PILRIG St PAUL’S CHURCH
MAY 2021 1
Please consider making 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 set up a JustGiving page and the url is https://www.justgiving.com/edinburghpilrigstpaulsparishchurch 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 receive up to 1.5% as a donation. 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
Phone 0131 665 6881
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 MAY 2021 From 2nd May services will take place at 11am in the Sanctary, PRE BOOKING ESSENTIAL They will also be live streamed on Facebook. To use our booking system for attending worship, please text 07738 620369 or email bookings@pilrigstpauls.org.uk (preferred). You can also phone and leave a message. We will contact you if we are able to accommodate your booking. The number of seats in the church is limited to 18, 5 of those can accommodate couples. Unfortunately, we cannot accept people turning up at the door on a Sunday without a confirmed booking. Please book your place by midday on the Friday before the service. We will keep members up to date with changes to attendance and activities when we are able to implement them, following Scottish Government and Church of Scotland guidance. This edition of the magazine has been held back to accommodate important information just available
about One Church for Leith
See page 6 3
From our minister
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12: 27 (NRSV)
Dear All, We know that the Acts of the Apostles centres around the lives of those who were among the first witnesses to Christ’s resurrection. People like Peter, James, and John. It also includes those who were among the first coverts to the faith. People like Barnabas, Saul, and Cornelius. They and many others like them must have had their own personal stories and testimonies to tell and yet much of the book of Acts speaks more of community stories and testimonies than individual ones. As early as chapter 4 in Acts we hear how the first Christians gave up their possessions, just as Jesus had given up his life for others. We hear how they made sure no one was in need, just as Jesus ensured that the hungry were fed; the sick were healed; and the troubled were comforted and loved. It seems from these stories that the early Christian community wasn’t focused on seeing the risen body of Christ, but on being the risen body of Christ. They did this by doing what Jesus himself had done. They didn’t just proclaim God’s resurrection power - They became that power by offering new life to others. Our world needs that resurrection power now more than ever. It also needs the church - our church - all churches - to be the body of Christ by living out Jesus’ ministry. Elsewhere in this magazine you will hear about some of the radical changes that are having to be made by the Church of Scotland. On hearing such news our first instinct is often to think about ourselves and how these changes 4
will affect us personally: what we might have to lose, or change, or have to learn anew. However, as part of the body of Christ we need to think about the whole church community – because these changes are about the benefit and survival of the whole body of Christ and not just our small individual part. The first Christians knew they were living into God’s new life when no one was in need. That was their measure for being the body of Christ. As we move forward as a church, we need to make it our measure too. We are all in this together and together we can achieve great things. Blessings Mark
CHRISTIAN AID WEEK is 10-16 May 2021 Christian Aid joined the virtual Kilt walk in Scotland in April as it could not hold the usual Forth Bridge Cross. Unfortunately the publicity was not available in time for the last magazine. If you would like to donate to Christian Aid, please follow http://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/christianaid-week or send to the Church as outlined on the inside front cover, and marking it Christian Aid. Thank you.
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Leith Steering Group Report of meeting on 22 April 2021
Members of the Leith Steering Group met on 22 April to discuss matters relating to One Kirk for Leith. The following items were of particular interest: Chair: Robin Watson, who had been acting as an independent chair, decided to step down from that role. He thought that the group knew what needed to be done and was capable of doing so. Subsequent discussion recognised the need for energy and priorities. It was agreed that co-chairs, two lay people drawn from within the four congregations, would be the best way forward. Plans were set in place to pursue this idea. General Assembly 2021: Due to pressure on resources, the General Assembly this year will be making decisions with deep, profound and far reaching effects on the Church of Scotland. Two topics in particular will affect Leith: ministerial numbers and ways of working together. It has been suggested that the reduction in ministerial posts will be ‘fierce’. Edinburgh currently has 80 ministerial posts and reductions of 30-40% have been indicated. This means a loss of approximately 20 ministerial posts. There will also be legislation outlining the manner in which different congregations can work together in these circumstances. The idea of one minister, one congregation and one parish working alone will be the exception rather than the norm. Leith Mission Initiatives: At the Joint Kirk Session in February, three initiatives were mooted. There will be a separate meeting of the Steering Group to look at these in more detail in order to set them in motion. 6
While there are many far reaching changes afoot, there was a recognition that, with energy and prioritisation, the churches in Leith can continue to make a significant impact on the community. Stewart Weaver Portobello and Joppa Parish Church (Liaison with the Presbytery Planning Team and Deployment of Resources Committee)
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.
THIS IS A REDUCED VERSION OF THE MAGAZINE FOR GENERAL PUBLICATION. 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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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
PASTORAL CARE AND MAGAZINE Dear All, It has been good to get out a bit more, to a wider range of places, although we will all be sanitising our hands and wearing masks for quite a while yet. Getting out includes coming to Church and booking details are given in the front of this magazine. We have phoned and sent cards and flowers to several members this month, thanks to Mark Foster, Christine Eddington and Aileen Fraser. and all members of the telephone trees scheme. Thank you for articles received this month. articles for June by 23rd May.
Please may I have
I have information about a local occupational therapist who assists people to regain confidence going outside. (I do not know this lady or her work.) Please contact me for her details and tariff. Catriona Blackwood Pastoral Committee Member and Magazine Editor 554 6183 magazine@pilrigstpauls.org.uk
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CHURCH ACTIVITIES AND GENERAL INFORMATION As well as the magazine, updates are available on the website and facebook page. Radio, TV, Internet Audio and Visual clips and some live streaming worship services that you can listen to 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 Songs of Praise: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006ttc5 Recommended Podcast: https://robbell.com/portfolio/robcast/ 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. Church website: http://www.pilrigstpauls.org.uk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pilrigstpauls/ If you wish to follow the readings that we use in church each Sunday you can access them at https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu// For information regarding Girl Guiding and Scouts: www.girlguiding.org.uk hello@scouts.scot
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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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