Rector’s Letter – May 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
30th April 2025
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Rector’s letter for May 2025
Personal Notes
The end of April has brought more dry fine weather, with temperatures much higher than the seasonal average. Whilst it is lovely to enjoy such dry and sunny weather, it leaves me with a sense of unease as well. Climate change is starting to have an impact on our lives. Up to now, most of the worst effects have been in distant countries. However, we are now having patterns of extremely wet weather and then extended dry spells. Both of these play havoc for the natural world or plants and animals of all kinds, and also with the lives of many people.
A while ago, in a strange moment of wanting to tidy up a box of old photos I came across a picture of me beside my first car, a Mark II Cortina, probably taken in the summer of 1978 or 1979. What I saw, apart from a very young me with long flowing hair, was the amount of insects splattered on the number plate – and I used to lovingly wash my car every week! Now, there is a hardly an insect that dies on my number plate or windscreen. Is this down to intensive farming and spraying of insecticides, to changes in the climate, or both?
Gardeners are being asked to enable dandelions to grow and not cut their grass just yet. Dandelions are some of the first flowers that insects, and especially bumble bees, feed on. We are also encouraged to have some areas of our gardens left untidy, so insects and small mammals can live in the margins. What can each one of us do, to help support wildlife and reduce our impact on God’s creation?
As I stepped off the plane in Malaga last Monday morning, 21st April, and switched on my phone, I received many notifications about the death of Pope Francis. I admired Pope Francis. He eschewed the pomp and luxury that was normally for the Pope to enjoy. He chose to live in simple lodgings, not the Papal Palace. He used his position to influence world leaders and the RC Church about the climate crisis, and his wonderful encyclical, ‘Laudato Sie’, on how we should care for our common home, more responsible for our care of the world, and for the poor who suffer most from environmental damage. Laudato Sie had a major influence on COP21 in Paris. On Maundy Thursday each year the Pope would go to a prison in Rome and wash the feet of prisoners there. The Pope had called for greater compassion within the justice systems. The Pope visited the prison to wash the feet of the prisoners on Maundy Thursday this year, four days before he died. And as a final act he left his life savings (reportedly €200,000) to the prisoners in the jail he regularly went to. He was a powerful example of servant leadership, and I believe has made the some of the teachings of the RC Church much more relevant to the world today.
This week, came the news that a proposed Declaration of Friendship between the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Conference of Bishops of the Catholic Church in Scotland will be put before General Synod in June this year.
The agreement, also to be known as the Saint Ninian Declaration, articulates and supports a deepening relationship between Episcopalians and Roman Catholics in Scotland. It affirms the possibilities for working more closely together while acknowledging that there are distinct differences between the two churches.
I write this letter in the middle of the second week of Easter. The Easter season is fifty days of unremitting joy. We celebrate the risen Lord, and the events between the Resurrection and Pentecost. We light the Paschal Candle at each service of Holy Communion, and we proclaim ‘Alleluia!’ enthusiastically, and enjoy singing or saying the Gloria once more, having refrained from using it during Lent. It is also a liturgical season where we read from the Acts of the Apostles rather than from the Old Testament. As I have said before, the small sections we read (called ‘pericopes’) from Acts does not give a real sense of the drama and pace of events. So, once more, I encourage you to read the Book of the Acts of the Apostles through, maybe over three or four sittings, to really get a sense of this momentous time in the formation of our faith, following the way of Jesus. Go on, give it a try.
News and new things happening
Penicuik Churches Together Prayer Breakfast – Saturday 3rd May
This chance to pray for all the churches work with children and young people in Penicuik, to be held in Penicuik Trinity Community Church Hall.
Christian Aid Week – 11th to 17th May
This year is the 80th anniversary of Christian Aid. The promotional material for this year highlights the detrimental impact of climate change on communities in Guatemala. The indigenous population have done the least to cause climate crisis, but endure its impact the most. Our giving this year will support many projects that Christian Aid run, including communities such as the one in Guatemala. The donations given at the first Sunday lunch on 4th May at St James will go to the Christian Aid appeal.
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
For the 9 am 3rd Sunday services we shall be using the 1929 liturgy until the August 3rd Sunday service, and then get feedback about whether to continue to use it. At the 10.30 am service we shall continue to use the Service of the Word as it 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.
Monday Study Group – ‘Superstar’ – Mondays 28th April, 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th May, & 2nd June
On Monday of this week we started the latest discussion group using the York Course called, ‘Superstar’. It is being held in the church hall at 10:30. Please do consider joining us, it doesn’t matter if you haven’t attended the first session.
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 16th 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.
Whipman and Lass Church service in the Marquee – 11 am on 8th June
The Festival of Pentecost falls on the day when St Mungo’s and St Andrew’s join together for a service on the Lower green, in the marquee. Please do join us for what we hope will be a great service, in lovely summer weather.
St James Strawberry Tea Fundraiser – 2 pm 14th June
A reminder that the annual Strawberry Tea with entertainment, will be held in Penicuik Community Church Hall. Please speak to Marion if you are willing to bake, donate items or help out on the day.
Music Sunday at St James – 15th June
Apart from being Trinity Sunday, 15th June will be the ‘end of term’ for the choir. It will be a service to celebrate the work of our choir and David, our organist and choir master. We have a great ministry of music, and it is right to celebrate this and give thanks for it. You are invited to bring along some food to share, for a lunch after the service.
Scripture Union Summer Club in Penicuik – 29th July to 4th August
Advance notice of the annual summer club for children. If you know any children that might want to join this summer club, do get in contact. It runs from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm each day.
St James Daffodil Tea Fundraiser – Saturday 5th April
The annual fundraiser raised £945 for St James the Less funds. Many thanks for all who donated gifts, baked and prepared food, served at the tables, or helped to sell items on the day. Also, many thanks to the daffodil pickers. It was wonderful effort all round.
St James the Less Fellowship Lunch – Sunday 6th April
The collection at the lunch was for this year’s Bishop’s Lent Appeal, for Abraham’s Children in Crisis (ACIC), a small charity working in the Holy Land. This raised £355. Many thanks to all who donated.
From the Registers
Funerals:
Mona Bennett, on 24th March
Lynda Smith, on 16th April
May they rest in peace, and rise in glory.
In Other News…
I had a great few days in Granada in Andalusia. The Alhambra Palace and the gardens were really interesting to visit, and with lovely weather in the mid-20’s it was perfect weather too.
The Diocese is organising a pilgrimage to Taizé, from 29th June to 6th July, and I have been asked to be one of two leaders. We have 18 young people signed up, which is a really good number. I shall use my time at Taizé as my annual retreat, and include a few days of annual leave beforehand to spend some time in Paris. I shall be travelling by train from Edinburgh to London, then onto Paris by Eurostar, and then the ‘slow express train’ i.e. not the TVG, to Macon. Taizé is about 20 miles north-west of Macon, not very far from Cluny.
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 are currently studying the first half of the Book of the prophet Jeremiah.
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:
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)
https://zoom.us/j/6289561588?pwd=aGtNeE1ZM3l1Tkluckp3bVJtZkRHQT09
Meeting ID: 628 956 1588 Password: 040775
St Mungo, Holy Communion at 10.30 am on Sunday.
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.
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)
https://zoom.us/j/96303841875?pwd=YmZiYkdNNzZJeWI5cmtZL2RLUWc1Zz09
Meeting ID: 963 0384 1875 Password: 040775
Wednesday Evening Compline at 9 pm (all year) (Zoom only)
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