Rector’s Letter – April 2025
St James the Less Penicuik and St Mungo West Linton
Scottish Episcopal Churches
The Rectory
23 Broomhill Road
Penicuik
EH26 9EE
01968 678254
07950 607574
Rector.pandwl@gmail.com
27th March 2025
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Rector’s letter for April 2025
Personal Notes
This Spring equinox seemed a longtime coming, but we have been experiencing some lovely dry Spring-like weather. It does lift the spirits to see bright blue skies.
And given the news reports in recent weeks, we do need something to help lift our spirits. It is quite easy to let the depressing news lay heavily on us, and we need to find a way to stay informed but not to let it overwhelm us. We can focus some of our time and attention to good things we can see that are happening, and seek to be part of those good things. Following the way of Jesus does involve turning up and doing things, of being accountable to God for our actions or inactions. Our Lent course is focussing on how we can be the embodiment of the Christ, using our eyes, ears, mouth, hands and feet. It is a timely reminder that our faith calls us to partake in bringing glimpses of the kingdom of heaven to people now.
On Saturday 15th March I attended an Iona Community meeting in Penrith. We met in the Friends Meeting House there. It was a beautiful old building, one of the oldest Society of Friends (i.e. Quakers) meeting houses in the country. Penrith is normally just a place on a road sign on the M6 as I drive south or back home, so it was lovely to actually go into the town and spend some time there.
Both Peter and I, in our sermons last week (honest we didn’t consult with each other before hand), touched on asking questions. Some questions do not bring life, and sometimes close down avenues of growth and light. ‘Why’ isn’t always a good question to ask – it can make people feel defensive. Reflecting on other words to use and ways of interacting and understanding someone else, that helps build relationships and a sense of loving community is a good discipline in Lent. One tip I learnt in coaching training was to ask a question that shows an interest and asks for more information in a constructive way.
The fourth Sunday in Lent is Mothering Sunday, and we shall be marking that this coming Sunday. The following Sunday is Passion Sunday, when Jesus decisively turns toward Jerusalem, and on Palm Sunday we hear the Passion narrative. Holy Week is a deeply meaningful week. Following the story of Jesus in that last week, day by day, helps us truly understand and feel the nature of his passion and death. Penicuik Churches Together will have a service from Monday to Thursday evening that week. Even if you are not able to attend Morning or Evening Prayer each day, following the Lectionary is a wonderful experience and really helps us get to the drama of Maundy Thursday, the trial and execution of Jesus on Good Friday, and the elation of Easter Day, when we can joyously sing our alleluias. We shall, of course, hold Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, and I hope to see you at them.
On Monday 31st March – the fifth Monday in the month when we discuss a book of my choosing – we shall be exploring ‘The First Paul: Reclaiming the radical visionary behind the Church’s conservative icon’. Even if you haven’t read the book, you are welcome to join us on Zoom as we explore Paul’s life and his theology through his writings – those he definitely wrote as opposed to those written in his name but he didn’t write! We shall explore some of his key themes and phrases, such as; Jesus is Lord, Christ Crucified, Justification by Grace through Faith, and Life Together in Christ.
News and new things happening
British Summer Time Commences 30th March
A reminder that the clocks ‘spring forward’ in the early hours of 30th March.
St James Daffodil Tea Fundraiser – Saturday 5th April
This annual fundraiser will be held in Penicuik Trinity Community Church Hall, from 10 am to midday. If you can support this with baking, serving on the day, running a stall, offering items for the tombola, etc., please contact Marion Mather. Otherwise I hope to see you there.
St James the Less Fellowship Lunch – Sunday 6th April
The collection at the lunch will be for this year’s Bishop’s Lent Appeal. It is for Abraham’s Children in Crisis (ACIC), a small charity working in the Holy Land. Bishop John writes: ‘For the second year running, I invite the diocese to concentrate its Lenten giving on the Holy Land. The needs are vast and seemingly intractable, but Abraham’s Children in Crisis is a small charity which has the potential to make a big difference in the lives of children desperately in need of hope and a future. It is a charity with links to members of this diocese and it seeks to serve children from diverse backgrounds. Please give generously.’
St James the Less Fellowship Lunch – Mary’s Meals
Mary’s Meals have sent a letter of thanks for the donation of £385 made by those attending the lunch on 3rd March. Many thanks for the generosity of those who attended and made a donation.
Tuesday Afternoon Bible Study – The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
We started studying Jeremiah on 18th March and we are working our way through the first 25 chapters of Jeremiah. This first half of the book contains accusations and warnings for Israel that Jeremiah had been called to pronounce against the leaders of Israel. Please do join us to read through the first half of this major book of the Hebrew Scriptures. If you wish to read a commentary second-hand copies of ‘The People’s Bible Commentary – Jeremiah: A Bible commentary for every day’ by Rex Mason, published by Bible Reading Foundation, is a cheap and accessible read. As per usual I recommend using www.bookfinder.com to search out used copies of books.
St Mungo’s 3rd Sunday Services
From 16th February, and every third Sunday of the month going forward, there is a said service of Holy Communion at 09:00 and a service of the Word at 10:30. In March we used the 1929 Scottish Prayer Book ‘Scottish Liturgy’ for Holy Communion at 9 am. It is quite different of course, from the 1982 liturgy, and gives a poetic rhythm to the words, and has a richness that more modern language does not have. We shall use the 1929 liturgy for a few months, and get feedback in due course. The service of the Word allows greater flexibility to include more hymns and praise songs, and time for prayer. There is a time of refreshments and fellowship between the services, from 09:45 to 10:30, when those attending either or both of the services can meet together in the Undercroft. As the third Sunday in April is Easter Day, we won’t be holding two services; there will be a joyous service of Holy Communion at 10:30 am.
Lent Study Group – Mondays between 10th March to 7th April
The Diocesan Lent Study Course for this year is called ‘Christ has no body now but yours’. These are words attributed to Teresa of Avila. The course also uses ‘God be in my head’ from the Sarum Primer as an inspiration.
It is running on Monday morning’s in St James’ hall at 10:00, and the last two sessions are on 31st March and 7th April. A copy of the course booklet was sent by email to all on our circulation list, so even if you don’t attend the course, you can read through the materials. The material in the book for Holy Week will be available to use for individual reflection during the first hour of the Three Hours on Good Friday.
The Triduum – Maundy Thursday to Easter Day
In the most significant week in the Christian calendar, we hold services and times for deeper reflection of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. The Maundy Thursday service is where we re-enact the feet washing of the Last Supper, and we hear the gospel account of the betrayal of Jesus (we wash hands or feet in the service). The church is stripped of all finery and left almost bare, and in darkness. The sacred elements of bread and wine are removed to another place, to indicate Jesus’s death and burial. The formal part of the service ends after the reading of the Gospel of the Watch and an invitation to sit in silent vigil with the sacred elements for a while. On Good Friday both churches will be open for the ‘three hours’. From midday there is time for quiet reflection and prayer, some materials will be available to aid that if people wish to use it. You can come and go as you wish during this time, although we wish you may stay on. At 1pm we shall look at the stunning paintings of Sieger Koder’s Stations of the Cross, and listen to some words accompany each picture. At 2pm there is a short service of Holy Communion. We leave in silence as we contemplate Christ’s passion and death. The Thursday and Friday services take us to a place where we can truly celebrate the Resurrection on Easter Day with joy. These services are seen as a seamless set of religious observances, so there is no dismissal at the end of the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services. I hope you may join us in these services as we journey to the foot of the cross, and onto the joy of Easter Day.
Monday Study Group – ‘Superstar’ – Mondays 28th April, 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th May, & 2nd June
Lots of advance notice that we shall be running a discussion group using the York Course called, ‘Superstar’ commencing on 28th April. It is being held in the church hall at 10:30. If you wish a copy of the course booklet, please let Nick know. The cost will be £5.
Diocesan Big Day – Saturday 10th May – at St Mary’s Cathedral
I am asking for each congregation to consider the blessings we have received and the blessings we have offered in our community. How has the congregation been blessed? How has our congregation blessed others in our community or further afield? I shall explore this with each congregation after a service, so come ready with your ideas and examples. And also, think how this could be portrayed on an A2 poster! Ideally, I would like a few people from each congregation willing to attend on 10th May and share with others attending some of the stories portrayed. If you would like to attend the day please let me know, so that the orders for catering on the day can be accurate.
Monday Evening Faith Development – 5th May to 2nd June
In each session we shall listen to one of David Kossoff’s short stories about the New Testament, and explore the text and what we hear in it and the perspective we gain from his approach to storytelling. You may recall I have used his story of Simeon and Anna in a Candlemas service. The stories come from ‘The Book of Witnesses’, published in 1971.
In Other News…
The Diocese is pilgrimage to Taizé, is taking place from 29th June to 6th July. There is still time for any young adults, i.e. 18-35 year olds, to register and join us on this trip. The deadline for registering to attend this trip is 10th April.
I shall be away from Monday 21st to Friday 25th April. I am heading to Granada to visit Alhambra Palace and gardens. My daughter and son-in-law (with their Spaniel Maisie) will be staying in the Rectory to look after Misty.
Nick Bowry
Regular Activities
Ministry in Care and Nursing Homes
Cowan Court, Penicuik: We have been part of a rota with the other Penicuik churches, visiting Cowan Court on a Sunday afternoon for the last year. We visit Cowan Court about once every 5 or 6 weeks. Our next visit is on 30th March.
Aaron House, Penicuik: We are part of a rota with the other Penicuik churches, visiting Aaron House on a Wednesday afternoon at 2pm. As with Cowan Court we will visit once every 5 or 6 weeks. Our next visit is on 23rd April. If you able to join the team offering this ministry, please let me know.
Whim Hall, Lamancha: We visit Whim Hall Care Centre on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. Our next visit is on 10th April.
If you are interested in supporting this rewarding ministry by being part of the visiting teams then please let me know. Normally three of us attend each time, so we can support and guide people through the service and have a chat afterwards with whoever attends. We use a simplified form of the Liturgy for Reserved Sacrament and sing a few well-known hymns. Your prayers are welcome for this increased activity in and for members of our local communities.
Bible Study for all
We hold our weekly Bible study at 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon, online, for up to an hour and a half. We have a break for July and August.
We come together with the common aim of exploring the texts, understanding their context, and just as importantly, exploring how it speaks to us and how it informs us today. We enjoy exploring our different understandings and learning from each other. Please do join us, we are always happy to include more people. We started a study of Jeremiah from 10th March.
Monday Study Night
Our Monday evening studies take a rest during Lent as we partake in the Lent course on a Monday morning. We are re-starting on 5th May at 7.30 pm.
Faith Development ‘Faith Books’
When we have a fifth Monday in the month, we hold a discussion at 7.30 pm about a book as a way of introducing people to different authors which may pique an interest to read more of their work (or not!). In looking for new or used books, I have often used www.bookfinder.com I am sure there are other search sites that will help people find the books on our reading list.
The books we shall be discussing in 2025 are:
31st March: ‘The First Paul: reclaiming the radical visionary behind the Church’s conservative icon.’ By Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan (published by SPCK, ISBN 978-0- 281-06158-7).
30th June: ‘Making Sense of God’s Love: Atonement and Redemption’, by Lorraine Cavanagh (published by SPCK, ISBN 978-0-281-06403-8).
29th Sept: ‘A Rabbi’s Bible’ by Jonathan Magonet (published by SCM, ISBN 978-0-334-02506-1)
Morning and Evening Prayer
We meet online Monday to Friday at 9.00 am and at 5.30 pm. It is a good way to start and end our day, coming together for worship, with daily readings including the psalms; a good rhythm for worship in the Anglican tradition of saying the Daily Offices. Please do consider joining us.
If you wish to access the Daily Office liturgy with the daily scripture readings, go to the Provincial Website, www.scotland.anglican.org and place your cursor on the ‘Spirituality’ heading. A submenu appears and you can select the appropriate Daily Office from the right-hand side of the page.
I circulated the Daily Intercessions booklet we use by email on 26th February. If you would like a paper copy, please let me know.
Mid-week evening services on Zoom
On the first Wednesday of each month, at 7.30 pm, we hold a service of Prayers for healing online. If you wish someone or a situation to be prayed for, send an email to me or Marion Mather.
At 9pm every Wednesday evening we hold the service of Compline. Please do join us for this short service of calm and settling prayers before sleep.
Continuing our Mission: Leading Your Church into Growth Prayer
Each weekday morning, we pray for growth in our church. If you are not able to join us online for Morning Prayer at 9 am, can I encourage you to pray this once a day. The prayer is given below.
God of Mission, who alone brings growth to your Church,
send your Holy Spirit to give:
vision to our planning, wisdom to our actions, and power to our witness.
Help our church to grow:
in numbers, in spiritual commitment to you, and in service to our local
community, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In Touch Magazine for St James the Less and St Mungo’s
In Touch is circulated to all on email and is issued in paper format to those who do not have email. The cost of a paper copy is £2 for an A4 version, and about £1.50 for an A5 version. We print a very limited number of paper copies to keep out costs down, and to reduce our consumption of paper. If you receive an email version but would also like a paper copy, please let Sue Owen know and we invite you to make a suitable donation (preferably by bank transfer rather than in cash) to cover the cost. The deadline for content to be submitted for the next issue is 4th May 2025. I would like to encourage you to submit something for inclusion in the magazine, a poem, a review of a book or a film, an article on a subject of interest. If you wish to submit an article, please send them to intouch@stjamesthelesspenicuik.org
Financial giving to St James the Less or to St Mungo’s
If you are able, can I ask you to prayerfully consider setting up a recurring monthly payment to the church via on-line banking, to contribute financially on a regular basis. Details of the bank accounts are given below for each of the churches.
St James the Less:
Monthly donation by bank transfer (include your name in the reference line when setting this up – only the Treasurer knows the name of the donor). Bank details are: St James Episcopal Church Penicuik, acct no 17117264, sort code 80-22-60. If you wish to make a donation by cheque, please make out the cheque to ‘St James Episcopal Church Penicuik’.
St Mungo:
Monthly donation by bank transfer (include your name in the reference line when setting this up – only the Treasurer knows the name of the donor). Bank details are: St Mungo’s Vestry, acct no 00817851, sort code 80-09-39.
Ecumenical Relations and Community Involvement Work
The Penicuik Ministers continue to meet every month in the Storehouse for a chat. Once a month the Penicuik Churches Together (PCT) has a joint Sunday evening service. The schedule detailing where the services are each month is on the PCT website. http://penicuikchurchestogether.org.uk/ I continue to meet with Revd Dr Tony Foley to discuss joint services and matters of mutual interest, in West Linton.
Diocesan and Provincial Activities
I have attended a meeting of the Diocesan Personnel Committee on 10th March. I continue as the interim Pastor for Peebles and Innerleithen during their vacancy. Please pray for both congregations as they discern their futures and the profile of the person they wish to be called to lead them. I have a meeting of the Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees group on 3rd April.
The Ministry Team
We continue to meet monthly to plan for the coming months; planning services and faith development activities as well as exploring other aspects of what is offered to the congregations and to our local communities.
Zoom Links for Services
We have a regular pattern of services. Details of these are set out below. You can access them using the Zoom links.
Morning Prayer at 9 am, and Evening Prayer at 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday. (Zoom only)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/6289561588?pwd=aGtNeE1ZM3l1Tkluckp3bVJtZkRHQT09
Meeting ID: 628 956 1588 Password: 040775
St Mungo, Holy Communion at 10.30 am on Sunday.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/93417190423?pwd=K1ZoS0xKUWpRVENGTzFYL3NvakFHQT09
Meeting ID: 934 1719 0423 Passcode: 062021
St James the Less, Holy Communion at 10.30 am on Sunday.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92002197798?pwd=REp5NHQwVEdSd3A4a09lN1lHOUdnUT09
Meeting ID: 920 0219 7798 Passcode: 040775
1st Wednesday Evening Service at 7.30 pm (not July or August) (Zoom only)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/96303841875?pwd=YmZiYkdNNzZJeWI5cmtZL2RLUWc1Zz09
Meeting ID: 963 0384 1875 Password: 040775
Wednesday Evening Compline at 9 pm (all year) (Zoom only)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95345457224?pwd=TDNoT20vR2dYMVQ5STdsS0lzR0dMQT09
Meeting ID: 953 4545 7224 Password: 040775
Zoom Links for Activities
‘Monday Evening Studies’ at 7.30 pm (Zoom only)
https://zoom.us/j/97670406222?pwd=WWUzL0dLNHdWdFJ0YVNnLzdvY2w2Zz09
Meeting ID: 976 7040 6222 Passcode: 202101
Use this link for Monday Evening Studies and the ‘Faith Book’ discussions.
Weekly Bible Study: Tuesdays at 2pm (Zoom only)
https://zoom.us/j/92510962481?pwd=L1hsaCtiWTh0ZFFib3N0WlluaVlaUT09
Meeting ID: 925 1096 2481 Passcode: 040775