|
From the manse....
Dear friends,
The other day I saw a trailer for a new series about religious matters on the digital channel More 4, to be presented by the biologist Richard Dawkins. Prof Dawkins has made a name for himself as the enfant terrible of the atheist cause. He believes that religion stands opposed to scientific reason, and so he has put a lot of effort into refuting religion and other aspects of life which he regards as 'unreasonable'. Sometimes his refutation of religion has spilled over into ridicule, and he has been criticized for his vehemence.
Some time ago I caught another of Dawkins' documentaries, which was all about some of the wackier aspects of alternative medicine. The producers sent him to a fair to talk to people selling crystals which were supposed to heal. It made for entertaining television, and in that programme he said hardly anything I didn't agree with. You see, Dawkins has a point. Religion does indeed cause intolerance, violence, terrorism, social division and ignorance. Yet so too does atheism. There are many intolerant atheists, and during the twentieth centuries the worst atrocities were committed by atheist fascists and communists. The problem, it seems to me, is not religious belief; it's what happens when you treat your dogma as more important that common humanity.
Christians beliefs include love for neighbours and even enemies, and a belief that all people are children of a God who loves them. And the Jewish/Christian/Islamic belief in a creator God actually led to the development of scientific methods. Sadly, Christians sometimes forget those basic principles when they say they are trying to defend against their secular critics, there is a shrillness, an anger which seems to shade into hatred, and a intolerance of others which I don't think was what Jesus intended.
We need to ensure that our congregation is seen as a welcoming place, open to all people. We should continue to work with Christians of other denominations, and to listen to those outside our faith, whether or not they are religious believers, for they may well have something to teach us. And Christian should not leave their brains at the Church door! It's simply not the case that our faith is an enemy of reasoned thinking. We should be people who think about faith and the world, and be open to new ideas from unexpected people. For whenever we close ours minds , we close ourselves to God's Spirit, which, as Jesus said, is like the wind, which blows where it will (John 3.8). An open, tolerant, welcoming and thinking Church is the best response there can be to Professor Dawkins and his disciples!
By the way, if a biologist can make documentaries about religion, can I expect a phone call soon to present a remake of Life on Earth?
May God bless you and yours!Peter
Rachel appeals for support for youth church assembly 
The youngest member of Inverness Church of Scotland Presbytery has made a heartfelt appeal for young people to become involved with the church on a national level.
Rachel Hutcheson, the presbytery’s young adult member, and a member of OHSS is to attend the Church of Scotland’s National Youth Assembly for delegates aged between 16 and 25 at Stirling University Campus from September 3-6. She has asked all ministers and congregations within the presbytery area to urge young people to attend the youth assembly, and has offered to tell local youth fellowships about what it involves.
Rachel (20), of Daviot Lodge, Daviot, said: “There are usually a couple of hundred youth delegates from all over Scotland. This will be the third assembly for me and it would be wonderful to have some company from Inverness.
“The National Youth Assembly has its own Moderator, this year Kim Wood from Glasgow. The theme for the weekend is ‘Boldly Go’.
“Four days thinking about mission for a 21st Century Scotland. Four days to explore what we want to say to the Church about fashion, politics, violence and peacemaking. Four days of worship, prayer, celebration, fun, exploring faith, encounter, exchange and conversation on the idyllic campus of Stirling University. It will include three debates - on politics, poverty and fashion. There will be a fashion show, ceilidh and a charity dinner, an opportunity to get the glad rags out.
“Our special guests will be the Emmanuel Gospel Choir from Sweden. There’s a long lunch every day when you can participate in a range of activities from sports, films and lectures to singing lessons with the choir and learning to knit.”
Rachel explained that the National Youth Assembly came under the wing of the Church’s Mission and Discipleship, known by the acronym MAD. From the assembly weekend a report will be drawn up, printed in a "blue book" and presented to the General Assembly by the youth moderator and delegates elected by the youth assembly.
“Hopefully,” she added, “the Church will be inspired to act on the views of the young folk.”
Apart from her presbytery commitments, Rachel leads a busy life, working as a visual merchandiser with Marks and Spencer, while in her free time she runs the Beaver Scout Colony within the Crown Scout Group and is also a leader with Old High St Stephen's Youth.
In her home community, she is vice-chair of Strathnairn Community Benefit Fund and also helps with the family bed and breakfast business at Daviot Lodge.
Auld Kirk Moderator in City’s oldest Kirk 
HIGHLIGHT of the congregation’s year was a visit to the Old High Church of the retiring Church of Scotland Moderator, the Rev Bill Hewitt on the evening of 2 May.
In addition to his role as guest speaker, Mr Hewitt presented long-service certificates to elders, deacons and choir members of Old High St Stephen’s, East and St Columba Churches, with an astonishing 699 years of service between them. The OHSS contribution alone totaled 495 years.
His visit came at the end of a crowded week-long tour of the presbytery area, during which Mr Hewitt, the minister of Westburn Church of Scotland, Greenock, took part in over 30 separate visits or engagements.
Besides visiting Inverness Prison and calling in on the Black Watch at Fort George, Mr Hewitt and his wife Moira attended events as diverse as civic or church receptions and a match between Inverness Caley Thistle and Dundee, in addition to visits to schools, hospitals, charities, a residential home, the fledgling University of the Highlands and Islands, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and businesses.
He also addressed the congregations of several churches within the wider presbytery area, which stretches from Ardersier and Nairn to Tomatin, Boleskine, Drumnadrochit and Kilmorack, besides Inverness itself. A native of Kilmarnock, Mr Hewitt was educated at Kilmarnock Academy and Strathclyde University where he studied accountancy, before answering the call from God to ministry, which had been awakened by his minister at Henderson Church.
Mr Hewitt transferred to Glasgow University, graduating Bachelor of Divinity in 1974, then studied for a two-year postgraduate diploma in pastoral studies. He served for two years as probationer assistant at Castlehill Church, Ayr where he was ordained in 1977. In 1978, he was called to Elderslie Kirk, where he served for 16 years and in 1994 to St Luke’s Church, Greenock, which in 2006 united with neighbouring St George’s North Church to form his present charge.
He and Moira have a daughter and two sons. Mr Hewitt enjoys golf, is a member and past president of Greenock Burns’ Club and a frequent speaker at Burns’ events.
Old High St Stephen’s members who qualified for long-service certificates were -
Elders: Ross Martin, 40 years; Bill MacKenzie, 34 years; Flora Milne, 33 years; Henry Barclay, 32 years; Stuart MacKenzie, 32 years; Ken Cantlay, 30 years; Pat Cruickshank, 30 years; Margaret Sutherland, 30 years.
Choir Members: Edith MacQuarrie, 40 years; Evelyn Moffat, 35 years; Moyra Johnstone, 30 years; Mary Angus, 40 years; Mairi MacLean, 40 years; Margaret Young, 40 years; Ken Young, 37 years; Scott Don, 50 years; Ian Oliver, 25 years.
Al-Shurooq School for the Blind, Bethlehem Flora Milne
In October 2009 Eric and I travelled to the Holy Land with St Columba’s Church, Aberdeen. Prior to our visit, the OHSS Mission Group requested that I identify a suitable project our church could support.
We visited the Al-Shurooq School for the Blind in Bethlehem, where we received a very warm welcome from Helen Shehadeh and her staff. The school was founded in 1981 by Helen, an elder at St Andrew’s Church of Scotland in Jerusalem. She overcame the challenge of losing her sight aged two, to become a devoted teacher and director of one of Bethlehem’s powerful social work institutions.
The school was initially situated in Jerusalem, but moved in 1995 to Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, in Palestinian territory behind the wall that divides it from Israel. Children living in the West Bank in Jerusalem were unable to enter the city to gain access to the school, but now pupils at Beit Jala come from all over Palestine. The great majority come from poverty-stricken remote villages and refugee camps in Gaza and Hebron, and the residential school provides full accommodation and medical care, catering for around 25 children from ages three to 14.
It offers two stages of rehabilitation – the kindergarten stage, from ages three to six, enhancing daily living skills, and the preparatory stage from six years on, for children capable academically of following the ordinary Palestinian syllabus.
The use of special software with synthesisers in Arabic and English allows blind children to hear the text and guide themselves through different programmes, including surfing the net. They also take part in development programmes involving art, music, swimming and computers.
Classes are from 8am-3pm and include Braille training in addition to daily living skills and mobility. This enables them after acquiring adequate training and skills to cope efficiently within their natural home environment and function independently in regular classroom settings.
When a child returns home, specialised social workers offer support, and the school provides Braille textbooks, typewriters, Braille paper, games, magnifiers and tape recorders. Workshops are held for the school staff to enhance their knowledge and experience in dealing with children with special needs. A number of pupils have gone on to gain places at Bethlehem University, a testimony to the skilled work done at the school.
OHSS Mission Group has decided to support this project, and the retiring offering from the August-September communion services will go to this deserving cause. Perhaps the Sunday School could also think of ways of becoming involved.
The cost of supporting a child from one month is £10 and I urge you all to give what you can. It is said that Helen and her staff are keeping the story of the Gospel and Christ’s teaching alive in the Holy Land today, and after witnessing this work at first hand, we thoroughly agree.
Visit the website here .
St Stephen’s Church Choir On Tour 2010 Freda Charters
 St Stephen’s Church Choir members enjoyed their third annual weekend “on tour” in June this year in the north-east corner of Scotland.
We were invited to Fraserburgh Old Parish Church to perform in a concert called Let’s Rejoice. The connection with Fraserburgh was through the late Rev Douglas Clyne who was minister there for 30 years. We were delighted to be joined in part of the concert by the Old Parish Church Choir and the junior choir, The Covenanters.
Most of us stayed for the weekend in a bunkhouse at the Rattray Head Lighthouse, Rattray Head being the same one that you hear on the Radio 4 Shipping Forecast each morning. The lighthouse was built by David Stevenson in 1895 on the perilous reef of Rattray Briggs.
On the first evening we, once again enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Susan. We all had a walk on the beach; some even had a paddle in the North Sea. We were surrounded by wild birds and seabirds from the nearby nature reserve and by seals on the lighthouse rocks. Friday evening finished off with team games arranged by Pam and Alyn. My team won but only because I had both the Cantlays who were in their usual sparkling form for games.
On Saturday we drove to meet Helen and Jim Morrison for lunch at the Tufted Duck in St Combs where they had stayed in relative luxury compared to the bunkhouse. We had passed through the village of Crimond which gives its name to the tune of the 23rd Psalm. The church there was built in 1812 and has a unique clock with 61 minutes to the hour. At lunch we were joined by the Old Parish Church session clerk, choirmaster and families.
And so we went on to Fraserburgh, where the granite was shining in the glorious afternoon sunshine. There were also a lot of bright pink balloons as well as pink garments decorating trees, lamposts and shops as the ladies of Fraserburgh were participating in the “Bra-nicht” sponsored walk late that evening. Some of the ladies came to hear the concert first, dressed in bright pink, of course.
The concert took place on Saturday evening. It was a delight to be joined by Annette Clyne, some members of Old High St Stephen’s and some friends and relatives of the choir in the audience. Our choir pieces were accompanied by Alyn Ross and conducted by Pam McCulloch. We sang some of our “greatest hits” and some new pieces learned for the occasion.
We had some lovely solo singers and Pam played violin as accompaniment for O For A Closer Walk With God to a Scott Skinner fiddle tune.
The Fraserburgh choir and the Covenanters sang some rousing praise songs with pre-recorded backing accompaniments. Our finale with all three choirs singing was The Rose with Peter playing the bagpipes. We all also sang at Communion on Sunday morning when Ken Cantlay was invited to assist Rev Peter Park. We all had a very warm welcome from everyone we met.
After church we were invited to the lovely little cottage in Banff owned by Alison and Cliff Sim, for coffee on our way back home to Inverness.
The weekend was a great success again this year. Pam received some thank-you letters later that week, one from a lady member of the Fraserburgh congregation who lives for six months of the year in Aberdeenshire and six months in Fort Myers, Florida. She invited us to do a concert in the Fort Myers Methodist Church, so who knows where we may be next year.
St Stephen’s Church Choir is Opening its Doors
St Stephen’s Choir is keen to expand in number so that we can sing a more varied repertoire, produce a ‘bigger’ sound and share the joy of our music making with others.
The Church Choir will continue to provide vocal music for our services. We are hoping to add to our membership with singers who perhaps attend other Churches or perhaps have no Church connection whatsoever! We plan to call the new extended choir St Stephen’s Community Choir. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings with preparation for services 7.30pm – 8.15pm and the ‘Community choir’ rehearsal taking place 8.15pm – 9.30pm. Members will be completely free to be a member of both, or either part of the Choir. The Community choir aims to prepare music for occasional services and concerts.
We are keen to hear from anybody 15 or over who is interested in singing with us; please let your friends and family know. More details from existing choir members or contact pam.41@tiscali.co.uk . First rehearsal Sept 16th in St Stephen’s Church Hall.
A Visit to the World’s most enduring Passion Play WRM
After two years’ gestation, marred by the untimely death of the Rev Douglas Clyne, who inspired it, the pilgrimage by congregation members to this year’s production of the Passion Play in the small Bavarian town of Oberammergau proceeded smoothly in July.
Douglas’ wife Annette stepped bravely into the breach caused by his death, and volunteered to act as leader, a task which she performed admirably and efficiently.
The weather, if perhaps a little too warm for those from the cool-temperate climate of the Moray Firth, was on our side, with bright sunshine prevailing during our two days in the historic little woodcarving community of around 5,500 inhabitants.
The Passion Play itself was certainly both spectacular and uplifting, with a cast of hundreds of amateur actors and musicians, all recruited locally, providing a truly professional interpretation of the betrayal and crucifixion of Christ.
If there was any complaint, perhaps it might have been about the seating in the huge amphitheatre, which to say the least was somewhat basic, and rather constricted for anybody of more than average height or girth. After two sessions punctuated by a three-hour interval, the first lasting two and half hours, the second three, bottoms were inclined to be a bit numb.
Some of us were lucky enough to find cushions donated to the organisers by folk who had already watched the play.
In the evening, when darkness fell, we required torches to follow the English script, but the use of these, we found, tended in some cases to offend other spectators.
The following day we all moved on for five days to the charming Austrian village of Maria Alm, in its day also a place of pilgrimage, which some used as a base for various excursions.
The Passion Play tradition
Imagine the population of Dingwall, a Highland town of the same size, staging a similar extravaganza.
Then again, Oberammergau has had plenty of practice, with a long tradition dating back to 1634, The village was in mediaeval times known for the nearby Ettal monastery, a once popular pilgrimage site.
In 1633 Oberammergau lay, like much of the world, in the grip of bubonic plague. The disease had claimed 84 members of the community, which had also suffered from the ravages of the Thirty Years’ War.
In desperation, the parish priest organised a mass to be held by the whole village, the sick included, to pray for the cessation of the plague.
After the church service, local legend says that no other villager died of the plague, and the survivors vowed to re-enact a Play of the Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ every 10 years in gratitude. The first performance of the Passion was held during Pentecost in 1634, involving all the villagers. They were guided by the monks at Ettal, who probably wrote the script, and the graveyard formed a stage.
From 1670 on each decade saw the event revived, becoming gradually more spectacular, until 1920, when it was cancelled in the aftermath of World War I. It was revived two years later, and also took place both in 1930 and 1934, its jubilee year. Cancelled again in 1940, it emerged in 1950 in post-war Bavaria, and continued to new heights, with an extra 350th anniversary series of performances in 1984.
Today, the Oberammergau Passion Play is a huge affair, with a demand for around a million seats, over half are turned away. The theatre holds nearly 5,000 people - with around 100 performances in a season, in which about a fifth of the townsfolk take part. The language is of course German, but scripts in other languages are available for a modest price.
I was fortunate in possessing a December 1935 copy of National Geographic Magazine, containing a 26-page illustrated article describing the 1934 event, written by Anton Lang Jr, son of woodcarver Anton Lang (1875-1938), who famously played Christ in the play in 1900, 1910 and 1922.
The article did not however tell of how Hitler visited Oberammergau in 1934, and of how his father and others resisted attempts to add overtly anti-Semitic language to the Passion Play.
4th Company Boys’ Brigade Peter Home
Due to the lack of support from our older boys since the start of 2010, it was decided to try and reform a Junior Section for boys 7-11 years. This began in March and we managed to attract eight boys for whom a modified programme of activities, suitable to their abilities, was arranged.
Most boys attended each week and showed genuine interest. Because of the lateness of the session there was only one Battalion competition still to be finalised, the 7-a-side football.
On Saturday 12th June at Inverness High School, competing against four other teams, and with little preparation as a team, the boys performed well scoring 29 goals and losing only 10. The scorers were James McAdie (13), Craig Fraser (12) and Scott Fraser (4).
They lost only one game to the competition winners, 1st Culloden, and were joint runners-up with 1st Kinmylies, with whom they shared a trophy. This team success will help to promote a bond and prospects for the future of the 4th Company remain positive for the start of the new session in September 2010.
Homeless Facility For Winter 2010
After much deliberation it has been agreed by the Inverness Churches’ Group on Homelessness to support a care facility for eight persons, run jointly by Highland Homelessness Trust (HHT) and Blythswood.
Accommodation will be provided in High Street at the former HoHo hostel, previously the Highland Club, and will be superior to that which church halls could provide.
This should also attract substantial funding from Highland Council and other grant making organisations. The Churches will continue to provide catering, earlier in the evening. Users will be taken from the HHT Social Club in Glebe Street. There are good cooking and dining facilities available together with showers and recreational facilities for users. The facility will be supervised by HHT staff at all times.
The facility will be run from 1 November for four months, or six months if sufficient funding is secured, and Blythswood will co-ordinate the catering teams.
As a congregation we have agreed to support the scheme and to provide catering teams. Two or possibly three people will be required to provide the catering which will continue to be a simple two course meal.
If you would like to be part of a catering team please contact Deborah Macrae (233802) or Christine MacKenzie (234835). An appeal for donations towards the cost of the food will be made later in the year. All of the volunteers who helped last year found the experience to be very rewarding.
More news at the blog for the project.
Old High Organ Refurbishment Report Cliff Sim
We now have the latest news from Nicholson’s. They are half way through the restoration of the organ; it is being assembled in their factory to test it exhaustively and they have agreed a return date, arriving here on 24th August. The re-installation will be completed by 17th September but it has first to acclimatise and settle down in a dormant mode for a week until the final toning begins on 27th to be concluded by 6th October. Though it will then be playable we do not expect to play it for services or recitals until the re-dedication to take place at a Congregational Service, 10.30am on Sunday, 7th November.
Obviously there will be some disruption in the Old High Church from mid to late August for up to six weeks but we are confident it will be worthwhile. We can then welcome back our wonderful organ in the autumn and hear the full range of its capabilities suitably demonstrated.
Our funding is not yet complete to cover the total cost, and sponsorship of numerous organ pipes is still available to anyone; simply contact Jim Monro or myself for an application form with all the details. Sponsorship starts @ £25, through £50, £100 to £200 per pipe with hundreds available. Any donation can be gift aided by taxpayers and a commemorative certificate is issued to every sponsor.
We are still determined to establish the Music Development Fund after the organ is back in full operation and our efforts to attract suitable funding continue. We look forward to a number of fundraising music events in the months after the re-dedication service through into 2011. There have been several expressions of interest in coming to Inverness to play our Father Willis Organ by organists of note and this fits in well with our plan to widen the use of and access to the Old High Church in future
Visit the Organ website!
OHSS Mission Group Deborah Macrae
The Mission group of OHSS has applied for and received Fairtrade certification for OHSS. The group believes this is an important statement of support from our congregation for the people of developing countries. In St Stephen’s there is a fair-trade stall on the first and third Sundays selling groceries and cards. The tea and coffee used at church is fair-trade and we aim to use sugar, biscuits and other supplies from fair-trade sources. Many people buy these products at supermarkets and their presence on the shelves is testament to the power of consumers. Please try to support Mary, Winnie and Anne who run the stall. There is also some Malawi rice still available.
The Mission group also plans to organise the sponsorship of the Blind School in Jerusalem visited by Flora Milne (see separate article) and we are investigating twinning with an overseas church through the Church of Scotland Mission Office.
Inverness Handbell Ringers
The Handbell Ringers were delighted to be invited to ring at the joint service at St Stephen’s on 27 June.
We received a warm welcome and the ringing went well. The new session starts in September, and we would be delighted to welcome any new members. If you can read music, this is a definite advantage.
Meetings are on Tuesday evenings from 7.30pm to 9pm. Come along and try it. We hope to start a junior section soon – details soon.
Inverness Junior Singers
Inverness Junior Singers resume their practices on Tuesday, 7th September from 7.15 pm to 8.30 pm in Crown Primary School Hall, Kingsmills Road. Children of seven years upwards will be made most welcome. For further information please contact Margaret Young. Tel. 01463 232835.
More Malawi rice for sale 
John Riches, founder of the Malawi Kitchen charity, which challenges each congregation to buy at least 90kg of rice, is speaking at the Old High on Sunday 22 August.
We are buying another 90kg of rice which we hope will arrive soon enough for us to pile up on the Communion Table. If 90 people come along and buy 1kg of rice each, we will have paid for a year's secondary education for a Malawian farmer's child.
St Stephen’s Toddlers Group
For many years a Baby & Toddlers Group has met at St Stephen’s. It was started by Sheila Nairn, an elder at St Stephen’s and it was run very successfully by Joan Darcy for almost 10 years.
St Stephen’s Toddlers Group has some spaces at present and would welcome new members. It meets on Monday mornings in the Church Hall. If you are interested in joining, please contact Helen, on 226325 or Hazel on 07521 724548 who can supply some further information.
OHSS Got Talent! - Advance Notice!
The Care Group are looking for talented groups and individuals to come together to entertain an audience on the evening of Nov 12th. All Church groups and Hall users are to be asked to contribute but we are also looking for individuals from the Church to come forward. If you know or are related to a talented individual (with little or no connection with the Church) please ask them to come along to take part.
The evening will be a celebration of the Talent in and around our Church and will not be a competition!
Old High St Stephens Got Talent! should serve two purposes; hopefully an enjoyable ,relaxed, fun evening for all who attend, along with raising money for Cameron House ,our local Church of Scotland Care Home .
Please think about what YOU can offer to entertain us. Please encourage your talented friends to take part. All performers should either call Val Cantlay tel 231298 or contact Pam McCulloch at pam.41@tiscali.co.uk by Sept 17th.
Ticket sales later!
Harvest Thanksgiving
An astonishing 3625 clients of Blythswood Care were referred to the Highland Food Bank in 2009 and provided with emergency supplies of food.
In order to receive an even distribution of products each church is being asked by The Food Bank to donate specific items and our church this year is being asked to donate the following items:
Tinned Potatoes - Long Life Fruit Juice - Tinned Mince - Tinned Custard
More Photos of Parish Life
Diary Dates
Morning Worship is at 10.00am (SS) and 11.15am (OH)
29 AugustCommunion (OH)
4 SeptemberDoors Open Day (OH)
11 SeptemberDoors Open Day (SS)
12 SeptemberKirking of the Council Congregational Service (OH) 10.30am
19 SeptemberRev Dr Doug Gay (OH) 8pm
26 SeptemberCommunion (SS)
3 OctoberHarvest Thanksgiving
7 NovemberRe-dedication of Organ Congregational Service (OH) 10.30am
12 NovemberOHSS Has Got Talent! – Social Evening - venue TBC
If you would like assistance in attending any of these events, contact your elder.
|
