all participants enjoying spiritual revival.
Good wishes have been sent to Richard Mwanza, one of our hosts, and to Josephine Muchelemba’s daughter Muloongo. Richard has recently been appointed CEO of the Zambian Broadcasting Corporation and Muloongo has been promoted within the bank for which she works. She is now based in Johannesburg covering the African Region, working with the World Bank, the IMF and the African Development Bank.
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The Work of the Holy Spirit
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
John 16:13 (NIV)
Spiral Puzzle 1. To show the way by leading, directing,
or advising.
2. To express your thoughts, opinions, or emotions orally.
3. A statement proven to be or accepted as being true.
4. To receive a sound using your ears.
5. God coming to us without human body; The Holy _________ .
truth Spirit speak guide hear
start
Find the way to the centre of the maze
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Dates for
your Diary
June 2nd 6.50pm Summer Evening Walk: Canal - Wester Hailes to Fountainbridge. 7th 11am Morning Worship - 1st after Trinity. Led by Rev. Prof David Fergusson. 9th 6.50pm Summer Evening Walk: West Lothian. 12th 10.30am Carers Support Group: Faith & Frailty. 14th 11am Morning Worship - 2nd after Trinity. Led by Rev. Murray Chalmers. 16th 6.50pm Summer Evening Walk: Calton Hill Area. 20th 3-5pm Messy Church: Joseph. 21st 11am Morning Worship - 3rd after Trinity. Sunday School Promotion Service. 23rd 6.50pm Summer Evening Walk: Holyrood Park. 26th 10.30am Carers Support Group: ‘Brighter’ Care. 24th 7.30pm Evening Communion. 28th 11am Morning Worship - 4th after Trinity. Including Communion. 30th 6.50pm Summer Evening Walk: Aberdour.
July
5th 10.30am Morning Worship - 5th after Trinity. 2.30pm Service at Struan Lodge. 7th 6.30pm Summer Evening Walk: East Lothian Beach. 10th 10.30am Carers Support Group: Memory Boxes. 12th 10.30am Morning Worship - 6th after Trinity. 14th 6.30pm Summer Evening Walk: Dean Village Guided Tour - £3. 19th 10.30am Morning Worship - 7th after Trinity. 21st 6.50pm Summer Evening Walk: West Lothian. 24th 10.30am Carers Support Group: Dementia in the Under-65s. 26th 10.30am Morning Worship - 8th after Trinity. 28th 6.50pm Summer Evening Walk: Pittencrieff Park.
August
2nd 10.30am Morning Worship - 9th after Trinity. 2.30pm Service at Struan Lodge. 4th 6.50pm Summer Evening Walk: Newbattle Abbey & Woods. 7th 10.30am Carers Support Group: Music Therapy. 9th 10.30am Morning Worship - 10th after Trinity. 11th 6.30pm Summer Evening Walk: Hillend/Swanston. 16th 11am Morning Worship - 11th after Trinity. Deadline for September Magazine articles. 18th 6.50pm Summer Evening Walk: Supper Out. 23rd 11am Morning Worship - 12th after Trinity. 30th 11am Morning Worship - 13th after Trinity. September Magazine issued.
September
6th 11am Morning Worship - 14th after Trinity. 2.30pm Service at Struan Lodge. 11th 10.30am Carers Support Group Restarts.
18th 10.30am FAN Club resumes.
St Anne’s Parish Church
Kaimes Road, Corstorphine
Edinburgh, EH12 6JR
(0131) 316 4740
www.stannescorstorphine.org.uk
Minister
Rev. Jamie Griggs (0131) 466 3269 07585 935037
Joint Session Clerks
Mr Malcolm Shanks (0131) 337 9582
Mrs Lyn Chalmers (0131) 337 2839
Church Administrator
Mrs Rachel Roy (0131) 316 4740
Hall Letting
Mrs Heather Shanks (0131) 337 9582
Organist & Choirmaster
Mr David Stewart (0131) 441 3362
Magazine Editors
Dr Susan & Dr Graham Nimmo (0131) 334 1876
Magazine Distribution
Mrs Anne Ramage (0131) 339 8074
Mrs Myrtle Turner (0131) 334 5966
Charity No. SC006300