‘Calming streams and live-streaming’
Good morning,
What a difference a week makes. I was off duty for a week, and away from St Andrews for just three nights, and yet the hour has now changed – mornings start earlier, but by 5 o’clock it feels like night-time. It was the heart of autumn in Perthshire where we spent a few days. It was as if someone had opened the palette of yellows, oranges, reds and browns and brushed the green earth with them. Here is an example:
And with Independent Learning Week behind us, we seem to have entered a new time in the Chaplaincy’s life. We have begun to live-stream services from St Salvator’s Chapel. We are limited to 50 people in the building, but unlimited numbers online. Over 130 people watched the first live-streamed service on Sunday. And not only people. Poppy, star of zoom services in spring, thought she’d check out this latest technological wonder on Sunday:
You are welcome to attend worship services in person, or take part in the service direct from St Salvator’s Chapel via your screen. This will happen on Sunday mornings, at services of Compline, and at Evensong. Yes, we are expanding our range of services to include a Weekly Evensong on Wednesday at 5.30 pm in St Salvator’s Chapel, starting tomorrow Wednesday 28 October. This will include choristers singing solos, readings and prayers in the traditional pattern. To reserve your places at these services, visit https://events.st-andrews.ac.uk/
To see details of upcoming services and to watch and listen to live-streamed services, visit https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/community/worship/
This coming Sunday, 1 November, is All Saints Day. As well as the morning service in St Salvator’s Chapel, we are also holding the annual Commemoration of St Leonard Service at 6 pm in St Leonard’s Chapel. The Orthodox have recommenced worshipping there, but this will be the first Chaplaincy service since March. St Leonard’s College is the postgraduate college of the University, so postgrads are particularly welcome. Members of St Leonard’s Chapel Choir will sing, and I will preach at the service, for the first time since I was invited to do so by my predecessor when I was a local parish minister. On that day the weather was so bad the service was cancelled. Let’s hope for a calmer day this year. My sermon title is Too many books. Is that possible? Spaces can be reserved at https://events.st-andrews.ac.uk/events/commemoration-of-st-leonard-3/ (This will be in-person only, as we can’t live-stream from St Leonard’s Chapel.)
And don’t forget Hearts of Light this evening. Tonight, for the first time, it will be dark or thereabouts at 5.15 pm when we begin. We meet St Salvator’s Quad – gathering in solidarity with all affected by Covid.
More news will come in the newsletter on Thursday. Your Chaplaincy continues to offer ancient things – listening, gathering, lighting of lamps, praying, seeing, hoping – but in contemporary ways. Let us know how else we can make a difference in your life.
Yours,
Donald.