St Columba's Portree - Diocese of Argyll and The Isles · Jesus, the light of the world, coming at...

St Columba’s Newsletter December 2018

St Columba's Portree Newsletter

Scottish Episcopal Church Diocese of Argyll and The Isles

Somerled Square, Portree, Isle of Skye, IV51 9EH E-mail: [email protected]

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Priest in Charge, The Rev’d Rosemary Bungard, Tel: 01478 660248, 07719585732

Lay Leaders: Steve Fennell Tel: 01471 820168

Robert MacDonald Tel: 01478 613069

Stephen Plant Tel: 01470 582735

General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church: SC015962 Charity Number: SC020146

Welcome to our visitors and parishioners

St Columba’s, Portree

Eucharist each Sunday at 11am.

1st Sunday of the month – All Age Worship.

Morning Prayer every Sunday and Wednesday at 10am.

Candlelit Taizé Hour is held the 1st Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm.

The chants are simple and the silent

meditation periods between each song are short.

Contemplative Prayer is held 3rd Tuesday at 11am.

The Church is open daily 10am to 3pm.

St Michael and All Angels, Raasay

Eucharist 11am on 2nd Tuesday and one Sunday as arranged all

at Ceòl-na-Mara unless otherwise stated.

St Mary’s, Sleat

Liturgy of the Word and Communion or Eucharist

5.30pm on 2nd Sunday of each month in the Parish Rooms of the

Church of Scotland, Kilmore.

Intercessions, Prayers and Thanksgivings

Everyday St Columba’s is open for Prayer.

A book is on the table at the rear of the church for

any prayer requests.

mailto:[email protected]


Dear Friends in Christ,

Are you ready?

Traditionally we begin to prepare for Christmas on the 1st Sunday of Advent. In times gone past

this was a time of fasting and prayer to celebrate the birth of Christ. As a child, part of my

family’s preparation to open a window each day in an Advent Calendar to see an angel, a candle

or a person connected with the Christmas story. The idea of receiving a chocolate had not

arrived!

When a young parent myself, and indeed to this day, I love the ritual of lighting the advent candle

as each day in December is marked until the candle is finally exhausted at Christmas.

Today the shops and television adverts would like to persuade you that preparation for Christmas

begins with a bout of consumer spending on “Black Friday” followed by a countdown of the

number of shopping days to Christmas. Current preparations seem more about personal excess

and indulgence unless you are one of those who is participating in the reverse advent calendar

and giving an item a day to a food bank or a daily donation to charity.

In all this consumerism we miss the spiritual preparation – the time for taking stock and looking

after our inner well-being.

Perhaps now is the time to find again the inner peace which comes from recapturing the original

spirit of Advent – taking time to get nearer to God. It is God who is the foundation stone of all

generosity, God who gave his Son for our salvation. For some this may be a very difficult time of

year, a time of loneliness. If so, I pray that the Christ child will bring you close to God who is the

source of all love and comfort.

Let the light of the Advent candle at home or in church help light up your spiritual preparation for

Jesus, the light of the world, coming at Christmas and again at the end of time.

Opening letter from Rev’d Rosemary


May the star that guided the Magi draw you close to the Hope of the World, born in Bethlehem

and guide you throughout the dark days of January until the candles are blessed on the Feast of

the Presentation of Jesus in the temple (Candlemas) on February 2nd.

The journey we are all on is described well by Frederick Buechner in The Magnificent Defeat

“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.”

Wishing you a very blessed and peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year

Yours in Christ,

Rosemary

News Items

Youth Group

Are you High School age? Do you have a church connection?

Then this is for you! Youth Group now meets twice a month, when possible, in our Parish Rooms.

Unfortunately, there will be no meetings in January. For more details see Rev’d Rosemary

Newsletter Publication

December, followed by March, June and September.

Each week’s pew sheet will include those on duty the following week. month

or two in advance, to be able to offer your services for the near future. Please do volunteer your church needs you!

Food Bank & Used Spectacles

We are continuing our collections for the Skye Food Bank and for used spectacles which the Edinburgh Lions Club grade and send out to Africa for reuse. Boxes for these collections are in

church.

Portree Tea and Tots

The tiny tots Group has relaunched with a new name to reflect that it caters for more than just babies!

The group meets at St Columba's on a Friday from 1.30 - 3pm.

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/74285


Journey Through Advent

At St Columba’s Episcopal Church

Morning Prayer at 10am - Wednesday And Sunday

Sunday 2nd December 11am All Age Eucharist Lighting of the 1st advent candle

3pm Advent Prayer

Wed 5th December 7.30pm Taizé Hour with Morag

Saturday 8th December 2pm: Christingle Service

Sunday 9th December 11am Eucharist Lighting of the 2nd advent candle

Tuesday 11th December 11am

Contemplative prayer with Marcus

Sunday 16th December 11am Eucharist Lighting of the 3rd advent candle

3pm Advent Prayer

Sunday 23rd December 11am Eucharist Lighting of the 4th advent candle

2.30pm Candlelit Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols

Monday 24th December Christmas Vigil

Morning Prayer 10am

Vigil Eucharist 11am

Tuesday 25th December: Christmas Day 11am

All Age Worship with St Columba’s Juniors’ Play


What’s the end of this sentence? (Answers on page 14) Do you recognise the quote? It is the first line of a children’s classic by Louisa May Alcott, which has probably long-since gone out of favour. But for me, and probably for many of you, apart from the reality of that Blessed Babe in the manger, we might finish the sentence with ……. CAROLS. Yes, we sing them in church, we sing them at festive lunches, we sing them in shopping precincts that haven’t yet succumbed to ‘pc’ and, wrapped up in winter woollies, we go around and sing them in the care homes and the hospital - even in the Co-op car park - to bring the Christmas message to everyone. And so, I thought that it would be interesting to trace the Christmas carol back through the ages. The birth of Our Lord was celebrated with music - Luke 2:13 - 14. ‘And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Christians in the 1st century continued the tradition of the angels and there are historical records from as early as 129AD of songs written specifically for Christmas celebrations. These songs of ancient times were, of course, written in Latin. The language of the scholars of the day and as such, were extremely unpopular. It was not until the 9th and 10th centuries that we find the evolution of what would become the traditional Christmas carol - rhyming verses and a musical chant brought us a bit closer to today’s idea of a carol. St Francis of Assisi recognised the unpopularity of Christmas hymns and set out to change this by transforming the celebration of Christmas, presenting theatrics, music and, for the first time, carols sung in the audiences’ native tongues. Remember, in the 13th century, only the clergy and other professional men would be able to read, so the Christmas story was brought alive to the people in Nativity scenes, plays and pageants, performed by troupes of travelling players. Martin Luther encouraged the use of folk songs to convey the Christian Good News of Christmas but this practice was discarded by the Puritans and banned by parliament in 1647. It took another 200 years before the practice was reborn with the publication of a collection of ancient carols. There followed rapidly new carols being written - Charles Wesley’s ‘Hark the Herald Angels sing’ with music by Felix Mendelssohn and, of course, ‘Silent Night’ - we’ll come back to‘ Silent Night’ in a bit. So, we’ve had a progression, in song, from the 2nd Century to the present day of celebrating of

Our Lord’s birth in song, the trials and tribulations along the way echoing the very telling journey

Christ’s birthday celebration has had to endure just to be recognised. It’s a sad fact that today

we are probably at more risk of not being able to celebrate it than at any other time for many

hundreds of years. We have ‘winter festivals’, we have winter breaks in some schools.

Christmas might offend someone! Perhaps the most profoundly offensive piece of media

comment that I’ve heard to date was a Channel 4 announcer talking about the forthcoming

Chrimbo programmes!

‘Christmas won’t be Christmas without …’

So to the carols ……….

So, on to that probably most widely performed carol of all, ‘Silent Night’. Picture the scene - a ‘Christmas card’ type 19th century Austrian village, a tiny church with a congregation who didn’t have a lot of spare money for the fabric fund (does this begin to sound a tiny bit familiar?), add to this an organist complaining that the mice were getting at the organ works and ‘something needed to be done! (Well organists are always complaining about something, aren’t they?). In the run-up to Christmas the parish priest wrote a new carol and the organist (clever chaps these organists) wrote the music ready for a performance on Christmas Eve. But, of course, on Christmas Eve the mice had chewed all the way through the leathers of the organ and it wouldn’t play a note so, with the priest on his guitar and a chorus of village girls, the world heard, for the first time ‘Stille Nacht’. It has been performed in cathedrals, on pop records, in film (some of us are old enough to remember Bing Crosby) and is probably the most performed and best-loved carol ever. Every carol has had its own story to tell and its own struggle to get accepted. ‘Joy to the World’, written by Isaac Watts, is a paraphrase of Psalm 98. But a group of religious sceptics, who liked the song but did not want to sing about the Coming of the Lord, changed the words from: -

‘Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare Him room, And heaven and nature sing.’

to Joy to the world, the light is come

(a reference to enlightenment and reason) The only lawful King.

Let every heart prepare Him room, And moral nature sing - (whatever that means!)

Several years back the song was used by a marching choir in a televised parade. But the choir only sang the first four words, ‘Joy to the world’ and hummed the rest. It’s really strange that people who don’t believe don’t mind singing about a baby born in a manger but it’s a bit more awkward for them to sing about Him as the Lord of heaven and earth. And Isaac Watts makes it very clear - Jesus did NOT just come to be an inspiring infant or gentle teacher. He came as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords fully deserving of our praise. When Jesus came to this earth He did not remain in a manger. He did not even remain on the cross where He might have been honoured as a martyr. He rose from the dead that He might reign over all creation. Whether people enjoy singing the word or not Isaac Watts was right ‘Joy to the world, the Lord is come.’ And talking of carols, another of our all-time favourites, which makes me so sad every time I see reports from the Middle East of the ongoing carnage in the region is…………. ‘O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie,’ Written in the 19th century by an Episcopal Minister, the rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity,

Philadelphia, having visited the Holy Land in 1865. Three years later he wrote the poem for his

church and his organist (they couldn’t keep out of things even then!) Added the music.

‘The hopes and fears of all the years …’ How true! Even 2000 years have not lessened this truth. And if you visit that little town, you project yourself back into that blessed scene, still as torn by conflict as it was all those centuries ago.

Today Bethlehem has almost 20, 000 Palestinian refugees who lost in 1948, when the State of Israel was established, their land, homes and belongings and came to Bethlehem seeking refuge. They are still living in three refugee camps waiting for a just solution.

Fay



All Age Service

On November 4th, the All Age Eucharist was a great success. As ever, the congregation sat on three sides. The theme was love and remembrance. The Youth Group had previously made paper poppies and had cut up hearts of different shapes out of red card which were placed as a centrepiece near the altar. Rosemary gave an address about love, focusing on the first 2 commandments: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul’ and ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’. Helen and Robert read out a reflection on love and then we were asked to write or draw on the hearts ways we can show God’s love in our lives. At the end of the service, Rosemary collected all the hearts into an upside-down umbrella and showered us with the hearts to show what a mixed-up world we live in and the different ways of loving coming together. This was a joyful end to an uplifting service, bringing the message of love and remembrance together in a graphic way, a week before the 100th Remembrance Sunday since the end of the First World War.

Helen


Our Christingle on 8th December at 2pm will include

a collection for the Aberlour Trust

To all congregations in the Scottish Episcopal Church It’s my great pleasure to write to you about an important and long-standing partnership with a Scottish children’s charity; one which is especially close to my heart. I write this not just on my own behalf but on behalf of the College of Bishops.

As you may know, Aberlour Childcare Trust, as it’s known today, was established in 1875 by Canon Jupp, one of my predecessors as Rector of St Margaret’s, Aberlour. It was originally The Aberlour Orphanage but moved away from that work to become one of the foremost providers of children’s support and development in Scotland. I have seen first hand the work of Aberlour and have met with many of the young people they work with and care for. I’m proud to say that we, as a church, have an association with Aberlour.

One way to help with this work is to find ways of raising the profile of Aberlour and to also find ways of supporting them. During Advent and Christmas many of our congregations will be organising Services of Light or Christingle services. Christingle was brought to the UK from Germany fifty years ago by The Children’s Society, which supports children in England. Since then, members of the Church of England have raised millions of pounds for children through Christingle events. I know from experience that many children and families look forward eagerly to Christingle as one of their main Advent services.

Sadly though, many children and families in our communities around Scotland are facing a very difficult festive season. Aberlour has developed over 40 specialised services around the country to support them. Aberlour continues to provide loving homes for children through residential and fostering services; they give babies a brighter future by building confidence in their parents; they offer support to make life easier for families where a child has a disability and they help parents to recover from drug and alcohol misuse, poor mental health and domestic abuse, so their children can thrive. I believe it would be wonderful for our congregations to support such important work and that’s why I’m suggesting we do so through our services this Christmas.

In recognition of the work that Aberlour does in our communities and in honour of 50 years since

Christingle came to these shores, perhaps your congregation might consider supporting this

wonderful Scottish charity, especially by fundraising through Christmas services.

The staff at Aberlour have said that they would be delighted to visit your congregations if you would

like to hear more about the work they do. Just give them a call on 01786 450 335 or email

[email protected]

Wishing you a blessed and peaceful Christmas.

A Letter from the Primus regarding Christingle



Report of the Annual General Meeting

20 attended the AGM on Sunday 18th November and 5 apologies for absence were received.

Following the opening prayer and reading from Hebrews all were welcomed.

The Minutes of the last AGM were approved.

All approved the Priest’s report, which showed how busy Rev’d Rosemary has been and Stephen

Plant proposed a Vote of Thanks to her for her dedication.

The Vestry report which is in legal format was approved but the accounts are “draft” only, until

scrutinised by the Examiner of Accounts. These were approved by the congregation and Beth

proposed a Vote of Thanks to John our treasurer who has worked so very hard. He thanked

Eileen for administrating Gift Aid money.

The safeguarding report was approved and no problems had arisen.

The Sunday School report was approved and Judi and Jackie thanked for their work with the

children.

Angi, Jackie and Kathleen were thanked for their Portree Tea and Tots work and their report

approved.

Under the new 2018 Constitution, the Lay Representative (Stephen) and Alternate Lay

Representative (Chrisanne) had to be re-elected and all agreed. Co-opted members, Val

representing Raasay and Steve Fennell (Sleat) had been approved by their congregations so

continue. Following the sad loss of Margaret in August and one place not filled last year two

new vestry members were required. Jackie Torrance and Muriel Watson were elected following

a confidential ballot. Rosemary thanked all who stood for election and said there is a role for all of

us, all are welcomed and loved.

The Examiner of Accounts, (a legal position) Anne MacDonald, a chartered accountant and

Server at St. Peter’s Stornoway has waived her fees and Rosemary proposed a book token to

reflect our gratitude be given. This was agreed by all.

The meeting closed at 1.17pm with us joining in saying The Grace.

Beth Edwards,

Secretary to the Vestry

St Columba’s AGM 2018


Chair Rev’d Rosemary Bungard

Lay Representative Stephen Plant

Alternate Lay Representative Chrissanne MacInnes

Secretary Beth Edwards

Treasurer John Henderson

Elected Members Robert MacDonald

Jackie Torrance

Muriel Watson

Tony Wilkinson

Co-opted Members Val Corey

Steve Fennell

St Columba’s Vestry 2018/19

Remembrance Sunday Images

Grateful thanks to Tony

for making a beautiful

new flag stand and to

Eileen for the flags.

Come and Join Us – every Wednesday 11am to 2pm

St Columba’s Bread Basket

Open every Wednesday

2 course lunch and drinks available

11am to 2pm

All are Welcome

Each month, generally on the 3rd Wednesday, all donations are given to charity

We are now open every week for those who want

Company, Warmth and Friendship.

Rosemary is generally available for anyone requiring a private chat.

If you would like to help out or contribute, we are always delighted to have offers of help

especially for holiday cover.

Car Drivers

Occasionally some members of our congregation need transport to enable them to come and

worship with us. It would be very helpful to have a few volunteers who could be called upon to

offer this service. Please talk to Beth or Rosemary if you would like to be involved.

Volunteers needed

Help needed! We are short of volunteers for the following Church Duties

Leading intercessions during the Sunday service - Training can be offered

Providing and arranging Flowers in Church

We would welcome offers from people willing to make a cake for Bread Basket on a rota basis.

Gift Aid Envelopes

Our Gift Aid Coordinator requests that people donating in this scheme check that they have paid sufficient tax in the last tax year to cover their donations.

Thank you

General Notices


St Columba’s Church Calendar

Date Event Time

December 2018

Sun 2nd Morning Prayer All Age Eucharist Advent Prayer

10am 11am 3pm

Mon 3rd Lighting up the Highlands 6pm

Tues 4th St Michael & All Angels’ Eucharist 11am

Wed 5th Morning Prayer Taizé Hour

10am 7.30pm

Sat 8th Christingle 2pm

Sun 9th Morning Prayer Eucharist Budhmor Service St Mary’s Eucharist & Carols

10am 11am 3.00pm 5.30pm

Wed 12th Morning Prayer 10am

Sun 16th Morning Prayer Eucharist Advent Prayer

10am 11am 3pm

Tues 18th Contemplative Prayer 11am


Thurs 20th Raasay Carols & Readings for Christmas 2pm

Sun 23rd Morning Prayer Eucharist Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols

10am 11am 2.30pm

Mon 24th Morning Prayer Christmas Vigil Eucharist St Michael & All Angels Christmas Eucharist Watchnight Service at Portree Church of Scotland

10am 11am 8pm

Tues 25th Christmas Family Worship Raasay Christmas Family Worship

11am 11am

Sun 30th Morning Prayer Eucharist

10am 11am

January 2019

Tues 1st Communion 11am

Wed 2nd Taizé Hour 7.30pm

Sun 6th Morning Prayer Epiphany All Age Eucharist

10am 11am


Sun 13th Morning Prayer Communion

10am 11am

Tues 15th St Michael & All Angels’ Communion Contemplative Prayer

11am 11am



10am 11am

Wed 23rd Morning Prayer 10am


10am 11am



February

Sat 2nd Candlemas Blessing of Candles & Eucharist 7pm

Sun 3rd Morning Prayer All Age Eucharist

10am 11am

Wed 6th Morning Prayer Taizé Hour

10am 7.30pm

Sun 10th Morning Prayer Eucharist Budhmor Service St Mary’s Eucharist

10am 11am 3pm 5.30pm



Sun 17th Morning Prayer Eucharist – Bishop Kevin

10am 11am

Tues 19th Contemplative Prayer 11am


Sun 24th Morning Prayer Eucharist

10am 11am


March

Sat 2nd Candlemas Blessing of Candles & Eucharist 7pm

Sun 3rd Morning Prayer All Age Eucharist

10am 11am

Wed 6th

Morning Prayer Taizé Hour

10am 7.30pm

Sun 10th Morning Prayer All Age Eucharist

10am 11am



Other Events at St Columba’s

Wednesdays except Dec 26th & Jan 2nd

Bread Basket Community Lunch 11 – 2pm

Tuesdays in December

Skye Cancer Care 1 – 3.30

Thursdays from January

Skye Cancer Care 11 - 1pm

Fridays Portree Tea & Tots 1.30 – 3pm

Saturdays as arranged

Youth Group 7 – 8.45pm

Mon 10th Dec Vestry 10am

Fri 18th Jan Skye Chamber Music 7.30

Fri 15th – Sun 17th Feb

Visit of Bishop Kevin and Elspeth

Wed 27th Feb Skye Chamber Music 7.30

St Columba’s Church Calendar


Readings

Date

Reading

Date

Reading

1st Sunday of Advent

2nd December

Jeremiah 33.14-16 Psalm 25.1-9

1 Thessalonians 3.9-13 Luke 21.25-36

1st Sunday after

Epiphany: the Baptism of the Lord

13th January

Isaiah 43.1-7 Psalm 29

Acts 8.14-17 Luke 3.15-17,21-22

2nd Sunday of Advent

9th December

Malachi 3.1-4 Canticle Luke 1.68-79

Philippians 1.3-11 Luke 3.1-6

2nd Sunday after

Epiphany 20th January

Isaiah 62.1-5 Psalm 36.5-10

1 Corinthians 12.1-11 John 2.1-11

3rd Sunday of Advent

16th December

Zephaniah 3.14-20 Canticle Isaiah 12.2-6

Philippians 4.4-7 Luke 3.7-18

The Presentation of the Lord: Candlemas 2nd February

Malachi 3.1-4 Psalm 24.7-10

Hebrews 2.14-18 Luke 2.22-40

4th Sunday of Advent

23rd December

Micah 5.2-5a Canticle Luke 1.46b-55

Hebrews 10.5-10 Luke 1.39-55

3rd Sunday after

Epiphany 27th January

Nehemiah 8.1-3,5-6,8-10 Psalm 19

1 Corinthians 12.12-31a Luke 4.14-21

Christmas Vigil 24th December


Hebrews 1.1-4 John 1.1-14

4th Sunday after

Epiphany 3rd February

Jeremiah 1.4-10 Psalm 71.1-6

1 Corinthians 13.1-13 Luke 4.21-30

Christmas Day 25th December

Isaiah 62.6-12 Titus 3.4-7

Luke 2.8-20

5th Sunday after

Epiphany 10th February



1st Sunday after

Christmas 30th December

1 Samuel 2.18-20,26 Psalm 148

Colossians 3.12-17 Luke 2.41-52

6th Sunday after


Jeremiah 17.5-10 Psalm 1


The Naming of Jesus

1st January

Numbers 6.22-27 Psalm 8

Galatians 4.4-7 Luke 2.15-21

7th Sunday after


Genesis 45.3-11,15 Psalm 37.1-12,41-42

1 Corinthians 15.35-38,42-50

Luke 6.27-38

The Epiphany 6th January

Isaiah 60.1-6 Psalm 72.1-7,10-14 Ephesians 3.1-12 Matthew 2.1-12

Sunday before Lent 3rd March

Exodus 34.29-35 Psalm 99

2 Corinthians 3.12 – 4.2 Luke 9. 28-43


From page 5 ‘Christmas won’t be Christmas without …’

Answer ‘Little Women’


Contact Us

Scottish Episcopal Church Diocese of Argyll and the Isles

Somerled Square, Portree, Isle of Skye, IV51 9EH

E-mail contacts

General [email protected]

Web Address: www.argyllandtheisles.org.uk

Sat Nav coordinates:- Latitude N 57° 24’ 50” Longitude W 6° 11’ 44”

General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church: SC015962 Charity Number: SC020146

Dolly Parrot Productions

Kildonan, Isle of Skye. December 2018


http://www.argyllandtheisles.org.uk/

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