Rector’s Letter – November 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
28th October 2025
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Rector’s letter for November 2025
Personal Notes
You will have seen the news of a ceasefire in Gaza, and like many I was thankful for it, but I was pessimistic that it would hold. I was hopeful that at least the killing of so many people in Gaza would stop and sufficient food, water and medicines would get through. However, there have been killings of Palestinians since shortly after the ceasefire came into effect and aid has not flowed at the levels agreed, or required. That is a strange definition for a ‘ceasefire’. In addition, about half of Gazan territory is behind a ‘yellow wall’ barrier which Palestinians cannot enter. It makes a nonsense of being able to return home. There has also been a sharp increase in attacks on Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank. In recent days, there have been attacks on people harvesting olives, including members of Rabbi’s For Peace, by illegal settlers, and also the destruction of olive trees by settlers.
There is a ‘Sermon for the West’ by Revd Munther Isaac, which it is worth listening to. As a Palestinian Christian pastor, he speaks so well about the plight of Palestinians from the Nakba onwards, not just since the horrific events of 7th October 2023. The Sermon to the West is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=fhUqbNd7Zag it is 15 minutes long. It is informative, but I should warn you that it is disturbing in places. I don’t think we can avert our eyes and ears to the suffering. As Christians, what is our response? I don’t think we can remain silent. We need to find ways to voice our concerns and take practical action. For myself, it is through financially supporting ‘Medical Aid for Palestinians’ and keeping informed through my Iona Community Common Concerns Network on Israel/Palestine.
Munther Isaac published a book on 25th March this year, ‘Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and the Genocide in Gaza’. You can see an interview with him about the book here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV0h1ntN9sc It was filmed before the ‘ceasefire’ was brokered.
On a related theme, the book ‘The First Advent in Palestine: Reversals, Resistance, and the Ongoing Complexity of Hope’ by Kelley Nikondeha, (ISBN 979-8-8898-3825-8) explores the context of the first Advent, of Roman occupation and the struggles of the people, and describes the current context and struggles too. It was published in August this year. I know some folk in St Andrew’s West Linton are going to be discussing it during Advent. I have it ordered and hope to make time to read it, but possibly complete it before the end of the season of Advent. If you have it or are tempted to buy and read it, let me know.
I am heading to The Corrymeela Community on Thursday this week, to represent the Iona Community at the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Corrymeela Community. Corrymeela is situated on the north Antrim coast, just outside Ballycastle, in beautiful countryside and close to the sea. It played a key role in bringing people from across the religious and political divide in Northern Ireland into dialogue with each other, and continues its work today, to encourage people to have courageous conversations which deepen respect for each other so that they can live well together. Corrymeela’s founder, Ray Davey felt moved to start a community after his wartime experiences, especially having witnessed the Dresden firestorm and reflected on the hatred and violence created when political leaders rouse people with ‘us and them’ rhetoric and actions. This has echoes of experiences of George MacLeod in the First World War that, in part, inspired him to form and develop a community which became the Iona Community. Both Ray Davey and George MacLeod understood that their faith was grounded in action. You can find out more about Corrymeela here: https://www.corrymeela.org/
The process of electing a new Bishop formally started on Saturday 27th September, with a preliminary meeting with the Preparatory Committee. The closing date for applications is this Friday, 31st October.
The next two meetings are provisionally set for:
- 7th February 2026 (meeting with the candidates)
- 14th February 2026 (meeting to elect a Bishop)
There is a prayer for the process of searching for a new Bishop, that we are asked to use in our own personal prayer life and in our services:
Living God, you walk with us in all seasons of life calling us to follow you with joy, hope and love as we share in your work of renewing the world; give us humility and discernment to hear your voice, that those discerning their calling and all involved in our bishop search may be encouraged in your ways and open to your creative Spirit. Amen.
And talking of Bishops, I was very pleased to hear of the election of Sarah Mullally, the current Bishop of London, as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, to be installed on Wednesday 25th March 2026, the Feast of the Annunciation. I was less than happy (OK, I was appalled) by the ungracious comments from representatives of GAFCON, a sub-group within the Anglican Communion who hold much more conservative views on woman in ordained ministry and of people in same-sex relationships, amongst other things. A Nigerian priest in the Church of England (The Revd Preb Dr Amatu Christian-Iwuagwu) published a letter that spoke powerfully against the demonisation of the C of E by GAFCON, and the fact that the Anglican Communion is not about uniformity but about unity in diversity. You can read his excellent letter in full here.
Please pray for Bishop Sarah, she has a tough job to do, and needs all the prayerful support we can muster.
Peter Woodfield and myself will be off to the Diocesan Clergy Conference from 3rd to 6th November. The former Rector of St Mungo’s Balerno, Revd Canon Malcolm Round, will be leading the conference and will offer a theological reflection and insight on the first chapter of 2 Timothy.
News and new things happening
Talk on the Ecumenical Christian Community at Taizé – Saturday 1st November at 7.30 pm, St James Church Hall
Storm Amy thwarted the first attempt at holding this talk. But, the weather looks ‘good enough’ for this coming Saturday.
I will give a talk about the origins and history of the ecumenical community at Taizé in Burgundy, describe the weekly programme and offer some personal reflections on my week there in July alongside the group from the Diocese of Edinburgh. You won’t be asked to sing any of the Taizé chants. There will be some pictures… Tickets are £5 from Marion Mather. Refreshments will be provided.
Monday Advent Study Group – 24th November to 15th December at 10.30 am St James’ Church Hall
We meet in St James’ church hall at 10.30 am for about 90 minutes. For four Monday’s Joy will be leading sessions on ‘Art in Advent’.
Beer and Carols – 16th and 18th December at 7.30 pm
Please do come and join us in the Old Crown Inn in Penicuik on Tuesday 16th December, to sing some carols and maybe have a wee drink as we encourage the regulars to join in with some carols. Last year we ended up with everyone in the out shouting out their requests.
I have asked the landlord at The Gordon Arms in West Linton is we could come in on 18th December and sing some carols there. I am awaiting confirmation that we can do it. So, please pencil this in your diary and let’s hope they are agreeable.
Monday Study Group ‘Meeting Jesus’ – 12th January to 9th February 2026 at 10.30 am
During 2026 we shall hold a number of sessions under the title ‘Meeting Jesus’. In the first set of sessions we will explore and discuss some of the stories Jesus told.
Tuesday Afternoon Bible Study – 13th January to 10th February. Reading the Gospel of Matthew
The new liturgical year starts on Advent Sunday, 30th November. In our three-year cycle of Bible reading, we move from Year C to Year A. The main gospel for the Lectionary in Year A is Matthew’s gospel. This will not be a classic Bible Study; more a chance to hear the gospel read in large sections, to appreciate the flow of the story and where Matthew’s focus lies.
St James the Less Fellowship Lunch – 2nd November
At the soup and roll lunch on 2nd November, we will be asking for donations to The Pitt-Hopkins UK, a registered charity. Pitt-Hopkins syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by severe intellectual disability, developmental delays, and limited speech, amongst other things. Ania O’Rourkes son has this condition.
St James the Less Fellowship Lunch –December and January
We ideally need three volunteers each month to make soup for about ten people each. The soup is to be vegetarian and gluten-free. Please contact me or Marion Mather if you wish to help out for December and January’s lunch.
Night Church at St James
These quiet contemplative sessions will be held in the church hall at 7.30 pm, with a short closing service of night prayer in the Peace Chapel at 8.45 pm. The sessions will be:
Tues 18th November – theme of ‘Peace’.
Sat 13th December – theme of ‘Nature’.
Tues 13th January – theme of ‘Community’
Sat 14th February – theme of ‘Love’
Tues 10th March – theme of ‘Family’
A publicity flyer has been produced for the Night Church. Please do spread the word and encourage people to come along who may not ‘do church’. And, of course, come along yourself and experience it.
Night Church at St Mungo’s
The same sessions will be run in St Mungo’s church from 7.30 to 9pm. If you would like to support Night Church in West Linton, do let me know. The sessions will be on:
Tues 25th November – theme of ‘Peace’.
Mon 15th December – theme of ‘Nature’.
Tues 27th January – theme of ‘Community’
Mon 16th February – theme of ‘Love’
Wed 18th March – theme of ‘Family’
‘Friendship With God’
On the Sundays from 12th October to 2nd November we have been laying aside the normal lectionary readings and have been exploring the theme, ‘Friendship with God’. The final Sunday will have the following readings from scripture.
- 2nd Nov: ‘Building a Relationship With God’. Readings are: Genesis 5:18-24, Colossians 3:12-17, John 15:1-8, John 16:1-15.
Related to these themed services, we would like to invite you to join together with friends from church, and maybe invite some of your neighbours to join you, to explore Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For?’ It is a book with forty very short chapters (some a page or two long, some six pages long), and it is intended as a form of forty-day spiritual journey, where you read a chapter each day and spend time reflecting on it. For many people that may be too much, but maybe reading a chapter and taking the week to reflect on it, then meet and discuss that chapter with friends would be more manageable. The book is split into six sections, the first five have seven chapters each, the final section has five chapters. The book provides some questions for each chapter, to aid discussions, so no-one has to sweat about what questions to ask. You could form a group to discuss the first section, then after seven weeks take a wee break before coming back for the second section of seven weeks, and so on. You can buy a used copy of the book from www.bookfinder.com for between £2.70 and £5. The ISBN for the book is 978-0310-21074-0.
A Year of Biblical Womanhood
Rachel Held Evans wrote this book in 2012. It is her exploration of the instructions to women found in the Bible. As a strong-willed and independent woman, she found this challenging and insightful about how some literal readings of the Bible can make a woman feel. She explored the rich heritage of biblical heroines, models of grace, and all-round women of valour.
The book has twelve chapters, one for each month of the year. It would suit a group of people coming together once a month to discuss a chapter. If you are interested in exploring the Bible in this way, please let me know, indicating if you would be willing to play ‘host’ for the group to meet.
Used copies of the book can be bought from about £4 from www.bookfinder.com The easiest way to search for the book is to use the ISBN number: 978-1-5955-5367-6.
In Other News…
On Friday 24th October, I attended a half-day meeting to explore facets of the ‘quiet revival’ that various churches have been reporting. That is, a slow and steady growth in people in the twenties coming to church with a thirst to know more about Jesus and God. It was interesting to hear some first-hand stories of growth, but also the reality that many people in that age group are fairly mobile and don’t always stay in one place for long. The main speaker was clear that growth has been experienced in a number of different denominations and of varying charisms, from Pentecostal to very traditional Roman Catholic. The main speaker, Roy Crowne, was excellent in his pragmatism and down to earth approach. He confirmed some of our experiences, that passive church growth can happen by people coming in to ‘try us out’, and if the welcome is genuine and warm, and the service true to the church’s charism, then the individual may well come back again. Roy was saying the revival did also call for us to be far more intentional and invitational – God was asking us to follow up on what God has been doing in people and help them cross the threshold of our churches. Personal invitations, coming with someone, being willing to ask people their story and only then be willing to share our story.
I have finished my formal Spanish classes, held over 18 months in the Village Centre in West Linton. They were great fun to do, and I would heartily recommend our tutor if ever you fancied learning. The challenge for me is to catch up on all the homework I failed to do during the course, build up my vocabulary and start to ‘use it’ rather than ‘lose it’. A group of us who took the course still meet on a Friday evening, for conversation, and every now and again, to watch a Spanish film. It will be a good excuse for me to re-watch some my Pedro Almodovar directed films, starring Penelope Cruz…
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 26th October.
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 8th October. 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 9th October.
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 recommence after Christmas, reading through Matthew’s gospel, from 13th January to 10th February.
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.
Monday Study Night (on Zoom)
We are exploring the book, ‘Making Sense of God’s Love’. In January, we shall be exploring the stories Jesus told, in the ‘Meeting Jesus’ programme.
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 2026 are:
30th March: ‘Communion with God: An Uncommon Dialogue’ by Neale Donald Walsh (published by Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 0-340-76784-7)
29th June: ‘A Big Enough God: Artful Theology’ by Sara Maitland (published by Mowbray ISBN 0-264-67331-X)
31st August: ‘The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World’s Largest Religion is Seeking a Better Way to be Christian’ by Brian McLaren (published by Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 978-1-473-62677-5)
30th November: ‘Places of Enchantment: Meeting God in Landscapes’ by Graham B Usher (published by SPCK ISBN 978-0-281-06792-3)
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 2nd November 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 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. The advert for a priest-in-charge produced no applications, unfortunately. This last week I have attended two meetings of the Provincial Interfaith Relations Committee and also a meeting of the Diocesan Personnel Committee.
The Ministry Team
We continue to meet 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