July update from Donald
Good evening,
It’s been a while since I last wrote a Companionship piece. I hope you’ve been having a good summer. Since the last one, the sun has shone, the Jannetta’s queue for ice cream has got ever longer, I’ve spent a week on the Isle of Arran, attended concerts in the East Neuk and the theatre in Edinburgh, services in the chapels have moved to 1 metre social distancing, the Olympic Games have started, and there have been baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals involving Sam and me. Life has continued, and sometimes feels much less strange than before.
I’ve also begun a new role. For the past four weeks I’ve been Interim Moderator at a Church of Scotland called St Margaret’s in the town of Glenrothes. It’s a new town, largely built from the 1950s, about 40 minutes drive from St Andrews. I’m responsible for supporting the congregation in worship, pastoral care and reaching out to their community during a spell when they don’t have a minister of their own. During the summer I’ll be able to lead some of the services at the church, though when chapel services start again on 5 September, my focus will be on the University.
Tomorrow (Sunday 25 July) I’ll lead my first service at the church, which will be livestreamed to the other Church of Scotland congregations in the Glenrothes area. Indeed everyone is welcome to take part in it via Zoom. Here is the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86885661765?pwd=SmE5ZUs2Vzh3MmVpWmNFQ3N3WWZqdz09
Meeting ID: 868 8566 1765
Passcode: 752828
It starts at 10.30 am.
The theme of the service is the fifth mark of mission of a set of five marks recently adopted by the Church of Scotland. It is: “To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.” Could our recent hot weather, and floods in Germany, China and India be connected to climate change? And how can we – insignificant as we may seem – make a difference? I’ll try to offer a response.
Glenrothes is full of green space. Walking through it last summer on the Fife Pilgrim Way, I came upon this browser.
What future for the hippos, and all our fellow creatures, including human beings?
Take care, and feel free to get in touch with Sam, me or anyone in the Chaplaincy team.
Yours,
Donald.
Revd Dr Donald MacEwan
Chaplain