ST. PHILIP’S E-NEWSLETTER
COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR
Your editor was up late collating the election results, cheering for the Liberal Conservative Democrats Labouring in Green Scottish Nationalist Socialist Fields, and though it was tempting to rest, it was thought best to send.
After all, it is better to send than receive.
Who voted this editor into office?
THOUGHT
Politics and religion are often uneasy partners. And so it should be: part of our faith is speaking truth to power. One of the most articulate exponents is the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and your editor has always appreciated his comments. Even if questioned or, more likely, only partially understood, they require thought. Because education is an essential part of this election, here’s something for us.
At present in the United Kingdom, education is suffering a steady attrition of resources and imagination, and is at every level under pressure to give priority to narrowly functional concerns; it is treated politically as a consumer good to be marketed to parents or students. In the long run, this is bound to weaken any sense of corporate responsibility and public intelligence. It is not that responsibility isn’t learned and exercised by individuals and families in continuing tradition, despite what goes on in the educational establishment; but how is the vision of the individual or family to be supported and enlarged? St. Augustine’s passing observation in The City of God that the household learns its values from the city, is worth pondering, however odd it may sound to modern ears. And since our attitudes to education are only a part of the general trend towards the sovereignty of market metaphors, we have to continue to train ourselves and each other to challenge the supposed obviousness of such metaphors…
Rowan Williams, Lost Icons
Which begs a question for us: what is our role, the role of the church, in the education of our children? In what sense are we fulfilling this task?
WORSHIP
Before you, dear reader, have a chance to see the order of service, a big reminder to remain afterwards to share in a yummy, scrummy Bacon Butty Lunch provided by the Breakfast Club to raise money for Christian Aid and for some of their activities as well.
Words of welcome, announcements, silence
Hymn 110 Glory be to God the Father
Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
On a Lighter Note
Hymn 164
God made me
Prayer of Intercession
Reading – David Innes
Psalm 115
Hymn 124
Praise to the Lord
Reading
Acts 17:22-31
Offering and Dedication
Hymn 115
Love is the touch
A Bit More Serious
Hymn 607
The bright wind is blowing
Benediction
EVENTS
Pastoral Care – Get- Together of Befrienders – OPEN MEETING
If you are already befriending members of St Philip’s or would be interested in becoming a befriender who visits in addition to the Elders quarterly visits (usually members who are ill, housebound or in hospital) please come to the next Get-Together on Sunday 9 May at 7.30pm in the Session Room. At 8pm Penny Grieve of Faith in Older People Project is coming to talk to us about the project and coping with long-term pain. All elders and other members of the congregation who are interested in this topic will be very welcome to join us at 8pm.
Christian Aid Service
A service for the dedication of the work being done by the volunteers is on Sunday 9 May in the Old Parish Church, Bellfield Street at 6.30pm. A warm welcome awaits you all.
Magazine
Pam Donaldson would like articles for the June edition of the church magazine by Monday 14 May at the latest. These should be left in the magazine pigeonhole, emailed to pmidonaldson@blueyonder.co.uk or handed to her or Ross at church.
Young Woman’s Group AGM
Michelle Brown (St Philip’s Children and Youth Worker) has kindly agreed to come along and tell us about herself and her new role at the church on Monday 10 May. Please come along that evening and keep up-to-date. Liquid refreshments, accompanied by cheese, biscuits and nibbles, will be available from 7.30pm onwards.
The Walking Group
We meet at 10am in Brunstane Road North on Saturday 15 May to travel by car to West Linton for a 6 mile circular walk up one side of Lyne Water Valley and back down the other side. For more information please contact Anne McKerchar. All are welcome to join us.
Joining St Philip’s:
If you would like to join St Philip’s there will be a brief conversation on Sunday 16 May at 7.30pm. If you are interested please speak to Stewart.
Pentecost Party
Sunday 23 May 2010 from 3pm – 6pm in the 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.
Movie Club: The Mission
Come along on Tuesday 25 May 2010 to see this fantastic movie about an early mission to Latin America. Fantastic music, moving images and a bit for us to think about. Come along at 7.30pm to the Session Room or Baird Hall for a good show.
Junior Choir presents The Big Bad Musical
Come along on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 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.
Lindisfarne Pilgrimage
The Old Parish Church are organising a trip to Lindisfarme on 29 May 2010. The trip will depart from the Old Parish Church at 8am. We will gather on the causewayside 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
We will meet from 1pm – 3.30pm in the Main Hall on Saturday 29 May. 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). It’s 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.
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 30 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.
JOKE
Well, actually less a joke than a story. Not inappropriate after an election when a friend of the editor was canvassing for one party. A few people heard the pitch and then said, ‘Yes, but how does it help me?’
A holy man was having a conversation with God one day and said, ‘ God , I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.’
God led the holy man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.
In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles, that were strapped to their arms and each found it impossible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.
But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. God said, ‘You have seen Hell.’
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water.
The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, ‘I don’t understand..’
It is simple,’ said God . ‘It requires but one skill.
You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.’
Have a good weekend!!
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