‘The Lord Keeps His Promise Forever’
St Mary’s and St Andrew’s Worshipping Together
A very warm welcome to all
Third Sunday before Advent
Readings: 1 Kings 17: 8-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9: 24-28
Gospel: Mark 12: 38-44
In today’s Gospel
So, what is the main point Mark is trying to make here? Have you ever given your opinion about something, and then said, “That’s just my two penneth worth”? It’s a way of letting the person you’re talking to know that this is just your own opinion, and the listener is free to disagree. When we add our “two penneth worth” to a discussion, we let people know that, “yeah, this is what I think, but I could be wrong. I’m no expert. Take it for what it’s worth – not much, maybe. Why are these two short paragraphs in our Gospel reading hooked together – one about watching out for the scribes, and one about a poor widow putting her entire meagre living into the treasury? Could there be more than one valid way to interpret this passage? And if so, which interpretation applies to you today? If you had to offer your two penneth worth, what would you say?
All Saints Service thank you.
I would like to thank Bishop Anne for Presiding and Preaching at our All Saints Service last Sunday whilst I was absent. I would also like to thank all of those volunteers who assisted +Anne during the worship and afterwards at the fellowship
All Souls Service thank you
Our All Souls Service on Tuesday the 2nd of November was a beautiful occasion as we remembered the souls of the faithful departed. I would like to thank Matthew our Organist for his wonderful choices of music, Mrs Anne Farquhar and Iain Stewart for setting up and assisting during the service, and to Malcolm Hay for operating our PA system. It was a solemn event filled with great emotion and prayer. Thank you to all who attended and to those who contributed names to be read out during the service.
Remembrance Sunday
Next Sunday is Remembrance Sunday. Therefore, in order to ensure we observe the two-minute silence at 11am, our worship will commence at the later time of 10.45 am and NOT at 10 am. Please ensure you make a note of this later time which applies to Sunday the 14th of November only. For those of you who have been awarded campaign medals, please wear them on your left hand side. For those of you who possess medals belonging to a family member, I would encourage you to consider wearing them, but on your right hand side.
Ecumenical Event
St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Pro Cathedral at Carden Place Aberdeen is hosting an event with a talk about the similarities between Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism. It will be followed by a soup and sandwich lunch. The talk will be given by Mr Matthew Geldart, a member of St Margaret’s Episcopal Church congregation in the Gallowgate. This talk has been developed after it was given at a Connect Group at St Mary’s RC Cathedral and it was found to be so interesting we felt it should be shared and used as a good ecumenical activity! The event will be held in the main Church building on Saturday the 20th of November at 12 noon, which will be followed by soup and sandwiches. Afterwards, you are also encouraged to attend an organ recital in St Mary’s RC Cathedral at 2:30pm of music from the Bach family without Johann Sebastian!
Christmas Raffle Tickets
Our annual raffle tickets have arrived and at the time of writing this they consist of books of five tickets, priced at £1 preticket. We hope to distribute ticket booklets to the many families/individuals who still do not feel ready to return to church, and we hope that those of you who do now attend regularly, consider purchasing what you are able to afford. Details of prizes etc, will be published soon. Watch this space.
St Mary’s Calendar for 2022
Mrs Gillian Rose has organised the compilation of a St Mary’s Calendar for 2022 using some of the photographs that were submitted for our recent photograph competition. I have seen a draft sample and it is beautiful. As soon as these are available they will be offered for sale for either personal use or as an ideal Christmas/New Year present to a friend or a loved one
Selection Boxes
I would like to begin a collection of confectionary selection boxes in the lead up to Christmas. Therefore, when you are next out shopping, please consider buying a selection box to donate towards this appeal. We shall continue to accept donations up until Sunday the 19th of December, after which we shall ensure that they are distributed to an appropriate charity organisation who can help brighten up a child’s Christmas, who may have otherwise missed out on such a small treat.
SECMA
The Scottish Episcopal Church Mission Association (SECMA) Magazines are here. This Church has always given generously towards this wonderful and hard-working arm of the SEC and between now and the end of October, I would ask you to consider, if you are able, to make your SECMA donation separate as part of the retiring collection (in a separate plate or appropriately marked envelope). This can be cash/cheque.
Forthcoming Events
You will find a calendar of events on our website at www.stmaryscardenplace.org.uk covering the next several months. We will also place a few of these event calendars around the church for your perusal and diaries.
Christmas Cards
As I have been mentioning recently, there’s no time like the present to prepare for Christmas. With that in mind, the St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral Christmas cards are now available. You will find them at the rear of the Church as you leave and also in the Choir Vestry if you are joining us for a cuppa after the service. All we ask is the same as last year; £1 per card, or £5 for a pack of six. They are lovely cards, professionally designed by Mr Stuart Smith at Alt 10 Interactive, the local company who built our website.
Confirmation
I would like to put out a call to all of those who have yet to be confirmed in the Scottish Episcopal Church and are considering taking on this further commitment in faith. I urge you to get in touch so we can talk about it and delve deeper with a view to experiencing this momentous step in your Christian lives. Feel free to either email, text or call me; or even give me the nod when we conclude our worship and I will ensure space in my diary.
Service of Memorial and Thanksgiving
I am looking at providing a service of memorial and thanksgiving for those who suffered loss during the height of the Corona Virus pandemic, and also to give thanks to the wonderful and dedicated members of our NHS who worked, and continue to do so, in the battle to keep on top of this devastating virus. I am hoping that it can be an ecumenical event with contributions from different faiths and denominations. Please watch this space.
Services/Events at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral w/c Sunday the 7th of November 2021
Sunday 7th November at 8 am, Holy communion (Cn Terry – 1970)
Sunday 7th November at 10 am Sung Eucharist Harvest Festival (Cn Terry – 1982) Followed by Tea and Coffee
Sunday 7th November at 1 pm – Zoom Brunch
Monday 8th November – Cn Terry – Day Off
Tuesday 9th November at 8am – Morning Prayer
Wednesday 10th November at 10 am Holy Communion (Cn Terry-1970)
Followed by Tea and Coffee
Sunday 14th November at 8 am – Holy communion (1970 – Cn Terry)
Sunday 14th November at 10.45 am – Remembrance Sunday Sung Eucharist (1982 – Cn Terry) followed by Teas and Coffee.
“You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace.”
(Frank McCourt – Angela’s Ashes)
Blessings Always
Rev Canon Terry Taggart
01224588776/07768219984