Newsletters

The Second Sunday of Lent

St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together

A very warm welcome to all

Readings:
Genesis 17: 1-7 & 15-16; Psalm 22: 23-31; Romans 4:13-25; Gospel: Mark 8: 31-38

In our Gospel today

In today’s Gospel we hear the words: “And Peter took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke him” (Mk. 8:32). The more time I spend reflecting on my life, and the more honest I am with myself, the more I realise that the things I say and do in regard to others, and my reactions to particular situations, are a whole lot more about me than they are the other person or the situation. And I think that’s true for Peter in today’s gospel. His reaction to Jesus says a lot more about Peter than it does Jesus. Please spend some time reading it, even though you may well be very familiar with the content.

St Andrew’s Extraordinary General Meeting – 7th March

I have been asked to give notice that there will be an Extraordinary General Meeting by Zoom, for St Andrew’s congregation on Sunday the 7^th of March, in order to approve the new Constitution. This will commence at 1 pm. This will also be announced at the end of the pre-recorded Holy Communion Service on Sunday at 10 am.

Donation button on our website

The ‘Donation’ function on the St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral website is now up and running. For those of you who would like to make your giving via this method, please access the website at www.stmaryscardenplace.org.ukand you will find the donation button near the foot of the home page. It is very simple to use and there is no requirement to sign up to PayPal if you do not wish to. 

Vacancies on St Mary’s Vestry

As mentioned at the AGM, there is a vacancy on St Mary’s Vestry which is currently being covered by Mrs Freddie Stephens (who has come to the end of her tenure but has agreed to remain in situ until a new member can be identified). I omitted to also mention that there is a Vacancy on St Mary’s Vestry for a People’s Warden. Should anyone from St Mary’s wish to be considered for either post, and would like to discuss it, please contact me using the usual details, and I would be delighted to have a chat.

Diocesan Synod

Diocesan Synod will take place via Zoom on Saturday the 27^th of February. During this particular Synod, we will be discussing numerous aspects of what has changed in our worship lives during the pandemic, be it for the better or worse. What should we retain? What have we learned? How has it changed us? Where has God been in all of this? These, and many other questions will be asked, and we will continue to ask them after this year’s Synod has been and gone.

Virtual Hymn Singing

St Mary’s Organist, Mr Matthew McVey, has asked me to highlight this once more in today’s Newsletter: “As hymn singing in Churches is currently a ‘no go’, and we are unable to meet together for worship, I am inviting everyone to take part in some ‘virtual hymn singing’. I fully support Matthew in this venture and encourage members of both our congregations and afar to consider joining in. Matthew has very kindly provided his email address should you want to get involved in some way, and he can be contacted at matt.d.c.mcvey@outlook.com

World Day of Prayer

Bishop Hugh, the Roman Catholic Bishop here in Aberdeen, has requested, via the ‘Aberdeen Churches Together’ (ACT) Group, of which I am the SEC representative, that we circulate the following information, received on Tuesday the 23^rd Feb, relating to the World Day of Prayer. This has been emailed out to all of my group email recipients on the 23^rd:

10 Days of Prayer, World Day of Prayer for World day of Prayer and Vanuatu

Build on a Strong Foundation

Join WDP Scotland on Facebook and on the WDP Website from Tuesday 23rd February. 

With thanks to all who have contributed.

Thought for the Day

Tues. 23rd – Led by The Right Rev. Dr. Marting Fair, of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland.

Wed. 24th – Led by The Most Reverend Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, The Roman Catholic Church.

Thurs. 25th – Led by The Most Reverend Bishop Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, The Scottish Episcopal Church.

Fri. 26th – Led by Ms. Margaret Roy, Religious Society of Friends.

Sat. 27th – Led by Rev. John Fulton, Moderator of the General assembly of The United Free Church of Scotland.

Sun. 28th – Led by Lieut. Colonel Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army.

Mon. 1st March – Led by Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church Scotland.

Tues. 2nd – Led by Rev. Canon John Whittle, Moderator of The United Reformed Church< National Synod of Scotland.

Wed. 3rd – Led by Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director of the Baptist Union of Scotland.

Thurs. 5th – Led by Rev. Rosangela Oliveira, International Director of WDP and Rev. Laurence. Gangloff, International Chairwoman of WDP.

The prayer each day will be led by a member of the Scottish Committee.

Facebook: World Day of Prayer Scotland Friends.

Website: www.wdpscotland.org.uk

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday this year falls on the 28^th of March. As per last year, I will endeavour to deliver Palms so that they can be used in time for the day. 

St Mary’s Fundraising & Social Group

The St Mary’s Fund-raising and Social Group met recently to discuss what can realistically be considered for the year. Whilst we are now seeing the very real possibility of certain restrictions being lifted, we cannot dismiss the fact that we could return to some sort of lockdown in the future. With that in mind, we have agreed on the following items that were discussed. 

Easter Eggs: It was agreed that we should continue with the Easter Egg Donations as we have done previously, and which has been very successful.  Therefore, I would ask each and every one of you to consider the next food order you make, or if you are out shopping, purchasing an Easter Egg(s). We are in the process of arranging a pick-up point to ensure compliance with social distancing etc, so please hold on to your Eggs until this can be sorted. Or, if you are passing the Rectory, you are welcome to drop them off if that is easier. As before, the final day for collection would be the Saturday before Holy Week, which is the 27^th of March. If, however, you are for some reason unable to purchase an Easter Egg but would still like to donate, we now have a donation function on our website homepage at www.stmaryscardenplace.org.uk  We will be donating said Easter Eggs to the Barnardo’s Trust here in Aberdeen.

Easter Brunch: We started off by discussing the idea of an Easter Breakfast and this then settled on an Easter Brunch on Easter Sunday the 4^th of April, to align more closely with the St Mary’s Zoom Brunches. Time was set a little earlier at 12 noon.  Attendees would be encouraged to dress up or decorate their rooms with Easter items.

Zoom Quiz Night: We felt that it would be quite feasible to organise a quiz night using Zoom. After some discussion we agreed that we would try a Friday night and set the date for 19th March commencing at 7.30 pm. This is of course open to our brothers and sisters from St Andrew’s, and should any other Church Groups wish to get involved, they should contact me in the first instance. Entry fee will be £10.00 per household. 

St Mary’s Day: The group discussed the idea of using the Patronal Festival for St Mary on Sunday the 15^th of August, by having a St Mary’s Gift Day. We could very well be back inside the Church by then, albeit in limited numbers. We agreed that sums raised through this gift day would be earmarked for repair and refurbishment costs of the Church buildings.

There will be a Christmas Raffle, and details regarding this are still being looked at.

Cheese and Wine Evening: The group agreed that we should provisionally plan for a normal Cheese & Wine Evening in St Mary’s Choir Vestry.  The provisional date was set as Friday 15th October. We need to remain positive that we can stage these events however, should government COVID-19 guidelines dictate otherwise, then the event would simply be postponed.

Music Recital: Our Organist, Matthew McVey, has offered to look into some sort of musical recital at St Mary’s, incorporating some of his fellow student cohort at Aberdeen University. This is a work in progress, and Matthew will report back to the group when he has more information regarding this idea.

Photograph competition: The Group agreed to a suggestion by Matthew McVey that we should have a Photograph Competition. The concept would involve St Mary’s and St Andrew’s congregation members sending in their best/favourite photograph, which could be of St Mary’s or another seasonal subject, or even something completely unconnected to the Church. The photographs would then be displayed on the St Mary’s website – with a number and perhaps caption.  The best photograph could be voted for by the congregation or The Vestry or myself.  A suggested entry fee for each photo submitted was agreed at £2. There would be 1^st, 2^nd and 3rd place prizes for those chosen. Again, the finer details of this are being looked at so watch this space.

Bottle in a Box: We shall run this once more, and again, details to follow.

Jewellery: One thing we did not discuss, but was the subject of a Newsletter item over a year ago, was a request from me for everyone to go through their old unwanted jewellery, be it broken or not. We all have items of jewellery we either never use or have forgotten about, or it’s broken. Why not consider putting it to a better use in order to help with our several fund-raising campaigns. During my time on the Isle of Lewis, we did a similar appeal and managed to accumulate quite a bit of old unserviceable and serviceable gold and silver. So much so, that we were able to raise in excess of £1000 through selling the broken stuff to jewellers for the gold and silver value, whilst selling the unbroken items at a summer fair. Why not consider putting it to a better use in order to help with our fund-raising. Your donation would be most gratefully received. Just let me know what you have and I will arrange collection. Again, thank you in advance for your continued generosity.

I apologise if this has been a rather comprehensive Newsletter, but I feel it is incumbent on me to keep everyone up to date with what is going on.

Services/ Events at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral week commencing Sunday 28^th February 2021

Lent Devotional Prayer – 7 pm, live, every evening during Lent via Cn Terry’s Face-book Page

Friday 5^th March – 10 am, Pre-Recording for Sunday Broadcast

Sunday 7^th March – 10 am, Pre-Recorded Broadcast Holy Communion

“Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring“

St Catherine of Sienna

Blessings Always

Rev Canon Terry Taggart

terry_t_2000_uk@yahoo.co.uk

01224588776/07768219984

The First Sunday of Lent

St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together

A very warm welcome to all

Readings:
Genesis 9: 8-17; Psalm 25: 1-9; 1 Peter 3: 18-22; Gospel: Mark 1: 9-17

In our Gospel today

In today’s Gospel we touch upon leaving home and starting out on our own. Leaving home can be difficult, frightening, and risky. It invites us to change and opens us to new discoveries about ourselves. It challenges our understandings of where we find significance, meaning, and security. Ultimately, though, leaving home is the beginning of our spiritual journey and growth. We are more vulnerable to and in need of God when we leave home. Leaving home is not, however, simply about the circumstances of life. It is the way of God’s people. Adam and Eve left the garden. Noah left his dry land home. God told Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you”. Jacob ran away from home fearing for his life. Moses and the Israelites left their homes in Egypt. And in today’s gospel Jesus is leaving home. As Mark tells it, “Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee” to the Jordan River. He left his home and now stands with John in the Jordan, the border between home and the wilderness. There he is baptized. The heavens are torn apart, the Spirit like a dove descends, and a voice declares, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”From there “the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” Baptism may happen in the river but the baptismal life begins in the wilderness.

Thank you Bishop Anne

We are thankful to Bishop Anne who has presided and preached at our pre-Recorded Ash Wednesday service, and indeed, our service this Sunday, the first Sunday in Lent. It is fitting that the Bishop uses her current Episcopal Seat as often as possible, regardless of the constraints we currently experience.

Christian behaviour

What does it mean to act like a Christian? Or, to put it another way, what is characteristic of Christian behaviour? How is acting like a Christian different from acting like everyone else? Jesus says that everyone will know his disciples by their love. How are his disciples known in the twenty-first century by that criterion? 

For five Monday evenings in Lent, the Scottish Episcopal Institute will be considering these questions. It will look to the sources of Christian ethics: to God’s revelation in the Bible and in the world.  It will look to constructively critical voices from scientists, philosophers and theologians.   It will try to articulate principles to guide Christian behaviour as individuals and communities, to identify what place such principles have in the public square as opposed to private lives, and to develop some facility to apply such principles to contemporary ethical questions.  From 7.00pm to 8.00pm on the five Monday evenings in Lent via Zoom, presented by the Revd Dr Michael Hull, the following topics will be covered:

• 22 February: What does it mean to love like a Christian (John 13.34–35)? 
• 1 March: How is the Christian understanding of love critiqued today (John 8.3–11)? 
• 8 March: How is love to guide Christian behaviour (Titus 2.11–15)? 
• 15 March: Does ‘Christian ethics’ have a place in the public square (I Peter 2.11–15)? 
• 22 March: How may Christian principles be applied today (James 1.22–25)? 

Should you wish to take part in this, you can register here: 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/acting-like-a-christian-tickets-138446831199?utm

Lenten Devotions

As previously mentioned in my last Newsletter, I have now begun Lenten Devotions as a live broadcast, every evening at 7pm on my Face Book page. It lasts no more than 20 minutes. This will continue throughout Lent.

“Through the Lenten Door”

Also in the last two Newsletters, I have referred to a Lent Course, provided by the Diocese. ‘Through the Lenten Door’, which has been put together by Bishop Anne and the Rev’d Dr Jenny Holden. There are several options to join the course on various days, and I hope that some of you will consider taking part in this wonderful opportunity. Please refer to the Diocesan Newsletter at https://aoepiscopal.scot/diocesan-newsletter-wednesday-3-february-2021/ where you will find full details on how to take part. Or alternatively via Through the Lenten Door – a Lent Course for lockdown. Details of on-line material to come, and how to register…https://aoepiscopal.scot/through-the-lenten-door…/

Diocesan Newsletter

The Diocesan Newsletter is now available to upload at https://aoepiscopal.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Diocesan-newsletter-34-17-February-2021.pdf

Vacancies on St Mary’s Vestry

As mentioned at the AGM, there is a vacancy on St Mary’s Vestry which is currently being covered by Mrs Freddie Stephens (who has come to the end of her tenure but has agreed to remain in situ until a new member can be identified). I omitted to also mention that there is a Vacancy on St Mary’s Vestry for a People’s Warden. Should anyone from St Mary’s wish to be considered for either post, and would like to discuss it, please contact me using the usual details, and I would be delighted to have a chat.

Diocesan Synod

Diocesan Synod will take place via Zoom on Saturday the 27^th of February. During this particular Synod, we will be discussing numerous aspects of what has changed in our worship lives during the pandemic, be it for the better or worse. What should we retain? What have we learned? How has it changed us? Where has God been in all of this? These, and many other questions will be asked, and we will continue to ask them after this year’s Synod has been and gone.

A message from our Organist

St Mary’s Organist, Mr Matthew McVey, has asked me to include this in today’s Newsletter: “As hymn singing in Churches is currently a ‘no go’, and we are unable to meet together for worship, I am inviting everyone to take part in some ‘virtual hymn singing’. I fully support Matthew in this venture and encourage members of both our congregation and afar to consider joining in. Matthew has very kindly provided his email address should you want to get involved in some way, and can be contacted at matt.d.c.mcvey@outlook.com

Zoom Sunday Brunch

If you haven’t already done so, please remember that our Zoom Brunch continues every Sunday commencing at 1230 pm. It normally lasts no longer than 45-50 minutes and is a nice way of catching up with those whom we don’t get to see much these days. The direct link is included within the email containing this newsletter. Why not come along for a chat and a coffee, it would be nice to catch up.

Services/ Events at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral week commencing Sunday 21^st February 2021

Sunday 21^st February at 10 am, pre-recorded Holy Communion broadcast from St Mary’s, +Anne Presiding and Preaching.

Every evening throughout Lent – Lenten Devotional Prayer by Cn Terry, 7 pm Live Broadcast via Face Book

Sunday 28^th February at 10 am, pre-recorded Holy Communion broadcast from St Mary’s, Cn Terry Presiding and Preaching

Blessings Always

Rev Canon Terry Taggart

terry_t_2000_uk@yahoo.co.uk

01224588776/07768219984

The Sunday before Lent

St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together

A very warm welcome to all

Readings:
2 Kings 2: 1-12; Psalm 50: 1-6; 2 Corinthians 4: 3-6; Gospel: Mark 9: 2-9

In our Gospel today

In Mark’s Gospel today we hear about Christ’s Transfiguration. Inherent in the story of the Transfiguration is the promise of a kind of life beyond what is apparent to earthly eyes most of the time. Both Moses and Elijah, two figures whose passing’s were mysterious, were believed by many Jews to be God’s precursors of the end times. Because Elijah went bodily into heaven (included in today’s Old Testament reading) and Moses’ grave was never found (he was buried by God himself in Deuteronomy 34:4-7), these two men of the faith were thought to be available for God to send back. God would send them to inform humankind that God’s reign was at hand. It is no accident that these two appear with Jesus on the mountain.  They discuss that change already prophesied by Jesus (Mark 1:15) and as the two messengers disappear into the cloud (a sign of God’s presence, Exodus 40:34-38), the word comes to “Listen to Jesus,” the only one left. Now Jesus becomes the divinely chosen precursor of the turn of the age.

Ash Wednesday

Wednesday the 17^th of February is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. It seems a bit over the top to expect people of faith to even consider making sacrifices for 40 days and nights given the circumstances we currently experience. However, that, in some way is the point. If we observe Lent in a wholly orthodox Christian fashion, we understand the need to step back and re-assess our lives and to test ourselves as Jesus tested Himself. If we, however, observe Lent with a more secular approach, it can be seen as a bit of fun, or simply a challenge, which, if unsuccessfully applied, will make no difference in any case. How someone chooses to understand and apply Lent is purely a matter for the individual, but we must not lose sight of why it exists in the first place. Even in these times, where many questions and demands are being asked of us, it is imperative that we, in our own personal wilderness, do not succumb to those influences that can easily divert our journey from that path to salvation.

‘Through the Lenten Door’

As per my comments in last week’s Newsletter, I would like to draw your attention to the Lent Course ‘Through the Lenten Door’, which has been put together by Bishop Anne and the Rev’d Dr Jenny Holden. There are several options to join the course on various days, and I hope that some of you will consider taking part in this wonderful opportunity. Please refer to the Diocesan Newsletter at https://aoepiscopal.scot/diocesan-newsletter-wednesday-3-february-2021/ where you will find full details on how to take part. Or alternatively via Through the Lenten Door – a Lent Course for lockdown. Details of on-line material to come, and how to register…https://aoepiscopal.scot/through-the-lenten-door…/

Thank you for joining the St Mary’s AGM

I would like to thank everyone who joined us last Sunday for our AGM. The challenges continue as we consistently adapt to how we gather and discuss our Church business. There was some very good discourse to be had and some very pertinent questions put to our Vestry members. I sincerely hope that we will be able to gather in person for our next AGM, as nothing equals the personal interaction that meetings of this nature can bring. Until then, Diocesan and General Synods, together with Vestry meetings and other group discussions, continue to be held using the Zoom facility. 

Vacancy on St Mary’s Vestry

As mentioned at the AGM, there is a vacancy on St Mary’s Vestry which is currently being covered by Mrs Freddie Stephens (who has come to the end of her tenure but has agreed to remain in situ until a new member can be identified). Should anyone from St Mary’s wish to be considered for this post, and would like to discuss it, please contact me using the usual details, and I would be delighted to have a chat.

Donation link on website

We will hopefully soon have a ‘Donation’ button option on our website for anyone who wishes to make a donation to St Mary’s. As soon as it is up and running I will let you know. Meanwhile, if you haven’t already had a look, why not check out our website at www.stmaryscardenplace.org.uk If you think it would benefit from some extra content or if you have any ideas on how we could make improvements, please let us know using the messaging function on the site.

A note about my calendar

The circumstances relating to the personal pastoral matter I referred to last week have changed slightly, in that I will not yet be travelling south in the immediate future. However, Sam and I may need to do so if circumstances dictate. If that is the case I will inform Bishop Anne, and my Rector’s Warden, Mr David Rose. 

In need of any help?

The snow and ice has curtailed even further, any ventures outside, especially for those with decreased mobility. Please do not suffer in silence if you need anything important delivered to your doorstep. Call or email me and if I can help I will endeavour to do so. This applies to members of both St Mary’s and St Andrew’s congregations.

Lent devotion/prayer

As previously mentioned, I will be live broadcasting a short evening Lent devotion/prayer, every evening at 7 pm, via Face Book throughout the season of Lent.

Dates for your diary

Sunday 14 February – Last before Lent 11am: A celebration of the Eucharist led by Rt Revd Kevin Pearson from Glasgow. 

Ash Wednesday – 17 February 10am: A celebration of the Eucharist, including litany and ashing, led by Rt Revd Anne Dyer, from St Mary’s Pro-cathedral, Aberdeen. Links to this service are available from the Diocesan Website at  https://aoepiscopal.scot

11am: A celebration of the Eucharist led by Rt Revd Andrew Swift from Dundee.

Services week commencing Sunday the 14th February 2021

Sunday 14^th February at 10 am, Pre-Recorded Holy Communion service from St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral (Cn Terry Taggart)

Wednesday 17^th February at 10 am, Pre-Recorded Holy Communion / Ashing service from St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral (Rt Rev’d Anne Dyer)

Wednesday 17^th February at 7pm, Evening Devotion/Prayer live broadcast via Facebook throughout the season of Lent (Cn Terry Taggart)

Sunday 21^st February (1^st Sunday of Lent) at 10 am. Pre-Recorded Holy Communion Service from St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral (Cn Terry Taggart)

Blessings Always

Rev’d Canon Terry Taggart
Rector

5th Sunday after Epiphany

The 2nd Sunday before Lent

St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together

A very warm welcome to all

Readings:
Isaiah 40: 21-31; Psalm 147: 1-12; 1 Corinthians 9: 16-23; Gospel: Mark 1: 29-39

Our Gospel reading today

Our Gospel reading today challenges us not to treat Jesus as the ‘Genie in the lamp’; there to be summoned and used when we need it. As Christians, we would all claim to be a follower of Jesus and we would all claim to be in a relationship with Him. But what are our expectations of how He might impact our lives? As with any relationship, it is something we grow into, and our expectations change over the years as we gain more experience together. But it is far too easy to get stuck with a fairly naive, perhaps even immature expectation of Jesus’ activity in our lives. For many people, they never move beyond treating Jesus a little like the ‘Genie in the Lamp’: if I pray to Him and ask Him for things, then I expect Him to respond to me and give me what I ask for and I will get angry with him if he doesn’t deliver and maybe even stop coming to worship him altogether. That mentality doesn’t represent the fullness of relationship that we are called to enjoy with Jesus. But it is very common amongst many people, and it was particularly prevalent amongst the people who first knew Jesus when he began his ministry in Palestine 2,000 years ago. Read and listen to today’s Gospel, you’ll see what I mean.

St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Annual General Meeting

St Mary’s Pro- Cathedral Annual General Meeting (AGM) will commence at 1230 pm sharp today via Zoom. The Zoom link is included within the email to which this newsletter is attached. It also includes a telephone link number should you be unable to connect to the zoom video function. 

No Pre-Recorded Service from St Mary’s this Sunday

There will be no pre-recorded service from St Mary’s available this Sunday as I have a personal pastoral matter to attend to. However, I would direct you to the Provincial Service being broadcast at 11 am, which is coming from our own Diocese, with Bishop Anne presiding. This can be accessed by referring to the diocesan website at  https://aoepiscopal.scot

Second Sunday before Lent

Today is the second Sunday before Lent and as we approach this season I hope that you are preparing for the sacrifices and rewards that it will bring. Lent will be even more focussed this year due to the restrictions we are currently living under. You will see on the home page of our website at https://stmaryscardenplace.org.uk/ that we have been displaying desert scenes. This is meant to give us a taste of the remoteness of what the 40 days and nights of Lent can bring, and how Jesus, our Saviour, dealt with it, out there in the wilderness. I intend to broadcast a short devotion each evening throughout Lent. I will publish the time frame for this in next Sunday’s newsletter.

Diocesan Newsletter

The Diocesan Newsletter is now available and can be accessed via the following link: https://aoepiscopal.scot/diocesan-newsletter-wednesday-3-february-2021/  I would like to draw your particular attention to the Lent Course ‘Through the Lenten Door’, that has been put together by Bishop Anne and the Rev’d Dr Jenny Holden. There are several options to join the course on various days and I hope that some of you will consider taking part in this wonderful opportunity.

Scottish Parliament Elections

The Scottish Parliament Elections will take place on Thursday the 6^th of May. As in previous occasions, St Mary’s will be a Polling Station for the whole of that day. However, due to the necessity for social distancing etc, there will be a one-way in – one way out system in place. Entry via the side door and exit via the main west doors. The Choir Vestry will therefore not be used. It has been decided that the polling booths and tables will be located within the aisle in the main body of the Church. This will entail the need to move a few pews to accommodate this and should not be too labour intensive. I have met with the Polling Official organising, and I have a plan of requirements that look fairly straightforward to implement. This will need to be done on the days before the Polling Station opens. I will require one or two people to assist and no more, closer to the time.

Dates for your diary

Provincial & Diocesan Worship Sunday 7 February – 5th after Epiphany 11am: A celebration of the Eucharist led by the Rt Revd Anne Dyer at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Aberdeen. 

Sunday 14 February – Last before Lent 11am: A celebration of the Eucharist led by Rt Revd Kevin Pearson from Glasgow. 

Ash Wednesday – 17 February 10am: A celebration of the Eucharist, including litany and ashing, led by Rt Revd Anne Dyer, from St Mary’s Pro-cathedral, Aberdeen. Link to this service from the Diocesan Website and Facebook pages. 

11am: A celebration of the Eucharist led by Rt Revd Andrew Swift from Dundee.

Services week commencing Sunday the 7th February 2021

Sunday 7^th February at 11 am, Holy Eucharist Provincial Service – Presiding – Bishop Anne

Blessings Always

Rev’d Canon Terry Taggart
Rector

4th Sunday after Epiphany

‘The Presentation of Christ in the Temple’

St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together

A very warm welcome to all

Readings:
Malachi 3: 1-5; Psalm 24: 1-6; 1 Hebrews 2: 14-18; Gospel: Luke 2: 22-40

Our Gospel reading today

In our Gospel reading today, we meet Simeon and Anna; two God-fearing, elderly people who had been waiting for the Messiah to come. We hear that “Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God”. We also hear that “Anna gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God”. Now, I don’t question their faith or their joy for one moment. But I do recognise that they are both in their mid-80s and had been waiting their whole lives for this moment. That is a long time to wait! Sometimes, I pray for things, and if I don’t think God has responded within a week, I get impatient. But Anna, we are told, was 84 years old, so she hadn’t waited one week for her prayer to be answered. Anna had waited at least 4,368 weeks – that’s 733,824 hours if you are interested in the maths! That’s a long time to wait for God to answer your prayer, isn’t it? And Simeon and Anna were only humans, just like you and I – and I don’t believe for one moment that they didn’t doubt God during that time of waiting.

Online Holy Communion Service 31st January

Our online pre-recorded service today (Sunday 31^st Jan) is again, presided over by Bishop Anne and can be accessed, either through the Diocesan Face-Book page (searching under St Mary’s Carden Place), or via the Diocesan Website at  https://aoepiscopal.scot  A copy of the liturgy is also included with your email so that you can follow the service. 

St Andrew’s Extraordinary General Meeting

There will be an Extraordinary General Meeting for St Andrew’s congregation, via Zoom, on Sunday 31 January at 1pm. The meeting will be concerned with revising the Constitution. St Andrew’s congregation are encouraged to attend. 

St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Annual General Meeting

St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place via Zoom, next Sunday the 7^th of February, commencing at 1230 pm. Even though we may well be experiencing lockdown, I fully intend to ensure that the AGM will go ahead as planned. I will circulate the necessary correspondence prior to that date along with the Zoom Link required to join in. Watch this space and our website, https://stmaryscardenplace.org.uk/  for further updates. 

No Zoom Brunch on 7th February

There will be no Zoom Brunch on Sunday the 7^th February due to the AGM taking place. 

LayRep and Alternate Lay Rep posts

The roles of Lay Rep and Alternate Lay Rep are posts that are open, annually, to any member of St Mary’s Congregation who wishes to put their names forward. The positions are currently occupied by Dr Nicola Mills (Lay Rep), and Dr Elizabeth Smyth (Alternate Lay Rep), who, if unopposed, are happy to continue. Should anyone put their name forward for either role, then this will require a ballot to take place at the AGM. If anyone wishes to know more about the Lay / Alternate Lay Rep positions, please let me know. Normally I would be placing a sheet in the Church for anyone who wishes to put their name forward, however, due to the current lockdown situation, this will not be possible. Therefore I would also ask that you contact me via this medium and I will maintain an electronic list should it be required. It is also incumbent upon me to ensure that this information reaches as many of those who are on the St Mary’s Congregational role as possible, so if you know of anyone who should be aware of this information and is not receiving newsletters, would you please let me know at your earliest convenience. 

Fr Terry’s calendar this week coming

I may have to travel south to England at very short notice this week due to a family matter, but I will be contactable via my mobile and email. Therefore, any live face-book prayer broadcasts planned might suffer as a result.

Lent

Lent begins on the 17^th of February, and all being well I intend to do some Lenten devotions throughout the 40 days. This will be carried out via Zoom and will last no longer than 45 minutes. I will also endeavour to email some Lent material to assist anyone who is interested and might find it helpful. 

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is the 28^th of March and should we still be in the present lockdown situation I will try to hand deliver the Palm Crosses as I did last year.

Services week commencing Sunday the 31st January 2021

Sunday the 31st of January at 10 am – Pre Recorded Holy Communion (+Anne Presiding)

Sunday the 31st of January at 12.30 pm – Sunday Zoom Brunch

Blessings Always

Rev’d Canon Terry Taggart
Rector