-
However, it can be adifferent story elsewhere.We appreciate from
ourCompanion Link with theDiocese of Swazilandwhat a devastating
effectsocially and economicallythe HIV Aids pandemichas in parts of
Africa.Shorter life expectancy(now just 32 years), manyorphaned
children and few olderpeople distort every aspect offamily and
working life, which is atragedy for Swaziland which Ibelieve is
such a beautiful countrywith an eager people.
Culturalstigmatization hinders progress intackling the problem and
the
United Nations hassuggested that thepandemic threatens thevery
longer termexistence of the country.
It is unsurprising thenthat Bishop Ellinah madeit clear, both in
our Synodheld at Dundee Universityin October, and to meand Bishop
Alan meeting
afterwards, that HIV Aids is herkey urgent concern and one
whichwe can support in prayerful andpractical ways. She has
explainedthat current funding from TrinityChurch in New York for
herdiocesan HIV Aids programme islikely to end soon. Bishop
Ellinah
sees the initiative, based at theDiocesan Centre in Mbabane
(andwhich Anne and I and Pat Millarvisited a year ago), as an
effectiveway of serving all Swazi peopleand a real mission
opportunity.
Here in the Brechin Diocese Iam sure we would wish to supporther
initiative and I will be askingBishop Ellinah to indicate howhelp
might be best given. It willcertainly involve money, possiblywith
Iowa and Brechin coveringaspects of the Aids budget, e.g.staff,
resources. Having said that,we all heard Bishop Ellinah’shumbling
comment at Synod: thatmoney without friendship has anemptiness
about it.
I hope that congregations in ourdiocese will rise to the
challenge,especially those who haveperhaps not been much
involvedwith the Companionship in thepast. Some existing projects
andsponsorships from BrechinDiocese to Swaziland willcontinue, but
some may need toend because the originalcircumstances which
occasionedlocal links have now changed.Bishop Ellinah’s fresh
challenge isa timely Red Ribbon Opportunity.
1
GRAPEVINENo 102 Winter 2013
THE MAGAZINE OF THE DIOCESE OF BRECHIN
The Bishop of Brechin writes:
A Red Ribbon OpportunityRed Ribbons remind us that 1st December
is World Aids
Day and Getting to Zero is this year’s theme. Over 25
millionpeople have died of Aids since 1981, the most
destructiveepidemic in history. HIV positivity is in decline and
fewerpeople die directly of HIV Aids in the UK nowadays, such isthe
level of personal and relational awareness, promptmedical
intervention and the availability of anti-retroviral drugtherapies.
Waverley Care is Scotland’s leading charityproviding care in this
field and last year our Cathedral inDundee hosted a large event on
1 December. Many peoplewith a diagnosis can now live and work
within a normal lifeexpectancy.
Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One,
And the earth offers a cave to the Unapproachable One!
Angels with shepherds glorify Him!
The wise men journey with a star!
Since for our sake the Eternal God was born as a Little
Child!
Kontakion for Christmas, Roman the Melodist
-
It is good to report that the FoodCupboard is running to the
familiartime-table: Sunday afternoon forjust one hour between 1.15
and2.15 p.m. In that time we offerfood to on an average about 60
ofour local needy and vulnerablefriends each week.
There is a splendid team ofhelpers about 36 strong,
allenthusiastic and bringing so manytalents from varied
backgrounds.We need fourteen helpers eachweek to operate
satisfactorily.
The range of food has extendedthanks to a new helper who
bringstwo pots of home-made soup eachweek and another new helper
hasmade contact with a local bakerand gleans large quantities
ofrolls, usually some pies and oncein a while a quantity of
‘stickybuns’. A variety of savoury thingslike sausage rolls, mini
pork pies,sausage and so on appear as if bymagic. This development
wasencouraged by one young malehelper who, sadly for us, moved toa
job in Glenrothes, but hisencouragement to put moreemphasis on
un-sweet items haslingered. Also an increasedamount of fresh fruit
is provided.This does not take away from allthe scrumptious home
baking kindfriends produce which issupplemented by bought
goodieswhich someone brings from theastonishing ‘Day After’ shop
andelsewhere. Tea and coffee areserved by the gallon, along
withsoft drinks.
Visitors are always welcome(just let us know you are
coming!),invariably visitors slip into helpermode as soon they
sense theatmosphere. Interestingly thefrequent comments I hear
theregular helpers make is either, “Ilove coming” or “It is a
privilege tobe able to help”.
Those to whom we seek extendour love bring all their
distressingproblems. Problems with relation-ships, addiction, money
difficulties,health issues, housing, unem-ployment, post-traumatic
stress –
there is always a listening ear, aspace, a safe place in which
tounburden. It is a time when theycan chat with friends from
theirown environments but lots of themenjoy chatting with helpers
about avast number of topics totallyunrelated to their
immediateproblems and difficulties – helps tospread fields of
interest. Thesense of fellowship, companion-ship, warmth, is
heartening.
None of this would be possiblewithout our team of superbhelpers
to whom we have recentlywelcomed three new, youngmembers. Our age
range,background range continues towiden all of which adds to
thestrength of the whole.
The lighting of candles andoffering of prayer has become
aregular or occasional practice forsome. The Rector’s prayerrequest
slips are popular and thechurch’s prayer list has
grownmarkedly.
With regard to the Food Bags,of course each of our visitors
isgiven one of these which containsa modest number of tins, a
litrecarton of UHT milk and a packet ifbiscuits. During the
HarvestThanksgiving period donationsdramatically increased.
NineEpiscopal churches, three Churchof Scotland churches
madecontributions.
Two local primary schools,Dens Road and Mill o’ Mains, alsomade
donations, thanks to thegood offices of two of our
Coldsidecolleagues. It is fascinating thatwe have been able to
re-connectwith Dens Road School in this waysince St Salvador’s own
school(founded by Alexander PenroseForbes in 1856) was housed in
theoriginal ‘church in the upper room,school downstairs’ building
on thesouth side of the later Bodleymasterpiece which was
con-secrated in 1874, the year beforeBishop Forbes died.
In the early nineteen hundredsseveral state of the art (at
thetime) schools were built to
educate the increased number ofchildren. When Dens RoadPrimary
School opened its doorsthe children from our school wereshipped off
there. What atremendous adjustment thechildren must have had to
make:the transition from a small buildingwith many youngsters
packed intoa small space, like the proverbialsardines, to the high
ceilings andbig windows and space to movearound. Progress on a
scale whichwould have warmed BishopForbes’ heart.
Dundee City Council is printinga new version of a leaflet
providinginformation about availableservices and we expect to
receivecopies for distribution very soon.On one side there is an
updatedlist of all sources of free food andon the other a list of
the mostimportant help lines plus a usefullittle street plan.
Please continue to pray for usand our beloved ones; prayer is
avital element of our supportsystem. Thank you.
Ann Noltie
2
St Salvador’s Food CupboardUpdate
WORD-CROSS WINNER(the original name for a crossword)
The lucky (and clever)winner(s) of last edition’s
crypticcrossword are Mr & MrsHughes of Tayport.
Congratul-ations to them!
The solution was:
There is another one to solveon page 11. Best of luck!
-
A review of a book with thistitle in Grapevine is quite
timely:only this autumn a group of usfrom the Diocese of Brechin
paid avisit to the Central Mosque inDundee. Among other things,
thegroup met with two imams(worship leaders) and were invitedguests
at a prayer service.
No one who has attended sucha service can doubt the sincerityand
commitment of those whoparticipate. The self-imposeddiscipline that
this form of worshipentails is both remarkable andimpressive
(though liberal-mindedAnglicans might balk at the idea ofmen and
women being required toworship separately!).
At the same time it is hard toreconcile this peaceful scene
withthe violence that is so oftenassociated with Muslim extremism–
i.e. those who push the Jihad(‘struggle’) idea to the limit.
Onething to keep in mind here is thefact that the vast majority
ofMuslims say they do not sanctionacts of violence, even if such
actsare justified by the perpetuators onsupposed Islamic grounds.
InBritain, for example, an opinionsurvey conducted among
Muslimsafter the July 2008 (“7/7”)Jihadist-inspired bombings
incentral London revealed that avast majority (88% of
therespondents) did not support suchcriminal behaviour.
In spite of these kinds ofdisclaimers, British societyappears to
have become morepolarized in the wake of suchevents: while there
are those whomeet and work amicably withMuslims, there are others
who,following 9/11 and 7/7, are totallyopposed to the Muslim
religion,culture and people.
For their part, Muslims oftenfeel marginalized in British
society.Their living standards tend to below and relatively few of
thewomen work. Since the growth ofIslam in Britain is largely the
resultof immigration, Muslims may alsobe subjected to
insultingbehaviour from those who areopposed to the
multiculturalismthat is a hallmark of contemporaryBritain.
Clearly there is a need forcommunication and dialogue
withMuslims. And surely Christians,who share the same
Abrahamicroots, can be of assistance here.How? Well, according to
MeetingMuslims, and as the title suggests,much good can come from
asimple willingness to meet and getto know some of
ourco-religionists.
The book was designed toencourage people to experiencethat
“simple willingness” and put it
into practice in some way – bybefriending a Muslim neighbour,for
example. The book is sensiblyorganized and there are usefulchapters
on The Life of theProphet Muhammad, MuslimBeliefs and the vexed
question ofShias and Sunnis.
Clearly there are those withinthe Church who are doing whatthey
can to relate to Muslims.Hopefully there will be more of thisto
come.
In the meantime, MeetingMuslims does seem to fill a
realneed.
Speaking personally, I cameaway from the Central Mosque inDundee
convinced that Islam washere to stay. I also recalled thiscomment
from Eliza Griswold:“Religions, like the weather, linkus to one
another, whether we likeit or not.”
Hugh Magee
Copies can be ordered directlyfrom the publisher,
ChristiansAware, for £10:
Christians Aware2 Saxby StreetLEICESTER
LE2 0NDIt is also listed on Amazon’s
website.
3
‘Meeting Muslims’
This imposing building is the largest of Dundee’s three mosques.
It was builtin 2000 at a cost of £2,000,000, all raised from local
sources. It can
accommodate a thousand worshippers at a time.
-
A few weeks ago it fell to my lotto deliver an address on
thereading from Luke 11 where thedisciples asked ‘Lord, teach ushow
to pray’. The ‘hook’ orintroduction I used was a storyfrom the
Rabbi Mark collection byDavid Kossof, where the rabbiwas having
difficulty getting hiscommunity to pray – they alwaysseemed to
leave it to him. This ledme into a general discussionabout prayer,
but the point I reallywanted to make is that God doesanswer prayer.
And, yes, it’salright to ask for help with materialthings.
This was how it happened forus at St James, Stonehaven. Youmay
have read an article in theSpring edition of this magazineabout the
BBC’s visit to record andbroadcast their programme. At thetime the
church was in somethingof a state of disarray, because wewere
having major work done toprevent the total collapse of ourroof – at
least that is what we werefacing.
In February it was noticed thatwe had large mushroom-likegrowths
in the timbers, and urgenthelp was sought. As we feared,dry-rot.
The plasterwork of ourchurch was of the ‘lath andplaster’ variety,
so depended on
wooden laths, as well as the rooftimbers that kept the lid on
thechurch, as it were.
Our Buildings Convenor and ourFinance bod (Laura Christie
andPeter Sharpe respectively) soughtsuitable builders and
quotations,and then went about seekingfunding. £20,000 plus was
whatwe had to raise as ourcontribution. And this at a timewhen we
had just contracted forwork on our kitchen in the Hall.So, yes, we
prayed. Now it couldbe that some folks thought Godwould send us a
win on theLottery, or some kindly-disposedsoul would conveniently
shuffle offthis mortal coil and bequeath us atidy sum. It didn’t
work that way.What did happen was ...
Teams of members – many ofthem in their 60s and 70s – set towith
the moving of the largeVictorian pews from one side tothe other, in
order to facilitate thescaffolding. We held worship inthe Hall,
which meant lugging theliturgical goods across eachSunday and
Wednesday. Teamsof people again! Setting up amake-shift altar and
rows of chairseach service. And a local super-market lent us a
brand-new trolleyfor the said moving.
Then there was the
fund-raising. Book browses, coffeemornings, evening events such
asa Body Shop evening, and acombined craft and art display andsale
with book stall – and awonderful display of quilting in ourchurch,
when every pew wasdraped with the myriad colours ofthe textile
artwork of our Patchand Pud club – all these sorts ofthings, each
raising a few hundredpounds – but eventually reachingtowards the –
what seemed to be– almost impossible target. We arenearly
there.
And, coming soon, a cheeseand wine-tasting evening
inNovember.
I was reminded of the oldsaying ‘Many a mickle makes amuckle’
(please forgive me if Ihave it slightly wrong*). But thispulling
together, everyone doingtheir bit, all in response to theprayers of
the congregations anda demonstration of the power ofprayer – if we
give it a chance.
Anne Geldart
* Though often heard, this phrase isactually nonsense, since the
words‘mickle’ and ‘muckle’ are variantspellings of the same word
meaning‘a large quantity’. More correctly itshould be ‘Many a
little (or pickle)makes a muckle’. Ed.
4
Many a mickle … the power of prayer
Baptism at Montrose
William Duncan Stansfeld, son of Nicholas andAnnabel Stansfeld,
was baptised by Bishop Nigel, assistedby Bishop Ellinah on Sunday,
20 October.
The baby is the grandchild of Jonny and Ros Stansfeldof
Dunninald, and Jonny was himself baptised in St Maryand St Peter's
at Montrose.
James Gregory LecturesThe series of public lectures on Science
and
Christianity at St Andrews University have
recentlyrecommenced.
The next one will be given by
Professor Edmund Robertsonon
Monday, 2 December at 5.15 p.m.in the
Physics Main Lecture Theatre of the UniversityThe lecture is
entitled
James Gregory: an Extraordinary ScientistEntrance is free
Two further James Gregory lectures have beenbooked, one by Tom
Wright, former Bishop of Durhamand the other by Professor Mark
Harris, a biologist atLeeds University. Other lecturers will
include RowanWilliams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, andRonald
Numbers, an American historian of science.
-
Archdeacon Bhekindlela McDonald Magongo of theDiocese of
Swaziland stayed on in our diocese formore than a fortnight after
the Celebration Synod,whilst Bishops Ellinah and Alan left for the
USA.
On 31 October he spent the daytime at Montrose,visiting the
Seafarers’ Centre and the Lifeboat Station.Since Swaziland is a
land-locked country, bordered bySouth Africa and Mozambique this
was somethingtotally different for him to experience: a maritime
town,where the churches offered their services to seafarerswho may
themselves be thousands of miles fromhome, and the essential work
the lifeboat servicedoes.
In the evening, by the kind invitation of theheadmastr of
Lathallan School, there was a socialevent in Archdeacon Bheki’s
honour. The eveningincluded musical performances by some of
thestudents at Lathallan, including a welcome to guestsby two of
the young pipers from the school’s pipeband. Archdeacon Bheki was
thrilled at the effort putin by the young people, and said, ‘It was
such asurprise to be greeted at the door of the school by
thebagpipes. I felt very honoured by this gesture, and byall the
musical performances. The young people arevery talented.’
In a very personal talk about his own familybackground and
experiences growing up and living inSwaziland Archdeacon Bheki
spoke about the socialand demographic problems of his country and
thecontribution that the church makes to its life.Compared to
Scotland, which has an agingpopulation, almost 60% of the Swazi
population areunder 25, because of the effect of HIV/AIDS.
TheDiocese of Swaziland is heavily engaged in providingbasic health
and social care, because the kind ofeducation, health and social
work services that areprovided in Britain do not exist in his
country. Alongwith the Diocesan Office he is responsible
foroverseeing the work of the Neighbourhood CarePoints. These
provide the poorest children with abasic meal, some care and
safety. They also managethe Home Based Care Teams which look after
thosewho are terminally ill and are at home with little or
nosupport.
5
ArchdeaconBhekiatLathallan
Archdeacon Bheki with some of Lathallan’s musicians
Prayer of a Confused Man
And as I light a candle to pray My daily prayer for the World, I
cry, I cry to myself silently.
Lost and confused, no Saint am I, No theologian, no brilliant
mind, Only being simple and ordinary.
Dear God, Sweet Jesu, I come to you As a child, though adult I
be.
Forgive me,If I don't understand your ways
Through ignorance, not understanding What I should know;
But in my heart of heartsI know you love me still.
Remembering what Jesus did say, "Feed my Sheep" –
And still how many starve,Man, Woman, Child,
In this World that has so much – What can I pray, what can I
say?
Also to love my fellow man,And to have forgiveness,
Oh Lord, I try,Though confused at what they do –
So much wickedness and evil as I see.But still, Oh Lord, Sweet
Jesus, I believe in Thee.
So with humility and honesty I sing to thee Benedicite Omnia
Opera,
The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis,And recite the Lord's
Prayer.
Oh Lord, not only for me,But your worldly World,Grant that we
may learn
Respect and unity.
Francis Wilsonfrom A Small Anthology of Poetry
sold in aid of the children ofSt Mary’s & St Peter’s,
Montrose Sunday Club
-
I have to admit that usuallydiocesan synods are a little dryand
dull apart from the chatbetween business. Thecompanion diocesan
synod held inDundee in October was neither ofthese. It was a
celebration of ourlinks with the dioceses of Iowaand Swaziland and
was anuplifting and inspiring day. BishopAlan Scarfe (Iowa) and
BishopEllinah Wamukoya (Swaziland)were both at the synod and
gavemoving talks on the challengesand opportunities they face in
theirrespective dioceses.
It was entirelyappropriate that westarted the day with
theEucharist as the wordcompanion is from theLatin com (with)
andpanis (bread). BishopNigel gave the homily(the full text is on
theopposite page) in whichhe used the phraseglocal to describe
therelationship between thethree dioceses. Whilstwe are in regular
contactthrough the use ofmodern technology thereis no substitute
formeeting face to face andworshipping together.Christian mission
isdifficult but it is made easier withsupport from our companions.
Weare all in this together and havethe same message to share.
One piece of Synod businessshould be noted; the diocese
iscurrently seeking a Protection ofVulnerable Groups Officer. It
isvery important that this post isfilled.
In November 2012 Bishop Nigelposed 5 questions relating tochurch
growth to each of thecongregations in the diocese.Every church
responded andCanon Fay Lamont and AnnJohnston (Diocesan
Secretary)spent a considerable amount oftime compiling the answers.
Theresponses have been categorisedinto the following groups:
Persuasion (building effectivedisciples and congregations)
andPrayer; Proclamation andPresence; and, Resources andPlans for
2013.
A copy of the report TheGrowing Church has been sent toeach
vestry secretary in thediocese. We are encouraged totake time to
review the documentand see how appropriate it is toour church. I
would encourage youall to look at document; it is notjust the
responsibility of the Rectorand vestry to think about growth it
is yours too. We all have differentskills; let’s use them
wiselytogether across the diocese.
Canon Lamont gave anexcellent illustration to
instigatediscussion on The GrowingChurch Report. Imagine, she
said,your church has 12 eggs and 4baskets with the
labelsPersuasion, Prayer, Presence andProclamation. Where are
yourchurch’s eggs now and where doyou think they should be? Howmany
might get broken on theway? Are all your eggs in onebasket?
Bishop Alan explained that oneof the main challenges is
thedemographics of his diocese; it isenormous. However, we must
notget caught up in the tackle offishing but actually get on with
it.
Often we focus too much of ourenergy on our buildings ratherthan
the church beyond our walls.I would recommend that you havea look
at the Diocese of Iowawebsite (http://www.iowaepiscopal.org)which
has a lot of informationentirely relevant to us in Brechin.
Bishop Ellinah also outlinedsome of the challenges in
herdiocese; 69% of the population isunder 25 and one third of
thepopulation is unemployed. Thereare many challenges in thediocese
but through direction not
interference (“Youcan’t dance and beatthe drum”) BishopEllinah
will rejuvenatethe diocese.
Archdeacon Bhekialso spoke. Church inSwaziland is not ahobby but
a spacewhich brings hope inpeople’s lives. He alsoexplained the
dif-ference between apartnership and com-panionship; the latteris
rooted in love andhas no expectations:“We are here for you”.A very
heartening andsupportive message.
The day wascompleted with Choral Evensongin the Cathedral and
theinstallation of Bishop Ellinah andthe Rev’d Michael Turner
ashonorary canons.
Stuart Muir (Pastoral Musicianat the Cathedral) had chosen
anexcellent selection of musicentirely appropriate for the
day.African music and words arrangedby the Iona Community which
onecould not help but sway to.
These are just my observationsfrom the day; for a
fullerdescription I would recommendyou look at the Diocese of
Brechinwebsite (www.thedioceseofbrechin.org).Also, there are
regular articles onour activities in Swaziland on theGroups page of
the site.
Karen Findlay6
Companion Dioceses Celebration SynodReport
Administration of Holy Communion at the Synod’s
OpeningEucharist
-
“The harvest is plenty but thelabourers are few” (Luke
10.2).“Come over and help us” (Acts6.9). The disciples are sent out
inpairs to proclaim that the Kingdomof God has come near. The
EarlyChurch grew as the good news ofJesus Christ travelled with
thefaithful by land and sea. St Luke’sGospel and Acts of the
Apostles isa record of that story from the oldcovenant to the
new.
Luke the Evangelist is a masterof combining the personal with
thecontextual and conveyingtheological meaning. So howappropriate
are St Luke’s wordsfor us here in Dundee today as wewelcome Bishops
Ellinah and Alanand Archdeacon Bheki, andcelebrate our 21st
centuryrelationships as the CompanionDioceses of Brechin, Iowa
andSwaziland. Enduring friendshipsover many years as part of
theworldwide Anglican Communion.Brechin with Iowa since 1982,
andthe two of us with Swaziland since1989.
Today the global and the localcome together. It is a
‘glocal’event. We have our mobilephones and the internet, but
thereis no substitute for meeting face toface and experiencing
first hand.The personal, contextual andtheological converge in a
powerfulway. We know how toughChristian mission and service is
inour dioceses and regions – weoften feel that not only are
there
inadequate workers or resources,but we are not too optimistic
aboutthe harvest either.
And yet we must press on. Acompanion literally is someonewho
shows another where breadmay be found. ‘Come over andhelp us’ is
the mission andministry covenant we share asdioceses. We want to
inspire eachother, and to assist each other,and we are in it for
the long-term.Because of our ecclesial andcultural differences
across threecontinents, graciousness andpatience, sensitivity and
trust areparamount. Only then do we earnthe right to say prophetic
things toeach other.
I sometimes think we learn asmuch by welcoming visitors to
ourcountry (as opposed to visitingoverseas) and listening
attentivelyto their questions and politecritique of what they
experiencehere.
I hope we might achievesomething of this at our Synodand in the
coming days before+Ellinah travels on with +Alan tothe Iowa
Convention. We certainlylook forward to ArchdeaconBheki’s longer
time in this diocese,during which a lot of sharing andlearning is
anticipated. We havetried to enable as many folk aspossible in the
diocese meet ourcompanions in the time available.
In our Synod today, following asmall amount of diocesan
housekeeping business, we shallengage across the Compan-ionship
with several questions:what are the opportunities andchallenges in
each diocese, whathelp does each of us need, andwhat gifts can we
offer eachother? Maybe we need to stopsome things, try different
things, orexpand others. Everyone canponder these questions and
offerideas, not just at Synod, but backin your churches and among
yourcircle of friends and contacts. Asour Scottish Episcopal
Churchcommunications officer is alwaysreinforcing, the Who?
What?Why? When? and Where? ofcompanionship needs populatingout if
our good news is tocommend itself.
We begin our Synod withbread-sharing around the Lord’stable here
in the University ofDundee Chaplaincy Centre andconclude the Synod
with ChoralEvensong and the Installation ofHonorary Canons in
ourCathedral, followed by customaryrefreshments. My hope is
thateveryone will gain insights andfresh encouragement
andconfidence from the day, leavingwith a glad heart for being part
ofsomething bigger than ourselves.Christian discipleship is a
pilgrimjourney. We are companions onthe way, and under God a work
inprogress.
Come over and help us. Amen.
7
Companion Dioceses Celebration SynodThe Bishop Nigel’s Address
at the Eucharist
“Come over and help us”
Bishops Alan Scarfe, Nigel Peyton and Ellinah Wakumoya The newly
installed Honorary Canons with Bishop Nigel
-
Probably all that most peopleknow about Wenceslas comesfrom the
carol written by J. M.Neale in 1853, but of course thereis much
more.
Wenceslas was born in 997near to Prague. His
grandfather,Borivoy, ruler of Bohemia, and hisgrandmother, Ludmila,
had beenbaptised but that did not mean thatthis was followed by
theconversion of all their subjects.Indeed there was
strongopposition from many of thepowerful Czech families.
From before 800 A.D. GreatMoravia had emerged as a aunified
state of Slavic peoples, butby the very beginning of the
10thcentury it had collapsed and therewere frequent conflicts and
incur-sions between Slavs, Magyars,Bohemians and Franks. This
wasthe political and social context inwhich Wenceslaus grew up.
Duke Borivoy’s son, Vratislav,became governor of Bohemia in915.
He had earlier marriedDrohomira from a Slavic tribe. Shehad been
baptised prior to themarriage, but it seems likely thatthis was
just a formality. She boretwo sons, Wenceslaus andBoleslaus.
In 921, when Wenceslaus wasjust 13 years old his father
diedfighting against the Magyars. Hismother assumed government
andbegan pursuing an anti-Christianpolicy, most likely to gain
supportfrom the semi-pagan elements ofthe nobility. She strongly
resentedthe fervent Christian influence thatLudmila had over her
son andsuggested that Wenceslaus wasmore suited to a monastic life
thantaking the throne.
But Ludmila, afflicted at thepublic disorder and full of
concernfor promoting the Christian faithwhich she and her husband
hadestablished with great difficulty,showed Wenceslaus the
necessityof taking the reins of governmentinto his own hands.
Furious about losing influenceon her son Drahomira arrangedfor
two nobles to go to Ludmila’scastle at Tetin and there strangle
her. If she thought that without hisgrandmother’s guidance
Wen-ceslaus would not undertake thegovernment of his people she
wassorely mistaken and in 925, withthe support of many
leadingfamilies, Drahomira was exiledand Wenceslaus proclaimed
ruler.
He straightway announced thathe would support God's law andhis
Church, punish murderseverely, and endeavour to rulewith justice
and mercy.
Writing less than 200 later onechronicler stated: “His deeds
Ithink you know better than I couldtell you; for, as is read in
hisPassion, no one doubts that, risingevery night from his noble
bed,with bare feet and only onechamberlain, he went around toGod’s
churches and gave almsgenerously to widows, orphans,those in prison
and afflicted byevery difficulty, so much so that hewas considered,
not a prince, butthe father of all the wretched.”Although this may
be anembellished account, Wenceslausundoubtedly demonstrated
strongcompassion as well as stronggovernance.
Early in 929 Prague wasattacked by the joint forces of
theBavarian and German leaders andWenceslaus was forced to
resumepaying tribute and to acknowledgeKing Henry I of Germany as
hisoverlord. Much to the surprise ofmany of the attending princes
thatWenceslaus was giving offence toHenry by keeping him waiting
–probably he was saying hisprayers – Henry respected hisdevotion
and granted his requestfor a relic of St Vitus which wouldbe
enshrined in a churchWenceslaus intended to have builtin Prague. St
Vitus’ Church wassoon to become his own finalresting place.
When Wenceslaus married andhad a son, his brother
Boleslausrealised that his chance ofsuccession had gone. Andbecause
of Wenceslaus’ policy ofaccepting Henry as his over-lord,and the
severity with which hechecked oppression and other
disorders in the nobility, he raiseda party against him. In
September935 (although some old recordsput it a few years
earlier)Boleslaus with a group of noblesplotted to kill the duke.
He invitedWenceslaus to his castle tocelebrate the feast of St
Cosmasand Damian.
On the evening of the festival,after the celebrations were
over,Wenceslaus was warned he wasin danger. He refused to take
anynotice. He proposed to theassembly in the hall a toast inhonour
of "St Michael, whom wepray to guide us to peace andeternal joy",
said his prayers, andwent to bed. Early the nextmorning, as
Wenceslaus made hisway to Mass, he met Boleslausand stopped to
thank him for hishospitality. "Yesterday", was thereply, "I did my
best to serve youfittingly, but this must be myservice to-day", and
he struck him.In the ensuring struggle friends ofBoleslaus ran up
and killedWenceslaus, who murmured ashe fell at the chapel door,
"Brother, may God forgive you ".
At once the young prince wasacclaimed by the people as amartyr,
and at least by the year984 his feast was being observed.Boleslaus,
frightened at thereputation of many miracleswrought at his
brother's tomb,caused the body to be translatedto the church of St
Vitus at Praguethree years after his death. Theshrine became a
place ofpilgrimage, and at the beginning ofthe eleventh century
StWenceslaus was already regardedas the patron saint of theBohemian
people.
POSTSCRIPT:Neale’s familiar carol perhaps
reflects as much the emotionalpiety of the Victorian period as
thereality of Wenceslaus’ faith. He sethis poem (described by some
as‘doggerel’) to a Finnish dance tunewhich had verses for
springtime.This annoyed various musicians,including Vaughan
Williams, whohoped “that it would pass intodisuse.” How wrong can
you be!
8
THE REAL SAINT WENCESLAUS
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Magnificat of AcceptanceMy soul trembles in the presence of the
loving Creatorand my spirit prepares itself to walk hand in
handwith the God who saves Israelbecause I have been accepted by
Godas a simple helpmate.Yes, forever in the life of humankindpeople
will sing of this loving encounter;through remembering this moment,
the faithfulwill know all things are possible in God.Holy is the
place within me where God lives.God’s tender fingers reach out from
age to ageto touch the softened inner spaces of thosewho open their
souls in hope. I have experienced the creative power of God’s
embracing armsand I know the cleansing fire of unconditional love.I
am freed from all earthly authorityand know my bonding to the
Author of all earthly things.
I am filled with the news of good things;my favour with
God,faithful trust in the gentle shadow of the Most High,the
mystery or my son, Jesus,the gift of companionship with my beloved
kinswoman,Elizabeth. who believes as I believe.The place in my
heart that I had filledwith thoughts of fear and inadequacyhas been
emptied and I am quiet within.God comes to save Israel, our holy
family,remembering that we are the ones who remember,according to
the kinship we have known...remembering that we are the ones who
rememberand that where God and people trust each otherthere is
home.
Mary Johnson
International Peace DayMembers of churches from Brechin and
Edzell
gathered for a service at the Peace Pole in thegrounds of
Brechin Cathedral on Sunday, 22September to celebrate the
International Day ofPrayer for World Peace. The service was led
byFather David Mumford from St Andrew's EpiscopalChurch and
national convener of the Fellowship ofReconciliation, Scotland.
Prayers were said that conflicts could be resolvedwithout
resorting to violence, particularly Syria. Nineout of ten deaths in
modern armed conflict are civilianand half of these are children.
Innocent victims of warand those forced to become refugees were
especiallymentioned in the intercessions.
9
A New ReadThe Rev’d David Shepherd has published a
new book entitled "Jemima: Against theWorld".
This is a story set during the Second WorldWar. Jemima is a
difficult but somewhatendearing evacuee, who is sent to stay with
ayoung couple who work at Bletchley Park.Incorporating Jemima into
their lives has veryunexpected results!
This book would make an ideal Christmaspresent. The price is £4
for one book, £10 forthree books, and if you are lucky enough
tohave more than three friends £15 for fivebooks! Copies are
available from MeadowsidePublications, 14 Albany Terrace, Dundee,
DD36HR. Telephone 01382 223510.
The Rev’d David Mumford, Morag Dale, Philip Potter,Kay Potter,
Gill McKnight, Beryl White and Doug White
-
So often Christian Aid and otherlarge charitable bodies come
toour notice when some crisis ordisaster has struck and there is
acall for donations. But only about5% of Christian Aid’s income
ofover £95 million went onemergency relief. Most was spenton a very
wide and positive rangeof projects across the globe as itsannual
report reveals.
Here are just four examples.Land rights for
marginalisedgroups
The Dalit communities in Indiaare historically denied land
andthe means to make a dignifiedliving due to
deep-rootedcaste-based discrimination. InAndhra Pradesh in
2012/13,Christian Aid’s partner WatershedSupport Services and
ActivitiesNetwork helped 2,250 households
get more than 50 days of paidwork and helped 137 peoplesecure
entitlements to land.Maternal and child health
In Kenya, more than 99,500women and children benefitedfrom vital
maternal and infanthealthcare in 2012/13. Theyreceived lifesaving
servicesincluding the skilled support of ahealth professional
duringchildbirth, ante- and post-natalcare, immunisation and advice
onnutrition.Malaria
Malaria kills 600,000 people inAfrica every year, and yet it can
beprevented with something assimple and inexpensive as amosquito
net. Our partners acrossAfrica – where 90 per cent of theworld’s
malaria deaths occur – areworking hard to educate people
about the importance of using abed net. In Nigeria’s Benue
state,for example, research shows theeducation campaign is paying
off.Of the households who own nets,57 per cent were using them
in2012, compared with just 29 percent in 2011. Similar trends
arebeing seen in Burundi, Malawi andEthiopia, contributing to a
fall ofmore than 33 per cent in thenumber of people dying
frommalaria in Africa since 2000.
Equality for women: noexceptions
In Cambodia, Christian Aid'spartner Cambodian Women’sCrisis
Centre provided support in2012/13 to approximately 1,500women and
girls who have livedthrough severe physical or sexualviolence,
trafficking and otherforms of abuse.
10
Christian Aid Reports
On Saturday, 21 September (St Matthew’s Day)Kerry Dixon was
ordained to the Order of Deacons.Whilst serving as
HonoraryAssistant Curate to StMary’s, Arbroath he willhave special
responsibilityfor St Luke’s, Downfield,Dundee and also beDiocesan
Missioner.
In his homily NevilleWillerton (National Opera-tions Manager of
theChurch Army) madereference to the challengeswhich face the
Church. Fiveyears ago he was given thetask of developing
freshexpressions of the Christiancommunity that the ChurchArmy s
pioneering to reachpeople not engaged withthe traditional modes
ofChurch life. In his manyyears as an Evangelist inthe Church Army
he hasknown and admired Kerry’swork also as a ChurchArmy Evangelist
for the past 26 years.
His work of living out the faith has been
particularlyexemplified in the work of Signpost International.
Inresponse to his experience 20 years ago in living in ashanty town
in the Philippines, surrounded by poverty,
malnutrition, disease and death, Kerry sought to dosomething to
help and from small beginnings Signpost
International was born andhas developed with apresence in
communitiesnot only in the Philippines,but also in countries
inSouth America, EasternEurope, Africa and India;everywhere seeking
to helpcommunities developsolutions to their ownneeds.
Also present at theOrdination Service wasCatherine
Wellingbrook-Doswell who was honouredwith an OBE for serving
theadministration of justice innorth-east London and whowas for 10
years Chair ofthe Trustees of SignpostInternational.
Of course, communitieswhich experience depriv-ation do not exist
only in
other parts of the world; they are in our land also. SoKerry’s
skill and dedication to establishing Christiancommunities to
eliminate violence, poverty andinjustice are indeed the core of the
call to be a deacon– to be a servant to God’s will. The kingdom of
God isthe establishing of shalom, wholeness, true peace.
Ordination of Kerry Dixon
Kerry Dixon and Bishop Nigel with, on the left,Catherine
Wellingbrook-Doswell, and on the right,
Neville Willerton
-
“Now, that’s what I call the Wowfactor,” was the reaction of
theRector, Maggie Jackson, as shecame into the church Saturday,
4October to see the exhibition ofquilting put on by The Patch
andPud Club from the Churchassisted by theJohnshaven
PatchworkGroup.
Over 100 handmadequilts filled the wholechurch with colour
anddesign. The brightautumn sunlight filteredthrough the
churchwindows on to quilts,which were laid out overall the pews and
thechoir stalls. In additionthere were over 50other quilted
items
decorating all the fixtures in thechurch.
There was a steady stream ofvisitors throughout the day to
seethe spectacle. They also had achance to win a quilt in a
raffle,which raised well over £400 for
the Church Roof Fund. The rafflewas drawn at the end of the
day,and the winner was a lady fromNewtonhill and a great
supporterof the church. She was thrilled towin.
The quilts were the result ofover two years of effort.The
sources ofinspiration ranged from‘a strip quilt challenge’where
members eachcontributed a strip toeach quilt, a child’s
quiltfeaturing spacemen, tothe celebration of aRuby Wedding.
Alsodisplayed was theSeminole quilt, whichwas one of the
quiltscompleted for theHampden ParkAlzheimer Challenge.
11
Cryptic Prize CrosswordJust to help you, eleven answers are
words found in the carol ‘Once in royal David’s city’. Send your
entries in to the editor at theaddress on the back page by
Saturday, 1 March at the latest and make sure you put your name and
address in the box provided.
CLUES ACROSS: 5 An intelligent lemming
hides the bluebottle larva(6)
8 Without hydrogen wealthmay evaporate (4-4)
9 Somehow ten trap thismodel (7)
10 What the devil did! (5)
11 Zealously sent early (9)13 Almost boiling a couple of
fish (8)14 Afraid of Eastern Cards (6)17 Its lid is upside down
(3)19 What’s left in the tea-shop
(3)20 He rang me from the
foodstore (6)
23 Offspring of the rich lend tothem (8)
26 A grandee covered withfoam icing? (9)
28 A quiet owl wails (5)29 The end of the epoch is
here (7)30 Does he rue an open
continent missing the lastpoint? (8)
31 A subsea crash hurts (6)
CLUES DOWN: 1 I’m less happy, aren’t I? (6) 2 Streaming ’flu put
in a vial
(7) 3 Though possibly dead, it
can be elected (9) 4 A dame in former days (6) 5 Sad glens are
transformed
into jollity (8)
6 Aides-memoire on brokenstone? (5)
7 Drill in the ore for a morenoble activity (8)
12 Final stage followingcanonisation (3)
15 Ho, ho! 651 just got apenny in their youth (9)
16 Manchester City Councilsail a boat in asubterranean passage
(8)
18 Make apertures of iciermaterial (8)
21 One thousand two hundredcricketers (3)
22 Put the finishing touch to anew cord (7)
24 This is no hour for glory (6)25 Inquisitively searching
without music (6)27 The aspen quivers on the
back of their necks (5)
Name
................................................................
Address................................................................
.............................................................................
ColourinthePewsatStonehaven
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12
I have been in many places, but I have never
been in Cahoots. Apparently you can't go therealone. You have to
be in Cahoots withsomeone.
I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no onerecognizes you
there.
I have, however, been in Sane. They don’thave an airport. You
have to be driven there. Ihave made several trips there, thanks to
myfamily, friends and those where I have worked.
I would like to go to Conclusions, but youhave to jump and I am
not too much onphysical activity anymore.
I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad placeto go and I try
not to visit there too often.
I've been in Flexible, but only when it wasvery important to
stand firm.
Sometimes I’m in Capable, and I go theremore often as I’m
getting older.
One of my favourite places to be is inSuspense. It really gets
the adrenalin flowing andpumps up the old heart. At my age I need
all ofthe stimuli I can get.
Now if I can just avoid getting in Continent ...
The next issue of Grapevine will be coming out for 30 March
2014.All articles, letters, comments should be with the Editor by 4
March 2014.
Preferably articles should be no longer than 500 words.The
Editor of Grapevine, Beattie Lodge, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire,
AB30 1HJ
(E-mail: or )
Coming next year . . .
Diocesan Synod
Saturday, 1 Marchat Chalmers Ardler Church
St Mary Magdalene's Church
Spring Coffee MorningSaturday, 29 March
10 a.m. - 12 noon
This is the fourth book from the pen of Fr CliveClapson. “The
Wondrous Gift” reflects on theChristian season from Advent to
Epiphany. It isavailable both in paperback £3, and Kindle
£1.91formats, from Amazon.co.uk. Its ISBN number
is9781482082265
A drunk pharmacist. A toy pony. A crummy oldChristmas tree. A
depressed engineer. Biblesmuggling. A collection of very different
memoriesand thoughts, linked in some way by the subject
ofgiving.
Christmas gifts: we all like to give and receivethem. “The
Wondrous Gift” reflects on God’s gift tous at the Incarnation that
Christmas celebrates,through a series of reflections on more than
thirtyyears of ministry.
“The Wondrous Gift”
