ST. PHILIP’S E-NEWSLETTER
14 MAY 2010
COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR
Your editor wondered if this e-newsletter should be coloured red, yellow or blue this week. What do you get when you mix a bit of yellow with blue? Apart from a coalition cabinet, something a bit green.
A green revolution?
THOUGHT
Your editor read something recently by a woman named Grace Davie, a sociologist who has done extensive work on religion in the contemporary European and North American context. Within her work are such useful concepts as ‘believing without belonging’ (and for our Scandinavian friends, ‘belonging without believing’); vicarious religion, felt by many in Europe; and the shift from a culture of obligation to a culture of consumption. Within a discussion of the relative success in Europe of either charismatic/evangelical churches or cathedrals, she wonders about the common features:
‘…it is the experiential or ‘feel-good’ factor, whether this be expressed in charismatic worship, in the Alpha weekend, in the tranquillity of Cathedral evensong or in the special occasion—Greenbelt or Spring Harvest on the evangelical side, a candle-lit mass for the cathedrals or prominent parish church. The point is that we feel something. We experience the sacred or the set apart in a way that…awakens in us something beyond the realities of everyday life without which we remain dissatisfied. Hence a possible hypothesis: late Europeans are much more likely to go to places of worship in which an experience of the sacred is central to the occasion. The purely cerebral (the biblical exposition or liberal Protestantism), is much less seductive.’
(Grace Davie, The Sociology of Religion (Sage Publications: London, 2007), p. 146))
Oops. There goes the sermon.
WORSHIP
The question this week: Who made God?
Indeed.
Good luck to the minister for a service which should allow us to feel and experience…..confusion?
Tune in for thoughts.
Here’s the order for Sunday:
We are not called by God to do extraordinary things but to do ordinary things with extra-ordinary love. Jean Vanier
Welcome, announcements and silence
Opening Collect (said together)
Almighty God,your Son, our saviour, Jesus Christ
ascended far above all heavens
that he might fill all things.
Grant that your Church on earth
may be filled with his presence
ant that he may remain with us always,
to the end of the world. Amen.
Hymn 147 All creatures of our God and King
Talking Together
Hymn 212 Morning has broken
Readings
The First Days of Creation Genesis 1:1-13
Where is Wisdom Found? Job 28:12-28
Offering
Prayers and Lord’s Prayer
Hymn 135 O laughing Light
Readings
The Supremacy of Christ Colossians 1:15-20
The Annunciation Luke 1:26-38
Reflection Who made God?
Prayers
Hymn 112 God, whose almighty word
Blessing
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday 16 May 2010
Joining St Philip’s: If you would like to join St Philip’s there will be a brief conversation tonight at 7.30pm. If you are interested please speak to Stewart.
Talents: Offered and Wanted: If you are able to offer a service that someone else may need, or are looking for someone to do a job for you – a sheet is available in the vestibule.
Magazine: Pam Donaldson would like articles for the June edition of the church magazine by Monday, 24th May at the latest. These should be left in the magazine pigeonhole, emailed to Pam or handed to her or Ross at church.
Shopping for the Homeless: The Grassmarket Community, who help the homeless in Edinburgh, have asked if people would be willing to add a bit extra to their shopping basket. Stock cubes, sugar, lentils, salt and pepper are always needed.
Fundraising Penny Tubes are available today for your small change. Please take one. Full tubes can be returned to the basket in the vestibule and a new one taken to start filling again! The total has now crept up to £433 – really great!
Monday, 17th May 2010
The Prayer Group The Prayer Groups meets at 9.45 in the Baird Hall. Prayer Request Boxes have been placed on both sides of the vestibule. All are welcome to join us.
The Coffee Club meets at 10am in the Session Room. All are welcome to join us. For more information please contact Pat Knox on 669 3765.
Saturday, 22nd May 2010
Family Funday from 12 noon til 4pm in the Old Parish Church Halls in aid of the Ghana Youth Volunteer Project. Face painting, bouncy castle, splat the leader, refreshments, giant garden games, prize stalls and much more.
Sunday, 23rd May 2010
Pentecost Party: Sunday, 23rd May 2010 from 3pm – 6pm at St Philip’s Church. The Pentecost Party will be led by people from various denominations and it is open to primary school age children of any faith or none. Children should be accompanied by an adult. Cost is £5 (10% discount on groups of 6+), RSVP to Margaret Grant on 220 6509 or mgpresb_pentecost@yahoo.com by 16 May as spaces are limited.
Monday, 24th May 2010
Session Meeting at 7.30pm in the Session Room.
Tuesday, 25th May 2010
The Film Club is showing ‘The Mission’ on Tuesday, 25th May at 7.30pm in the Session Room. Everyone is welcome to come along for the movie, discussion, fellowship and snacks.
Friday, 28th & Saturday. 29th May 2010
Junior Choir presents ‘The Big Bad Musical’ on Friday, 28th and Saturday, 29th May at 7.30pm in the Church. Tickets, priced £6 for adults and £3.50 for children will be on sale after church during May or from Jenny Hambleton.
Saturday, 29th May 2010
Lindisfarne: The Old Parish Church are organising a trip to Lindisfarme on 29th May 2010. The trip will depart from the Old Parish Church at 8am. We will gather on the causeway side at 9.30am and have a Communion Service in the Parish Church on Lindisfarne at approximately 3.30pm. If you are interested please speak to Stewart.
Messy Church will meet from 1pm – 3.30pm in the Main Halll. The theme this month will be ‘gardening’. Messy Church is for families with primary or pre-school age kids. We aim to be creative (messy!) and have some rest/reflection (Church). Its run by people from various denominations and is open to people of any faith or none. We’d love to see you and your family.
Sunday, 30th May 2010
The Book Club: Our next read is ‘Deaf Sentence’ by David Lodge, a witty story on the problems deafness brings. We will meet on Sunday, 30th May at 7.30pm in the Dalriada to discuss this. After that we will read ‘Wolf Hall’ by Hilary Mantel, the 2009 Man Booker Prize winner about the Tudors. A longer read for the end of July. We would encourage everyone to read and comment on our choices.
JOKES
Your editor has had a couple come his way with political themes and will share them while the topic is more relevant than usual.
Choosing a hymn after an election….
A minister, a confirmed Tory, was arranging hymns for the following Sunday with his organist on the day of a General Election. Being assured of a Conservative victory, he suggested “Now thank we all our God” for the opening hymn. The organist, being a realist, observed that a Labour victory was just possible, and the minister said that in that unlikely case, the hymn should be “O God, our help in ages past”. But the organist, just to cover all eventualities, asked what to do should there be a Liberal Democrat victory. ‘In that case’, said the minister,’it will have to be “God moves in a mysterious way”‘!
Many thanks to Bob for this one.
And Bob did provide two extra anagrams for those who enjoyed the last lot:
Episcopal becomes Pepsi-cola.
Presbyterian becomes Britney Spears.
Thanks Bob!
And another….
While walking down the street one day a “Member of Parliament” is tragically hit by a truck and dies.
His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
‘Welcome to heaven,’ says St. Peter. ‘Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.’
‘No problem, just let me in,’ says the man.
‘Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.’
‘Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,’ says the MP.
‘I’m sorry, but we have our rules.’
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.
Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.
They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.
Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly & nice guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.
Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises….
The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.
‘Now it’s time to visit heaven.’
So, 24 hours pass with the MP joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.
‘Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.’
The MP reflects for a minute, then he answers: ‘Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.’
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.
Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.
He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.
The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. ‘ I don’t understand,’ stammers the MP. ‘Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.
What happened? ‘
The devil looks at him, smiles and says, ‘ Yesterday we were campaigning.. …
Today you voted.
Thanks Rona!
Have a good weekend!
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