PILRIG St PAUL’S CHURCH JULY 2020
JULY 2020 1
If you can, please continue collecting……… Plastic milk bottle tops: blue or green with a 2 or 4 on them, Plastic tops and lids with other colours and sizes Flower bags Stamps: used postage stamps should be cut out (leaving a 1 cm margin) These will be gratefully received once we are up and running again. Thank you
INFORMATION re PILRIG St PAUL’S MAGAZINE We welcome articles and thank you letters from members and friends. Articles are published in both the printed magazine and on-line, unless otherwise arranged with the editor, (eg where personal information is concerned, including the names in the prayer corner, it would normally be omitted from the on-line version). All contributors must provide their name, please, which is normally attached to the article. We reserve the right to edit articles. Changes other than spelling or grammar will, where possible, be discussed with the contributor. The views expressed are those of individual contributors and not necessarily those of Pilrig St. Paul’s Church or the Church of Scotland.
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PILRIG St PAUL’S CHURCH While we are unable to use our buildings, there will be a short act of worship each Sunday at 10am on Facebook, and repeated later on our website. Our Facebook Page provides some items for personal reflection as well as our normal news updates. See also page 7 Church website: http://www.pilrigstpauls.org.uk Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pilrigstpauls/ CHURCH ACTIVITIES and INFORMATION
Please watch our website and facebook page for updates. For information regarding Girl Guiding and Scouts: www.girlguiding.org.uk hello@scouts.scot Radio, TV, Internet Audio and Visual clips and some live streaming worship services that you can listen and watch from home: Thought for the Day: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00szxv6 BBC Radio Four Sunday Worship: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnds Livestream Church Service: https://greenbankchurch.org There will be a recorded service every Sunday via the Church of Scotland website as well as transcripts which can be printed and delivered to those who are not able to access online resources. Songs of Praise: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006ttc5 Recommended Podcast: https://robbell.com/portfolio/robcast/ 3
BBC Scotland have been showing ‘Reflections at the Quay” each Sunday. The times of the broadcasts vary. In addition if you wish to follow the readings that we use in church each Sunday you can access them at https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu// You can also subscribe to receive the church magazine and weekly intimations at LINK. WordPress site at https://onecfl.wordpress.com/ where you will find prayers, reflections and other items provided by the Ministers from the four Leith churches.
Pilrig St Paul’s Foodbank is, unfortunately, not able to staff our facility as many of our volunteers are considered vulnerable and are self-isolating or shielding. If you would like to help the Foodbank in another Leith Church, please contact JMay@churchofscotland.org Easyfundraising Over 4,000 shops and sites will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them – at no extra cost to yourself! The church will receive a donation (plus Gift Aid) for every confirmed purchase. We don't see what you've bought, just the donation amount returned. These donations really mount up and make a BIG difference to us, so we’d really appreciate it if you could take a moment to sign up and support us. It’s completely FREE and only takes a moment. You can find our easyfundraising page at https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/psp2/?utm_campaig n=raise-more&utm_medium=email&utm_content=fm-e1
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From the Manse Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4: 6-7 Dear All, Today, our world is turned upside down. Yet in the midst of this there is security and beauty around us. We have people who love us and people to love. We have roofs over our heads, beds to lay down our heads at night, and food on our plates. We have clean, fresh, running water in our homes and heat/power at the flick of a switch. Whilst we can acknowledge that we each have our troubles, worries, and problems that demand our attention, I hope we can also acknowledge that we each have the freedom to choose how we respond to our situations. Acknowledging this for ourselves can free us to appreciate and savour all that is good and beautiful in our lives and to find a renewed appreciation for the small things that we often take for granted. Looking at life in this way enables us to refocus our thinking and find a new sense of balance in our lives. The writer of Phillipians invites us to ground ourselves in prayer to God. He reminds us that our worries are not the total sum of our lives and that God’s presence, peace and love can be depended upon to sustain us in every situation. There will be issues we still need to face and problems that we still need to solve, but as people of faith we shouldn’t let our worries shape us. Instead we can respond to them in the 5
knowledge that God is with us. May we never forget, or take for granted, the many good things we have in our lives, nor forget our responsibilities to care for the most vulnerable people of our world for whom this current crisis is just another day of survival. Loving God, May we look beyond our present trials. Love us through our hardships. Lift our spirits when they fall. Remind us of the blessings in our lives And help us to be a blessing to others. Amen. Blessings Mark THE MAGAZINE Thank you for the contributions for this magazine. I hope that members and friends find the information helpful while we cannot meet. There will be a magazine in August, too, this year. It will be published between 26th July and 9th August, the exact date to be determined by when we expect information about, and approval of, our plans for partial reopening. Please may I have information and articles for it by 19th July? If you have something after that date, just send it and I will put it in, either then or in September. Thank you. Please get in touch if you know of someone who would like to receive a magazine by post. Catriona Blackwood magazine@pilrigstpauls.org.uk or phone me on 0131 554 6183 6
COVID Planning Group Update – June 25th 2020* On 21 May the Scottish Government published its route map for taking us through and out of the current restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The central offices of The Church of Scotland published their own official guidelines for the re-opening of church buildings on 12 June and updated them again on 19 June. The documents can be viewed in full at https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/resources/covid-19coronavirus-advice The official guidance can be summarised under the following points: • Church buildings are being permitted to open for specific purposes only under the different phases of the Scottish Government’s plan. • During phases 2 and 3 of the Scottish Government’s plan a number of regulations regarding social distancing, cleaning, and risk management must be followed. • Every church building has to undergo a series of assessments and physical alterations to allow for social distancing and other health measures to be safely implemented. Only once all these tasks have been completed can the Kirk Session and Presbytery sign off on the documentation required to re-open the premises. • It is strongly recommended that no one over the age of 70 or anyone who is being shielded should be in attendance at any church services or activities during phases 2 and 3. • Under phases 2 and 3 the following restrictions will be in place for all services/events in the building: Face masks must be worn. Singing will be prohibited. Numbers attending will be limited. Pew cushions and other furnishings will be removed. Seating will be allocated on arrival. People will have to provide their contact details for Track and Trace. Deep cleaning will have to be done after every service/event. Access to toilet facilities will have to be controlled. Food and Drink (other than water) will be prohibited. 7
The Planning Group has been studying and discussing these documents thoroughly and has started work on the many tasks required for the re-opening of our building. The group has also undertaken to use a grant from Edinburgh Presbytery to fund the purchase of equipment that will allow services to be recorded/streamed from the church building as we go forward. Given the nature of the tasks in hand and the strict restrictions required the Planning Group and Kirk Session strongly believe that the risks involved in opening the church during phases 2 and 3 are too great for us to manage. They also believe that the restrictions that have to be put in place will make any form of worship an uncomfortable and unwelcoming experience for those in attendance. They have therefore taken the hard decision that the church premises will not open for any worship or events during phases 2 and 3, and that a further review of the situation will be carried out before reopening the building in stage 4. This decision was not taken lightly and we realise that many of you will be eager to get into our building for worship and fellowship. At the heart of all our deliberations has been the safety and wellbeing of all our members, staff, and volunteers. We will strive to re-open the building as soon as we believe it is safely possible for us to do so. Please hold the Planning Group in your prayers as they continue in their work. Blessings Mark •
Details of the re-opening for worship were correct at 18 June. These are subject to change.
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Thanks to Aileen Fraser and the flower fund, we have been able to send flowers to members, much as usual. If you would like to contribute to the flower fund, please see pages 8-10 where there are details of how to donate to the Church, stating that this is for the flower fund, thank you. THANK YOU We have received thanks from many members for prayers, flowers, cards, visits, phone calls, texts and support received following illness, celebrations, bereavements and accidents. FROM THE TREASURER As we all continue to wait and see what will happen with the easing of restrictions for COVID 19 and what this will mean for the Church I have been looking at the finances over the last couple of months when we have been unable to meet. All those who would like to have more information about our finances are welcome to contact me. It is possible to make a donation by visiting our website www.pilrigstpauls.org.uk and donate using the PayPal button. You can also use the QR code below by scanning it on your mobile phone.
We have also setup a JustGiving page and the url is https://www.justgiving.com/edinburghpilrigstpaulsparishchurch 9
We do have to pay a handling fee for any donations received through PayPal or JustGiving so don’t receive the full amount donated. If you shop online you can support the church when you shop on Amazon. If you are using their webpage can you go to https://smile.amazon.co.uk/ and you can select Edinburgh: Pilrig St Paul’s Parish Church of Scotland as the charity. For certain purchases we will received up to 1.5% as a donation. In the last week you can now change the settings on their app and select the same charity name. Thank you for your continued support and hopefully we will all be able to meet again soonish to worship together. Mark Wexelstein Email treasurer@pilrigstpauls.org.uk
PASTORAL CARE We continue to offer pastoral care by phone, mail, and email. I hope that you have heard from a member of the telephone tree team, and have arranged about phone calls or emails. We realise that some members want to hear from us each week, others more or less often, and perhaps in different ways, so we have tried to tailor it to each member. Please contact the Minister, Catriona Blackwood, or Aileen Fraser if you have not heard. It is also encouraging that so many members of the congregation are keeping up with each other. As many members as possible are receiving the magazine, by email, post, or sometimes put through your letterbox. Many thanks to those on the regular delivery team who are taking part in this, and also to Hilary and Bill for helping out when they are on a walk anyway. 10
A big thank you to our minister, Mark Foster, who is leading us through all the many aspects of Worship and Care, including the Covid 19 planning group, in this difficult time. Sadly, there have been a few deaths in the congregation recently. We are thinking of their families and friends. Catriona Blackwood Pastoral Committee Member Prayer Corner Please remember in your prayers members and friends of the congregation who are ill or infirm at this time. A full list is available in the printed version of the magazine. Please let the minister or me know of someone to include in this section. Catriona Blackwood MEMBERS AND ADHERENTS WHO WOULD LIKE A FULL PRAYER, PASTORAL and BEREAVEMENT OR THANK YOU LIST, OR A FINANCIAL UPDATE OR ARE ASKED TO CONTACT:
magazine@pilrigstpauls.org.uk
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THE LIGHTER SIDE…….. In chronological order, these sayings, by different people as children, range from 1908 to 1988. Small found boy in pantry (before fridges) “What are you doing?” asks mother Boy “eating oatcakes – partly” Evidence of a bit of oatcake and lots of cheese having been eaten! Mother – God is everywhere Small boy – Everywhere? Mother – yes A little later, small boy bumped into a wall and said “Sorry God” Mother and child get home with the shopping. Small girl lays 2 large grapefruit on the table, and goes out of the living room. A little later she knocks on the living room door and mother answers it. Small girl has a little grapefruit in her hand, “I’m God and I’ve brought a baby grapefruit for Mummy and Daddy grapefruit. Small boy goes to the Barbers and gets up on the seat. He says “I want it with a hole in it, like Daddy.” “Birdy in me’s bedroom” - and there was, it had fallen down the chimney, but was not badly injured. “My tony nails not need cut, all the growd has goed away.” Dad goes to put sauce on small girl’s plate – Small girl - “I want to pour it all over myself” With thanks, some posthumously, to the people in my family who said them. CB 12
CONTACT DETAILS PILRIG St PAUL’S CHURCH 1b Pilrig Street Edinburgh EH6 5AH www.pilrigstpauls.org.uk
Church Office 0131 553 1876
HALL LETS - NO BOOKINGS ARE BEING TAKEN MEANTIME When we are able to re-open our halls we will publicise this on our website, intimations and the magazine.
Scottish Charity no. SCO07277
www.leithchurchesforum.org.uk
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