18 January 2004

We give the assurance of our thoughts and prayers to all who are unwell, awaiting or undergoing treatment, or anxious or grieving for the loss of loved ones.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The theme for this year is “My peace I give to you” which will form the basis on which the Unity Octave is observed world-wide.

The Broughty Ferry Churches Group is marking the Week by today’s Pulpit Exchange; as part of this, we welcome Mr Isdale Anderson of Broughty Baptist Church to lead worship in Marketgait and Jenny Easson will be preaching in St Mary’s Episcopal Church.

Traidcraft

There will be fair-trade goods for sale today.

Service & Mission Committee – action points

The S & M Committee members draw attention to the following decisions of Thursday’s meeting :

• next Sunday there will be a retiring collection for the appeal by the Methodist Relief and Development Fund towards relief and re-development work after the recent earthquake in Iran
• as a follow-up to the presentation by Alistair Chisholm on the Mary Slessor Foundation, there will be opportunity to consider practical ways of making this our ‘Project 2004’ on Sunday 8th February from 10.15 am to c 10.45 am. All are, of course, welcome but this invitation is particularly emphasised to those who, in the “small groups process”, indicated their wish for a Project to help draw people closer together. Coffee will be available, as also requested by some in the “small groups process”.

More details of the S&M Committee meeting next week.

Meetings this week

Support other Organisations

‘Contact the Elderly’

Information has been received to introduce the above National Befriending Organisation for the most lonely and isolated elderly in our communities. A new group, consisting of volunteers, is being set up in Dundee to provide a “relaxed, cheerful social event in a non-institutionalised setting”. Volunteer hosts will be welcomed – for more information please see letter on library noticeboard or contact Joan Grant, Regional Development Officer,tel: 01575 573370, email: Joan@contact-the-elderly.org

Christian Aid

The Winter 2004 issue of the News is now here - supplies on the Vestibule table; take, read, pass on …

NCH

January is designated as “kitchen” month in our request for surplus items for use by the Cowan Grove and Families projects. See Margaret for more details.

Further donations have been received through the Christmas Envelope Appeal – please return envelopes through the collection plate or direct to Margaret - thanks.

Unity Octave

This year’s material for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Unity Octave) is based on the text “My peace I give to you” (John 14, 27), chosen by the Christian Churches of the city of Aleppo in Syria.

Aleppo (pop.1_ million) is described as “an ecumenical city” where Christians are in the minority, comprising 10% of a mainly Muslim population. Relations are good between Christians and Muslims. There are 11 recognised Christian communities – 3 Orthodox eparchies, 6 Catholic eparchies and 2 Protestant communities. 36 churches ‘operate’ in Aleppo, besides 17 chapels, and 21 convents, served by 98 priests & pastors and 75 nuns. Friendly relations exist between the various Christian communities, which have made good progress in spiritual sharing, pastoral agreement and charitable works.

All religious leaders have jurisdiction only over ‘the people' of their own communities. All communities have their statutes recognised by the State, with independent jurisdiction in such areas as marriage certification, ecclesial courts, worship, and property management.

One practice specific to Aleppo is the closure on Sunday of several private schools, factories and shops, although the official holiday is Friday. Christians who work on Sunday are given free time to attend their religious services: celebrations such as marriages and baptisms take place on Sunday and the actual attendance of Christians exceeds the official percentages.

There is real understanding at pastoral level between the various churches: leaders meet regularly on the last Saturday each month, baptisms and ‘mixed marriages’ are mutually recognised, a wife will customarily worship with her husband’s faith community. One major shared concern is that of emigration, especially of young people.

Catechism books, used throughout Syria, were written by an ecumenical commission; other commissions work as part of the Middle East Council of Churches.

A new church was recently consecrated in a new district of Aleppo, serving both Orthodox and Catholics – “this church will be open to all Christians”.

A number of consultations at wider level have been held in Aleppo, through relationships with the World Council of Churches, the Middle East Council of Churches, and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. One important consultation was on the Date of Easter, to try to resolve the different dates of celebration according to the Gregorian and Julian calendars. (These coincide in 2004 ! – JHE)

Information from CTBI Resource Book for Unity Octave.

Prayer Points for this week

• The President of Conference in the York and Hull District this weekend, and with the Vice-President in the London South-East District next weekend;
• Connexional Stationing Matching Group, meeting tomorrow;
• The Chair of the Scotland Synod, Rev Jim Jones;
• relationships between all churches in Tayside & north-east Fife;
• preparation for courses starting in March at the Bible Institute of Bahia Blanca in Argentina (Feed The Minds);
• planning for the coming financial year, especially for ‘youthification’ work (Christian Aid);
• The Leprosy Mission’s work in China, Korea, and Laos;
• Bible Society work in Ethiopia;
• we pray with and for the peoples of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia;
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Salisbury Circuit (Southampton District), and in Banff (North of Scotland Mission Circuit).

• 11 January 2004
• 25 January 2004

© 2002—2003 Dundee Methodist Church.