Fourth Sunday after Trinity
St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together
A very warm welcome to all
Readings: Wisdom 1: 13-15, 2: 23-24; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8: 7-15
Gospel: Mark 5: 21-43
In today’s Gospel
Do you ever feel like the bucket of your life has a hole in it? That it leaks faster than you can fill it? No matter what you do, how hard you work, where you go, what you try, you just can’t fill it up. Work, play, friends, and family all leave you feeling empty, restless and searching. You can’t seem to get enough. The outflow is greater than the inflow. Think of times when this related or maybe still does, to your finances, more going out than coming in. You are left drained of life: tired and weak, frustrated and hopeless, angry and resentful, sorrowful and grieving, fearful that you will never have the life you want. If you know what that is like, perhaps you know the haemorrhaging woman in today’s gospel.
Photograph Competition
The winners of our photograph competition have been revealed as follows:
- (4) ‘Sun on the water’: Aberdeen Harbour with bright sunshine glistening on the River Dee and the ship Jura just emerging from the Victoria Dock. Submitted by David Rose
- (22) A lunchtime walk along the Lochside estate duck pond. Submitted by Kevin McKinnon
- (67) ‘Mither Tap’ submitted by Dr Martin Mills
The winner of the Under 18 section was:
- (62) “Sunset in Cults”. Submitted by Miss Elizabeth Mills.
Well done to our winners and to everyone who submitted a photograph, also my thanks go to Bishop Anne who judged for us. Can I remind those who participated to ensure you have paid the £2 per photograph via the website donations option on the Home page as outlined. I will make arrangements for the prizes to be awarded in due course.
Another Challenge
I would like to think that we can continue to keep some sort of competition running on the website, and with this in mind, I am suggesting a short poem. The rules will be similar to the photograph competition with each entry being set at £2 per poem no more than two verses long and all your own work. I will work out the finer details in time for next week’s newsletter, get your creative thinking caps on and watch this space.
General Synod
The Scottish Episcopal Church General Synod took place between Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th of June inclusive.
- From a Clergy perspective, the Faith and Order Board/Liturgy Committee, outlined the use of alternative Eucharistic Prayers to reflect the changes in the English usage that have come about since 1982, and to improve on, and make changes to gendered language permitted since 2010. The proposal that these alternative prayers be added to Canon 22, be read for the first time was carried.
- A further motion to include Jane Haining in the Scottish Episcopal Calendar was also carried. Jane Haining was a Church of Scotland Missionary in Budapest, Hungary. She refused to return to Scotland at the outbreak of World War II, choosing to remain with the children in her charge. She was transported to Auschwitz where she later died. She is the only Scot known to have died in this concentration camp. The celebration of Ms Haining’s life will now take place annually on July the 17th.
- There was breakout room discussion regarding approval of the St Andrew Declaration ‘Our Common Calling’, which isa call to recognise that The Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Scotland share very similar ideology, and that the unity, as yet imperfect, is a foundation for recognition that a fuller cohesion of our two Churches may be realised. For more details concerning the ‘St Andrew’s Declaration’, please see me and I will endeavour to furnish you with more information. The Declaration was approved by a majority vote after lengthy discussion
- There also followed some discussion regarding Clergy Stipend, Clergy time off, and disciplinary procedures to which several amendments were added.
Our Lay Representative, Dr Nicola Mills, will provide the Lay update in our forthcoming quarterly magazine which is due to be published mid to late July.
Quartet for Service of 27th June
There will be a ‘Quartet’ singing for us at our 10 am service today. This has been organised by Matthew our Organist.
Extra Services
You will note some extra services this coming week, on Tuesday morning and Saturday morning. If you are free, why not pop along
Quarterly Magazine
Nicola Mills is beginning to put together the next issue of our Quarterly Magazine, which is due for release in mid-July. Should anyone who wishes to contribute to this, would you please approach Nicola who will be only too happy to accept copy up until and no later than the 12th of July.
The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Day – 15th August
Sunday the 15th of August is The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Day; and therefore our Patronal Festival. In our continuing stewardship campaign, we propose to hold a ‘Gift Day’. Some of you may recall that this was initially introduced as a method to assist in our fundraising campaigns. Recently, we have asked our congregation to review their weekly/monthly/annual giving and to consider whether it could be increased. I would still urge you to do this if you haven’t already done so, but only if you can afford it. To those who have recently increased their giving, I am deeply grateful for your continued support and generosity. However, the proposed ‘Gift Day’ on August the 15th is another opportunity to make a gift donation to St Mary’s, which will be put towards our continuing Repair and Refurbishment programme. There will be more information forthcoming via newsletters and other material which I will soon distribute. The St Mary’s website will also provide some information soon.
Services/Events at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral w/c Sunday the 27th of June 2021
- Sunday 27th June at 8 am – Said Holy Communion (Cn Terry-1970)
- Sunday 27th June at 10 am – Holy Communion (Cn Terry – 1982)
- Monday 28th June – Cn Terry – Day off
- Tuesday 29th June at 10 am – Holy Communion (Peter & Paul Apostles – Cn Terry – 1982)
- Wednesday 30th June 10 am – Holy Communion (1970) (Cn Terry)
- Saturday 3rd July at 10 am – Holy Communion (Thomas the Apostle – Cn Terry – 1982)
- Sunday 4th July at 8 am – Holy Communion (1970) (Cn Terry)
- Sunday 27th July at 10 am – Holy Communion (1982) (Cn Terry)
“The Best ideal is the true and other truth is none. All glory be ascribed to the holy Three in One.”
(Gerard Manley Hopkins)
Blessings Always
Rev Canon Terry Taggart
01224588776/07768219984