We will remember them

Ten years ago I visited the war graves in Belgium with a group of other theological students. It was a trip that has stayed with me since and which I shall never forget. The organisers were Toc-H and we stayed in a house in Poperinge, the first resting place for soldiers behind the trenches. It was a week of stories.

We heard of Tubby Clayton, the Chaplain, and why the sign above the house (Abandon Rank All Ye Who Enter Here) was so important. We heard of the people of Poperinge and how they kept the story alive during WW2 and looked after the contents of the house.  We sat in the hop loft which had become a chapel with a carpenter’s bench for an altar and banners embroidered by the men.

We visited Hill 69 and walked silently through the trenches. Even the schoolchildren were quiet that day. We looked at sepia photographs of death, giving thanks that red blood doesn’t show in sepia.  I remember horses dying in trees. A horse up a tree? It defied logic.

We visited war graves, row upon row of white crosses, name upon name engraved.  Some with no names – Known to God Alone.  And the German cemetery, solemn in the shade that day, and we wondered at the Jewish names who fought for Germany in WW1 but how things would change.  We stood at the Menin Gate while the last post was played and we wept.

We visited the Pool of Peace, once a bomb crater and now a place of harmony and birdsong. Did we see frogs too or have I imagined that? We went round the most amazing museum with sounds and smells and drama.

And at the end of each day we gathered to pray and to talk and learn from one another. I remember wondering about the women, for our days had been filled with masculine images. What of those women who waited at home, who had to take on difficult jobs because there were no men to do them? The mothers, the wives and girlfriends, and the children. What were their stories? How were their lives affected when their men didn’t come home?

I have no war stories to tell. My grandfathers were too young for WW1 and too old for WW2. I don’t know of any other relatives who fought or died. But although these stories are not part of my history, I now feel that I have dipped my toe in the war narrative and will tell the stories that I have learned to all who will listen.

Pitlochry Conference

Once a year the Edinburgh stipendiary (paid) clergy get together for a few days in the Atholl Palace hotel in Pitlochry. We have a speaker and listen, absorb, reflect, talk, eat, pray and drink together. Each year is very different from the year before because of the topic and because of the people. I always get something valuable from it.

This year our speaker was Ann Morisey on Mission in Troubled Times and she was very good. We also continued our previous discussions about a College of Clergy providing informal and formal support structures. The latter has been a contentious issue with some clergy feeling that they don’t need or want any help whatsoever and others, like me, feeling that any opportunities to learn and meet with others for support and friendship is a good thing.  I think we managed to hear one another in our final discussions today and I look forward to seeing how things develop.

Yesterday we had some free time and Fr F took me to the House of Bruar which was a new experience for me. Oh my word. Pink gun socks. Why? There were some beautiful things and my new wish is for a tweed covered chair for my study.  Beautiful things indeed.

Pitlochry and the surrounding area is always stunning at this time of year with the changing colours. The heavy rain at the weekend had taken a lot of the leaves down so some trees were prematurely bare.  I’m afraid I just couldn’t get a photo of the view from our conference room window to show you how splendid it looked but here is some heather from the gardens instead.

Today I’m home and very tired. But good tired. As ever, being with people was fun and some new friends made too.

A day of encounters

Wouldn’t you know it?  You sit bemoaning the fact that you’ve nobody to talk to except poor Son #1, who has taken to locking himself in the Ann Frank suite, when everyone calls at the same time.

So thank you Fr A & A who popped in for a coffee at the same time as my CMD 4+ interview with the lovely C.  But with the Pisky church it didn’t take long before we were all chatting about mutual friends and events.  My interview went well and I remembered most things I wanted to ask for in terms of ongoing training. Only a dozen emails were needed after to add to the list.

In the evening I was ministered to by Nikki who was really practising on me if truth be known. Nikki does degrees and doctorates like other people do shopping lists and she is also training for ministry in the Church of Scotland. I was ‘Sick Visit No 9 who Will Not Let Me Go’.  We analysed the church(es) as you do, caught up on who’s doing what to whom, and reflected on ministry.

It was such a lovely day full of people. And today I am setting off for Pitlochry for our clergy conference. I wasn’t sure whether to go or not, being off work as I still am, but have decided that my mental health is at risk if I don’t. Our speaker this year is Ann Morisey who I have heard before and was very impressed. And it’s not like the conference is hard work – some worship, some listening, some talking, some eating, some walking and some drinking. I might give the walking a miss.

Church history in 4 minutes

History of Church in 4 minutes

Thanks MadPriest.

Litany for All Saints

Dear God, creator of women in your own image,
born of a woman in the midst of a world half women,
carried by women to mission fields around the globe,
made known by women to all the children of the earth,
give to the women of our time
the strength to persevere,
the courage to speak out,
the faith to believe in you beyond
all systems and institutions
so that your face on earth may be seen in all its beauty,
so that men and women become whole,
so that the Church may be converted to your will in
everything and in all ways.

We call on the holy women
who went before us,
channels of Your Word
in testaments old and new,
to intercede for us
so that we might be given the grace
to become what they have been
for the honour and glory of God.

Saint Esther, who pleaded against power for the liberation of the people. – Pray for us.
Saint Judith, who routed the plans of men and saved the community,
Saint Deborah, laywoman and judge, who led the people of God,
Saint Elizabeth of Judea, who recognised the value of another woman,
Saint Mary Magdalene, minister of Jesus, first evangelist of the Christ,
Saint Scholastica, who taught her brother Benedict to honour the spirit above the system,
Saint Hildegard, who suffered interdict for the doing of right,
Saint Joan of Arc, who put no law above the law of God,
Saint Clare of Assisi, who confronted the Pope with the image of women as equal,
Saint Julian of Norwich, who proclaimed for all of us the motherhood of God,
Saint Therese of Lisieux, who knew the call to priesthood in herself,
Saint Catherine of Siena, to whom the Pope listened,
Saint Teresa of Avila, who brought women’s gifts to the reform of the Church,
Saint Edith Stein, who brought fearlessness to faith,
Saint Elizabeth Seton, who broke down boundaries between lay women and religious by wedding motherhood and religious life,
Saint Dorothy Day, who led the Church to a new sense of justice.

Mary, mother of Jesus, who heard the call of God and answered,
Mary, mother of Jesus, who drew strength from the woman Elizabeth,
Mary, mother of Jesus, who underwent hardship bearing Christ,
Mary, mother of Jesus, who ministered at Cana,
Mary, mother of Jesus, inspirited at Pentecost,
Mary, mother of Jesus, who turned the Spirit of God into the body and blood of Christ, pray for us. Amen.

Joan Chittister, A Litany of Women for the Church
in The Living Spirit ed by Margaret Hebblethwaite

 

Hymns

Last week Fr Kelvin asked Who Chooses The Hymns? It is a question I am often asked too. And the answer in my case is: I do. To be truthful, I do with a little advice from Andrew the organist. And let me tell you it is not the fun task you might imagine.

Each Sunday has a theme dictated by the lectionary readings or the time of year.  So we try to find hymns which fit that theme. (What do you mean, you hadn’t noticed?!) Then there is the length of the hymn to be considered.  You don’t want 12 verses for the Gradual but you need enough verses to set the table at the Offertory.  At St Mark’s we have some people who prefer traditional old-style hymns and we also have some who would prefer us just to sing more modern hymns and choruses. Finding a balance is probably the hardest job for me because I’m not terribly familiar with all the modern hymns in our book (Complete Anglican Hymns Old & New, in case you’re interested) and I suspect that Andrew our organist isn’t either.  And we all know how much people LOVE learning new hymns.

I choose the hymns about 3 months ahead and pass them over to Andrew who draws to my attention duplicates and suggestions. Things like ‘that one isn’t easy to sing while kneeling’ is really helpful. A will also suggest replacements but I have noticed that they are never the new ones!!

One of the biggest complaints I get about hymns are the lack of modern hymns. The second biggest complaint is that some of the hymns have been made more inclusive and some language is changed. I actually am happy about this but know some folk get caught out with the oldies they know off by heart. I think we always need to remember that newcomers coming to church may be really put off by archaic, male-centric language and that we should be modelling inclusiveness in all we do.

On the 15th of November Susan will be choosing the hymns. She won the bid at the recent Auction of Talents.  I was asking her recently how it was going and she said her problem was that all her favourites were Communion hymns. I can relate to that. I’m not sure there is a post-Communion hymn which I don’t like, in fact.

So, today’s question is:

What are your 5 favourite hymns?

Here are mine – well today anyway:

1. I Heard The Voice of Jesus Say
2. Come Holy Ghost our souls Inspire
3. As The Deer Pants For the Water (and As Pants the Hart)
4. Tell Out My Soul
5. My Song is Love Unknown

Half price sale on bibles and stuff

AnglicanShop.com is closing down and there is a half price sale on everything. I’ve got my order in. There are some really good offers there.  Lots of Christmas books for children, if you’re interested.

It’s a sign!

Prayers ascending for a busy weekend

It has been a busy week and this weekend is going to be even busier. So take a deep breath and plunge in, why don’t you?

Firstly, you could come and admire our new signs. Yes, finally they are up and looking gorgeous (photo to follow). Now perhaps Nikki will get off my back as every time we meet for a coffee in the Blue Bean she has a go about those tatty old ones.

Secondly, we will be interring the ashes of Canon John Paul, past Rector of this parish. John and Susan have been a great support to me over the years and I have got to know them better since I came here and they popped in from time to time. Rest eternal, grant unto him O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him.

Thirdly, the day has dawned on the WOTY (Wedding Of The Year) which has been in the planning for what seems like a very long time indeed.  The date was moved to accommodate the Provincial Conference which never happened.  And should the Rapture happen, or a very large fire at St Mark’s this afternoon, there will be no young people left in the Scottish Episcopal Church. For yes, I think every member of the Provincial Youth Network will be seen hobnobbing with a Bishop and a number of clergy and a whole host of family and friends to Caroline and Andrew today at 1pm.

Note: the incense is brought to you by Rose Mystica today so you have been warned.

So let us pray for those who mourn the passing of a loved one after a full and loving life together.

And let us pray for those who are beginning their life together that God may bless them and keep them ever loving.

Amen

Exploring our Faith

Our new course began on Wednesday evening and this term we are looking at worship. There will indeed be six sessions (not ’sex’ as the notice said) and we’d love to see you.

This week we looked at pictures of places of worship and what they said about God and the style of worship. We shared why we felt the need to worship. And we looked at what Jesus had to say about worship (mostly praying alone but a bit of synagogue work).  It was a good discussion and I think next week’s session on the Eucharist will be equally good.

So, for those of you who didn’t make it and for anyone who wants to join in…

1. Do you have a favourite experience of worship?  Where, when and why was it special?
2. Why do you go to worship each week?