At this time of the year it’seasy to be cynical about theapparent premature start toChristmas that seems to arriveas early as September. Charityshops among others are thefirst to fill their shelves withChristmas cards, though thisyear I detected more ‘religious’cards than usual, suggestingthat we may be getting over theworst of political correctnesswhich for some years hasbanished such cards and smallnativity scenes from someshop windows. At least I hopeso!

The question remains, whatdo we as a Christiancommunity have to offer atChristmastide? Is it more tinseland colour, a series of servicesthat will warm the heart? Well,why not? That is what peopleoften expect, not a series ofservices that pamper to‘non-Christians’ or ‘nominalChristians’ – but the ‘real thing’.Yet I would be the first to admit

that I have called for ourchurches to open their doors toeveryone in the community,with the hope that a moreappealing service might speakto those who have lost touchwith the faith.

The service of Nine Lessonsand Carols – the invention ofKing’s College in Cambridge –may be said to commend itself.It is of course theologicallydubious in places: readingsfrom Isaiah and Micah are notnecessarily predicting preciselywhat ‘comes to pass’ in theNew Testament. But it is a richand colourful presentation ofthat ‘grand narrative’ - thebolder and wider story of thesalvation of humankind.

So, whatever you decide todo this Christmas, try puttingyourself in the shoes of acomplete stranger. What’s itlike to enter a church for thefirst times in decades, perhapswith your family, very unsurewhat is about to happen?

Will your Christmas servicecommend itself? Will it bereasonably straightforward, orwill there be the danger that astranger may get lost in thetext? And what aboutafterwards? What happens ifsomeone is deeply moved thisChristmas; sufficiently movedto want to learn more about thefaith? Are there facilities forlearning in your church? Isyours an open congregationgeared to welcome and attractthe stranger who has beenmoved to ‘reappear’ thisChristmas?

Someone opening Dundee’sfestive magazine will suddenlyfind our city churches get amention, and just might decideto go in and hear again thegreat Christmas story.

All of us need to begeared-up and ready for this. Idon’t expect strangers, with orwithout a family, will assumethey are going to understandeverything that happens inchurch, but, like thecommercial word and betterthan the commercial world, wehave a story to tell and goodnews to proclaim. Unlike thelocal colourful printedmagazines with their once ayear encouragement to comeand spend spend spend, weoffer something that begins atChristmas, but lasts forever.

1

GRAPEVINENo 90 Winter 2009

THE MAGAZINE OF THE DIOCESE OF BRECHIN

The Bishop writes:

As I sit to write, Christmas seems far away. The sun isblazing into my study and the River Tay is aflame. Yet thereare literally only a few weeks left.

In Dundee, as always, the Christmas decorations havegone up and the city has produced its Christmas in Dundeebooklet with a list of ‘what’s on’ in the city including concerts,theatres, and festive markets. There are the opening timesfor the Overgate and the Wellgate shopping centres, and thepages are filled with shop advertisements encouraging, withdetailed descriptions, the purchase of goods including newTVs and jewelry. Close to the end of the booklet our ownCathedral and St Salvador’s are included with details ofservice times over the period and with attractive pictures ofboth Churches.

[Pat McBryde’s death on 31 Julyoccurred just too late for thistribute to be included in the lastedition of Grapevine; but it is rightand valid that it should appearhere.]

Pat McBryde, born on 12 August1941, was the only child of Jeanand John McBryde. Her father wasin the army when she was bornand was wounded in Normandy.On repatriation it wasdiscovered that he hadcontracted TB, from which hedied, aged 36, when Pat wasfive.

Pat was a clever girl. She wasDux of St John's EpiscopalSchool in Dumfries, and later astar pupil at the academy, whereher English teacher was tobecome an important figure inher life, determining her choiceof studies at Glasgow University– English literature.

Pat was and remained aclever woman, with an elegantand apparently effortless writingstyle that even made sense outof the minutes of church boardsand committees in her final job,but, mysteriously, she never tookher degree. Was there a failure ofconfidence, maybe, related to herlost father figure? It didn’t matter,because in the course of her lifePat read and understood morebooks than a whole common roomof professors.

Before becoming deputysecretary general of her belovedchurch, Pat worked as StudentChristian Movement (SCM)secretary for schools for six years,in the days when that organisationwas a strong presence in Britisheducation. She followed this with astint as deputy director of theEnglish Speaking Union, thenspent 14 years as advisory officerto the Scottish Association of theCitizen’s Advice Bureaux, whereshe developed her skills in workingwith and training volunteers,

She opened the CAB office inBerwick at a time when the English

CAB was not interested in the fateof that stolen Scottish outpost,though Pat’s border raidconcentrated their minds and theytook it over.

These jobs all showed someonewho wanted to work, not for profitand prestige, but for the humangood; that vocation reached its fullflowering when she becamedeputy secretary general of theScottish Episcopal Church in 1988.

Archbishop Robert Runcie usedto say that what united theAnglican Communion was notdoctrine or discipline, but bonds ofaffection, the kind of emotionalsinews that hold families togetherthrough tragedy anddisagreement. Affection was thesecret of Pat’s success in herwork. She did not see herself as abureaucrat – though she was anextremely efficient one – but assomeone who exercisedresponsibilities on behalf of herfamily. She expressed this in manyways, often through close personalfriendships and on areas ofinstitutional responsibility that wereparticularly dear to her.

One of these was theCommunity Fund. This was a potof money provided by the Churchthat could be accessed withoutfuss or formality for needy peopleand good causes – just the thing

busy parish priests needed whenthey ran up against the rigidities ofa welfare state that moved tooslowly to meet urgent need.Another was Mission 21 – theChurch’s initiative for mission inthe 21st century. Pat’s convictionthat Church is about cominghome, returning to a place thataccepts you unconditionally as youare, with all your frailties andneeds, and will never turn you

away, was a major factor in theeffectiveness of Mission 21.Pat, knowing herself acceptedjust as she was with all herweaknesses and needs, wantedMission 21 to be about thatsame absolute acceptance ofhumanity in all its doubts andconfusions. She worked tomake that the mark of theChurch she was born into, theChurch that cherished thisgifted, fatherless child.

Happily, Pat came home tomore than Church in her life. Inher final years she found in hercompanionship with Bishop TedLuscombe love and the familyshe had longed for. One of thesecrets of their bond was ashared addiction – both were

crossword fanatics, and betweenthem they won just about everynational crossword prize going.Right up to the end they weredoing seven crosswords a day – atragic condition for which there is,as yet, no known cure.

They loved their holidaystogether, particularly theirdiscovery of Upper Ryedale inNorth Yorkshire ten years ago,where they became greatly lovedmembers of the local parishchurch.

Sadly, these sunlit years werenot to last. Pat had been severelyill earlier in her life, and cancerinvaded her again shortly after sheretired in 2001. When the endcane it was mercifully quick. Shehad run her race to the end withgrace and courage.

Rt Rev’d Richard Holloway

2

Pat McBrydeAn Appreciation

On the golf course at St Andrews

The Scottish Bibile Society, as part of itsbicentennial year, is sponsoring an exhibition of theMethodist Church Collection of Modern Christian Artand associated events. The prestigious collection ofcontemporary paintings includes works by GrahamSutherland, Patrick Heron and Elizabeth Frink.

The exhibition will be at the Stirling Smith ArtGallery and Museum, Dumbarton Road, Stirling, FK82RQ from 12 December 2009 until 24 January 2010(gallery closed 25 Dec-4 Jan). Entrance is free.

The picture below (the original is in glorious colour)is one of this Collection and is entitled The DalitMadonna and was painted by Jyoti Sahi in 2000. Thecommentary is adapted from a description on theMethodist Church website.

© Copyright Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes

After receiving his National Diploma in Design fromCamberwell, Jyoti Sahi was invited by Dom BedeGriffiths to join him in his newly founded ashram inSouth India. It was in this ashram that he met his wifeJane, who is English, and from a Quaker background.

They were married in 1970 and went to live inBangalore where he was connected with the NationalBiblical Catechetical, and Liturgical Centre, founded bythe Catholic Bishops Conference of India, soon afterthe Second Vatican Council, to reflect on the relationof the Church in India to Indian Cultures andSpirituality. He founded an Art Ashram in a villageoutside Bangalore in 1984.

Dalit is the current name for the caste previouslycalled 'the untouchables'. In addition the image of theDalit Madonna has arisen out of a very important folksymbol which used to be found in every home in India.

This is the grinding stone, which is often set into theground, particularly in the courtyard of traditionalhomes.

There are a number of household rites of passagewhich take into account the grinding stone, whichconsists of two stones, one fixed and stable, known asthe "Mother Stone" which generally has a hollow partcarved out of its centre. Into this fits a smalleregg-shaped stone which is called the "Baby Stone"that is free to move about, and is used to grind variousfood stuffs which are placed in the hollow of theMother Stone.

At the time of marriage, the bride and groom areoften made to stand on this grinding stone, and arereminded that as the grinding stone remains fixed andstable at the heart of the home, so also their love foreach other should be immovable.

Relating the figure of Mother Mary and her sonJesus to this symbol of the grinding stone, we canreflect on the way that the bond between Mother andChild is also linked to the preparation of the dailybread and other items of food which are blendedtogether in this kitchen quern.

This communion of love is the source of all plenty,and we might think of the relationship of Mary to Jesuswhen saying "Give us this day our daily bread".

The word "Dalit" means broken, and in a way thegrain or other items of food are also broken in thisgrinding stone. But this breaking is preparatory to thecreation of wholesome food for the family. As the earlyFather of the Church, Ignatius of Antioch said, therecan be no bread without a process of breaking andtransfoming. So already in the relationship of Jesus toMary there is suffering, but also in their communion apossibility of life and hope.

The grinding stone is especially important at thetime of harvest festivals. The Indian festival of the NewRice takes place in mid-January, which in India is thetime of harvest and threshing.

It is around this time that the early Churchcelebrated the feast of Epiphany, and we are told insome apocryphal stories of the Nativity, that Maryescaped being robbed of her newborn child when themassacre of the infants was happening, becausewhen the soldiers came to her humble place, theyfound in the cradle only a bundle of new grain, whichwas in fact the new-born Jesus appearing in this form.

In fact the very name "Bethlehem" means "House ofBread". In India the Nativity naturally can beassociated with harvest, as this is what is going on inall the fields in the countryside. Unlike in Europe,where midwinter is a time of darkness and cold,lifeless earth, in Asia the winter season is a time forrejoicing, and bringing into the home, the fruits of theearth.

That is why in this image of the Mother and Child,the relation of Mary to Jesus is symbolic of thetransformed earth, which becomes like a full vessel oflife. The Birth of our Lord is in this way celebratedevery time we come together for the Eucharist.

3

A Brush With the Bible

There are two broad traditionswithin Christianity. Nonviolence –pacifism, love of neighbour andlove of enemy – was the dominantChristian tradition in the first threecenturies; and this is the positionthat I would take. The tradition ofthe Just War, from Augustine andrefined by Aquinas and others, ispresently the dominant Christianview. It should be noted that thisnever says that war is just but thatthere are occasions whenChristians will not be condemnedfor killing other people. And thesecircumstances are closely definedand are couched in terms oflegitimate self-defence.

The generally accepted criteriafor a just war are as follows:

1. The harm or damage causedby the aggressor must belasting, grave and certain.

2. All other means must havebeen shown to be impracticalor ineffective.

3. There must be a seriousprospect of success. (Successneeds to be defined. In theFalklands War success wasthe restoration of the islands toBritish rule; so going on toinvade Argentina or trying tobring about regime change inArgentina was not part of thetask. A ‘war on terror’ is very illdefined.)

4. The use of arms must notproduce evils and disordersgreater than the evil to beeliminated.

Just war criteria also extend tohow the war is to be fought. Inparticular the rights ofnon-combatants, prisoners andwounded soldiers must berespected.

Afghanistan

Osama bin Laden took refuge inAfghanistan when the Taliban wasin government.. After the attack onthe twin towers in New York inSeptember 2001 the US launchedits war on terror which led to itsattacking the Taliban governmentwith the aim of arresting bin Ladenand destroying the al-Qaedaleadership. The legality of this

intervention, named OperationEnduring Freedom, is still veryseriously questioned. Article 51 ofthe United Nations Charter doesgive nation states the right ofimmediate response to aggressionbut only until the matter has beendetermined by the UN. It is evenmore difficult to defend it when theOperation is continuing some eightyears and at times crossing theborder into Pakistan. The US didnot declare war on Afghanistan, asit regarded the Taliban not ascombatants but as terrorists (andso refused to extend thesafeguards of the GenevaConventions to them) and manynon-combatants were killed inindiscriminate air strikes. TheOperation had the support ofUnited Kingdom forces and ofmany of the northern warlords,who subsequently ended up insenior positions in the Kabulgovernment. The intervention wassuccessful in ousting the Talibangovernment but has still not beensuccessful in capturing bin Ladenor in destroying the Taliban as amilitary or political force.

The United Nations mission inAfghanistan was set up in late2001 to contribute to security andstate building in Afghanistan. TheUN Security Council alsoauthorised a force to assist theAfghan government in themaintenance of security in Kabuland the surrounding areas. Thisforce is the International SecurityAssistance Force. It is a coalitionof willing participants rather than aUN force, although it operatesunder a UN peace enforcementmandate. This mandate, renewedeach year, has slowly extendedthe area in which the force canoperate and now it covers thewhole country. NATO has been incontrol of this force since 2003and now has over 60,000 troops inAfghanistan.

The 9,500 or so British forcesare mainly operating with ISAFalthough some, including the UKSpecial Forces, are with the OEF.Over 220 of the British forces havedie, of which over 90 fatalitieswere with the OEF.

Is the war just?

There are four broad areas ofconcern in respect of whether thewar in Afghanistan can beconsidered just.

1. There is serious doubt as towhether Operation EnduringFreedom can be classified in 2009as legitimate self-defence by theUnited Kingdom. Eight years on itis not hot pursuit acrossinternational borders. It is not as ifTaliban tanks are coming alongthe Kingsway and their planes arebombing Angus, which would be avery clear, lasting, grave andcertain danger. By now thereshould be an explicit authorisationfrom the United Nations as thelegitimising body for all activitiesundertaken by British troops inAfghanistan.

2. There is serious doubt as to theprospect of success. GordonBrown in his speech of 4September 2009 said that Britishtroops are in Afghanistan as aresult of an assessment of theterrorist threat facing Britain andthat success would be achieved bythe Afghans themselves defeatingthe Taliban and al-Qaeda anddenying the territory of Afghanistanas a base for terrorists.

This proposition assumes astrong connection between acts ofterrorism in the United Kingdomand the existence of the Talibanand Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. It isat least arguable that a better wayto reduce acts of terrorism in theUnited Kingdom is by atransparent and impartial exerciseof the rule of law in our owncountry and by showing that theUK is committed to promotinghuman well-being anddevelopment throughout the world.

But the Taliban has substantialsupport especially in the Pashtunin parts of Afghanistan. Their viewthat the Kabul government iscorrupt, that it is being propped upby foreign troops who have noright to be in Afghanistan, that itspolice force is in no way impartialand that it cannot guaranteesecurity, let alone development, tothe mass of the population is

4

Afghanistan: Violence or Non-violence?

shared by many in Afghanistan,including many aid anddevelopment workers. There is astrong argument that sections ofthe Taliban must be part of thesolution and are unlikely to bedefeated militarily.

There is the additional risk ofthe destabilisation of Pakistan.The recent heavy handed actioncalled for by the United States inthe Swat valley and now inWaziristan has led to a majorrefugee problem and verysignificant difficulties resulting frommajor destruction of houses,farms, hospitals, schools andwater supplies. And Pakistan hasa nuclear capability.

These are prudential issues andthe first assumption is that thegovernment is in the best positionto judge these matters. However,as some of the information used tojustify the invasion of Iraq laterproved to be unfounded, so adegree of scepticism aboutgovernmental information andjudgement is in order.

3. It is difficult to compare theharm caused by a particular actionwith the harm prevented. War andcivil strife are destructive of peopleand of social capital. The UN givea figure of over 2,000 civilianskilled in 2008. They reckon thatsome 55% of civilians were killedby the insurgents and some 39%by coalition forces. The peoples ofAfghanistan have sufferedconditions of civil strife for most ofthe past 30 years. This has beenworse when foreign troops havebeen present. It could be arguedthat a policy of working fordevelopment with the varioustribes and areas in Afghanistan ismuch more likely to lead to stabilityand an improvement in humanrights rather than a policy in whichthere is a heavy military presenceand foreign troops. The majority ofthe Afghan population see foreigntroops, the aid programme, theAfghan police and the Afghanarmy as tools of a corrupt andincompetent Kabul government.

4. The treatment of non-combat-ants, civilians, and wounded and

captured combatants gives gravecause for concern.

Christians, especially those whomembers of the armed forces,have a particular problem andwitness in this situation. If a war isno longer a just war, then it is notlicit for a Christian to participate init. The above are some of theissues with which Christiansgrapple in terms of forming theirconsciences on this matter.

David Mumford

[The best concise andreferenced source is the Wikipediasection on the war in Afghanistan.The conditions for a just war aretaken from the Catechism of theCatholic Church. The BritishGovernment’s case was well setout in a speech by Gordon Brownon 4 September 2009. Although hehas subsequently expressedconcern about aspects of theAfghanistan government’scompetence and probity, theprimary cause for Britishinvolvement in Afghanistan is thatit is essential to keep Britain safe.]

5

The Synod met at St James’Church, Stonehaven on 14October and commenced with theBishop celebrating the Eucharist.

After refreshments generouslyprovided by the congregation themeeting took place in the hall.

In his charge Bishop Johnreported that most vacancies inthe diocese were being filled andthat there were a number ofpossible young ordinands andtraining courses are under review.He said that the iconic picture ofthe three Jacobite priests incarcer-ated in Stonehaven Tolbooth in1748 had been restored and hehoped that all congregations wouldcontribute to this cost.

The Bishop introduced the firstof the major items on the agenda:the latest draft (April 2009) of theproposed Anglican Covenant. Hehimself drew attention to areaswhere he detected inconsistencyand then invited two clerics tospeak. The Dean referred to thecentrality of the ancient threefold

ministry of bishop, priest anddeacon in the life of the Church asit has been upheld withinAnglicanism. This he felt wasreflected in this proposedcovenant and that bishops werefundamental to making decisionsof faith and practice. Dr JohnCuthbert spoke about the Bibleand its interpretation. Heacknowledged that there was aconsiderable breadth of attitudebut he noted that the truth ofScripture was not necessarily to befound in literalism and that theChurch had always been evolvingits understanding of the meaning.After a few contributions by othersthe Bishop stated that theDiocesan Synod was not requiredto vote on the draft text but thatcomments made would be passedto the Faith and Order Board ofthe Province who would be makinga response on behalf of theScottish Episcopal Church.

There then followed consider-ation of proposed changes tovarious canons, the most

significant of which was of Canon35 Of the Structure, Furniture andMonuments of Churches , and thedue Care thereof. No longer wouldthe Diocesan Buildings AdvisoryCommittee be ‘advisory’. Toensure that any alteration oradaptation is acceptable and willbe properly carried out requisiteprocedures will have to befollowed. These are mostly in linewith what up to now has beentermed ‘advisory’. A list will soonbe published of minor works whichwill not need consent. These, andthe other proposed canonicalamendments, were all passedafter due discussion withoverwhelming majorities.

The last main item of businesswas a presentation by Canon FayLamont of reflections on the recentDiocesan Conference Growingtowards a Thriving Church. Usinga PowerPoint presentation sheshared a large number of ideas,reactions, statements andexhortations which were express-ed to and by the participants.

Autumn Diocesan Synod

6

In order to assist and equip those who sharein the leadership of public worship

there will be

A TRAINING DAYfor those who lead Intercessions and / or

read Scripture

(or equally for those interested in finding out more aboutthese ministries)

Saturday, 6 February10.30 a.m. – 3.30 p.m.

at St Mary’s Church, Queen Street,Broughty Ferry

A day of teaching input, hands-on tasks and resourcing.There will also be an opportunity to share resources and

ideas,as well as to share fellowship and meet with others in our

Diocesan family

Please bring a packed lunch. Hot drinks provided.

Further details from: The Very Rev'd David Mumford,

tel: 01356 622708or

The Rev'd Jonathan Bower, tel: 01382 805088

The James Gregory LecturesThe Younger Hall, University of St Andrews

The next lecture in the series is entitled

"God and the Big Bang"to be given by

The Rev’d Dr David Wilkinsonat 5.15 p.m. on Thursday, 18 February

followed by a Reception until 7.00 p.m.

David Wilkinson is Principal of St John'sCollege and part-time Lecturer in Theology andScience in the Department of Theology at theUniversity of Durham, England. His backgroundis research in theoretical astrophysics, where hegained a PhD in the study of star formation, thechemical evolution of galaxies and terrestrialmass extinctions. He is a Fellow of the RoyalAstronomical Society. He also holds a PhD inSystematic Theology.

His current work at the University of Durhaminvolves the relationship of the Christian faith tocontemporary culture, from science to popculture. In particular, he is working on the futureof the physical Universe and Christianeschatology; Christian apologetics in a mediadominated culture; and the public understandingof science and religion.

There was once a time whenChristians discussing importantmatters used rational argument.The Church did so even withoutaccurate scientific knowledge.Christians argued logically on thebasis of what they did know orthought they knew. Inheriting thisattribute from pre-ChristianClassical culture, the ChristianChurch made logic one of thecornerstones of Westerncivilisation. Ironically, it is logic thatis being turned against the Churchby Rationalists in modern times,and the Church seems to befinding it hard to respond rationallyto attack.

But the Rationalists should lookto their laurels. Increasingly, thereare signs all around us that we are

becoming an irrational, illogicalsociety. Otherwise intelligent,sophisticated people use crystalsand "dream catchers", forexample. Not only are manymodern folk more superstitiousthan their Christian parents andgrandparents were, but manytoday are also incapable ofarticulating thought. It is only howwe feel about something thatmatters. Despite the triumphantcrowing of Richard Dawkins andother militant atheists, the demiseof Christian influence in Westerncountries has led not to lessmuddled thinking and superstition,but to more of it. Dawkins and hisilk may have seen off the Churchand are leading us toward a"rational" society, but it seems thatthey have failed to make it a more

logical society. They can hardlyascribe this failure on their part tothe Church's propaganda, whenmost of the illogical, muddledthought around us isn't Christian atall.

As secularism rages, amuddled, illogical society is aconcern for Christians, but that is acondition that is not of our making.More of a concern is the evidencethat muddled, illogical thinkingfrom outside has penetrated ourown deliberations. Are we aChurch that has ceased to functionlogically? I fear so. Let us findagain our minds, and seek themind of Christ (1 Cor. 2: 16 b).

St Salvador’s Magazine

Rationality and Religion

On 14 November the Very Rev’d Canon StephenCollis, formerly Dean of the Diocese of Cyprus andThe Gulf, was instituted as Rector of St Mary & StPeter’s, Montrose and St David’s, Inverbervie.

For Kath our move to Montrose is a return to herhome area as she was brought up in Arbroath andBrechin and trained at Robert Gordon’s Institute ofTechnology before movingto Edinburgh, which is wherewe met. Both of us workedat the University in thePollock Halls of Residence.We were both trained inCatering Management and Ispent the first 12 years ofmy working life working inUniversity administration. Myhome town isStoke-on-Trent, a place ofwhich I am passionatelyfond, even though in myyouth it was a dirty, ‘smoggy’city, much improved today,yet in my opinion lackingsome of the character of it’sindustrial past.

I worked at Edinburgh,Durham and SheffieldUniversities as well as for anorganization called ScottishNational Camps, managingtheir Conference Centre at Middleton Hall near toDalkieth.

My theological training was at Cranmer Hall, StJohn’s College, Durham, from where I moved to AllSaints’ and St Paul’s in Crewe, Cheshire for my Title. Ispent two periods in the Parish of St Bartholomew’sWilmslow, Cheshire, either side of 9½ years in theRoyal Air Force. Our second departure from Wilmslowtook us to the Parish of St Bertoline’s, again inCheshire, where I was Priest-in-Charge and DiocesanIndustrial Chaplain for South Cheshire.

Time in the RAF had introduced me to warmerclimes and from Barthomley we moved to Abu Dhabi

and then Cyprus, both in the Diocese of Cyprus andthe Gulf and the Province of Jerusalem and the MiddleEast.

We have two daughters, Sally and Mhorag: both aremarried, each with a young daughter. We share someinterests that others have introduced us to on our ownjourneys.

After a career as a lecturerin Hotel and CateringManagement Kath retrainedas a Special Needs Teacherand has used this training inGermany, Abu Dhabi andCyprus. Guiding has been agreat love of Kath’s life forvery many years, and shewas County Commissionerin Cyprus immediatelybefore we left and is still onthe Executive of BritishGuides in Foreign Countries(BGIFC) having beeninvolved in Guiding in theUK and the three countriesmentioned above, wherethere are BGIFC Units.I trained as a Trainer and

Counsellor working withCruse and Relate. I haveplayed various games butsadly I am now mostly

reduced to watching from the sidelines. I have been afootball referee and Chaplain to two professional clubsin England, so it is probably fair to say I love the game.We caravan and walk the dog – something that wasvery difficult in some of the high temperatures we haverecently left; now we hope to have the opportunity toenjoy walking in the Glens and along the Coast.

With this insight into our background, as we settle into work in the Diocese, we look forward to meetingmany of the readers of Grapevine and we very muchlook forward to being involved with the life and work ofSt Mary and St Peter’s Montrose and St David ofScotland, Inverbervie.

Steve Collis

7

. . . in the Year of Homecoming . . .

Canon Stephen Collis and Bishop John

International Peace Day was celebrated bymembers of Brechin Churches Together with a vigilservice at the Peace Pole in the grounds of Brechincathedral. The service was led by recently retiredChurch of Scotland minister Alan Watt and Ian Grayread the passage of scripture. The United Nationsfixed 21 September for the day and the World Councilof Churches have asked all churches to pray for peacearound that time. The Very Rev. David Mumford, chairof Brechin Churches Together, said, 'We rememberthe conflicts presently taking place, especially inAfghanistan and central Africa and we pray for a justand non-violent resolution of these conflicts.'

In this year, the quingentenaryof John Calvin’s birth, it isworthwhile reading an appreciationof his life, especially bearing inmind the foundational contributionhe made to the Protestant part ofthe Church and thereby to theorigins of the Presbyterian Churchof Scotland.

John Calvin, the half-millenniumof whose birth falls this year,belongs to the whole ChristianChurch. He ranks among the titansof Christian theology withAugustine, Aquinas, Luther,Schleiermacher and Barth. Weshould commemorate him for hismassive contribution to Christiantheology, to biblical studies and tounity, as well as for certainremarkable personal qualities.

It was predictable that theanniversary would be celebrated inGeneva, Scotland and NorthAmerica. But Calvin has also beencommemorated in such less likelyplaces as Budapest and Moscowand he is very big indeed in SouthKorea! The Calvin anniversary wasmarked in England with the ‘CalvinColloquium’ on ‘The influence andlegacy of John Calvin for thereligious traditions of England andWales’ at the University of Exeter.

TheologyI first read Calvin’s Institutes of

the Christian Religion as atheological student agedtwenty-one. It gave me a doctrinalfoundation that remains largelyintact to this day. Most of whatCalvin writes in the Institutes ismainstream Christian theology.Some of what he says is distortedby polemic, and in this he is a manof his time. Calvin is relaxed aboutbishops but implacably opposed tothe papacy. I think I first learned ahigh view of the sacraments fromhim. When I got to his expositionof double predestination I wrote inthe margin ‘No!’. But Calvin’stheology should not be defined byhis extreme development of thedoctrine of predestination – adoctrine that is to be found in Paul,Augustine, Aquinas and Luther, toname a few.

I moved from reading Calvin(and Luther) to modern Anglicantheologians: F. D. Maurice,Charles Gore, William Temple andMichael Ramsey and from them tomany others, especially Karl Barthand Karl Rahner. All these coexistquite amicably in my mind – and Idon’t think I’m particularlyconfused! Perhaps that is becauseI want to be catholic and reformedin my theology and to focus onwhat the traditions have incommon, rather than what keepsthem apart.

Scripture

The Institutes are dwarfed byCalvin’s commentaries – he wroteor preached on every book of theBible except ‘Revelation’. Biblicalscholars still cite Calvin’sinterpretation of a text, thoughCalvin lived well before theemergence of the critical methodsthat we take for granted today.Nevertheless, he was aRenaissance scholar, as weremost of the Reformers, whobrought the best contemporaryscholarship to bear on the study ofthe Bible.

Calvin is acknowledged as oneof the greatest biblicalcommentators; his commentariesare still worth consulting for theirinsight into the meaning ofScripture as well as for what theytell us of Calvin’s own mind.

Unity

In spite of his grim reputation,Calvin’s belief in the catholicity ofthe Church gave him a passion forunity. He does not quibble aboutnon-essentials. He was happy tosign the Lutheran AugsburgConfession of 1530. His reply toCardinal Sadoleto was a reasonedand irenic apologia for the reform.He and his fellow Reformers hadno intention of starting a newchurch, but wanted to renew theface of the one Church. He toldArchbishop Cranmer that he wouldwillingly cross seven seas to bringabout unity among Protestants.Like the Reformers generally,Calvin was the heir of the conciliarmovement of the fifteenth centurywhich had attempted to reunite afragmented papacy and to reformabuses by calling together thewhole Church in a representativeway.

In his lifetime and subsequentlyCalvin has been vilified for his lifeand his theology. In the sixteenth-and seventeenth century RomanCatholic attacks nothing was toofantastic or too repulsive to beflung at him. Lutheran insults werenot much better. Like God’sServant in Isaiah 52-53, ‘he wasdespised and rejected of men’.That fact alone might suggest thatCalvin was a good man and aninstrument of God’s work. Calvinwas a self-effacing person whochose to be buried in an unmarkedgrave, but on the rare occasionsthat he spoke about himself whathe stressed more than anythingwas his ‘fearful’ nature. On hisdeathbed he referred to this threetimes. Calvin was by naturereserved and timorous. The factthat he achieved so much againsthuge odds suggests to me thatalongside timidity we should setcourage. I think that the word thatbest describes him is courageous.Truly, in the words of one of hismodern biographers, John Calvinwas ‘the man God mastered’.

Dr Paul AvisGeneral Secretary of the Church of

England’s Council for Christian Unity

8

John Calvin 1509 - 2009‘The man God mastered’

I went on retreat this summer tovery remote places – but I wasn’talone. There’s much to be gainedfrom a few days at a retreat houseas many know: they providestillness and spirit-moments andenable retreatants to meet others,meet God, and meet themselves.They are a truly rich resource andwe in Britain are very fortunate tohave so many of them.

But there are two othertreasures available to us. The firstis our land: mountain, sea, islandand shore, lake, river, moor andhill. These form what Celticpeoples called ‘The Big Book’ –the book in which we can ‘readGod’ in the wideness and wildnessof his creation. The secondtreasure is each other.

These two can come together ina way complementary to classicretreats. Journeying (of which theBishop of Oxford [John Pritchard]is the Patron) is anon-profit-making organisation,run by volunteers, which takessmall groups to remote andnot-so-remote places in Britainand Ireland. They have been doingthis quietly and unobtrusively forover 20 years, previously underthe name Pilgrim Adventure. Eachyear they run 7-8 journeys to awide variety of places. The originalvision was to follow in the steps ofearly saints and thus an element ofCeltic spirituality is always present,but there’s no heavy religiosity atall – and people of any faith,denomination or none arewelcomed warmly and openly.

The practical outworking deve-loped over the years to encap-sulate the vision’s essence withthe needs of ordinary people inmind … for it is they for whom theorganisation exists and in thatregard the work of Journeying isa ministry. The shape of each tripis determined by the two (unpaid,volunteer) leaders but even withdifferent people leading there areelements common to everyjourney :

� accommodation is usuallyself-catering (but occasionallyon a full-board basis and even

perhaps in a classic retreathouse);

� gentle, reflective worship takesplace at the start and at theend of each day (and perhapsalso at other times on the hillor by the shore);

� walks of varying length (youcan opt in or out as you wish)

� times of sharing in theevening, maybe around a logfire;

� and the communion found sooften as you do the dishestogether.

A trip may include visits to smallislands, hill-walking and / orvisiting ancient sites of worship.Sometimes there is a greateremphasis on prayer-accompani-ment and deliberate reflectivecompanionship.

Highlights for me on recentjourneys have included a simpleEucharist at the tide’s edge,trudging over a Welsh moorland inthe rain to reach the remains of anancient Cistercian monastery as arainbow arched overhead,standing on a Hebridean island towatch the sun flash the waves withsetting light, the strength sharedby three of us sheltering fromfierce wind on a remote hillside –and my silent weeping with deepjoy as our group felt able to sharefeelings about our relationship withGod as the embers crackled in adying log-fire.

The real essence of thesejourneys, for me (and for fellowtravellers) is a Christiancompanionship within the beautyof the natural world. To that isadded the true spirit-presence that

comes from being quiet together,laughing (and crying) together,sharing life’s stories and ourunique, but common, under-standing of God.

There are many organisationswho will take you to Rome or theHoly Land, on retreat to Nepal orAntigua. But I believe there is noother group offering such journeysin our green and pleasant (andrugged and most beautiful) land;indeed the Journeying ideaappears to be unique in myexperience and touches medeeply, offering transformation andenrichment in ways which I amcertain would be valued by many.It allows me to be myself amongstGod’s creation and other like-minded people with whom I candevelop a relationship of trust andlove. In so doing I discover theGod whom Gerard Hughes calledthe ‘God of surprises’.

In 2010 there will be holidayjourneys to ‘edge’ places inScotland, Ireland, Wales andEngland. To find out more – and tosee the full programme – go to:

<www.journeying.co.uk>send an email to:

<info@journeying.co.uk>or telephone: 01834 844212

Paul Heppleston

9

TO THE EDGE TO FIND THE CENTRE

Edinburgh 2010 is anecumenical project set up tocommemorate the centenary ofthe World Missionary Confer-ence, and to provide newperspectives on Christianmission today.

In June 1910 the city ofEdinburgh hosted one of the mostdefining and most long-remembered gatherings in thehistory of Christianity. Edinburghwas chosen as a conferencevenue since Scotland had animportance in worldwide missionout of all proportion to its size.More than 1,200 Christians frommany churches came together tothink strategically about theworldwide mission of the ChristianChurch. Participants recognisedthe need to move beyondcolonialism and to welcome thebirth and maturing of independentand self-governing churchesaround the world. Although therewere no Catholic or Orthodoxdelegates present, Edinburgh1910 is considered to be thebirthplace of the modernecumenical movement. Concern-ed with advancing co-operationand unity in the study and practiceof mission, its most significantachievement was that it raised thevision of the church as a globalreality.

Edinburgh 2010 is governed bya General Council, made up of 20representatives of the Protestant,Pentecostal, Evangelical, Ortho-dox and Roman Catholic Christiantraditions. Apart from this inter-national body, many groups andorganisations are involved on alocal level, including amulti-denominational Scottishco-ordinating team called ScoT. Incontrast to 1910, Edinburgh 2010is a truly global and trulyecumenical project and event.

As in 1910 a study process is atthe heart of the project. For thepast two years study groups havebeen working on nine main studythemes and seven ‘transversal’themes. Participants of the studyprocess have met for conferencesand workshops in places like India,Korea, Germany, West Africa and

Bolivia, and are using theEdinburgh 2010 website(www.edinburgh2010.org) as aplatform for discussion andexchange.

The study process will peak in afour-day conference, to be held atPollock Halls in Edinburgh from2-6 June 2010. 70 representativesof the study groups will cometogether and be joined by 150mission leaders from all over theworld. The aim of the project is aserious, in-depth interaction onboth the present and future ofChristian mission and on specificmissiological themes. It is hopedthat this discussion will not justtake place among conferencedelegates, but that it will developinto a global conversation before,during and after the conference.Christians all over the world areinvited to share their thoughts onmission on the Edinburgh 2010website and to engage in itsgrowing Facebook community.

The highlight of the conferenceis to be a celebratory service onSunday, 6 June. Delegates andabout 1,000 local and internationalguests will gather at the AssemblyHall in Edinburgh, the historicvenue of the 1910 WorldMissionary Conference. TheArchbishop of York, the MostRev’d Dr John Sentamu, hasagreed to lead the three-hourworship together with repre-sentatives of other Christiantraditions. It is planned to streamthe celebrations online in order tomake it accessible to Christians allover the world.

Moreover, the stakeholders ofEdinburgh 2010 encourageChristians worldwide to set up theirown events in the Edinburgh 2010spirit. Local ecumenical cele-brations of mission can be at anytime of the year 2010, or on 6 Juneto link with others around theworld. An up-to-date list of eventsis available on the website:http://www.edinburgh2010.org/ forinformation and sign up for thenewsletter which is sent outregularly. Anyone who isorganising an ‘Edinburgh 2010’event is asked to contact the

Communications Officer forEdinburgh 2010, Jasmin Adam, sothat your information can include iton the website listing

Also, congregations andChurches Together Groups whowould like to host one or moredelegates before or after theconference are invited to contactJasmin Adam who will try to matchdelegates who want to make preor post-conference visits withthose who have registered theirdesire to host people, and will putthem in touch with each other:thereafter, all arrangements willneed to be made through directcontact since there are no E2010resources (finance or personnel)to facilitate this.

The organisers of Edinburgh2010 and the SCoT group wouldask that you pray for theconference and for all theecumenical endeavours which willtake place in 2010 using thefollowing prayer at Sundayservices and in your prayergroups:

God of Grace,Your love flows in abundance through

your world,You have come close, touched our pain,

And fired our hearts with hope.As now we give you thanks,And celebrate your mission

To reconcile, heal and transform.Fill us with your irrepressible Spirit of loveMade known among us in Jesus Christ

our Lord. Amen.

10

As part of the preparation forEdinburgh 2010there will be a

Day of Prayerwith

Father Gerard Hughes(Jesuit priest, writer & broadcaster)

on Saturday, 5 December10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

in St Andrew’s Church,Barngreen, Arbroath

Further details from Mrs Rena ScottTel. 01674 677688

The country church is still there.Somebody lives in it now, and itisn’t Jesus. It’s smaller than Iremember it; but I was a child backthen. I suppose it’s big enough tobe the second home of someprosperous city slicker now. WhenI was last inside, the little churchwas full.

In those days, in solidly CatholicQuebec, in what was then called“the Eastern Townships” south ofMontreal, little Protestant churcheslike this one were dotted all overthe beautiful rural landscape, inthe towns, villages, crossroads,and just by the side of unpavedcountry roads like this one was.The congregations were sustainedby a considerable but scatteredEnglish speaking population, manyof them descended from theoriginal settlers in what was anuninhabited wilderness 200 yearsearlier. This core group was addedto over the years by other settlers,many of them also Englishspeaking. People like us. The littlechurch had been built for theneeds of the local Anglicans. Itsdedication was “Saint Matthew”. Itwas our church.

I say that it was our church insomething of a notional sense. Ihad been baptised in the Churchof England not all that long beforemy mother. Very unhappy in hermarriage to my father, she hadabsconded with me, to disappearin Canada. Mama too was anAnglican. However, I don’t recallmy mother going to services, and Iremember visiting Saint Matthew’smyself not more than once. Mamaand I were hidden Anglicans.

I heard later that the little churchwas full for Mama’s funeral. I don’tknow for certain as I wasn’t there.The well-meaning adults wouldn’tlet me attend. I can’t recall what Idid instead that day. It must havebeen one of those life-changingdays that we all experienceunawares. Even nine-year oldshave them; perhaps I had one thatday, playing with my toy soldiers orsomething. People said nice thingsabout Mama at the houseafterwards. They were consolingand kind to my stepfather, brotherand me. Mama had just turned 34.

Someone shook their head andsaid that only the good die young.If that was true, I thought, I wishthat Mama had been bad.

But she wasn’t bad; justunhappy and unfortunate. She hadbeen worn down by years ofanxiety and care, her life tied to aflamboyant artist whose creativetalents were at best mediocre, butwho excelled at profligacy and selfdelusion. We lived in a remoteramshackle farmhouse with onlyplastic sheeting on the windows toprotect us from near-arctic winters;avoiding creditors while mystepfather declaimed on thesubject of returning to the land. Infact, he was lazy; he sponged offmy grandparents; he bullied meand he brought my mother to anearly grave. And it was a gravethat I would not see, as I did not goto the funeral.

But I did go to the little churchonce. It was before Christmas. Mymother took me to a carol servicethere one night. I can’t recallwhether my stepfather and brothercame too. I only recall my mother,wrapped in what had once beenan elegant fur coat, now used forwarmth and so sorry-looking onealmost wanted to apologise to thepoor dead animal. I cuddled up toMama in the seat of our beat-upyellow pick-up truck. It was a darknight and there was a lot of snow.

I recall the journey over thegravel road, ploughed but stillcoated in ice and snow. Ahead ofus the snow twinkled in theheadlights. From out of the colddarkness we approached littleSaint Matthew’s. The church wasablaze with lights, drawing from alldirections people on foot or invehicles like ours. We werepacked in to the service. TheChristmas story was read andcarols were sung. Although as ahidden Anglican it should havebeen unfamiliar, somehow I didn’tthink that it was. It was hopeful. Itwas joyful. It was cosy. It seemedlike home. No. It was nothing likehome. Home was a sadramshackle farmhouse with plasticsheets on the windows, down along dark road.

Clive Clapson

Apologiesfor the accidental omission of the

clue for 29 across in the lastedition’s crossword, but

Congratulationsto Mrs Forsyth of Broughty Ferry

for correctly solving the wholepuzzle.

For those who didn’t manage tocomplete it, this is solution:

11

A Hidden Anglican The Arts Chaplaincy inScotland

presents

AdventAn examination of the season of

Advent through poetryliterature and art

in the Chaplaincy,University of Dundee

on Saturday, 5 December

Programme:10.00-10.30 Gather and Coffee10.30 – Advent through Poetry

Rev’d Prof. David Jasper11.30 – Advent in Literature

Rev’d Dr Scott Robertson12.30-1.30 Lunch

1.45 – Advent in PaintingRev’d Dr Donald Orr

2.45-3.15 Plenary Session3.30 – Depart

There is no charge for the day butcontributions to the

costs of coffee, tea, etc. are mostwelcome

http://www.dundee.ac.uk/general/campusmap/

One of the days on which people from all thecongregations in the diocese are especially invited tocome to the cathedral is that on which wecommemorate Alexander Penrose Forbes, who wasBishop of Brechin from 1846 to 1875 and under whoseinspiration energetic developments took place. So on27 September (a little early for Forbes’ day) a goodnumber of people gathered together in St Paul’s.

Following the opening hymn the Rev’d Sidney Fox,formerly Rector of Brechin and now an incumbent inLancashire, was installed as an Honorary Canon.

At the end of Evening Prayer Joyce Mumford waslicensed as a Lay Reader and that was followed by there-licensing of all the other Lay Readers in the dioceseand the affirmation of other lay ministries.

In his sermon Canon Fox gave several examplesboth from the Bible and from the life of the Church ofhow God is the God who cares for the ‘have nots’.Forbes’ own ministry had been characterised by hisenergetic care for those in great poverty and socialdeprivation both in practical compassion and in raisingtheir eyes and spirits through beauty of worship. Theseeds of similar opportunities are with us today.

This ‘week’ will run from Saturday, 30 Januarythrough to Sunday, 7 February 2010.

The theme for this year’s action week is Enough forAll. During this period Churches and associatedorganisations throughout Scotland will be holdingspecial services, organising “sleep outs”, celebratingthe practical work they do in their communities, etc. tohelp and highlight the plight of the homeless and poor.

“All of them ate and were filled. When theycollected the leftover pieces, there were twelvebaskets.” Luke 9:12

� The recession is not just a crisis but also a timefor us to explore new ways of doing things. Wehave had enough of an economy built on greedand selfishness. There is another way.

� There is a growing gap between rich and poor.This is not only immoral; it is bad for all of us,harming our health and happiness. But we canclose the gap.

� There is Enough For All – enough food, enoughresources, enough money, enough homes,enough love, enough joy.

� But there is only enough if we don't retreat into ourshells. We must greet our neighbours, give whatwe can and share our ideas, hopes and skills.

� Our churches and communities contain a wealthof skills and resources, including many we do notknow about yet. We must rediscover and sharethem.

Scottish Churches Housing Action along withHousing Justice and Church Action on Poverty havejointly developed various resources to assist churchesetc. in making the most of Action Week. Resources(free to download) can be found on their website:<www.actionweek.org.uk>.

Any further information or help on Action Week orthe issue of homelessness and poverty can beobtained by contacting you local Scottish Episcopalrep. Joe Cassidy at <joe.cassidy@tesco.net> ortelephone 07774 432740.

12

Diocesan Festal Evensong

The Rev’d Sidney Fox being presented to Bishop Johnby the Vice-Provost

Dr John Cuthbert presenting all the Lay Readers to theBishop for their re-licensing

Poverty & HomelessAction Week

Aberdeen & Orkney DiocesanMission Committee are offering animportant conference to churchesin the North at the beginning ofnext year, running from 11 - 13January at Peterhead. ‘Leadingyour Church into Growth’ is atraining programme which seeksto take the mystique out of churchgrowth making it 'normal' anddo-able. Now in it's seventeenthyear it is a three-day residentialcourse for lay and ordainedleaders providing help,encouragement and fun as weseek to lead our churches from alargely pastoral to a pastoral inmission role. The conference willbe led by two Anglican clergydrawn from different backgrounds,

traditions, and ministry contexts.Both can speak from personalexperience of leading churchesinto growth and are passionate tosee local churches enabled formission.

Damian Feeney is a Vicar in theDiocese of Blackburn andAssistant Diocesan Missioner. Heis a priest of the Society of theHoly Cross, and a member of theCollege of Evangelists. He hasbeen involved in three Eucharisticchurch plant projects and was amember of the 'Mission ShapedChurch' working party. Tim Sledgeis the Vicar of Romsey Abbey inHampshire. Previously Missionerfor the Peterborough Diocese and

Rector of three varied parishesnear Halifax, his main interests arein developing new services andworship opportunities for localchurches. He is co-author of thebook Mission Shaped Church;Traditional Churches in aChanging Context.

The Diocese of Glasgow andGalloway held this conference withthe same speakers in 2008 formost of it’s charges to greatenthusiasm.

Further information can beobtained from Canon JohnWalker, The Rectory, St Mary’sPlace, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire,AB51 3NW. Tel. 01467 620470

13

Leading your Church into Growth

CLUES ACROSS: 1 Let the king enter and bow

to the saint (9) 9 Assert that you step into the

drink (6)10 Vintage juice extractor (9)11 A shortened letter of Paul

knocked off the point of hisincense stick (6)

12 It takes a wise man to throwa slab at the hart (9)

13 At least a hundred needed

to storm this bastion (6)17 Mad or not, it’s a lot of fuss

(3)19 If the Holy Family had fled

in this transport they mighthave got to a Londonmarsh! (15)

20 Lose the conjunction andyou make a mistake (3)

21 Two commanders with theFrench produce a chillyspear (6)

25 I’m being treated but amrestless (9)

26 For that reason he droppedthe small coin (6)

27 An other-worldly beingappears when you hangClare (9)

28 Nay, not this man! (6)29 The seer parts the misty

cloud to behold what isrevealed (9)

CLUES DOWN: 2 Surely he didn’t go to jail!

(6) 3 Each eye has a perfect

score (6) 4 It wasn’t a Jew who made

the manger, then! (6) 5 Ran on a hundred stormy

roads in northern Scotlandof old (15)

6 A real quiet coat for thisqueen (9)

7 Line the roof with slate for aheavenly finish (9)

8 Does he wear a helmet withblood on it in this place? (9)

14 The festival shirt scam hasto be unravelled (9)

15 The CID have a clearstance over unexpectedevents (9)

16 Fifty can sing for faithfulmillions round the world (9)

17 Yes, for sure! (3)18 Nothing for the start of the

rower (3)22 A holy man has a pain

inside a small bag (6)23 Now that the colourful

hostelry has beenredesigned it’s the place tohave a meal (6)

24 She has her formerboyfriend with her but he isin the overflowaccommodation (6)

Name ................................................................

Address................................................................

.............................................................................

Cryptic Prize CrosswordAnother offering of an exercise for your brain! Send your entries in to the editor at the address on the back page by Saturday, 6

March at the latest and make sure you put your name and address in the box provided. As a little help, five of the answers arethe names of people associated with the Christmas season as well as some other festive references.

I was both surprised anddisappointed by the Pope’s secretdeal with Forward in Faith toaccept their clergy, (wives andall!), subject to certain conditions,into the Roman Church, and F. inF.’s apparent acceptance. I wassurprised, because on the onehand, there would be considerablediscontent among Roman Catholicpriests about their own continuingcelibacy, and among the moreprogressive of their parishionersabout the influx of the mostreactionary element of theAnglican Communion; and on theother hand, the acceptance of theauthoritarian and highlyconcretised beliefs, especially thenew post reformation dogmas, ofRome by members of anorganisation whose publicationNew Directions contained a feastof theological and philosophicaldialectic. One might not have likedthe things they said but one couldnot but admire the way they said it.I was disappointed because theAnglican Church gains its strengthfrom what more authoritarianbodies might consider itsweakness; its gentle tolerance of awide diversity of beliefs andpractices from so-calledAnglo-Catholicism at one extreme

and ultra Protestantism at theother. With the departure of thetraditionalists, we might just seean overwhelmingly protestantchurch split between Evangelicalfundamentalists and liberalmodernists. F. in F. membershaving quit their Anglo-Catholicheartland like rats, leave asquabbling crew to a sinking ship.

As a member of AmnestyInternational since the late ‘60s, Iam certainly not a supporter ofFascism. Nevertheless the oldAmnesty maxim of ‘though I hatewhat you say, I will defend yourright to the last to say it’ holdssway, and I certainly thought NickGriffin was treated very shabbily bythe BBC. If a political party haswon a million votes and has anMEP, it is entitled to be heard onQuestion Time. And if that personis invited on to the panel ofQuestion Time, he is entitled to betreated as impartially as any othermember of the panel. This was notthe case. Griffin was subjected toa verbal lynching, the original orderof questions being changed sothat he could be exposed to agreat deal of unnecessary abuseboth from the panel itself and thevery multicultural audience. The

BNP gets votes because it voicesthe fears of what they call‘ethnically British’, e.g. ChristianAnglo-Celtic Europeans, of beingculturally suffocated by hostileMuslim Asians; fears which themain political parties are toopolitically correct to even voice..My curiosity being aroused, Ivisited the BNP website. Whilsttheir law and order policies arepredictably tough-minded, theireducation policy is, in my mind asa retired lecturer, excellent..

In the past I have supportedRichard Dawkins and his supportof Darwinism. However during arecent broadcast in which hediscussed the compatibility ofscience and religion withArchbishop Rowan Williams, hesuddenly went into a manic raveabout the beauty of sciencecompletely replacing God whichexposed him to be not so much anexperimental scientist finding noevidence in his research of therebeing a God, as a fanatical atheistwho supports his atheism usingscientific arguments. Never mind.Malcolm Muggeridge was thesame. Perhaps the Professor isjust ripe for a dramatic conversion!

Francis D. Bowles

14

Comment

LINKS (Scottish Episcopal Church Mission Association)

DIOCESE OF BRECHIN

LINKS LUNCHon Monday, 25 January 2010

at St. Mary’s Church, Broughty Ferry

at 12 midday for 12.15 p.m.

(finishing at approximately 2.30 p.m.)

Speaker (not yet finalised) will be given inthe Brechin Bulletin

BRING & BUY stall

Donations towards lunch for LINKS Mission projectsAll Links members and any friends welcome

St Salvador's CardsSt Salvador's, Dundee has Christmas cards for

sale depicting the Annunciation scene which formspart of the reredos behind the high altar (as belowbut in colour).

All proceeds go towards the current restorationfund which aims to make the church building watertight and hopefully prevent further damage to thisBurlison and Grylls art work.

To order a pack of 5 cards (cost £1.00) contactDr Alan Geddes on 01382 641991.

On 5 October the DiocesanConference took place atChalmers Ardler Church inDundee. The theme was "Growingtowards a Thriving Church" andthe lead speaker was BobJackson, who is an Archdeacon inthe diocese of Lichfield in theChurch of England. Although itwas a ‘diocesan’ event, peoplewere there from Dumfries,Edinburgh, Glasgow as well: abouta hundred all told.

For the opening service therewere no service sheets; words ofthe hymns and prayers wereprojected on to the walls. Then theBishop introduced theproceedings.

Bob Jackson gave a polishedperformance, and he certainly hadmany pointers for congregations topick up on that would aid them inretaining membership, or inbringing new people in. Some ofhis books were available forpurchase.

There is a worry of the apparentdecline of the Scottish EpiscopalChurch. But we were urged not toworry since we are not decliningas fast as the otherdenominations. (Rather coldcomfort!) In our own diocese wewere told that the five largestcongregations are losing numbersfaster than the smaller charges.One of Bob Jackson's answerswas to get the people in by anypossible means. What is thepoint, he asked, of having abuilding that is only used for 2-3hours on a Sunday? The new

members will not all stay. Hisstatistics showed that only 10% ofnew people do stay.

He had a novel way of dealingwith giving. Everyone should placethe price of a fish supper in theplate. Of course, the amountwould depend on what sort of fishyou eat, but it provides a visibleand realistic benchmark.

We were told that we needmore love for each other: peopleare less inclined to leave a lovingchurch. A lot of time it is our ownfault because of poor leadership.Quality in our leaders is required –but isn’t that obvious! In a growingchurch there is joy and laughter.Nowadays there must be a varietyof facilities: space for children,toilets, provision to supply drinksand refreshments. Wherever thereis growth, in the main morningservice on a Sunday or in weekdayservices, there needs to be socialmixing. If there is a lunch club,then follow it with a service.

The Conference then was splitinto three groups with leaders whotalked on three different subjects.Ann Tomlinson gave a goodpresentation on mission andcongregational development.

"Growing together" was theheading of the talk given by MrsNess Brown. She is a member ofSt Mary's, Dunblane and moved tothat town just after the massacreof these innocent schoolchildren.She described how she becameinvolved with children of alldenominations and built up

ecumenical youth groups that werelistening to God. These youthgroups became "not about me" but“about others". Links were madewith churches, schools, andparents, working together. Useneeds to be made of noticeboards, messaging, communica-ting all that is going on. It was aninspiring talk by a relatively youngwoman and the light of love andpurpose shone out of her.

The Rev’d Canon John Walkerof St Mary's, Inverurie led the thirdsession on the subject ofspirituality. As his talk developedthe sense of peace grew. He saidthat we needed to pay attention toour souls, to base our mission onspirituality and he spoke of thehunger there is for this in modernsociety. We should deepen oursense of identity for mission;discipline ourselves and alwaysfind time for Christ. There aretimes when we need to be activein prayer and times for silence,waiting upon God. We need to beopen to God rather than justhaving a service and we need tobe aware where God is.

There were opportunities forpeople to contribute their reactionsto what they had heard andexperienced and these have beencollated and sent out to allcongregations for their furtherconsideration. The Conferencewas not an end in itself, but aspringboard for our ongoingcongregational and diocesan life inGod’s service. It was aninspirational day.

15

Growing towards a thriving Church

A teenage boy had just passed his driving test andasked his father if they could discuss his use of thefamily car.

His father said he would make a deal with his son."You bring your grades at school up from a C to a Baverage, study your Bible a little, get your hair cutand we'll talk about the car."

The boy thought about that for a moment, decidedhe'd settle for the offer and they agreed on it.

After about six weeks his father said, "Son, I've

been real proud. You brought your grades up and I'veobserved that you have been studying your Bible, butI'm real disappointed you didn't get your hair cut."

The young man paused a moment then said, "Youknow, Dad, I've been thinking about that, and I'venoticed in studying the Bible that Samson had longhair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had longhair. And there's even a strong argument that Jesushad long hair."

His father thought for a moment. "Did you alsonotice that they all walked everywhere they went?"

Careful what you ask for ...

16

Sunday, 6 December, 6 p.m.Advent Carol ServiceSt John the Baptist Church, Albert Street, Dundee

Friday, 18 December, 10.45 a.m.Children’s Carol ServiceSt John the Baptist Church, Albert Street, Dundee

Sunday, 20 December, 10.30 a.m.Joint Centenary Service with Bishop JohnHoly Trinity Church, Monifieth

Christmas Eve, Thursday, 24 December, 7 p.m.Carol ServiceSt John the Baptist Church, Albert Street, Dundee

Christmas Eve, Thursday, 24 December, 9.30 p.m.Carols, followed at 10 p.m. by Christmas EucharistHoly Trinity Church, Monifieth

Christmas Eve, Thursday, 24 December, 11.30 p.m.Midnight MassSt John the Baptist Church, Albert Street, Dundee

Christmas Day, Friday, 25 December, 10.15 a.m.Said Eucharist with carolsSt John the Baptist Church, Albert Street, Dundee

Christmas Day, Friday, 25 December, 10.30 a.m.Eucharist for Christmas DayHoly Trinity Church, Monifieth

Sunday, 27 December, 10.15 a.m.Sung Eucharist and SermonSt John the Baptist Church, Albert Street, Dundee

Friday, 1 January, 10 a.m.Holy Communion for The Naming of JesusHoly Trinity Church, Monifieth

Sunday, 10 January, 6 p.m.Epiphany Carol ServiceSt John the Baptist Church, Albert Street, Dundee

Sunday, 10 January, 6.30 p.m.Christingle ServiceHoly Trinity Church, Monifieth

Saturday, 16 January, 2 p.m.Institution and Installation as Provost of theRev’d Jeremy AuldSt Paul’s Cathedral, Dundeefollowed at 7.30 p.m. byA CeilidhThe Bridge, Dundee West Church, Perth Road,Dundee

Diary Roundup

The next issue of Grapevine will be coming out for 28 March 2010.

All articles, letters, comments should be with the Editor by 6 March 2010. Preferably articles should be no longer than 500 words.

The Editor of Grapevine, Beattie Lodge, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire, AB30 1HJ(E-mail: <office@brechin.anglican.org> or <mjrturner@zoo.co.uk>)

MARY’S BOYby Liz Butler of St Ninian’s Church, Dundee

A bundle of joy sent from aboveAscended like the wings of a dovefluttering down from on highlike a snowflake from the skyWho? Mary’s boy

She wrapped him up in swaddling clothesto keep him warm, right down to his toesshe gazed down on this little miteand knew that he would make things all rightWho? Mary’s boy

He stood up for the poor and the lameHis Father on high does just the sameHe took a leaf out of His bookHe told the blind man, open your eyes and lookWho? Mary’s Boy

With loaves and fishes, the hungry he fedpeople followed wherever he ledHe walked on the water, he did not drownhe never looked on anyone, with a frownWho? Mary’s boy

And how did we repay this lovely man?Disowned and rejected, poor wee lambhe was lifted high on a cross on a hillpeople talk about him stillWho? Mary’s boy

His mother watched him, he was so braveonly God above has the power to savehe died on that cross, he suffered the painhe knew his death was not in vainWho? Mary’s boy