CANONGATE KIRK
THE KIRK OF HOLYROODHOUSE
December 2006 & January 2007
Minister Revd Neil Gardner Tel: 556 3515
Session Clerk Mr David Croft Tel: 620 0063
Treasurer Mrs Jenifer Davidson Tel: 667 4221
Organist Mr Richard Neville-Towle Tel: 467 0066
Care Co-ordinator Mrs Fiona Grant Tel: 478 0100
Flower Convenor Mrs Anne Baker Tel: 660 1852
Caretaker Mr Jimmy Robertson Tel: 556 9668
Events Administrator Mrs Marion Brown Tel: 666 2000
Manse Office Tel: 556 3515
Web Site www.canongatekirk.com
CHURCH SERVICES The usual times for Services are:
10.00 am Family Service
11.15 am Parish Worship
Normally, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism is conducted on the first Sunday of the month, the Sacrament of Holy Communion on the last Sunday of the month.
CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR SERVICES will be conducted as follows:
Sunday 17 December 10.00 a.m. Family Service
11.15 a.m. Service of Lessons & Carols
Sunday Christmas Eve 10.00 am Family Service
11.15 am Parish Worship
11.30 pm Watchnight Service
Monday Christmas Day 11.00 a.m. Parish Worship & Holy Communion
Sunday 31 December 10.00 a.m. Family Service
11.15a.m. Parish Worship
MINISTER'S LETTER
I can’t stand Xmas. Don’t get me wrong, I love the candles and the carols in church, and the tree and the presents at home, and everything else for that matter that we associate with this time of year. It’s the actual word Xmas I don’t care for, because it simply takes the Christ out of Christmas. And somehow that misses the point! There are various ways to keep Christ in Christmas at Canongate this month. The season kicks off with the Christmas Fayre in Harry Younger Hall on Saturday 9th December from 10am – 12 noon. Parking may be tricky on a Saturday morning, but a number 35 bus will bring you almost to the door! There are several festive concerts too, not least one of Christmas Cantatas with Ludus Baroque chamber orchestra and choir at 6-30pm on Sunday 17th and a welcome return from the band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland for another free lunchtime concert at 1pm on Wednesday 20th.
And of course there are our special Christmas services, beginning with Lessons and Carols on 17th December. After the morning service on Christmas Eve there will be mince pies and wine for all, and of course the traditional Watchnight Service begins later that night at 11-30pm. Holy Communion is celebrated on Christmas Day at 11am. Do come to as many of these special services and events as you can – you and your family will be most welcome. I hope and pray that Christ will be at the heart of all our Christmas celebrations in church and at home, and I wish you all, when the time comes, a happy and peaceful Christmas.
PARISH REGISTER
Charles Thomas and Clementine May infant twins of Mr & Mrs Donald Davidson were baptised on 5 November.
We welcome to our fellowship Ms J Shields who is joining us from Newton Parish Church.
We are sorry to record the death of Mrs Lena McLelland.
CHOIR
We are looking for members of the congregation to make up the choir for the Carol Service on 17 December. Anyone interested should join the group meeting immediately after the Family Service on the next two Sundays.
SNIPPETS:
Our Session Clerk, David Croft, received his OBE from HM The Queen at an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace in November. As a church family we extend to David our warmest congratulations on his award. Since their London trip, David and Anne have also been to New York and personally passed on our greetings and good wishes to the congregation of Brick Church, with which we have a transatlantic connection.
The Kirk Session has decided that this year our special Christmas offerings should be divided between Cunningham House, a local Church of Scotland hostel for homeless people, and SACRO, an organisation dealing with the rehabilitation of formerprisoners.
Members of the Historical Fencing Society, which meets twice a week in the Harry Younger Hall, recently held a 24 hour “swordathon” in aid of Children in Need and raised over £1800.
SUNDAYS IN DECEMBER
Sunday 3rd Advent 1
Jeremiah 33:14-16
1 Thessalonians 3:9-end
St Luke 21:25-36
Sunday 10th Advent 2
Malachi 3:1-4
Philippians 1:3-11
St Luke 3:1-6
Sunday 17th Advent 3
Zephaniah 3:14-end
Philippians 4:4-7
St Luke 3:7-18
Sunday 24th Christmas Eve
11-15am Lessons and Carols
(followed by mince pies and wine)
11-30pm Watchnight Service
Monday 25th Christmas Day
11am Holy Communion
Sunday 31st Christmas 1
1 Samuel 2:18-20,26
Colossians 3:12-17
St Luke 2:41-end
SUNDAYS IN JANUARY
Sunday 7th Epiphany 1
Isaiah 43:1-7
Acts 8:14-17
St Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Sunday 14th Epiphany 2
Isaiah 62:1-5
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
St John 2:1-11
Sunday 21st Epiphany 3
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6,8-10
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
St Luke 4:14-21
Sunday 28th Homelessness Sunday
Guest speaker: Mr David Todd
Greyfriars Community Project Manager
CHRISTMAS FAYRE
The Christmas Fayre and coffee morning will take place in the Harry Younger Hall on Saturday 9 December from 10 am to noon. Donations of baking, bric à brac and gifts would be gratefully received. Tickets @ £1 from members of the Girls’ Club.
CONCERTS
Friday 1 December 7.30 pm Capella Nova – 'A Star in the East' including Britten and Holst.
Sunday 3 December 6 pm St Andrew Amateur Orchestra with music by Beethoven, Dvorak and Admission free.
Saturday 9 December 7.30 pm Edinburgh Symphony Baroque with Bach B Minor Mass.
Friday 15 December 7.30 pm Andrew Lees (viola) and Colin Dundas (piano). Music by Albeniz, Liszt, Handel, Franck and Lemberg.
Sunday 17 December 6.30 pm Ludus Baroque will perform the Bach Christmas Cantatas.
Wednesday 20 December 1 pm Royal Regiment of Scotland Band Christmas concert. Admission free. There will be a retiring collection in aid of charity.
Thursday 18 January 1 pm Royal Regiment of Scotland Band lunchtime concert. Admission free.
Further details of all these concerts with prices and booking information can be found in the flyer.
DONATIONS
The retiring offering on Remembrance Sunday in aid of the Poppy Appeal Scotland raised the magnificent sum of £622.45.
At the concert by the Royal Regiment of Scotland Band, £267 was raised for the Army Benevolent Fund Scotland.
LIFE AND WORK
‘All I want for Christmas ..' A range of contributors have offered their seasonal wishes. The wishes include: A plea by the leader of Scotland’s Roman Catholics, Cardinal Keith O’Brien for the existing Trident programme not to be renewed. A call by the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Revd Dr Idris Jones for all Christians to be able to receive Holy Communion in any Christian church as well as that of their own denomination. A plea for a world where every child has more than enough to eat and a loving home by River City actress Deirdre Davis. The Christmas Caroller Composer and conductor John Rutter, is profiled this month and is scathing of some of the simple words and music that are the hallmarks of contemporary worship. Trust and solidarity To mark World AIDS Day on December 1, the work of the Church of Scotland’s HIV/AIDS project is profiled. A Presidential Reflection Subtitled the ‘Christian challenge for the world’ this new book by former US President Jimmy Carter, is previewed by Lynne McNeil. Kindness in Kentucky The Rev Ian Alexander reports on a project which offers basic maintenance for the homes of some of the poorest in the US. And more…. book reviews; travel, finance, lively letters; news from far and near; monthly prayer; prize crosswords…. all for £1.60p
OTHER EVENTS
7 December 7.30 pm Edinburgh Erskine holds its annual Carol Concert at St Cuthbert's Parish Church, Lothian Road, led by the Cadenza Choir, with readings by Alistair Hutton and conducted by the Revd. Tom Cuthell. Followed by shortbread and a glass of wine.
9 December 7.30 pm Cadenza Choir at Christmas in Polwarth Parish Church, Polwarth Terrace with special guests Regal Brass and Stephen Doughty (organ). Tickets £8, concessions £6, schoolchildren £2.
9 December 7.30 pm "Not another Silent Night Again". Origin Scotland's annual carol service in the Usher Hall. Tickets from £8 and concessions £6.50.
12 December 1.00 1 pm Lunchtime service of Christmas carols and music led by the SCO Brass with boys from the Edinburgh Academy Junior School at Greenside Church, Royal Terrace.
16 December 1-2 pm St Patrick's Justice and Peace Group are holding a "Prayers for Peace" vigil at the church in the Cowgate. For details contact .
15 January 6.00 pm at the Royal Museum of Scotland. Our former Minister, the Revd Charles Robertson, will give a talk on 'Canongate Kirk and Parish' as part of a series of lectures organised by the Museum and the Royal Scottish Society of Antiquaries.
For more details on these events see the flyers in the Kirk.
Rome/Assisi Group 2007 The Revd Tom Cuthell is intending to lead a group to Rome (4 nights) and Assisi (8 nights) from 26 August to 7 September 2007. Anyone interested in joining the group should contact Tom Cuthell on 0131 337 6637.
ELDERS IN DECEMBER
Lt Col K McIntosh
Mrs M Anderson
Gen Sir Michael Gow
Col R S B Watson
Mr R Moodie
Miss R Wright
Mrs D Marshall
Mrs F Grant
Mr D Armstrong
ELDERS IN JANUARY
Mrs M Craig*
Mr W Reid
Brig D MacLennan
Mrs R Bowe
Maj A Bowe
Mrs M Weston
Mrs J Cheape
Sir K Scott
Mr J Smith
POEM FOR CHRISTMAS
taken from "Cloth for the Cradle", an Iona Community publication.
This poem puts into perspective the fact that the stories of Jesus' birth deal primarily with adults. Elizabeth, Zechariah, Simeon and Anna were all evidently old. The Wise Men would not have been reputed to be wise unless they were old. And, with average male life expectancy somewhere around thirty-five years of age when Jesus was born, the Shepherds and Joseph had probably left their youth long ago.
It was to older folk that Jesus came,
that they might know their place and learn his name,
and upset notions of whom God may choose
to change the world or celebrate good news.
And this they understand who have been told
of Sarah who conceived when she was old;
and Hannah who found joy despite her tears;
and Naomi who blessed her later years.
With Zechariah, zealous for routine,
ensuring what's to come is what has been,
they may disclaim an angel's message too
declaring God intends to make things new.
Like Simeon, resigned to failing power,
old age might yet become the finest hour
for those who risk false claims that they're deranged
by saying God wants all things to be changed.
It is not in the manger Christ must stay,
forever lying helpless in the hay;
it is by older folk Jesus is blessed,
who see God's restlessness in him expressed.