‘Prayers at the gate’
Greetings, on Sunday morning. A new week begins. In common with all public buildings, churches are closed, and services are not taking place within their walls. But some are still offering a physical location for…
Search by category: companionship blog
‘It’s okay not to be okay’
Greetings, A few days ago I was walking along the path above the East Sands and saw this plaque on a bench: It piqued my curiosity. I had a look online and it seems to be part of a mental health and suicide prevention…
‘A teacher’s wisdom’
Good morning, This is the last day of the last teaching week of the Candlemas Semester for undergraduates. A semester which began on Monday 27 January has finally, wearily, reached this point. Two weeks of revision…
‘Ramadhan in isolation’
Dear Friends Ramadhan begins in much of the world today Thursday 23 April. We have asked Saira Rafiq, President of the St Andrews Muslim Students Association (STAMSA) to share her reflections on the fast this year. She…
‘The machine’
Dear Friends Today’s offering for our Companionship email comes from one of our Quaker Honorary Chaplains, Leslie Stevenson: Earlier in this lockdown, I read a story by E. M. Forster entitled “The Machine Stops”.…
‘Watery reflections’
Dear Friends Today’s offering for our Companionship email comes from The Reverend Dr Rob Whiteman who is the local faith contact for the Unitarian Christian Church. (See his contact details here:…
‘Ice cream, prayers and beads’
Dear Friends Welcome to Monday’s Companionship Email. This week the University begins the final week of teaching and we all continue to discover novel ways to cope with lives in lockdown. For me, it was the simple joy…
‘Jonah and the whales’
Hi, Today some whales, painted by my friend Leonie Macmillan, during this time of the virus. Leo is a ceramic artist who lives near St Andrews. She designed and made the fonts in both St Salvator’s and St Leonard’s…
‘Orthodox Easter’
Good morning, We are in the midst of the Orthodox Easter. Usually Orthodox communities around the world would gather this evening in churches to observe the Paschal Vigil, followed by Easter liturgy into the morning,…
‘Stillness from a Quaker’
Greetings, Today’s contribution has been offered by Barbara Davey, one of our Honorary Quaker Chaplains. As the scale of the crisis we are facing begins to emerge, I sometimes feel overwhelmed. Fear can feed a negative…