Martin Tarr

The conference steering committee are proud to announce that ‘Responding to the Sacred: Gender & Liturgy in Conversation’ will take place this spring as a free online event. Each day from 12-16 April a new discussion video will be released, with space for our audience to comment during the livestream. On 17 April we’ll host a live plenary session from St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh (God-willing or, in the language of these interesting times, Covid-restrictions-allowing).

Aside from going online, our conference aims and roster of speakers remains the same. Taking in a wide range of perspectives we’ll discuss issues in the field of gender and liturgy, in the context of liturgical reform beginning within the Scottish Episcopal Church. Our speakers include: Merete Thommassen (University of Oslo), Bill Paterson (MindfulnessFife), Bishop Ian Paton (SEC), Leon van Ommen (SEC, University of Aberdeen), Bridget Nichols (Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Dublin), David Jasper (SEC, University of Glasgow), Lisa Isherwood (University of Winchester), Beverly Clack (Oxford Brookes University).

The main event will be in April but preliminary material is already online. Sign up via the Facebook event page (facebook.com/genandlit), or simply email us at genandlit@gmail.com.

Today is 2 February: a day when the Scottish football transfer window has just closed with a flurry of last-minute signings; a day when even the hardiest of Christmas revellers pack away the remains of their decorations; a day to reflect on the time when Christ was presented in the Temple as an infant as recorded in Luke 2:22–40.

The “Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple” marks the day that the old man Simeon took the baby in his arms and recognised him as “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel”, words used each day as part of Evening Prayer.

On 2 February it became the custom to bring a lighted candle to the altar to represent the Christ-light, and to bless all the ‘lights’ or candles in the church, praying that all who saw the outward and visible light would remember also and be blessed by the inner light of Christ “who lightens everyone who comes into the world.”

With similar prayers for blessing in our hearts we’ve been asked to light candles at 7:00pm each Sunday to pray together with other Christians in Scotland, using the prayer specially written by the Scottish Church Leaders Forum which is linked to our Home page. And this month, in their #PrayerfortheNation initiative, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York are asking us  to pause and pray every day at 6.00pm for those impacted by the pandemic, with the suggestion that we might light a candle as a prompt to pray.

But our prayers don’t need to be complex or theological in tone. This prayer by Ruth Burgess is suitable for even the youngest:

I light a candle.
A sign that
I know
that God loves me.

I light a candle.
A sign that
I want to walk
with Jesus today.

I light a candle.
A sign that
I want the Holy Spirit
to breathe in me.

I light a candle
and I ask that
God’s love
and God’s glory
may shine through me.

So, go and light that candle!

More poetry on Malcolm Guite’s blog, from which part of this post was adapted, and in Prayers for Lighting Candles by Ruth Burgess, from which the prayer was taken.

A four-week study on Zoom from 7.00–8:15pm, on Tuesdays in Lent: 23 February, 2 March; 9 March; 16 March.

Tenants of the King is a four-part Bible-based Lent study designed to help each of us and our churches consider what the Bible has to say about today’s climate crisis. Each session is interactive and includes video interviews with leading Christian thinkers and insightful Bible commentary.

The study will be led by Jan Benvie, and will help us to reflect on the challenges of a changing climate, building on the motion passed at last year’s General Synod of the SEC setting the target of zero carbon emissions by the church by 2030 (report on the decision at this link).

It is produced by Operation Noah, a Christian charity working with the Church to inspire action on the climate crisis. There is a booklet to go with the course which you can download in PDF format at this link, or printed copies will be sent on request.

If you are interested, or simply want to find out more, please email jbenvie@yahoo.co.uk, including your postal address if you’d like a copy of the booklet.

This year the Study Group will use the book The Prayers of Jesus, a Cover to Cover Lent Study Guide, by Amy Boucher Pye, a US-born devotional writer living in north London. In simple terms, the book is about exploring Jesus’ prayers to His Father as He moved towards the cross, and following His lead in prayer as we enjoy greater intimacy with God.

The six week course starts on Monday 15 February and meets weekly at 7.00pm on Zoom. This is a lively and friendly group with most of the Rosyth churches being represented. To find out more details and how to join the Zoom meetings please contact Alan Taylor.

25 January is not only Burn’s Night, it’s also the day when we celebrate the Conversion of St Paul. Being just a week after a day associated with St Peter and his first service with the faithful of Rome, the period 18–25 January has become linked with the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

This year we can’t celebrate in the usual way, but there is an opportunity to connect with Christians across the globe by joining in a service organised by churches across Dunfermline. You can watch the link below at a time to suit you.

Coming up …
  • 5 January 2025
    9:30 am Sung Eucharist
  • 5 January 2025
    11:00 am Morning Worship
  • 12 January 2025
    9:30 am Sung Eucharist
  • 12 January 2025
    11:00 am Morning Worship

More details at this link

 

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Regular services

Sundays

0930 Sung Eucharist
1100 Methodist Worship


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