As we once more approach Advent, and that joyous time of Jesus’ birth, let me share these thoughts with you.
God sent the Son… and God sent the Spirit of the Son. St Paul brings together Christmas and Pentecost - as unlikely a pair, to our culture- conditioned minds, as Christmas pudding and a May Bank Holiday. Son and Spirit remain inseparable. Ask Mary.
Paul is describing how slaves become God’s adopted children and heirs. Telling, as so often, a fresh variation on the story of the Exodus, he sees the law itself as the instrument of slavery. It locked up the Jews in condemnation; it locked out the Gentiles from membership. Is God then powerless to keep his promise to Abraham, the promise of a worldwide family?
No, the birth of the child, as with Abraham himself, signals God’s faithfulness, God’s joy, God’s grace breaking through human impossibility. Born of a woman, born under the Law, the Messiah has come to the slave-market, and purchased his people’s freedom. Christmas people are to think of themselves as Passover people, and then also Pentecost people: what God did in the birth of one child, God now does in the birth of dozens, thousands, tens of millions in whose hearts the Spirit is poured out, and on whose lips is the new-born cry, “Abba, Father”. (‘Abba’ isn’t just a child’s word, but here it is treated as the sure sign of new life.) Father, Son and Holy Spirit; God’s inner life, shared with us all.
Come back to Bethlehem, therefore, and see what has come to pass. Only come now, with the angels singing, and see not one babe in the manager, but more than anyone could count: children and heirs of the free love of God, Passover people, Pentecost people. Christmas is the time of joy and celebration because this new birth heralds all new birth. In this young son all God’s Exodus people are called to be sons and daughters, free heirs of God’s lavish grace, clothed (as Isaiah says) with the garments of salvation. If we are in danger of becoming blasé about Christmas, we may run the risk of becoming complacent also about the Spirit’s work, perhaps for similar reasons. We know the story too well, and have stopped pondering it in our hearts.
‘Pondering’ is a powerful word in the original. It isn’t just puzzled musing or focused daydreaming. It speaks of bringing together, or even throwing together, a collection of people, ideas or objects, and seeing what happens. Like the sages and visionaries of old, Mary guarded great and terrible secrets in her heart, turning them this way and that, letting them knock sparks off each other. God and the farmhands. Angels and straw. Grace and blood. Journeys and lodgings and babies and prayers. In and through them all, for her and for us, there weaves the story of God’s unexpected love and power, setting the whole to a music at once strange, wild and redemptive , a Magnificat that now heralds each new birth, each Spirit-led baby-cry, each new personal Christmas.
I have written this piece in the hope that you may dip in and out of it, all the way through Advent. Please use the reading and my words as a focus, as maybe a way of starting to read your bible again, to engage with God himself and let him touch you once more. To ponder what He wants from each one of us this Advent time and beyond.
Is now a good time to restart the Guild?
The Guild is a movement within the Church of Scotland, which invites men and women to commit their lives to Jesus Christ and enables them to express their faith in worship, prayer and action.
In the autumn the Guild starts a new theme, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6.v.8. Wouldn’t this be a good time to start meeting again?
We on the Gordon Presbytery leadership team are really keen to help. We have a list of meetings of neighbouring Guilds along with contacts in each Guild. Your neighbours will make you very welcome. Come sample a meeting. Meetings start with a short time of worship. The main part of the meeting is usually a speaker, followed by singing, tea and the Benediction. I always go home uplifted. You should try it.
If you wish to know more try the Guild web site phone Catriona McIntyre on 01651 842338 or try email .
The Guild invites and encourages all men and women to commit their lives to Jesus Christ and enables them to express their faith in worship, prayer and action.
Date
Location
Event
2 December 2008
Methlick Church
The Spirit of Christmas. Flowers with Connie Bartlett
3 December 2008
Tarves Church
Christmas evening with Alice Dennis and the Haddo Choral Ensemble
9 December 2008
Belhelvie Christmas Social
White Horse Inn
10 December 2008
Pitmedden Church
Christmas Theme Mrs. Joey Sleigh
7 January 2009
Pitmedden Church
Prayer Labyrinth & Communion Rev. Regine Cheyne
8 January 2009
Tarves Church
“Learning with Disability” John Swinton, Aberdeen
20 January 2009
Belhelvie Forsyth Hall.
Memories of Aberdeenshire Bill Johnston
Useful Contacts
Guild
Contact
Telephone
Belhelvie
Mary Reid
01358 742684
Methlick
Margaret McHardy
01651 806354
Tarves
Edith Innes
01651 851632
Udny & Pitmedden
Catriona McIntyre
01651 842338
Leadership team
Lesley Michie
019755 62692
Guild Office
0131 240 2217
Choices
John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?'
He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood I choose to be in a good mood. 'Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. 'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested. 'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life. 'I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?'
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live.'
Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked He continued, '...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action.'
'What did you do?' I asked. 'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'.'Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. You have choices now ..........
E.P.C. Refurbishment-What's Happening?
It may seem that nothing is progressing but rest assured much thought, research and pre-planning has been going on in the background to confirm the best way forward. You will appreciate the immensity of the project requires we get it right first time, so ..... watch this space!!
Library For E.P.C?
As you will have noticed in an earlier copy of the Newsletter we in EPC are looking to set up a Library within the Kirk Centre detailing as much information as possible on EPC and its surrounding area.
If you have anything to loan which may be of interest—photos, newspaper cuttings memorabilia etc. we would be most grateful. A BIG thank you to those who have gifted or loaned items for the project.
We are still on the look out for as much information or publications as possible and to that end this is just a gentle reminder to all members of the congregation and public who might still have documentation of any description that you feel would be of interest of the Church.
If you have any old materials or books etc that you would like to donate to this Library I would be grateful if you could hand them into the Office within the Kirk Centre.
Ann M Gammack
Session Clerk
Creche
A note for all parents wishing to use the crèche (or anyone who knows families that would use a crèche facility)
Please advise the Ellon Parish Church of Scotland office in the Kirk Centre of your name and telephone number and the amount of children you would like to use the crèche.
The following is an extract from a letter printed in previous newsletters referring to the Hospital Chaplaincy and the Data Protection Act. As some people remain uncertain of the procedure, it is worth a re-print.
If you land in hospital and wish your ministers to visit the responsibility for letting them know is yours and yours alone.
This will fall broadly into one of two categories. If your admission is pre-planned then you can inform the minister of the date you are going in, which ward you will be in and how long you expect to be there. On the other hand if you are admitted as an emergency then at the earliest opportunity inform your minister yourself or authorise someone else to do this for you. If you fail to do any of these and are not visited then do not blame the ministers for they quite simply will not know of your situation.
A problem can arise when where a well meaning friend, without permission, informs the ministers that someone is in hospital and would be “better of a visit.” This cannot be acted on for, depending on the circumstances, the minister at that time may be the last person the patient wants to see! The patient’s permission is essential.
It is hoped that sooner or later common sense will prevail and ministerial support for the ill will again become straightforward, but meantime we have a national problem that will require a national solution and that unfortunately will take time.
Dr Charles S Burgess
Ellon Parish Church of Scotland Mission Group
Calling All Knitters
Winter is almost upon us again, so why not dust off those old knitting needles and knit some baby blankets to help the Linus Appeal.
The special patterns for these blankets are available at the back of both churches or by contacting Sandra Beaton.
The Mission Group would like to thank everyone who has already donated to this appeal, and would encourage you to “keep on knitting”!
Unwanted Items
Do you have any old mobile phones, jewellery, foreign coins or stamps etc.?
These items can all be turned into cash and the proceeds given to the National Bible Society.
There will be boxes available at the back of both churches for you to put your items into, or hand them into the Kirk Centre Office.
2010 – A Year of Mission In Gordon Presbytery
What images does the word ‘mission’ conjure up for you?
Perhaps it’s a sepia-toned past. For many, ‘mission’ recalls the Livingstones and Slessors who in days long past took their faith to the four corners of the globe with immense resolution and courage. Yet the reality is that in 2008 our mission field is much closer to home. We are in a missionary situation in our own country.
Those of us who have grown up within the church so easily take the story of our faith for granted; it’s woven into the fabric of our lives. Yet for a growing number of people in our society the Christian faith is something with which they feel little or no affinity. A generation ago the problem was that people knew the Christian story, they just didn’t see the connection with their lives. Today we can’t even take for granted that people know the story any more.
The task of the church in our place and time is not to grow defeatist or introspective but to refocus its attention on what God is doing in this world: finding ways of sharing who God is and what God means to us in ways that make sense to this generation. The task of the church in our place and time is to rediscover mission.
To that end, the Presbytery has agreed to mark 2010 as a Year of Mission in Gordon Presbytery. In the build-up to 2010, congregations will be encouraged to reflect on the meaning of ‘mission’ and make plans to reach out to their parishes in new and creative ways which reflect the love of God. Presbytery-wide events to stimulate thought and prayer and celebrate
.
It is our hope that the conference will send us back to our parishes with renewed vision and enthusiasm for the work of mission that each Christian and each congregation is called to.
God’s work among us will be organised to help us in our efforts.
The first of these is scheduled for Saturday 1st November 2008 when Pitmedden Church will be hosting a Presbytery Day Conference on Mission entitled Dreaming the Dream. The guest speaker for the day will be Peter Neilson, an internationally renowned student of mission who was instrumental in drawing together the landmark Church Without Walls Report which went to the General Assembly of 2001.
It is our hope that the conference will send us back to our parishes with renewed vision and enthusiasm for the work of mission that each Christian and each congregation is called to.
The members of the Home Mission team would ask you to take and use this prayer leading up to 2010, asking for God’s guidance as we make our plans.
“Go and preach the gospel. Use words if you have to”. – St Francis of Assisi
Eternal God,
reaching out across time and space
to call us into being
and into fellowship with you and one another;
hear us as we pray.
This world we live in is yours,
in all its beauty and fragility.
This country we belong to is yours,
with all its character and history.
These people we live with are yours;
the people of our church and parish.
The ones we love;
the ones we struggle with;
the ones we fear;
the ones we do not know.
God, in your wisdom,
you have chosen people like us
to take your message of love to the world.
But that world begins at our doorstep
and the threshold of our sanctuaries.
The world begins not on some distant shore
but with our families, our neighbours, our colleagues and our friends.
We are not adequate for this task, Living God.
We so rarely see the world through your eyes.
But with you, all things are possible.
Do what you need to do in me
to make me an ambassador for the Kingdom.
Do what you need to do in us
to make our churches places where people encounter you
in ways that move their souls.to prepare the ground
for the seeds of truth to be sown and tended.
Then let us share the gospel with those you loved and died to save,
using hands and feet and eyes and ears;
using time and effort and money and compassion.
And using words, the right words, when we have to.
