Magnificat Magazine Oct 2012

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MagnificatMy soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my saviour,for you, Lord, have looked with favour on your lowly

servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed:You, the almighty, have done great things for me,

and holy is your name.You have shown strength with your arm

and scattered the proud in their conceit,casting down the mighty from their thrones

and lifting up the lowly.You have filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away empty.

You have come to the aid of your servant Israel,to remember the promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our forebears,to Abraham and to his children for ever.

(from Luke 1)

MagnificatMy soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my saviour,for you, Lord, have looked with favour on your lowly

servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed:You, the almighty, have done great things for me,

and holy is your name.You have shown strength with your arm

and scattered the proud in their conceit,casting down the mighty from their thrones

and lifting up the lowly.You have filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away empty.

You have come to the aid of your servant Israel,to remember the promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our forebears,to Abraham and to his children for ever.

(from Luke 1)



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Some words on St Ninian’s Day when one baby, two children and an adultfrom China were baptised.

At the end of June I was meant to be on the Falkland Islands in thesouth Atlantic. June on the Falklands is in the middle of the bleak mid-winter, it gets dark just after 3pm, although to be fair the sub-zerotemperatures there did rival our Scottish summer. I had packed

thermal vests, windproof jacket, climbing boots. I eventually got tothe Falklands, but I did get stranded on Ascension Island for 4 days.

This particular spot on the globe, just south of the equator, is a smallvolcanic, rather than a desert island: it felt like the middle of nowhere- and I didn’t even have my 8 favourite discs with me, and I wished I’d

taken some shorts and some sun block. There’s a long runway, an

RAF base, and above a beautiful beach. There’s even a transmitter for

the BBC World Service, broadcasting to over 750 million people.

At night time and a bit like David Attenborough I saw big motherturtles struggling out of the ocean’s surf and making their way up the

beach, digging a pit to lay their eggs, doing the business, clearlyexhausted trying to cover their precious cargo as skua birds circledabove in search of a midnight feast. Perhaps not quite CharlesDarwin and the Galapagos Islands, but certainly remnants of pre-historic times.

“Who lives here?” I asked on a tour of the island. It soon became

obvious there were 2 categories of people: service personnel woreuniforms, I could easily establish their identity, but the others – whowere they? “Saints” was the reply. “Saints?” I queried, seeing few signs

of halos. “Saints” remained the answer, people from St Helena, a so-

called neighbouring island, only 2 days away by boat. “Saint” is quite alabel to live up to.



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Today is a special saints day, St Ninian: 16th September is his day.Eight years as Provost of St Ninian’s Cathedral, Perth mean I have a

reasonable range of sermons on the saint. Whilst everyone hasheard of Columba and paddling his coracle across the sea to Iona

and founding the abbey, Ninian was the first to bring the faith toScotland, building the candida casa, the white house, the first churchon Scottish soil, in Galloway.

It probably requires a bit of a leap of faith and imagination to think of the 4 young lives as potential saints. I see them as that: not in thesense of being whiter than white with carefully polished haloes,permanently seeking midnight feasts, but in the sense of thepromises freely made by parents and godparents of seeing andserving Christ in all persons, respecting the dignity of every humanbeing, working for justice and peace. In these young lives thatmessage will probably not be broadcast to 750 million people, but itcould: it might not build a 21st century candida casa, but it could – one good friend between school and university actually built aleprosy hospital in northern Ghana aged 19. I suppose I see saints as

linking us back to olden times: not so much pre-historic times withmy turtles on Ascension Island, but certainly back to Ninian and hisreadiness to bring the gospel to the people of Scotland, and to Jesusand his message of unconditional love for all. The saints alsochallenge us to move on, to do in our day what they did in theirs, tolive the life of self-less love as the Christ did.

Blessed by the water in this font, journey on. You may be planningto go to one place and find yourself in another. I was heading forthe Falklands, but stranded on Ascension Island I came across saints.Loaded with thermals for the bleak mid-winter, I soon regrettedcarrying no sun block. Never carry or use God block, blocking outthe divine image in everyone we meet. Difficult to see always seethe divine image – agreed. But remember wherever you are orwherever you go, God goes with you, and the water in this font and

the bread and wine in this Eucharist sustain you, sustain us in our journey through life.



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NEWS

October sees the Cathedral clergy team restored to full strength.

Willie Shaw’s deaconing at the end of September means the safe

arrival of Nicki’s replacement.

John McLuckie, in case you have missed the weekly service sheet,has been appointed Vice-Provost. Currently a Chaplain at the RoyalMarsden, John has served at St Ninian’s Cathedral, Perth; King’s

College, Cambridge; and churches in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Johnhas many gifts and I am delighted that he and Sarah will be joining us

in the Cathedral.

The funeral of Doris Smith saw us givingthanks for the life of the person who was thelongest serving member of the Cathedral’s

congregation. Bishop Brian paid warm tributeto his Mum, as did the bell ringers as theyhonoured one of their number.

The news of the sudden death of Geoff

Millard caused many tears to be shed.Hundreds gathered in the Cathedral togive thanks for this loving and lovely manand to hold Jane and their family in ourthoughts and prayers. Rest in peace, dearfriend.



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Crossword set by Elaine McCulloch SmithSolution in the November Magazine

CluesScripture clues are always to be found in King James’s Authorised Version

Across 1 Hail Holy Queen, Marian prayer often said after 17 down (Latin) (5,6)9 Ahead in time (2,7)10 Leg bone (5)11 Require (4)12 Name and address at top of writing paper (10)

14 Where there is despair, let me give ........... (Prayer of St Francis of Assisi) (4)15 Concerned with identification of nature of illness (10)19 Part of the inner ear; or Milan opera house and collective name for TV,

radio and newspapers (5,5)20 and the earth brought forth her fruit. Brethren, if any of you do

err ........ (4) James 521 A rood, the four arms of which are of equal length (5,5)23 Writer of “but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with

groanings which cannot be uttered (4) Romans 825 Christian Scriptures (5)27 Cream or lotion used to protect skin from strong rays (9)28 The Prayer Jesus taught us (Latin) (5,6)

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8

9 10

11 12 13

14 15 16 17

18

19 20

21 22 23

24

25 26 27

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Down1 Author of “We do pray for mercy, and that same prayer doth teach us all

to render the deeds of mercy” (Merchant of Venice) (11) 2 Where there is hatred, let me sow ........... (Prayer of St Francis of Assisi) (4)

3 Eric Morcambe’s comedy partner (5,4) 4 Choose (5)5 Life of the soul (8)6 Substitute version of 26 down, published in 1980 (initials) (1,1,1)7 Genus to which carnations and pinks belong (8)8 Praise or Archbishop whose prayer book sparked 17th century riot in St

Giles’ (4) 13 Part of the hearing organ outside the drum (8,3)16 Continuous slide up and down between 2 notes (music) (9)

17 Night Prayer of the Church (8)18 Most ungracefully thin and tall (8)21 Desert where one’s prayer life might languish (4) 22 Person who habitually gets out of bed at a particular time in the morning (5)24 Person born in Caledonia (4)26 Official service book of C of E, largely unchanged since 1662 (initials) (1,1,1)

Solution to September crossword S C H O T T I S C H E

S C A E D L A A

C O H E R E N C E A R R A N

H W P E A V O

U Z A L A B Y S S I N I A N

M R R E N

A D Z E C O L O U R I S T S

N K A U R S P C

N E O C L A S S I C H I G H

P L E R O

S U F F I C I E N T H A L O

I N N T S T N

N U B I A G L A M O R I Z E

G I L L L L O R

S I L V E R S P O O N



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Faith and Growth

Faith and Growth seeks to enhance the spiritual and theologicalawareness of the Cathedral congregations. At the beginning of the year

some of us met to talk about our growth in faith through a study of Ephesians 4, considering how:

“To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it…to

equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may bebuilt up …until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of

the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of

the fullness of Christ.”

Through the readings for the Sunday when we held our focus on Faithand Growth on 23 September, we considered the centrality of Christand the cross to our growth in faith, and how to follow Him by servingothers and encouraging them to grow.

What are we doing, and what can we do, to work towards this,

individually and collectively? Sometimes I think of Faith and Growth as arainbow umbrella, sheltering, enabling and being supported by differentactivities that are going on, in and around the Cathedral.

Here are some examples of activities you may have taken part in:

Shared time for reflection at retreats and quiet days: after a retreat at

Cumbrae earlier in the year, one of the participants wrote:“For the first time ever, I felt fully part of a group of people (of very

different gifts and understandings) who were yet all one in the spirit of God. This group represented the Cathedral not only as a place of worship, but as a body of Christians who had come together forfellowship and to spread the Word.”

Study together: e.g., house groups, Saturday morning Bible study,

ecumenical Lent groups.



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From the Registers

Baptisms

Rory Andrew ForbesTobias Benedict Edward WeildOenone Penny Weild

Kate Zhang

WeddingsHazel Veitch and Peter Corry

Heidi Maguire and Ross DenholmErin Kirk and Barry Ritchie

FuneralDoris Smith

Themed talks or series of talks, e.g. God on Mondays, interfaithconversations.

Groups with common purpose that meet regularly, e.g. Men’s Group,

book group.

There are many other things happening which further faith and growth – sermons; events organised by other Cathedral groups (e.g. PLVmeetings on death & dying) or by the diocese (Adventures in Faithprogramme).

The Faith and Growth committee would like to learn more about howmembers of the congregation wish to shape the future of Faith andGrowth activity. What could we be doing to become somewherewhere everyone feels at home and able to grow and grow in faith?

If you were not able to come on 23 September but would like tocontribute your ideas, please let us know your responses to thequestions on the form overleaf. You should not feel that you have to

answer every question. Please send your completed form to HelenParker c/o the Cathedral office. To obtain an electronic version,please send an email to [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



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Faith and Growth Questionnaire

Please do not feel that you have to answer every question. All feedback will be greatly appreciated. You can fill in this form, or put your answers on blankpaper if you prefer.

Once you have written everything you want to say, please hand in your form toHelen Parker c/o the Cathedral Office or email your response [email protected]

What does growth mean to you in a faith context?

Is there anything happening in the Cathedral that particularlysupports your spiritual growth?

What’s missing from the Cathedral’s current activities?

Where would you look for information about Faith and Growthactivities?

Any further comments? (Continue on extra paper if you wish.)

Thank you! Your responses will help to shape the future of Faith and Growthactivity.



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A Gathering for Syria

Tuesday 30th October 2012,St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh

6pm-7pm

A coming together of civic and faith communities:with music, readings and reflections to express shared

support and hope for the people of Syria.

This event is hosted by the Church of Scotland and supportedby Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association and

City of Edinburgh Council.

Edinburgh Nativity 2012

The Edinburgh Nativity will beperformed again this year inFestival Square at 6pm onThursday 6th December. Theyneed actors and crew. You don’t

need to be an experienced actoror stagehand – you’ll be shown

what to do.Rehearsals will be held everyThursday at 7pm from 27th September atSt Andrews and St GeorgesWest, 58 Shandwick Place.

Come along and be a Star! Last

year’s Nativity was a greatsuccess and loads of fun.



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Men's Group

The Men’s Group meets on the first and third Thursdays of each

month, at 8pm in the Chapter House. More information fromAdrian Tupper or the Cathedral Office.

Men's Prayer Group

We meet on the first Sunday of each month at 9am in Old CoatesHouse. More information from Mike Sinclair.

The Book Group

We will be reading Aidan,Bede, Cuthbert: Three

inspirational saints, by DavidAdam , on Tuesday 27November at Peter Allen'sflat, at 8pm.

All are welcome.

Please contact Mike Sinclair

or the Cathedral Office formore information.

ADVANCE NOTICE OFAGM

The AGM of the Friends of St Mary’s Cathedral

will be held on11th November 2012

in the Chapter House at 2pm

The Friends of St Mary’sCathedral

COPPERS FOR IONA

It’s a while since I wrote to thank members of the congregation for

their continuing support of Bishop’s House on Iona by providing

their collections of coppers – 1p and 2p pieces. I have recentlybeen asked if I am still collecting so this is just to confirm that I amand will be happy to receive any contributions to pass on toBishop’s House on behalf of the Friends. Coppers can be left in the

Cathedral Office if I am not on hand to receive them.

Many thanks for your support.

Yvonne Mills



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'Thank you’ fromNicki McNelly

A huge thank you to you all for thebeautiful framed print of the

Cathedral as a wonderful reminderof my time here. It has pride of place in my entrance hall and is thefirst thing people see as they enterthe Rectory. Thank you also forthe many cards and gifts I havereceived offering support andencouragement for my move, and

to those who were able to travelto Oban and join me at my serviceof Installation; I was humbled tosee so many of you. I had afantastic evening and hope you didtoo.

Much love, Nicki

(Provost, St. John the DivineCathedral, Oban)

Photograph of Nicki taken at the Receptionfollowing her Installation Service in Oban

ADVANCE NOTICE!CHRISTMAS SHOEBOX

COLLECTION

Our annual Christmas shoebox collectionfor young homeless people in Edinburgh

will take place onSunday 16th December 2012.

Further details will be available in the

November edition of Magnificat.



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All Souls

For the Remembrance of All Souls,

2nd November 2012,we will have

Requiem Eucharistsat 7.30am and 1.05pm

and aChoral Requiem Eucharist

at 5.30pm.

If you would like a loved one remembered by name atone or more of the services,

and/or if you wish to contribute to the cost of lilies(£2 per lily), please complete the adjacent form.



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On All Souls Day

Please pray for the following:

at the7.30am 1.05pm 5.30pm Service

(Please tick)

I enclose a donation of £ for lilies

Signed:

Date:

Please return to Cathedral Office

Name of departed Date/month of death



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Please note the next Fresh Start collection will be onSunday 7 October 2012 in the Resurrection Chapelafter the Service. Items needed are listed below.

Should you wish to donate before this or at any othertime, goods can be taken to:

Fresh Start 22-24 Ferry Road Drive Edinburgh EH4 4BRTelephone 0131 476 7741. Thank you.

The Outreach Committee thank Alan Oxberry most sincerely for hissupport and willingness in delivering the congregation’s donations to

Fresh Start in Ferry Road. He took over delivery first with Helen in

2002 and has continued to do the deliveries until now.

Dishes and cutlerydinner platesmugsside platestumblerspudding plates

plastic boxescan openersforks, knivesash traystea-towelsstorage jars

Bed Linen &Towelssheetspillow casesbath towelshand towelsblanketsbed covers

downies

curtainsrugstable lampspicturesmusic systemsradios

Pots & Panssoup potsfrying pansmilk panskettleswooden spoons

slotted spoonspotato peelerssharp knives

Cleaning thingswashing-up basinsdust pans & brushesfloor cloths

light bulbs(60&100W)

pot scourerstoilet cleanerFlashspongestoothbrushwashing-up cloths

toothpastepedal bin linersclothes line & pegstoilet rollswashing-up liquidwashing powdertoilet soap

Fresh Start

collections are

usually on the

first Sunday

of the month.

Fresh

Start



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GARDENING NEWS

Possibly there is no need for a gardening news bulletin sincepeople can see how the garden is growing just by walking past. If

you do, you will see that the garden is now beginning to developwith gaps gradually being filled by colourful shrubs and flowers.Bees and birds now visit regularly and occasional worms havebeen spotted which is all very encouraging. Work to keep it tidyhas been done every week during the summer. The hoeing andweeding now take far less time and you will not be surprised tolearn that this summer no watering whatsoever was required.

The scaffolding has now crept along the length of the garden andthe roses near the cross were moved for safety over to the rosegarden in front of the Chapterhouse. They have settled in well totheir new site and I hope will be joined by more roses there in theautumn. Once the work on the north side of the Cathedral hasbeen completed and the scaffolding removed, it is hoped to re-turf the Memorial Garden which will enhance the whole area.

We would be happy for more donations of herbaceous plants so if you are dividing plants in your own gardens and have some tospare, please bring them in a potor bag, clearly labelled, to theMemorial Garden, and we willplant them. Harry Brown leftfor Bury St Edmunds earlier inthe year and his post of HeadGardener has been vacant eversince. Do apply if you have aknowledge of plants and aninterest in garden design. I amhappy to do the labour butwould greatly appreciate someexpert advice.

Elizabeth Mathison



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Come and have fun and test your knowledgeat a fundraising quiz and help peoplein the world’s poorest communities

work their way out of poverty.

Friday 2nd November 2012, 7.30pm

St Andrew’s Ravelston Church Hall, Belford Road, Edinburgh (same side as Dean Gallery)

Meet friends from the Cathedral and beyond for a couple of hoursof fun

If you wish, come with a ready-made team (4-6 people). Or just come along and join a team on the night – team members

pool their knowledge to answer each question

Enjoy a glass of Fairtrade wine or fruit juice Prizes! Prizes! Prizes! Bring any bottle (unopened!) on the night for the Tombola Donation to Christian Aid - suggested minimum £3 per person

(under 12s free)

Teams/individuals should reply by Sunday 28th October if possible.Get in touch if you’d like to help decorate the hall, serve refreshments, add

up the points, run the tombola or offer your organising experience.Contact Elaine Appleby via the Cathedral Office.



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Crèche

A crèche for babies and young children (up to age 3 or so) is availablein the Chapter House on the first Sunday of each month. It is

organised by parents who fancy the opportunity to take part in theservice every now and again, free from worrying about whether theirchildren are going to indulge in free-form hymn-singing, comment onthe sermon, or decorate the west doors with hand prints. We willwelcome children of regular members or visitors to the Cathedral on7th October, 4th November and 2nd December.

You can join us in the Chapter House before the service, get the wee

ones settled with the toys there, go off to enjoy theservice, and collect them just before communion.

We'd also love to hear from anyone who'd like tohelp out from time to time, whether or not youhave children of the target age!

If you'd like to find out more, please get intouch with Katharine Blythe via the CathedralOffice.

Doors Open Day in theSong School

Many thanks to all those whocontributed to the success of Doors Open Day in the SongSchool in September. We had610 visitors over the weekend,and received £600 in donationsand from sales of cards.

We were given ‘excellent’ ratings in nearly all the feedback forms thatvisitors completed. Thanks also to the Choir for fitting in with ourcrowds of visitors!



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The Cathedral Walkers

DO YOU LIKE TO WALK? DO YOU LIKE TO TALK? Why not join the Cathedral Walkers where we do both!

We meet once a month on the first Thursday for a leisurely walk.In addition, if someone is willing to organise it, we go for a walk “out of working hours”.

We use public transport in each direction – so don’t worry if you

do not have access to a car.

Recent walks

Day Time Walk - Thursday 6th September

“Six of us met to walk a few miles through Edinburgh along the

course of the Braid Burn. The day was breezy so the shelter of thewooded sections was appreciated. Starting near Dreghorn

barracks, we followed the burn through Colinton Mains andOxgangs with views of moorhens on a brand new pond. Wellknown sections like Braidburn Park and the path through theHermitage of Braid were followed by finding the burn again, dottedwith pondweed flowers, in the middle of a small housing estate.We passed an old mill complete with mill wheel before the burndisappeared temporarily below Cameron Toll shopping Centre, re-emerging in Inch Park where we had a picnic.” Liz Armitage.

Saturday Hill Walk - 15th September

“We got a glorious sunny day for this walk. Starting at Holyrood,

we spiralled round Calton Hill by way of Regent Road Park with itsinteresting modern stone circle (appreciated by our geographer)and Royal Terrace Gardens before reaching the top of Calton Hillwith its fine views. We descended by Jacob’s ladder before

clambering up to Castle Hill by way of Princes Street Gardens.



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After dropping down to the Grassmarket and up the Vennel wewalked round the Meadows for a well-deserved and tasty lunchstop at the Engine Shed Café. Thus fortified we tackled Arthur’s

seat by the zig-zag path to complete Alison’s first ever ascent. We

then returned to our starting point by a slightly less precipitousroute.” Liz Armitage.

Next Day Time Walk

This walk will be on Thursday 4th October and it will be twodifferent waterside walks in Linlithgow, totally about 5.5 miles.

Details are as follows:

From the bus stop opposite the Cross in Linlithgow High Street wewill walk up an incline past the station and then along the tow pathof the Union Canal for about 1.5 miles before returning the sameway back to the High Street. Then we will walk around LinlithgowLoch (2.5 miles) on a level path with only a few easy gradients at the

end. After our walk we can opt to lunch either at one of the picnictables on the Peel or at a local café before catching the bus home.

Please bring waterproof clothing and wear sensible shoes/boots – but walking boots are not required.Most of the walking is on hard surfacesand grass but depending on the weather

conditions a few short lengths of track might be slippery and muddy.

As usual I will be sending details toeveryone on my email list butnewcomers always are welcome – please let me know if you would like to

join us.

John Spencer



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Light a Candle for Trade Justice

Tilt the scales,

O God of the mustard seed:That the poor shall see justice.

Share the feast,

O God of Eden’s abundant garden:

That each crop may fetch a fair price.

Upset the tables,

O God of the upside-down Kingdom:

That the least can benefit from their trade.

Open our eyes,

O God of life in all its fullness:That we may learn to walk the way of your Son

tilting, sharing, upsetting this world

Not satisfied

until the productswe bring to our table

Give a better deal,

to all who hunger for one.

In His name, Amen.

(www.fairtrade.org.uk)



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Published by

St Mary’s Cathedral, Palmerston Place,Edinburgh, EH12 5AW

Tel: 0131-225 6293 Fax, 0131 225 3181

Web-site: www.cathedral.net Email: [email protected] Scottish Charity: SC014741

If you or one of your family are sick or have gone into hospital,please let the Clergy know as soon as possible; and if you want

them for any reason, please never hesitate to telephone.

Please consult the Provost before any arrangements are made forBaptisms, Weddings or Funerals.

We are always delighted to hear of boys and girls, men and womenwho:

Would like to be trained as Servers Would like to help with the Sunday Groups for children Would like to help with coffee in the Walpole Hall Would like to help as Stewards or at the Welcome Desk Would like to train as bell-ringers Are interested in helping with flowers Are thinking about doing some visiting Have some gifts they would like to offer to the Cathedral.

Copy date for November is 21 October 2012



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Magnificat Magazine Oct 2012

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