The quarterly magazine of Leith Churches Forum
December 2016 Vol. 61/16 Happy Christmas!
From the Chair Rev Iain May, Minister, South Leith Parish Church ‘The baton has been handed on!’ It is my privilege to take over as Chair of Leith Churches Forum (LCF) for the coming year. The position of Chair is passed each year to one of the four ministers within the Forum. LCF has an exciting year ahead. The group looking into the future of the church in Leith recently met and came up with the title for this initiative ‘One Church for Leith’. This is not to say that we will have only one physical church building in Leith, this is definitely not the plan! It is an approach, upon which we are asked to work together as one, still retaining our individual sense of identities, but working together to ensure we have a strong church, a church that is outward looking and a church that is relevant to the 21st century for all the people of Leith. In the year ahead the Futures Group will be meeting every two months or so, to progress ideas and plans. Through the Forum Focus, joint services, joint Kirk Session meetings and other events, we will keep all involved informed of our progress. On Sunday 8th January we will once more gather as one in worship, in South Leith Church. We will gather as the Church of Scotland in Leith to celebrate communion. Joint services are important as they bring us together and allow us to worship as one at important times of the Christian year and also to celebrate what links us all to Leith. The Leith Festival Service in June celebrates the key role the church and those within it, play within the community and life of Leith. The Annual Scottish Seafarers Service in November reminded us of the Port of Leith’s strong links with the sea and seafaring. I do hope you will attend these services. I am looking forward to my year in the Chair. I do hope the coming year will produce new ideas and approaches for the ‘One church for Leith’. I do hope and pray that we will work togethe0.05r, so the future of the church, here in Leith,is secure and able to be the mission driven church we want it to be. Blessings, Rev Iain May -----------See our sponsor Garry's advert on the back page and support him if you can. -----------All of the Forum Focus Team wish our readers a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.
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The Visitor God clapped a hand to his head. “I need an angel!” he cried. He looked around the heavens and glimpsed one swooping. “Gabriel! I’ve a job for you!” With a flutter of wings and flash of light, Gabriel arrived in Mary’s house. “Peace be with you,” he said. Mary was so startled that she dropped the bread. “The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you.” Mary, a girl of spirit, stood her ground firmly but her eyes grew wide with fear. For not only was Gabriel something of a shock but she didn’t understand what he meant. Gabriel was slightly put out. “Hey up Mary. Don’t look so frightened. God’s pleased with you. In fact, he’s so pleased He’s sending you a special baby. You’re going to call him Jesus.” Gabriel paused, for being an angel, he was utterly honest. “Actually, he’s going to have lots of names – Son of the Most High, King of Kings, Messiah, Counsellor, Prince of Peace.” Gabriel gazed away with excitement and anticipation. But Mary’s eyes were aghast; for she saw the shame for her parents, herself cast out, her betrothed humiliated, disgrace on all whom she loved. “But how can this be?” she whispered, “I am not married.” Gabriel saw the tears roll down her cheeks and forgot for a moment, to be glorious and ethereal. “Come Mary,” he said and held her hand like another child. “God will enfold you in His love, and encircle the baby inside you, and he will grow strong and true.” The girl Mary looked away and saw the heartache and the tears and the joy and the wonder. Finally she spoke, and her voice was strong and vibrant, “Yes God! Yes!” When I believe I have matured enough, when I believe it’s time that others were called, when I believe that I have reached my full potential – let me remember, Lord, an ordinary girl and how she flung wide her arms to a windswept sky. Help me Lord to realise that I’ve only just begun my discipleship with you. (from “Awakenings” by Hilary Faith Jones)
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Capital Concert Band Joanne Baird Have you ever been to hear the Capital Concert Band? If not, why not? This excellent band rehearse weekly at Leith St Andrew’s Church and perform various concerts throughout the year both in the Church and elsewhere. For example, this year they have performed at St Giles Cathedral, at a church in Falkirk, played a concert at Coldingham Village Hall in support of the St Abbs Lifeboat as well as various concerts at Leith St Andrew’s as part of Leith Festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and other charity concerts. Their music is very diverse so this year you may have heard music by the Beatles, from Les Miserables, from The Blues Brothers, some Big Band music as well as more traditional classical pieces or music you may recognise from the hymn book. Your next chance to hear the band is on Saturday 17 th December at 7.30pm when they will play a Christmas Concert at Leith St Andrew’s. Tickets cost £8 for adults, £5 for concessions or £20 for a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) and are available in advance or you can pay at the door. As well as Christmas music, I’m sure there will be a chance to sing-along to some Christmas favourites. -----------Report from Work Place Chaplaincy in Ocean Terminal, Rev. Jennifer Booth Community Free Space has now moved up to the top floor opposite Vue Cinema overlooking the Carousel, but with a lot more room and nice seating for any weary visitors who have been trailing around the shops in search of a brief rest. Here you will find Glen Liddall the founder of "People Know How – unlocking ideas for a better future today” in the form of projects like “Shared Heritage, Shared Future” which recognises the growing Spanish Speaking community in Edinburgh and the opportunity for integration with the local population. “People Know How” also wants to make a significant difference by working with young people, addressing the challenges they might be facing in the move to secondary school in the form of their Youth Project ”Positive Transitions” - a project that will help young people to have a great start as they begin secondary school – those interested and any volunteers should contact Miren Ochoa (not Jennifer Booth whose name was mistakenly attached to the project in last issue) And of course, Rachel from “Street 4
Reads” (who offer free books to homeless and vulnerably housed), is now settled in and will be pleased to tell you more. Do give them a visit. Reminder that THELMA, (The Living Memory Association) is still situated onthe first floor, by Debenhams, opposite entrance to Royal Yacht, and 4 continues to interest locals and visitors alike with its reminiscences of fascinating histories of Edinburgh and Leith. Our aim as Work Place Chaplains, is to meet the pastoral and spiritual needs of all the staff throughout Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre from retail to hospitality, from security, to entertainment, and of course the Management Suite – the hub of the whole organisation under its Managing Director Dennis Jones. Ocean Terminal is rather like a small town under one roof, but there is a great sense of community, which I put down in no small measure to the helpful and friendly reception offered from the Customer Service desk on the ground floor, right up to the Management Suite on the top floor. Although they are still grieving the loss of British Home Stores, who like Debenhams, were there at the beginning, with some of their staff serving the public down family generations; the whole place has a positive attitude, rising above the odds and working hard for the future. . The Chaplaincy Team is growing; and by the time this article goes to press we will have been joined by Elizabeth Rawlins who we welcome as our third member; Margaret Ann Fraser is delighted to have this local support and we hope to get to know Elizabeth better in the next issue of Forum Focus. Meanwhile, all of us who work in Ocean Terminal appreciate the encouragement of Leith Churches Together and we very much appreciate your interest, your support, and your prayers. We wish you a Blessed Christmas and a Peaceful New Year. *** STOP PRESS – GRAND LAUNCH OF “COMMUNITY FREE SPACE” JANUARY 2017 – DATE TO BE NOTIFIED - WATCH THIS SPACE!!***
----------“The great mystery” He was manifested in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels; He was proclaimed among the nations, believed in throughout the world, raised to heavenly glory. (1st Timothy: ch3, v16) 5
Some services & events in the Forum congregations to which you are invited to attend. Christmas day services in all churches at 11am . LCF Joint Epiphany Service at South Leith on Sunday 8th January at 11am. Leith St. Andrew's Christmas Coffee Morning: Saturday 3rd December, Easter Road Hall, 10-12am. All welcome: live music, home baking stall and competitions. Entry £3 - includes coffee and a festive treat. Coffee & Carols - our annual sing-along evening in the Easter Road Hall at 7pm, Monday 19th December. All are welcome to come and sing old favourites and newer Christmas songs. Free but donations welcome for the Bethany Care Shelter. Coffee/tea, mince pies and shortbread afterwards. Worship dates: Sunday 18th December - 11am, Nativity Sunday service, Saturday 24th December - 6.30pm Christmas Eve All Age Service, Saturday 24th December - 11.30pm Watchnight Service, Sunday 25th December - All Age Christmas celebration service Messy Church: No Messy Church in December but families are invited to join us for the early evening Christmas Eve service. Next dates are 26th January and 23rd February. Meet from 5-7pm on the last Thursday of each month. A fun, noisy, messy time for families. Oasis of Peace at Leith St Andrew's: takes a break between Advent and Lent. Last date is likely to be 14th December but check our website or Facebook page for confirmation. Our quiet reflective prayer services takes place each Wednesday at 10.15am for about half an hour. A time of peace, worshipping, sharing and praying followed by a cuppa and chat. We meet in the Church. All are welcome. North Leith There will be evening services throughout Advent. This year North Leith will be joining the Ebenezer UF Church in their building (as we try to alternate it). They will be at 18:30 each Sunday from 27th November until 18th December inclusive. South Leith Worship at One at South Leith church every Thursday at 1pm – prayers for the community and the world.
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Pilrig St. Paul's Open Doorway It is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Serving tea / coffee and biscuits. All welcome to pop in. South Leith Community Café The Community Café in the South Leith Parish Church Halls in Henderson Street – a new menu with daily specials, all freshly cooked to order. And there is now a £4.50 meal deal offering soup, a main course and ice cream. For people in a hurry, we will provide meals to take away, but the main attraction of the Café is the opportunity to relax and catch up with friends in a peaceful environment for a cup of tea or coffee with home baking, or a hot lunch. The Café opens at 8.00am so early birds can enjoy a breakfast deal (sit in or takeaway) until 11.00am – two hot rolls and a cup of tea or coffee for just £3.00. The South Leith Community Café is open Mondays to Fridays from 8.00am to 2.30pm, with hot meals available to 2.00pm. Give it a try – you’ll be pleasantly surprised. -----------
Jesus Is The Reason In Bethlehem, God gave to us The source of Christmas joy; A star shown on a miracle: The virgin birth of a boy. He was born both God and man, A Saviour for us all, The way to get to our heavenly home, If we just heed His call. So as we shop and spend and wrap And enjoy the Christmas season, Let's keep in mind the sacred truth: Jesus is the reason. (By Joanna Fuchs)
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New Port Chaplain Pauline Robertson DCS You can never second guess God’s plan for you! I can say that with experience. I write this article as the New Sailors' Society Port Chaplain, Leith. Although the title states Leith, it is so much more as the new post includes all ports around the Forth Estuary. As most folks know, I came to this post, on the 3rd of October, after more than 15 years parish and chaplaincy experience as a Church of Scotland Deacon, parish based in and around Edinburgh and Leith. The role of Port Chaplain is one which brings the opportunity to connect with many crew members from all over the world. Enabling them to receive a warm welcome, a friendly face and receive practical assistance. Practical assistance can come in the form of a trip somewhere to provide a short time away from the ship, listening or support in times of emergencies. The role of chaplain may have changed but the needs of those who come into port remain the same. Over the late summer, the port was looked after by Rev Iain May, Hon Chaplain and over this time he found himself responding to the needs of a number of crews in practical ways: trips to town, shopping trips and taking folk to worship. As I settle into my new role, I look forward to being that welcoming presence in the ports, meeting and assisting the crew members. I've already discovered that a woolly hat can say so much when language is a barrier, and I've discovered that listening is one of the most useful, practical things we can do when folks have been on board ship for several months. I've mentioned woolly hats and I'd like to thank all the wonderful knitters who supply these much welcomed gifts and some of which are included in the Christmas gifts and bags which are distributed to crews away from home during December. For more information: 09913476799 : Probertson@sailors-society.org ----------Christmas Reflection Margaret Wright It was early November when the weather turned cold, she hurriedly parked her car, relieved that she had some time to spare before her language class and would not be late as usual. “I’ll have a hot drink” she thought. I” could do with that.” The Sainsbury's local beckoned and 8
after wandering round the interior seeing nothing she could easily buythat was warm or easy to eat, she came back outside and saw again, more clearly this time, the man sitting on the steps below with a cardboard sign-'Homeless - please help me get a bed for the night.' From previous experience of talking to another man in this position, she discovered that it cost about £6 to get a bed for the night at a hostel. This allowed you to get a warm shower and keep clean and perhaps a decent sleep depending on who was in the same area as you. She looked around and the only place she could see was a tiny pizza place that in the summer had tables outside and had a jolly air about it. Now a few folks were gathering inside and after hesitating she decided to go in and ask if they would give her a hot drink. It was a small tight space and as she squeezed past the diners, bringing in the cold night air with her , she had to be careful not to sweep things off the tables with her long coat and rucksack. They readily agreed to her request for a hot drink and then she said “I have someone outside who might want a drink, I will check with them re what they want.” In an instant , she had decided that she would get a drink for the man on the steps, but then thought - what he would like?. Homeless people have likes and dislikes too- hot chocolate, coffee, tea? He chose coffee - two sugars and milk and as she placed the order she added a warmed up piece of pizza. Paying hurriedly she returned to the steps and watched as he tucked into the pizza and sipped the coffee. She hovered sipping her hot chocolate. She asked if he knew where he could get hot food on a Sunday in Leith? - he said yes. She spoke of South Leith and he asked if that was Leith Baptist? She explained where it was and was taken aback when he then asked her opinion on the wrath of God. She did not know what to say as he then went on to quote verse after verse of scripture - John, Revelation, on and on he went. Verses about the state of the world. She readily agreed that the world was indeed in a not good place these days although she also confessed that she did not often think about the wrath of God!? Glancing at her watch she realised that she was on the verge of being late yet again for her language class despite having arrived early. As she endeavoured to extricate herself from the conversation explaining that she needed to cross the road to a class opposite , he stuck out his hand and said- 'My name is Roy. ' She smiled and shaking his hand, she said her name. As she crossed the road she reflected on a chance conversation between a regular church goer who could not quote the Bible and a homeless man who could; the cost of a cup of coffee and a slice of pizza versus the cost of the language class or for that matter the cost of the car service she had just paid for that afternoon. What was Roy's story and what would most be of help to him that night and in the nights that followed? Where would he be at Christmas and New Year? What were his observations on the people who passed him by and those who stopped to speak to him?
What does it mean to use or to have given to you the title of homeless. Does it serve society or Roy that we use that term? -----------Christmas Conversation: Open Hearts Margaret Wright As Christmas approaches there can be both madness and sanity. The madness of a commercial Christmas and the long list of things we set ourselves to do. In the midst of this madness can come sanity when some things become very, very clear. As one Christmas approached, I was based in Ocean Terminal manning an area where some art work was being displayed. It was an opportunity to get feedback from the public and also to sell some art. I quickly became aware of the nature of Ocean Terminal as a public space families, young and older people escaping the cold winds and winter weather came to the centre to shop and talk. Parents would stop to talk to me before their children became bored, distracted them and eventually they all drifted away. I took along a few items to amuse children to allow parents the time to browse and talk. One day , a man with a young boy and girl stopped and we talked about this and that. The children amused themselves with the toys I had brought along. He explained quietly that he had brought the children to Ocean Terminal to get a sense of the Christmas spirit- the lights, the brightness, the carol singing. He told me they had lost their mother and he his wife and this was all he could bring himself to do to give them a sense of Christmas. My heart went out to him and I noticed in a number of small ways how often people opened their hearts and shared things about themselves e.g. the people and places they cared about. People of faith or none felt welcome and comfortable in Ocean Terminal at that time of year. As someone who is not by nature a shopper, I began to appreciate what shopping centres like Ocean Terminal can provide i.e a safe ,warm space outside of homes and workplaces where we can interact with others and where the holy spirit can touch all our hearts. May we all experience our hearts opening this Christmas season.
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Pilrig St Paul’s Church Pastoral Care Team Linda Gill (Pastoral Care Team Leader) It has been a great year for our team as we have been kept busy on various projects and delivering our Pastoral Care to our congregation and the wider local community. The Knitting Bee We very much looked forward to our knitting being put to good use at our Remembrance Service and also the shawls and scarves being dedicated in early December ready to go out to our congregation and those in our local community. We were delighted to be joined by the Lorne Primary school and Jamieson Place Knitting Group in October. It was great to meet up and share ideas for what we will all be knitting in 2017. As usual this was all done with a nice cuppa and some home baking . If you would like to join our Knitting Bee or find out more about setting one up in your Church please let me know. Pastoral Care Cards We have recently arranged for cards to be delivered to our congregation. The cards have photos of our church and a message of support aiming to let people know we are thinking about them. Leith Community Cinema Our screening of Calendar Girls was well attended with the Cream Tea being especially appreciated by everyone who came along. It was also great to be using our new screen, projector and sound system for the first time. We also were pleased with our screening on the October school holiday of Finding Dorey when we are able to make use of our new mini beanbags and junior tables & chairs as well as launching our Children’s Lending Library. Our last screening of the year is on 2nd December when we are holding a double screening – Miracle on 34th Street and Arthur Christmas. See full details on our website. All are welcome to attend our screenings and we are always happy to have people to help with our screenings so please let us know if you would like to get involved in any way. For more info please visit our website on http://www.leithcommunitycinema.com Pastoral Care Team Mark Foster: Minister, Catriona Blackwood: Elder, Safeguarding Officer and Magazine Editor, Christine Edington: CrossReach Congregational Representative,Ella Gilfillan, Linda Gill: Elder and Pastoral Care Team Leader, Cathy Purdie: Special Needs Officer, Fiona Rankin: Elder, Jeanette Sime: Elder and Roll Keeper. helpinghands@pilrigstpauls.org.uk
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