Mrs Mod s Blog 9. Lothian Presbytery Visit

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Mrs Mod s Blog 9 Lothian Presbytery Visit Sunday 25 th September we were picked up by Ian Bulloch, a previous Moderator of Lothian Presbytery, who had agreed to be our driver for the first part of

Gone were the pews and dark wood and in were confortable chairs, carpet on the floor and light walls. A bright, warm, more flexible space which is also a comfortable place to worship in.

1 Mrs Mod s Blog 9 Lothian Presbytery Visit Sunday 25 th September we were picked up by Ian Bulloch, a previous Moderator of Lothian Presbytery, who had agreed to be our driver for the first part of the week. He took us to Dalkeith s St John s and King s Park Church which had just been newly refurbished. Gone were the pews and dark wood and in were confortable chairs, carpet on the floor and light walls. A bright, warm, more flexible space which is also a comfortable place to worship in. During the renovations they had a great slogan on the outside of their building: Closed for a Faith Lift Whoever thought that up was a genius! This is the church in which the current moderator, Elizabeth Morton, is an elder. The minister, Keith Mack, took the first part of the service which included a baptism. The music, at this stage, was provided by the praise band. During the second half of the service the music was provided by the organ. Russell preached the sermon, gave the prayer of thanksgiving and re-dedicated the sanctuary. After the service the chairs in the sanctuary were rearranged into groups for the reception. A church that caters for all ages and styles. In the evening we attended North Esk Church, Musselburgh for a Guild event in aid of the Church of Scotland s HIV programme. The Heart and Soul Swing Band were playing and, oh boy, we were swinging to the rhythm..singing the100th Psalm to the usual tune but in a different rhythm I have to admit it was a lot more cheerful! Monday, 26 th September - an early start on Monday, 6.45 am, so that we had plenty of time to get to Dunbar Primary School by 9 am. Ah, but we still were rushing in the end as we arrived at the wrong campus and then had to leg it to another as it was faster to walk than to take the car! The best laid schemes of mice and men A representative group of P7 pupils then quizzed Russell on being a minister and being the Moderator. The questions ranged from What do you do? to Does the world need religion? - nothing too simple then. The Dunbar churches youth worker, Richard Taylor, works closely with the staff and pupils and they had been preparing for the visit over several weeks. He always works to the school curriculum. Richard though has a

much bigger role than RME. He and a group of trained volunteers help vulnerable students through things like transition to secondary school, bereavement and divorce.

We saw round the building, met some of the volunteer counsellors and had a talk by a service user on his experiences and how important this service is.

Next we went to Dunbar Parish Church for a meeting on vocations with Mike Weaver, the Vocations Champion for Lothian and Edinburgh Presbyteries and Bill Wishart, a current probationer at Longniddry

2 much bigger role than RME. He and a group of trained volunteers help vulnerable students through things like transition to secondary school, bereavement and divorce. From there we went to St Andrews Counselling Centre in Dunbar, a CrossReach service. We saw round the building, met some of the volunteer counsellors and had a talk by a service user on his experiences and how important this service is. One major point to come out was that the waiting times for NHS counselling are too long, people need help faster and this service can do that. Next we went to Dunbar Parish Church for a meeting on vocations with Mike Weaver, the Vocations Champion for Lothian and Edinburgh Presbyteries and Bill Wishart, a current probationer at Longniddry Parish Church. (One of Bill s claims to fame is that he is a member of the Magic Circle.) The centre also gave us a beautiful lunch to give us strength for our next visit to Torness Nuclear Power Station! At Torness the Moderator of the Church of Scotland met the Moderator of Torness. Who is more important you may ask - the Moderator of the Assembly or the moderator of a nuclear reactor, both of whom are trying to ensure the smooth running of proceedings? I will leave you to answer that question yourselves. We had a fascinating visit to a facility that the station manager, Paul Winkle, described as one of the safest places for us to be, but told his staff it was the most dangerous place to work! We had interesting discussions around the topics of nuclear waste, safety, future energy needs and the need, as he saw it, for a balance of energy generation by both renewables and nuclear to keep our lights burning. This was followed by a tour around the plant with two excellent guides where Russell met the other moderator! Tuesday, 27 th September - saw us visiting 4 different establishments. Firstly we visited Gorebridge Parish church where they had their Tuesday shop and café. Here members of the community could buy clothes and other household items for very reasonable prices and enjoy some conversation and relaxation over a cup of tea or coffee. They also run a Trussell Trust food bank and we visited their store room and heard about their service for the whole of Midlothian where food parcels were handed out to families who have been referred to them.

We then travelled to Loanhead Parish Church for an ecumenical lunch, sounds indigestible to me.

Here clergy from various denominations in and around the Lothians gathered to discuss vocations and then to

I enjoyed discussion with an Episcopal minister and an Ordained Local Minister over lunch.

from beginning to end, from raw material to the packaged and labelled end product.

We also discussed with the managing director and staff the possible effects of Brexit.

. and it was messy, coloured water, ice, boiled eggs and salt to name but a few of the activities.

Swindells, was leaving and the Moderator had come to visit.

s, Whitekirk to the Auld Kirk, North Berwick (what s left of it and that s not a lot!).

3 We then travelled to Loanhead Parish Church for an ecumenical lunch, sounds indigestible to me.but was far from it. Here clergy from various denominations in and around the Lothians gathered to discuss vocations and then to eat lunch together and chat about their faith journeys. I enjoyed discussion with an Episcopal minister and an Ordained Local Minister over lunch. MacSweens factory was the next stop on our itinerary and there we saw the process of making black pudding from beginning to end, from raw material to the packaged and labelled end product. We also had a tasting session which didn t just include haggis but also some of their new products. We also discussed with the managing director and staff the possible effects of Brexit. We finished off the day at a Messy Church session at Mayfield Easthouses.. and it was messy, coloured water, ice, boiled eggs and salt to name but a few of the activities. We then went over to the church for a noisy, active service entitled Salt of the earth which included a story involving a puppet. Following this there was a meal for everyone with a special cake to mark the fact that the minister, Sean Swindells, was leaving and the Moderator had come to visit. It was an extremely happy and lively event which involved whole families with many of the leaders being older teenagers. Wednesday 28th September - was pilgrimage day as we walked from the ancient stone-built church of St Mary s, Whitekirk to the Auld Kirk, North Berwick (what s left of it and that s not a lot!). Before we set off, the minister of St Mary s, Joanne Evans Boiten gave us a short talk on the history and tradition of pilgrimage. When we arrived in North Berwick, having walked along paths, narrow roads and the beach we discovered that all that was left of the Auld Kirk was the front portico! A model of the original large church, made with the help of some pupils from North Berwick High School, is displayed in the Coastal Communities Museum which is found next to the library. We had a lovely lunch at the museum, met some of the pupils that were involved in making the model and then enjoyed a walk around the museum.

Russell unfortunately had to leave us for a meeting in the Scottish Parliament.

Zitto s restaurant. Next it was off to see Muirfield Riding Therapy at West Fenton. This is an amazing charity with fantastic facilities. Here people with disabilities have a chance to ride.

There is a hoist so that even severely disabled people can be lifted onto the ponies. All the clients were having a fantastic time.

Instead of presents he asked for donations for the centre and for a William s syndrome charity. The William s charity also received 800. What an incredible story and an impressive young man.

the church is doing in the community exercise classes for older people, music for dementia sufferers, a listen well group working in local schools, the BBs and a food bank.

4 Russell unfortunately had to leave us for a meeting in the Scottish Parliament. My sister Jean and I took some time to visit the war memorial to look for the name of our great uncle who was killed in the First World War and have a wander through the town before an early meal in Zitto s restaurant. Next it was off to see Muirfield Riding Therapy at West Fenton. This is an amazing charity with fantastic facilities. Here people with disabilities have a chance to ride. We saw several clients riding in the indoor arena carrying out physiotherapy on horse back, improving their balance and mobility. There is a hoist so that even severely disabled people can be lifted onto the ponies. All the clients were having a fantastic time. Just before we left David, a client, presented a cheque to the centre for 800 which he had raised on his birthday. Instead of presents he asked for donations for the centre and for a William s syndrome charity. The William s charity also received 800. What an incredible story and an impressive young man. Thursday 29 th September we had the morning off before being picked up to go to Penicuik North Church where we were welcomed by the minister, Ruth Halley, had a service and a chance to see all that the church is doing in the community exercise classes for older people, music for dementia sufferers, a listen well group working in local schools, the BBs and a food bank. For the wider world - Mid Aid, a Midlothian wide charity, collecting clothes and other essentials for the camps in Lebanon. During the service more than a dozen sewing machines were handed over to Edinburgh Direct Aid for transport to the Syrian camps in Lebanon. Many people from the wider community attended - some secondary students studying RME, social workers, councillors and some pupils from the local primary school who sang a song written by one of their teachers entitled Equality - quite beautiful. All of the local councillors were singing the praises of the churches in Midlothian which are doing a lot to help people in their communities and across the world. Russell also officially opened their Godly Play Room. After a meal in Itihas Indian restaurant with members of the Forward Planning Group of Presbytery we returned to St John s and King s Park Church for a Lothian Presbytery Communion Service. Elizabeth Morton, Moderator of Presbytery, conducted the service and Russell conducted the Communion. The new Moderator, Neil Dougall, then took over and invited Russell to give an address.

Friday 30th September - morning coffee at ADSC Glencorse with the battalion officers and chaplains followed by discussions with the chaplains from a variety of different

A wide-ranging discussion ensued covering the difficulties of chaplains returning to parishes, recruitment and support for ex-servicemen.

Unfortunately the golf course won, but as ever enough good shots to bring me back for another go!

We had a very enjoyable game even though we actually had hailstones at one point and occasional showers of rain.

The church had been repaired after extensive damage caused when a tree fell onto the roof during one of the storms last winter. It is a beautiful wee church.

Thankfully the coffee wakened me up for the discussion on Ruth, seemingly an Uppity Woman of the Bible.

5 Friday 30th September - morning coffee at ADSC Glencorse with the battalion officers and chaplains followed by discussions with the chaplains from a variety of different denominations and John Thomson from the Ministries Council and John McCulloch, Gordon MacDonald and Robin Hill from Lothian Presbytery. A wide-ranging discussion ensued covering the difficulties of chaplains returning to parishes, recruitment and support for ex-servicemen. After a quick lunch at Glencorse golf club, Russell and I played golf with Gordon MacDonald and Rob McGregor. Unfortunately the golf course won, but as ever enough good shots to bring me back for another go! The course had a rather annoying burn that meandered around the course causing me grief. We had a very enjoyable game even though we actually had hailstones at one point and occasional showers of rain. We were then given a tour of Glencorse Church by the minister, John Wells. The church had been repaired after extensive damage caused when a tree fell onto the roof during one of the storms last winter. It is a beautiful wee church. Saturday 1st October - not yet quite awake, we were driven to Longniddry Parish Church for a theological breakfast. Thankfully the coffee wakened me up for the discussion on Ruth, seemingly an Uppity Woman of the Bible. A good discussion of the story through the lens of the meaning of names e.g. Bethlehem meaning House of Bread and Ruth meaning cup overflowing. Next stop was East Fortune where Russell and I both had a half hour microlight flight. A beautiful day, amazing blue skies, a crisp and sunny still day perfect for flight. I will give you one guess as to where Russell went on his flight. Yes, you guessed golf courses - whereas I went over Lochhill and Haddington, where I used to live, and then out to the Bass Rock. The whole experience was quite amazing. I enjoyed the take off and landing and the flying up through the clouds, but when we banked round for landing it was a bit scary as there are no real sides to the microlight and it has only a lap safety belt A lovely lunch at Craigielaw golf club to recover.

Neil Dougall and his wife gave us a lovely light lunch before Russell was a guest on Mr T s Pleasant Sunday Afternoon program on East Coast FM.

6 Sunday 2nd October - Russell preached in St Andrews Blackadder Church, North Berwick at a joint service with the Abbey Church. This building has been beautifully altered to give a sanctuary upstairs and halls and meeting rooms downstairs giving a fantastic facility right in the heart of North Berwick. Neil Dougall and his wife gave us a lovely light lunch before Russell was a guest on Mr T s Pleasant Sunday Afternoon program on East Coast FM. Their studio was at the old Haddington railway station and Mr T is Lawrence Twaddle, minister of Belhaven and Spott. This station is run by volunteers and another of the presenters explained how the music was chosen for each programme. We had enough time before the evening event in the West Church Haddington to go on a wee trip into the Lammermuirs to see the fantastic view over to the Firth of Forth, to have a cup of tea in the Tweeddale Arms, Gifford and a meal in the Waterside Bistro, Haddington. The evening event was a thanksgiving service with the Presbytery Band in aid of CrossReach. Viv Dickensen gave a short speech on the work of CrossReach before Russell was interviewed again by Lawrence Twaddle about his week with Lothian Presbytery. I met a few people who knew me from my childhood including David Chalmers from Lochhill. Then home to bed! What an amazing week. So many things going on in Lothian Presbytery, so much work in the communities as well as in the churches, a truly inspiring week. The Church in Lothian is doing very well and should be commended. All of you in Lothian give yourselves a gold star and a pat on the back.

NEWSLETTER March 2018

NEWSLETTER March 2018 For the glory of God and the solace of a whole community The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper will be celebrated at both the 9.30am and 11 am services on Sunday 11 th March 2018 You