Scottish Christians Together - Join us in prayer – this Sunday at 7pm
God whose kingdom is near
And who knows the times in which we live,
May we hear the call of Your Son
And turn once more to embrace the Good News He proclaims.
In the times in which we live,
Grant us grace to do so.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God whose kingdom is near
And who knows the times in which we live,
Your Son has embraced time
And became truly human for us and for our salvation.
As we face the hard challenges of these days
May we know that we are embraced by Your Son.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God whose kingdom is near
And who knows the times in which we live,
Be with those for whom this day is hard
And who long for respite.
Be with those who seek to bring healing and comfort
And grant them wisdom and compassion to do so.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God whose kingdom is near
And who knows the times in which we live,
Be with us as we resolve to journey with Your Son
In the days that lie before us.
Whether in the wilderness, or by the living waters,
May we know Your presence ever renewed.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Lenten resources in The Communicant
The latest edition of the diocesan newsletter can be downloaded here https://edinburgh.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/10-02-21ii-1.pdf
It has lots of resources for Lent and Easter such as:
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Together @ Lent – 40 different faith-based challenges and activities for families to do together during Lent.
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Love yourself through Lent – an alternative Lent resource with gentle ideas for 40 days of self-care, prayer and mindfulness.
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Weekly Zoom Prayer Meetings
You are warmly invited to join us for a Zoom Morning Prayer meeting every Friday at 9.30am. These take around 30 minutes, and there is a space of time for personal prayer. The text will be on the screen so no need for books or bibles. If you prefer to just observe, you would be welcome to attend with your sound and / or your video turned off.
Topic: Morning Prayers @ Holy Trinity
Time: Friday mornings at 9.30am.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73810671641?pwd=cE9wMjhrL3lwV3ZzVVFiWmwvWHQ2UT09
Meeting ID: 738 1067 1641
Passcode: prayer
Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2021
Like so much else, our Lent Appeal this year must take account of the pandemic. Many congregations are responding generously to local need, such as foodbanks and support services for the lonely and the anxious and I hope this will continue into Lent and beyond. My concern is that this focus on the locaI and personal, on simply getting through the crisis, takes our attention away from pressing needs in other parts of the world, where there is no NHS, no benefits safety-net and where life is constrained by poverty. Hence my proposal that this year we support a single, outward-looking cause. The Together in Unity Appeal was set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury to support virus prevention and emergency relief for vulnerable communities across the Anglican Communion. At a time when the UK government has, disappointingly, decided to cut international aid this provides an opportunity for us to reach out in solidarity to our sisters and brothers, our neighbours in this small world, whom Jesus calls us to love as we love ourselves. I know there is less money around this year but I would ask you to be generous. Perhaps we might see our giving as an expression of gratitude for the blessings that we so easily take for granted. +John
The Anglican Communion Fund has already begun responding to COVID related needs, allocating over £180,000 across 21 provinces of the Communion. We are supporting the Church in its ministry, providing food relief to the vulnerable, communicating ways of staying safe from the virus, and providing handwashing facilities and PPE. In the South Sudanese Diocese of Maridi, an ACF grant provided food items, soaps and seeds to over 200 pastors and lay-readers and provided bicycles and hand microphones for pastors to carry prevention messages into remote areas. You can donate here https://www.give.net/Together_In_Unity/oneoff . Please use the reference DIOCESE OF EDINBURGH.
Sunday Eucharist
Our Sunday Eucharistic Service are premiered on Sundays on our YouTube channel at 11am. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXFo226XXKA
Little sanitised pots of more consecrated communion wafers are available in the church porch. Please let us know if you can’t get there.
DVDs and CDs of the services are available for anyone who has no internet access. Just let us know.
Eucharistic Services
Unfortunately we are no longer permitted to worship together in the church until further notice from the government so our Wednesday Eucharist services in church are no longer taking place.
Let’s talk about Climate Emergency – February 2021: “Powering our homes and keeping warm”
The Scottish climate means cold, wet weather particularly at this time of the year. We are only too glad to be indoors through the coldest winter weather, but our homes need to be heated to make them comfortable. Most modern houses are constructed with good insulation and double glazing but many older houses do not have these advantages. Organisations like Home Energy Scotland or the Energy Savings Trust can offer advice (some leaflets were at the back of the church last year).
Most homes are heated by gas, oil or electricity with coal fires, wood burners and even peat sometimes playing a part. Renewables have limitations and all types of heating can produce greenhouse gasses contributing to global warming. Also, pollutants from some types of heating reduce the quality of air we breathe.
QUESTIONS: How was your home heated when you were a child? Do you use the same kind of heating now? How did your Great Granny keep warm in the coldest months of the year?
What kind of things can we do to reduce our need for heating in our homes?
How do you think homes of the future should be kept warm?
Fuel poverty is a big issue in Scotland; do you know what is being done to help address it?
Christian Aid
Go to the Christian Aid websitehttps://www.christianaid.org.uk/ to find out how you can give thanks for your vaccination.
You can also sign the Climate Justice petition 2021.
Coronavirus disrupted our lives in an unprecedented way. Now we face a choice - we can go back to business as usual, perpetuating the climate crisis and growing inequality.
Or we can take positive steps to build justice after the pandemic, and towards a healthier, safer future for everybody. This year the UK government has some crucial opportunities to do the right thing.
Sign this petition to the Prime Minister to ensure that the UK fulfils its responsibilities and its promise to build back better.
Call on the PM to:
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Increase financial support to the world’s poorest countries and push for their debts to be cancelled
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Invest in a green recovery that leaves no-one behind
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Stop the expansion of fossil fuel energy and support clean energy.
Diocesan Online Services for Younger Children
From David Lyons and the team at St Mungo's Balerno
St Mungo's has been developing this during lockdown. It's called ‘Mighty Mungo’s’ (apparently some species of mongoose are called mungos - small but powerful!) and is available for anyone to share and use on the St Mungo's website, YouTube or Vimeo. It's full of life, energy and bright ideas, and features great contributions from children themselves. Check out the trailer here and from there a link to the services:
Holy Trinity
From the Rector
Letter from the Rector
My Dear Congregation,
We cannot know what the future will bring, but we can know what we can bring to the future. My prayer for our church is that we bring to the future the same generosity of spirit and sense of hope that has seen us through thus far. There will be weeks of lockdown still to come, and perhaps months of restrictions, but as long as we continue to pray and to care for one another, and continue to worship God who holds us in life, we will be living a life worthy of our calling.
No Eucharistic Services
Unfortunately we are no longer permitted to worship together in the church until further notice from the government
This time of covid has caused many of us to reassess our lives, and question whether what we did previously is what we want to continue to do. Many people have told me that when things "return to normal" they do not wish to continue with some of the tasks they were previously doing. I sincerely want to commend those who have done this on being responsible and reflective enough to question what the best life they can lead looks like, and making changes which facilitate better family time, better balance of life and better opportunities to service God and humanity.
This may mean that our church activities may look a little different from what they were previously. When we emerge into a semblance of normality, we will have to have a time to mourn what we have lost, and to look with expectation to what new may spring up. In all of that we must see where God is leading us, and who he is sending to us. When we seek to employ the gifts and talents of those whom God sends, we become the church he seeks us to be.
One question for me is how we gather as a congregation - we have many layers of belonging in our church at the moment; those who are online and far off (ie in countries and places where they could not be with us physically); those who are local yet will be shielding for some time and therefore will not be with us until the very end of the pandemic; those who are able to gather but may not be able to be with us due to numerical restrictions; those who are attached to our congregation but may never have been very regular members, and who have been unable to connect with us due to the pandemic. Technology has been a huge help to us in achieving some communal worship, but as the pandemic eases, we must find ways of retaining our worshipping community.
Finally, I realise that although there is a vaccine for covid now, there is no vaccine for heaviness of heart, isolation, low moods or feeling down. Please, please do keep in touch with me, and with those you know, to make sure that people know if you are struggling. January may feel a dark time for many of us, and anxiety about the future may cripple us far more than the actual future may - don't be alone with your thoughts if they are hurting you.
May God’s blessings be on you all.
Pip
Prayer
The Scottish Episcopal church puts up the official liturgy for daily prayer online every day - Morning prayer, evening prayer and compline are arranged each day for that particular day.
Choral Evensong online
Available whenever you want it. https://www.choralevensong.org/uk/where-and-when-are-evensongs-streamed-online-around-britain-and-ireland.php
Other Sunday options for worship
The Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) is broadcasting video coverage of Eucharistic services via its website, social media channels and YouTube channel. The web page for the broadcast is located at www.scotland.anglican.org/broadcast-sunday-worship .
For those who are not online the Archbishop of Canterbury has set up a Freephone Daily Hope service of hymns, prayers and readings. It is available 24 hours a day on 0800 8048044
Prayer resources on Television and Radio
On BBC 1 Scotland at 10.30am Reflections from the Quay (will be led by Canon David Wallace of Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardonald and the Rev Joanne Hood of St John’s, Hamilton).
Songs of Praise is at the different time of 12.25pm for this week only. On BBC Scotland at 12 noon Reverend Jeremy Ross and Reverend Greg Doty will conduct a service of worship from Dunfermline Free Church.
New Every Sunday is on at 7.30am on Radio Scotland
Sunday Worship is at 8.10am on Radio 4. The latter two will both be available afterwards on BBC Sounds
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