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NEWSLETTER March 2018 “For the glory of God and the solace of a whole community”

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NEWSLETTER

March 2018

“For the glory of God

and the solace of a whole community”

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The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper will be celebrated at both the 9.30am

and 11 am services on

Sunday 11th March 2018

You are warmly invited to share in this important part of the life of St Mary's Church.

Common Cup & individual glasses are used at both services

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Children are welcomed at the Lord’s TableDear Friends

I am writing this in the second

week of lent, that forty day

period leading to Good Friday

and Easter in which

traditionally Christians have

made room to take stock of the

things that really matter to

them and to reflect on their

faith life. In St Mary’s we are

being challenged in many

ways as we all feel the pain

that Jennifer, our Minister, and

her family must be feeling as

she faces such a devastating

illness. Being the person she

is, Jennifer holds us in her

thoughts and prayers as much

as she appreciates all those

offered for her.

The Easter story is one filled

with sadnesses,

disappointments, pain and

failure of faith and humanity

but ultimately with the triumph

of life over death, love over

hatred and hope over despair.

At times these things are not

easy to believe and hurting

circumstances challenge our

faith in a God of love, to such

an extent that we feel not just

questioning but angry. There

are lines in a hymn which

speak a prayer for such

moments:

“Forgive me Lord if in tears of

sadness my anger makes me

take your name in vain, and life

seems for a time to have no

gladness, while I refuse to let

you share my pain. So take my

life that’s left with its

misgivings; from grief and pain

create in me anew a faith that

finds in you a way of living, a

love that offers all it has to

you.”

Jennifer would want us to be

asking the questions and

listening for the Word of hope,

of life, of love.

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Please join us for our Holy

Week and Easter services.

There is something in coming

together as God’s family that

leads us in faith to find his way.

John

THIRD WEDNESDAY

A time and space for quiet

reflection in the church.

The next ‘Third Wednesday’ will be on Wednesday 21st March

from 7 – 7.30pm

All are welcome to our sanctuary

for this different form of worship.

St Mary’s will be open to visitors over the Easter

weekend

JOINT SUNDAY TEA

Our next joint Sunday tea between the two church services will be on Sunday 11th March 2018. We hope that those attending the 9.30am service will stay on and that the 11am attendees will come early so we can all share some fellowship, conversation and enjoy home-baking along with our morning cuppa! We are planning to make these joint teas a regular event in our church calendar. They are going to

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be held on the second Sunday of each month.

The Social Committee is also planning a Brunch on Saturday 28th

April from 10am to 1pm. This will be a fundraiser for the Maggie’s Centre at the Western General. Please put the date in your diary!

Martin’s Ordination

Everyone that would like to come and support Martin in his ordination would be warmly welcomed to the service on Sunday 11th March at 6.30pm in Greenbank Parish Church, Braidburn Terrace, Edinburgh. If you are thinking of coming please add your name to the list at the back of the church to help with planning for catering. If you need a lift or can offer a lift can you please add a note to this effect next to your name. If you are travelling by public transport the 107 leaves Haddington High Street at 16.27 and gets to the west end of Edinburgh at 17.13. A Number 23 Lothian Bus from

Hanover Street (every 20 minutes on a Sunday) will take you straight to Greenbank. There’s one at 17.30 which gets to Greenbank at 17.59 or one at 17.50 which arrives at 18.19.

Martin’s last day with us will be Sunday 4th March.

St Mary’s Walking Group

The next walk will be on Saturday 10th March, leaving the church at 9.20am (Please note the time change!).

We will park at Goose Green in Gullane, then take a short bus ride to the Aberlady Nature Reserve. We'll walk through the Reserve to the shore line and proceed along to Gullane, then loop round to Muirfield and back to Gullane. Six miles and a bit. Tom Walker will be leading.

The Rugged Pathway

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The Annual Pilgrimage from St Mary’s Parish Church, Haddington to St Mary’s, Whitekirk is on Saturday 5th May. The registration form and information sheet is available to download from the church website.

The Big Spring Clean of the Church takes place on Saturday 7th April from

9am until approximately

12noon. Volunteers will be very warmly

welcomed. Please contact Jim Ainslie

Haddington Twinning

Quiz Night

Friday 9 March 2018

Doors open at 7 pm for a 7.30pm start.

Haddington Town House

Quizmaster: Bob Mitchell

Teams of 4 - £3 per person or £10 for a team of 4. Tickets

from Joe Forte Sports, Hilary’s Deli or Erica’s florist

MUSIC@ST MARY’S

Sound the Trumpet! The Garleton Singers along with Brass Tacks and George Wilson on organ give a concert of spectacular music for choir, brass, organ & percussion in St Mary’s on Sunday 18th March at 7.30pm. The programme includes Rutter’s Gloria, Canticle of the Sun by Kloppers and Gloria by Locklair. The conductor is Stephen Doughty. Tickets are available from choir members, Hilary’s Deli, Kesley’s Bookshop or at the door. £12 Adults, £8 students, £3 children.

On Saturday 24th March at 7.30pm in St Mary’s the Hadley Court Singers perform Stainer’s

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Crucifixion. Tickets are £10 and under 16s are free.

There are two groups following studies for Lent. The Home Group that meets at the home of Robert & Margaret Lightbody are following a Lenten study on a Tuesday morning at 10.30am. Another group, led by Isobel Colley, meets on a Tuesday evening in the church at 7.30pm. Everyone is most welcome to either group.

Peace of Heart (A poem by Stewart Carruthers)

A quiet relaxed moment of the soul Ponderation is the goal Moment of prayer in the silence around Meditation much needed is found

Peace of heart and thought prevail Words in the mind spell out a tale Calming, comforting as they are Peace of heart is my star

Feelings depict a soothing mood Emotions found in quietude Some time to feel god’s love in there Peace of my heart is my prayer

HOLY WEEK IN HADDINGTON

Details of the Holy Week services here is St Mary’s are given aside. Elsewhere in Haddington the West Church is holding Meditations on the Passion of Christ, services of words & music each evening at 6.30pm on Monday 26th, Tuesday 27th & Wednesday 28th March. All welcome. There will be an afternoon communion at Holy Trinity Church on Tuesday 27th at 2.30pm and the Walk of Witness on Good Friday, 30th March leaves the West Church at 11.45am and makes it way to St Mary’s.

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The DEADLINE for the April newsletter is

Sunday 11th March.

HOLY WEEK SERVICES

IN ST MARY’S

PALM SUNDAY 25th March 2018

Services at 9.30am & 11am

MAUNDY THURSDAY 29th March 2018

Communion at 7.30pm

GOOD FRIDAY 30th March 2018

“The Way of the Cross” Service at 7.30pm

EASTER SUNDAY

1st April 2018 Early Communion Service at 8am

In the gardens of St Mary’s Pleasance

Easter Service at 11am

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(followed by tea, coffee & hot cross buns)

Sunday Teas & Coffees

Donations at the tea table

during 2018/19 will be

shared - 50% going to the

chosen charity and 50% to

St Mary’s. Our chosen

projects & charities are:

Crossreach Counselling

Dunbar, which offers

confidential counselling to

adults, children, young

people and families. There

are clinics in Haddington,

Musselburgh, Tranent &

North Berwick as well as

sessions in local secondary

schools;

Scottish Huntington’s

Association, established in

1989 by families living with

the condition with the aim

of significantly improving

the quality of life of

everyone living with it; the

Bridge Centre, Muirfield

Riding Therapy which

offers children, and adults

with disabilities the

opportunity to ride free of

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charge in a safe and

stimulating environment;

the East Lothian Foodbank

and the Maggie’s Centre at

the Western General

Hospital which offers

practical, emotional and

social support for people

with cancer and their

families..

Thank you for your

support.

CHRISTIAN AID NEWS I am pleased to report that between our three churches in Haddington just over £14,000 was sent to Christian Aid Headquarters in 2017. This is a great total and I would like to thank very sincerely the large number of people who helped to raise this magnificent sum.

This year we have signed up to a new initiative from Christian

Aid called the Zambia Community Partnership which we thought fitting to support as we live in an agricultural county. This economic development project aims to help women and young people to increase their productivity so that they grow not only enough food to eat but have a surplus to sell, making money to support their families. They will also be taught some business skills. We have promised to give £4,000 over 4 years. Our 2018 fundraising got off to a flying start at the beginning of

February when we held our annual Brunch in the Trinity Centre. The extra space was most useful and £730 was raised. Copies of the CA Quiz which was on sale that day can be purchased from Janet Penman price £1. Entries should be returned to Janet Chrystal by 31st May 2018.

We shall be walking over the Forth Road Bridge on Saturday 28th April – check your church noticeboard or

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speak to your CA rep for more details. Transport is available.

Then Christian Aid Week takes place from 13th-19th May. Because of age and illness some of our long serving collectors have had to stand down. If you could help please

contact me. Even if you can only manage a small area do please offer, as every little bit helps towards our aim of helping those less fortunate than ourselves.

Janet Chrystal

March 2018 at St Mary’s

Thursday 1st Choristers 6.30pm Choir 7.30pm

Friday 2nd Bell ringers 7.30pm WORLD DAY OF PRAYER SERVICE 7.30pm at the West Church

Saturday 3rd

Sunday 4th Worship at 9.30 & 11am NSYC 7pm Monday 5th

Tuesday 6th Home Group Lent Study 10.30am. Evening Lent Study 7.30

Wed 7th Women’s Fellowship Group 8pm Thursday 8th Crafty Folk 10.30am. Mums’ Group 10am.

Choristers 6.30pm Choir 7.30pm

Friday 9th Bell ringers 7.30pm

Saturday 10th WALKING GROUP 9.20am Sunday 11th Worship at 9.30 & 11am. COMMUNION at both services

JOINT TEAS between the services. MARTIN’S INDUCTION at Greenbank Parish Church, Edinburgh at 6.30pm

Monday 12th

Tuesday 13th Home Group Lent Study 10.30am. Evening Lent Study 7.30

Wednesday 14th Women’s Fellowship Group 8pm

Thursday 15th Mums’ Group 10am Crafty Folk 10.30am. Choir 7.30pm. Friday 16th Bell ringers 7.30pm

Saturday 17th Sunday 18th Worship at 9.30 & 11am. CONCERT 7.30pm Monday 19th

Tuesday 20th Home Group Lent Study 10.30am. Evening Lent Study 7.30 Wednesday 21st Third Wednesday 7pm Women’s Fellowship Group 8pm

Thursday 22nd Mums’ Group 10am Crafty Folk 10.30am. Choristers 6.30pm Choir 7.30pm.

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Friday 23rd Bell ringers 7.30pm Saturday 24th CONCERT 7.30pm Sunday 25th Worship at 9.30 & 11am Palm Sunday

Monday 26th Tuesday 27th Lent Study Group 10.30am Evening Lent Study 7.30pm

Wednesday 28th Women’s Fellowship Group 8pm Thursday 29th COMMUNION 7.30pm Maundy Thursday

Friday 30th The Way of the Cross Service at 7.30pm Good Friday Saturday 31st

www.stmaryskirk.co.uk

Haddington: St Mary’s Parish Church (Church of Scotland) Scottish Charity Number SC010614