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The The SentinelSentinel
Magazine of Giffnock South Parish Church
March
2018
Volume 56 No 2
What is it? When and why. All is revealed
on page 2
When is it? and who determines the date?
All is revealed on page 2
This is the theme of the Lenten Bible
Studies taking place on four Wednesdays
at 11am in the Y@GS room.
21st and 28th February
&
7th and 14th March.
Put these dates in your diary NOW
Going to Liverpool in April?
This is your chance to see the Terracotta Warriors
see page 5 for details.
Page 2
Contributions for the March edition of Th-e Sentinel should be sent to the
Church office or emailed to [email protected] by 11th February 2018
GIFFNOCK SOUTH NEWS
Thee next men’s lunch at BABBO’S will be at 12.30pm on
Tuesday 6th March and those wishing to attend should inform
Graeme Whyte or Ronnie Mcintosh. The next ladies’ lunch
will be on Tuesday 27th March at 12.30pm and ladies who
wish to attend should sign the sheet on the corridor
noticeboard or contact Morag Steven, tel. 638 2454 or Myra
Rao, tel. 637 5353.
Men’s & Ladies’ Lunch Clubs
The next ordinary Session Meeting will be on the 21st March
at 7.30pm.
News from Pollokshaws
Congratulations go to Rev. Roy Henderson, who has been
nominated to be the next Moderator of Glasgow
Presbytery.
Before 325 A.D., Easter was celebrated on the Sunday immediately following the first full moon after the vernal (spring) equinox. In 325 A.D., at the Council of Nicaea, the Western Church resolved to established a more standardised system for determining the date of
Easter. This year, Easter Sunday is on 1st April.
As astronomers were able to approximate the dates of all the full moons in future years, the Western Christian Church used these calculations to establish a table of Ecclesiastical Full Moon dates. These dates would determine all of the Holy Days on the Ecclesiastical calendar.
Although modified marginally from its original form, by 1583 A.D. the table for determining the Ecclesiastical Full Moon dates was permanently established and has been used ever since to determine the date of Easter.
According to the Ecclesiastical tables, the Paschal Full Moon is the first Ecclesiastical Full Moon date after March 20 (which happened to be the vernal equinox date in 325 A.D.). Thus, in Western Christianity, Easter is always celebrated on the Sunday immediately following the Paschal Full Moon. "Pascha" is a transliteration of the Aramaic word meaning Passover. The date of Easter is determined as the first Sunday after the "paschal full moon" falling on or after the Spring Equinox (March 21). ... The first day of each of these lunar months is the ecclesiastical new moon.
Early Christians observed "a season of penitence and fasting" in preparation for the Paschal feast, or Pascha, the season now known as Lent (from an Old English
word meaning "spring," the time of lengthening days) has a long history. Originally, in places where Pascha was celebrated on a Sunday, the Paschal feast followed a
fast of up to two days. In the third century this fast was lengthened to six days. Eventually this fast became attached to, or overlapped, another fast of forty days, in imitation of Christ's fasting in the wilderness. The forty-day fast was especially important for converts to the faith who were preparing for baptism, and for those guilty of sins who were being restored to the Christian assembly. In the western church the forty days of Lent extend from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday, omitting Sundays. The last three days of Lent are the sacred Triduum, of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Today Lent has re-acquired its significance as the final preparation of adult candidates for baptism. Joining with them, all Christians are invited "to the observance of a Holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God's holy Word".
We make no apology for presuming a general ignorance regarding Lent and Easter - The
explanation (hopefully you will understand what an ‘ecclesiastical new moon’ is) certainly filled
some holes in the Editorial staff’s knowledge and hopefully be of some interest to our wider
readership. Ed
POLLOKSHAWS PARISH CHURCH
CHURCH
DIRECTORY
The Minister:
Rev Catherine Beattie BDMin
0141 258 7804
07709 086 767 Mobile
Church Office Hours:
The church office is open in
the mornings from Monday to
Thursday from 9am till noon
0141 638 2599
Session Clerk:
Alison Fenton
07713 242 080 Mobile
Church Website:
www.giffnocksouth.co.uk
facebook/giffnocksouthparish
Scottish Charity:SCO007807
Page 3
Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee before and after the service every Sunday.
TEXT OF
THE
MONTH
Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’
John 6: 35
There will be an informal Communion Service during the morning
service on Sunday March 4th.
There will be a Contemporary Evening Service at 6.30pm on Sunday 11th MARCH.
Every Friday at 10.45am throughout the season of Lent, Giffnock South will be
open for a short Lenten Service followed by tea and coffee. All are invited to
come and will be made most welcome.
Dear friends
This year the month of March is full of major festivals, St Patrick’s Day, Passion Sunday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Day. Our church will be very busy!
During Lent we travel with Jesus, following the accounts of his work in our Gospels, hearing the words he spoke, sharing in the joy of the disciples and their despair on Good Friday. The Cross casts its shadow on the last days of Jesus’s life, and he is laid to rest in a tomb guarded by
soldiers.
Then Easter Day dawns, we see the empty tomb, and our Alleluias ring out,
“Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.”
Peter Millar expresses the wonder and mystery of the resurrection in his poem,
The Invitation of Easter:
And across our beautiful, evolving world,
another Easter dawns,
tenderly inviting us to ponder upon wider truths and alternative visions.
Truths of both heart and mind that find their roots
in the practicality of God.
Basic truths illumining our often uncertain journeys –
allowing us to reconnect with the energies of Christ:
that life does come from death;
that hate is not the final word;
that the broken continue to sing with joy;
that the trees and the mountains clap their hands;
that forgiveness resides in the heart of the human condition;
that love, with its multiple faces, remains our companion.
So Christ is risen!
Risen again in the midst of a broken world.
risen again so that we too may be a people of hope
who walk in the light of Christ,
restored by resurrection.
The month of March is full of the new growth of Spring:
may we find joy in the newness and promise of Easter
and the grace of Christ risen.
Every blessing
Catherine
The Minister’s Letter
Lent Bible Studies based on ’The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ will be held at
11am on each of four Wednesdays - 21st and 28th February and 7th and 14th March
in the Y@GS room. Everyone is welcome.
We extend a warm welcome to all our
members on 7th March at 2pm when our own
Joy Blair will be telling us about "Shetland" , while on
Wednesday 21st, also at 2pm it is a Guest Afternoon and
Nannette Pollock will come and talk about her
experiences in the Police Force. Nannette has appeared
recently on television and is a fine and accomplished
speaker. A date not to be missed!
The 'Martha Table' will be set on 7th March. See you
there! MR
Page 4
The Guild
The art club
The Art Club will mount a display
of new works in the Eglinton Hall
on Saturday, April 14th from 10
a.m. till 12.30p.m. Tea and
coffee will be available and everyone is welcome to
come along to view the range of works, all of which
are for sale. One third of sales will be donated to
charity.
GIFFNOCK UNITED REFORMED CHURCH NEWS
The lunchtime service is every Wednesday at
11.30am.
Lunchbite is on Wednesdays at 12.15pm. Come
sharp to avoid disappointment!
The Sunshine Cafe (Dementia Club) meets on
Thursdays from 11.30pm till 3pm.
If you are interested in a Friday afternoon walk in
Rouken Glen, meet at the car park beside the vets'
practice.
The lunchtime service is every Wednesday at
11.30am.
March Dates Fri 2nd 10.45am: Short Lenten Service
Tue 6th 12.30pm: Men’s Lunch at Babbo’s
Wed 8th 2pm: The Guild: Joy Blair
Fri 9th 10.45am: Short Lenten Service
6pm: Annual Curling Bonspiel
Sun 11th before & after the service: Fairtrade Stall
6.30pm Contemporary Evening Service
Tue 20th 6.30pm: Service at Eastwood Court
Wed 21st 2pm: The Guild: Nannette Pollock
7.30pm: Session Meeting
Tue 27th 12.30pm: Ladies’ Lunch at Babbo’s
Wed 28th 11.45:Sing Well:
Some April dates Sun 1st 2pm: Service at Mearnskirk
Wed 11th 2pm: The Guild: Tunnocks
Sat 14th 10am: The Art Club Annual Display
annual curling bonspiel
We will be holding our Annual
Curling Bonspiel at Greenacres
once again this year on Friday 9th
MARCH at 6pm, cost £11.70.
If you need any information,
whether you are a complete novice
or a regular on the ice, then please
speak to me anytime - Alan Smith
( 0141 887 4900).
I look forward to seeing you on the ice.
Alan [email protected]
The March Service at Eastwood Court Care Home is
on Tuesday 20th at 6.30pm. This will be our Easter
Service and will be led by our own minister, the Rev.
Catherine Beattie. As always, members of Giffnock
South and friends are welcome to join our informal
and varied 30minute act of worship. The residents
seem to enjoy our company. PC
Eastwood court care home
CrossReach Information
‘Groundbreaking’ Campus in Erskine
CrossReach has announced ambitious plans to open a ‘first class’ education campus. The new development in Erskine will provide a high standard of education for around 30 children, aged 8-16 years. The campus is being delivered by Portakabin Scotland and comprises of modular buildings, which will be built off-site and craned into position in April. CrossReach Chief Executive Viv Dickenson, who broke the ground at the site at Erskine Waterfront to formally start the building work said: “This is an exciting day for CrossReach as work commences on our new education campus. Our existing staff team and their pupils are looking forward to moving into bright, modern classrooms containing all the facilities they need to make it a first class learning environment for children, who for various reasons cannot live with their families.” Over the last four years, there has been a move away from CrossReach’s larger care and education provisions at Geilsland School in Beith and Ballikinrain School near Balfron to a model of smaller community houses, which will be clustered round a central education hub. CrossReach is leasing the ground from Renfrewshire Council and expects to take possession of the campus at the end of May. The existing education team and pupils will move from their current base in Ballikinrain to the Erskine site in August for the start of the new school year.
Friday, 2nd March at 7.30pm in the Eglinton Hall is the
date for the next District Social. Details to follow.
LIVERPOOLhas been chosen for the 2018 trip, on 22nd
to 25th April, staying at the Marriott Hotel and is now
fully booked. As the Terracotta Warriors from China are
on display, a slot has been booked for us at 3pm on the
Tuesday, at the World Museum which is a four-minute
walk from the hotel and as concessions we get a ticket
for £12 each. It takes about an hour to see and is fine
for wheelchairs and buggies. Please let Elaine know if
you would like her to book a ticket. Please pay her £12
cash in an envelope with your name on it.
On the 19th May at 2.30pm there will be a concert in
the church by the Christina Whyte Choir from Dublin
University. There will be a Plant Sale before and after
the concert. (Christine is the grand-daughter of Lissa
Whyte).
On the 20th May a Brunch is planned for Christian
Aid with the plant sale continuing and Fun & Games
for Children.
Another District Social is planned for Friday 1st June.
Sunday, 10th June, will be Presentation Sunday with
lunch in the Winton Hall in aid of the church charity.
A Family Ceilidh is planned for Saturday 6th October.
The Annual Quiz Night will take place on Saturday,
3rd. November.
2019 Church Outing will be to Durham on
29th April to 2nd May and will include visits
to Beamish Village and Hexham Cathedral.
Bridge Drive in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support
The Eastwood Committee are running a bridge drive in the Carmichael Hall on Monday 5 March 2018 1 for 1.30pm
Afternoon Tea and Raffle
£32 per table
Please contact Mary 07709096437
or [email protected] for tickets
Snow & Rain Causes Flooding Chaos Down Under
No we are not talking about Australia, where the temperatures
have reached 40 degrees C in Melbourne, but we are talking about
heating. With the snow melt and heavy rainfall of recent weeks,
despite being on top of a hill, the ground water table below the
church is at a record high which has resulted in flooding of the
boiler house. As always, the Fabric Group is prepared for any
eventuality and George Gilchrist was on hand with his pumping
equipment (and a happy smile) to save the day. (See Photo on
EGAP) The flooding is unprecedented in our memory. Fortunately,
the level of the water did not reach the boilers or the electrical
services. We have a pump available should there be recurrence of
flooding, until such times as we have a solution, if you will pardon
the pun.
For the technically minded, we have had to replace the set of
pumps which controls the heating to the Eglinton Hall. The existing
pump set was obsolete and could not be repaired, thus requiring a
replacement of the complete unit. (See EGAP)
Willie Dunbar, the Fabric Convener writes.... Page 5
Date 4 March 11 March 18 March 25 March
Welcome Teams Team 11 Team 12 Team 1 Team 2
Crèche Marjory Grimmond
Lisbeth Taylor
Linda Stevenson
Laura Amner Nicola Johnstone
Café Rota 1 Helen Black
Brenda Williams
Sylvia Miller
Marjory Grimmond
Myra Rao
Isabel McGregor
Marjory Grimmond
Anne Gilchrist
Café Rota 2 Myra Rao
Isabel McGregor
John Fitzgerald
Bill Steven
Morag Steven
Sandra Mitchell
Marjory Grimmond
Jeanette Wright
Eileen Crawford
Mora Kerr
Alison Campbell or
Elaine Crawford
Sheila Walker
Sunday School Cher Thomson
Maureen Couchlin
Diane Johnston
Kirsty Duncan
David Wilson
Tracy Todd
Fiona Devon
Michelle Grant
Flower Delivery Sheila Walker Ann Watters Jeanette Wright Ann Airey
Baptism: Suffer the little children to come unto me
On 11th February 2018 Dylan Michael Mackie.
Deaths: Well done thou good and faithful servant. Rest safe in the Lord
On 11th January 2018- Margaret Loudon
On 27th January 2018- Gwyndelene Wilson
Parish:
On 5th January 2018- Malcolm Dora
On 8th January 2018- Helen Marshall
On 10th January 2018 - George Milroy
Joining us: We extend a warm welcome to
On 10th January 2018- Jenny Laidlaw from Portland Troon.
On 10th January 2018- Pam Dow from Ward Chapel, Congregational
Church Dundee
Page 6 Parish Register
To ensure that we comply with the Data Protection Act, we will no longer publish
addresses in Sentinel. Anyone who requires further information about any of
the intimations above should contact the Church Office.
Duties
The Church of Scotland and Brexit How the Church, at home and abroad, is preparing for Britain’s exit from the European Union ‘There are just so many questions’: a Church elder based in Brussels talks about her concerns for the future in post-Brexit Europe A Divine Gift The Very Rev Dr James Simpson reflects on the benefits of humour Faith and Frankenstein The Rev David McCarthy reflects on the Christian messages of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, first published 200 years ago this year Not posturing, but justice Ron Ferguson considers the deeper messages of Lent Words Matter The Rt Rev Dr Derek Browning emphasises the importance of free speech and silence The End of the Road In the last of his series on people on the move in the Bible, the Rev Rich-ard Baxter asks whether a journey’s end is really a new beginning Climate change is a ‘moral issue’ A Zambian minister’s message to the developed world Handling the Holy Word The Very Rev Dr John Chalmers considers one of the sensitive touch-stones of Church life
If any of your personal details change please notify the Church
Office at:
4 Greenhill Avenue, Giffnock, Glasgow G46 6QX
or
Telephone 0141 638 2599
or
Email: [email protected]
MARCH ISSUE OUT NOW
GIFFNOCK SOUTH’S WINDOWS
Text by ES
The DUNDAS WINDOW is on the
north wall of the east transept and
was presented by Mrs Margaret
Dundas in memory of her husband,
Mr Alexander M Dundas and was
dedicated on 12th May 1991. It
depicts Christ as the Good Shepherd
caring for his flock. The designer was
Mr Brian Hutchieson.
Carolynn Malone, Service Manager at Abbeyfield writes…
Abbeyfield housing in Orchard Park Ave is a hub of activity these days
They have a regular art club that runs most Friday afternoons.
The group is open to people who enjoy the therapy of regular art sessions – if you want to give it a try give us a call on 0141 638 9925
There is no charge for participating in the art group but as a ‘not for profit’ organisation we welcome small donations to help purchase materials and equipment.
If you want to know more about living an active life where you have control of your support, give us a call to discuss the matter. We are happy to help .
Website www.Abbeyfield-scotland .com
Now is the time to buy
books etc. from the St
Andrew Press as they are
offering a 10% discount,
albeit for a limited period.
See advert. Below...
Page 7 See page 5 for details of the chance for those
going to Liverpool to see he exhibition of the
Terracotta Warriors
The children learn about Daniel and faith at Sunday
School and make lion face masks. See also below. Christmas Party time at Ekwendeni
Before
and after!
are pancakes
popular at
Williamwood
High school?
Answers on a
postcard.
Though the school was closed on
Pancake Tuesday , the pupils of
Williamwood High showed that
they still had an appetite for
pancakes on Wednesday .
See page 5 to find out what George Gilchrist was up to!
See page 5 to find out what this piece of kit is.
Pancakes were made by the ladies
of the congregations of the school
chaplains (pictured)
