The latest edition of the newsletter of the Methodist Church in Scotland is now available. It includes items on Stationing, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ and ‘Pause and Pray’ – a City of Edinburgh Methodist Church venture.
During this week further news has come from Julya about the recent tragic road accident in Bulgaria in which Svetla was seriously injured, her elder son killed, and her younger son injured.
A practical way of showing our concern for the family and shocked community is to help alleviate medical and other costs, and to do so quickly. It has therefore been agreed that today’s Communion Offering (normally in December for Action for Children Scotland) be replaced by a plate (on entry) for donations to assist Svetla and her family. If you wish to contribute but cannot do so today, please contact David Easson (Church Treasurer). It is hoped that a first amount from the Circuit will be sent during this coming week.
A card will be available next week to be signed and sent from Marketgait to our fellow Methodists in Sevlievo, as a sign of our solidarity with and support for them at this time.
An offering for Action for Children Scotland will be taken on Christmas Day.
Contributions are invited for the next edition, which will have the theme of A World Transformed by God’s Love.
Contributions, not exceeding 120 words or 12 lines, should be sent, with name & postal address, to methodistprayerhandbook@gmail.com, by Friday 12th January 2018. Photos fitting the theme may also be submitted. More details – essential if you intend to submit a contribution.
This year’s Advent Liturgy in Dundee was created at the Circuit Preachers’ Training Day and is offered as a gift from the Preachers to our churches and ecumenical partners.
At the Group’s meeting this week members discussed
The Group also invites support for forthcoming events:
At the recent meeting of representatives, it was accepted that the pattern of united worship on a weekly alternating basis should continue. The current phase of our relationship was described as being that of “ecumenical hospitality” as we continue to ‘get to know each other’.
The warmth of mutual welcome and fellowship was welcomed and acknowledgement made of points of difference between our traditions. At present, the most obvious difference lies in the more liturgical responsive format for Methodist Communion and, on occasion, elsewhere. It was agreed that this, and other differences, provide areas for further exploration to our mutual enrichment. In this context, it would be helpful to have comments and feedback from Methodists especially about the URC order for Communion. (The next Plan includes a URC Communion in Marketgait.)
In addition to the united services on Sunday mornings, there is a Nativity Service on Sunday December 17th at 6pm in Salem to which all are warmly invited and Salem friends are aware of the services in Marketgait on Christmas Day and 31st December when they have no URC service arranged.
Salem may provide an extra door steward for united services in Marketgait and Methodists likewise when at Salem.
Next meeting: Thurs 15th Feb, Marketgait, 10.30am
Dear friends
Bah humbug! I have just spotted another advert on the TV advertising Christmas and it is only the beginning of November. I think I am turning into Ebenezer Scrooge – Lord have mercy! I have found myself chuntering about the deluge of adverts now Halloween is over. Having turned 50 a couple of years back I am clearly on the slide to Grumpy Old Man status.
BUT…I do believe it is important to wait for Christmas otherwise we end up devaluing it. For us, as Christians, Christmas is first and foremost a spiritual event and cannot be rushed. Think of Mary waiting for 9 months – you cannot rush a pregnancy! The church has used the time before Christmas to help us prepare (Prepare the way of the Lord say Isaiah and John the Baptist). For the Church, the Christmas season begins on Christmas Day and lasts through to January 5th (twelfth night). Epiphany is celebrated on 6th January recalling the arrival of the wise men/magi/stargazers/kings or the ones who got to wear the posh clothes instead of the tea towels in the school nativity.
At the recent local preachers training day, preachers and others gathered to think about Advent and how we can use this time in our churches to help us prepare to celebrate Christmas. All the circuit churches were represented and between us we reflected on the Bible passages we might encounter in Advent and what ideas might flow from this. This is being developed as a gift offered for use by all our churches along with the traditional advent wreath.
One of the key questions for us in advent is what does it mean to let Jesus a little bit more into my life? What does it look/feel like? A time for honest reflection – thinking about what it means to be in the dark, or what it feels like to be trapped? Can we open ourselves just a little bit more in the knowledge that we are met with the truth of God – the light of the world breaking through boundaries, the word becoming flesh reaching out with love. Christmas is huge! Like the arrival of a first child, it is like nothing we have ever encountered and turns our lives upside down: it even has the capacity to transform a grumpy old Ebenezer Scrooge. No wonder the shepherds were terrified and amazed and the angels sang “Glory to God in the highest” (but not before Christmas night!!)
With love
Nick
