ADVENT SUNDAY
St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together
A very warm welcome to all our visitors today
Readings:
Isaiah 64: 1-9; Psalm 80: 1-8 & 18-20; 1 Corinthians: 1: 3-9; Gospel: Mark 13: 24-37
Advent Sunday and the beginning of a new liturgical year
Today is Advent Sunday and our new liturgical year begins. As for our two worshipping congregations of St Andrew’s and St Mary’s, this is a unique time for us all. Did we anticipate that we would be in the position we are today? I certainly didn’t, and I am sure most of you thought the same. However, here we are, and we have been working hard together to make this work. Sure, there have been hurdles and disagreements, but there has also been much positivity and fellowship. The number of volunteers from our brothers and sisters at St Andrew’s, to assist in the many other ministries here at St Mary’s increases weekly, and for that I am deeply humbled and overjoyed. The Episcopal Church is all inclusive in whatever it does, and our combined congregations are quickly beginning to be a prime example of those qualities.
St Andrew’s AGM
I have been asked to announce that St Andrew’s AGM will be at 1pm on Sunday 13 December by Zoom. Further details and papers can be obtained from Ferdinand von Prondzynski. I will make this announcement again twice over the next coming Sundays.
Evening Prayer 6:30pm Sunday 29th November
There will be an evening prayer service at 6.30 pm tonight, everyone is welcome as long as we don’t break the maximum number barrier, which we have yet to do since we re-opened. I am hoping to circulate some other evening services during Advent which will be advertised in the newsletters. My provisional dates, however, for Advent are thus: Sunday the 29th November at 6.30 pm, Evening Prayer with a Cantor. Sunday the 13th of December at 6.30 pm, Evening Prayer with a Cantor and musicians, with a Christmas Carol theme. Sunday the 20th of December at 6.30 pm, Evening Prayer with a Cantor and some accompanying musicians (hopefully). Thursday the 24th of December at 11.30 – Midnight Mass Eucharist. I have yet to decide whether having a Christmas Day service is logistically possible with respect to cleaning the Church, but I will let everyone know in good time.
St Andrew’s Day – Holy Communion Service
Monday the 30th of November is St Andrew’s Day therefore I will provide a Holy Communion Service here at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral using the 1970 liturgy. This service will commence at 10am. There will be no need to book.
St Andrew’s congregation
All of the St Andrew’s folk, whose email addresses have been provided to me, will have received a communication recently asking for your home addresses. My Vestry would like to ensure that each and every one of you receives a Christmas card from your family here at St Mary’s. Please give this your consideration and be assured that your details will be stored in compliance with the current Data Protection regulations. I look forward to hearing your responses soon.
Christmas cards from St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral
On the subject of Christmas cards, St Mary’s will soon be producing Christmas Cards which will be available to purchase for a reasonable donation. They will be very good quality, and all profits from the sale of these cards will go towards the upkeep of the building. They will come in packs of ten and as soon as they are available I will let you know.
Decoration of the St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Christmas Tree
Continuing with the Christmas theme, we will be putting up our Christmas tree soon which will need decorating. I am therefore looking for volunteers to help with this when the time comes. It’s a big tree so the job can’t be done by one person.
Pre-recorded Service
The pre-recorded service for today for those of you who are unable to be with us, will be available to view on the diocesan website at 10 am at https://aoepiscopal.scot/ which can also be access via St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral website at www.stmaryscardenplace.org.uk
The Provincial Advisory Group guidance for Christmas
The Provincial Advisory Group has produced further guidelines regarding the possibility of ‘household bubbles’ being formed over the Christmas period. Where a bubble has been formed by up to 3 households, the members of those 3 households may attend a service of worship together. There is no change to the cap on the maximum numbers permitted to attend services (20 in Level 4 areas, 50 elsewhere). The general rules on bubbles are that they are limited to 3 households and subject to a maximum of 8 people (children under 12 are not counted within that maximum). However, children, regardless of age, are counted in the caps of 20 and 50 for public worship. Where churches are operating an advance booking system for services, a bubble, where practicable, may sit together. However, care should be taken, even within such a bubble, to reduce the likelihood of virus transmission between households.
Services at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral week commencing Sunday 29th November 2020
- Sunday 29th November at 10 am – Holy Communion (Cn Terry)
- Sunday 29th November at 6.30 pm – Evening Prayer (Cn Terry)
- Monday 30th November at 10 am – Holy Communion (1970) St Andrew’s Day (Cn Terry)
- Wednesday 2nd December at 10 am – Holy Communion (1982) (Cn Terry)
- Friday 4th December at 9.30 am – Morning Prayers (Cn Terry)
- Friday 4th December at 10 am – Pre-Recording Sunday Service (Cn Terry)
- Saturday 5th December All Day – General Synod Zoom Meeting
- Sunday 6th December at 10 am – Holy Communion (Cn Terry)
“For outlandish creatures like us, on our way to a heart, a brain, and courage, Bethlehem is not the end of our journey but only the beginning – not home but the place through which we must pass if ever we are to reach home at last.”
(Frederick Buechner, ‘The Magnificent Defeat’)
Blessings Always
Fr Terry Taggart
Rector