Date: December 31st 2009

From the Provost

Dear

You'll find some St Mary's news for the new year below. The Christmas Season has been an exciting one to share in. My personal thanks to all those who helped to make the special services that we have had such a success.

With all good wishes for the New Year.

With best regards

KELVIN

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New Year's Day

There will be a New Year's Day service at 11 am on 1 January 2010. New Year's Day is also a Feast Day - the Feast of the Holy Name, when we remember Jesus being named by his parents.
The service will be a modern language (1982) Eucharist with some hymns and a simple communion setting.

New Year Resolution - Read the Bible

People sometimes want to start the New Year with a resolution to have a go at regular Bible reading. A list of readings (called a Lectionary) is published by the Church for exactly this purpose. The Lectionary for Daily Prayer readings (ie the one used at Morning Prayer in St Mary's) is now available online. (If you spot any mistakes in it, please let the Provost know). Morning and Evening readings are provided for festivals and three readings are provided for normal days. One way of spreading the readings out is to read the Old Testament and Gospel reading provided in the morning and the New Testament and the Gospel (again) in the evening. Note that every member of the clergy enjoys talking with people about finding a regular pattern of reading the Bible.

Epiphany

Epiphany will be celebrated at the services on Sunday 3 January and then again at the 11 am service on 6 January.

Election of a New Bishop

The Electoral Synod will meet the three candidates who are nominated for the post of Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway in St Margaret's Church, Newlands on 9 January 2010. The Electoral Synod will convene in St Mary's Cathedral one week later on Saturday 16 January 2010 for the election. These sessions are closed to everyone except the electors. The Lay Rep (and consequently the elector) who represents St Mary's is Anne Jones.

The three candidates are:

The Venerable Dr John Applegate, (born 1956), Course Principal, Southern North West Training Partnership, Diocese of Manchester and part-time lecturer at the University of Manchester

The Very Rev Dr Gregor Duncan, (born 1950), Rector of St Ninian’s Church, Pollokshields and Dean of the Diocese of Glasgow & Galloway

The Rev Canon Dr Alison Peden, (born 1952), Rector of Holy Trinity Church, Stirling; Chaplain of Forth Valley College, Stirling and Canon of St Ninian’s Cathedral, Perth

More details and photographs of the candidates can be found on the diocesan website.

 

The process by which someone can be elected as a Bishop in the Scottish Episcopal Church is governed by Canon Law, specifically Canon 4. The Code of Canons can be downloaded (in a zipped file) from the Scottish Episcopal Church's website.

 

Young Church

On January 10^th the new Young Church initiative will be launched with an exciting session of singing games with members of the choir. The following two weeks will have a different format:- on Jan 17th, With Parents in Church (with the Treble Choir taking part in the service) and on Jan 24^th Finding out about where we are in the Church Year. Following weeks’ activities will have play based sessions and time spent with a member of the clergy. All these sessions will be repeated through the year. Young Church will be held in the Synod Hall during the 10.30 service.  Children will meet there during the Psalm and come back into Church for the Peace.

If you have children or grandchildren between the ages of 3/4 to 11 and are interested in them coming along, please look out for the flyers at the back of the church.

Radio Broadcasts

The Provost has been asked to record 6 Prayer for the Day slots for Radio 4. These will be going out on 16 and 18-22 January 2010. These are especially for early-birds as the broadcast time is 0543 in the morning. However, they will be archived at the BBC Prayer for the Day website.

Website

The website for St Mary's can be found at  www.thecathedral.org.uk.

Video of sermons can be found at www.thecathedral.org.uk/spirituality/preaching

A regular update of what is going on in the Provost's head can be found on his blog at www.thurible.net

Vestry Report

A digest of the December Vestry meeting is now available online in pdf format here:
http://www.thecathedral.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Vestry-Report091214.pdf

Note that you need Adobe Reader installed to be able to view this file.

Diocesan News

No Diocesan News bulletin has been received by the Provost recently and none has been published on the Diocesan website since November.
The place where such files appear is http://www.glasgow.anglican.org/index.php/downloads/by_category/C165/

Note that you need Adobe Reader installed to be able to view this file.

Festivals and Commemorations

The Eucharist will be celebrated to mark the following festival days:

Wednesday 13 January 2010 at 0930 - St Mungo

Monday 25 January 2010 at 0930 - Conversion of St Paul

2 Feburary 2010 at 0930 - Candlemas

Ash Wednesday is on 17 February 2010 and there will be Eucharists at 1230 pm and 1930 pm. The evening service will be a Choral Eucharist.

LGBT Group

The LGBT Group meets on 18 January 2010 at 7.30 pm for a discussion evening. A "Biblical Self Defence Course" prepared by the Rev Lindsay Biddle of the Church of Scotland, dealing with gay issues is now available from the Provost.

Bible Study & Compline

The next contextual Bible study will take place in the Meeting Room on Tuesday 12^th January 2010 at 6.00 pm. It will look at one of the  readings set for the following Sunday. Tea and coffee available from 5.30. No previous knowledge or expertise required. Sung Compline will follow.

Book Group

The Book Group is held in the Meeting Room and meets between 5.45 and 7pm (tea/coffee happens first, followed by discussion at 6pm).  Please feel free to join in when you can - new members are most welcome.  Dates and books are: on 4th February ‘Moon Tiger’ by Penelope Lively; on 4^th March ‘Between the Monster and the Saint’ by Richard Holloway. 

Poetry Evening

Next meeting 28^th January 2010 in the meeting room - Susan Anthony is the contact person for this group at: okediadi@hotmail.co.uk / 0141 339 0224 The choice of poems is taken in turn by those attending. Meetings take place at 6 pm on the third Thursday in the month in the Meeting Room, which is next to the Synod Hall door. Tea and coffee available from 5.30.

External Events

Jackie Heatlie writes: ‘Empathising with your boss is the secret of many successes’  plus, just possibly, taking her advice! Acting on this led to my first BPF Conference, a turning point which proved a life-transforming experience. The 2010 Conference in St. Andrews has President, Dr. Jim O’Donoghue, as main speaker, and his theme is ‘Love and Healing. The Spirituality of Counselling & Pastoral Care.’  Dr. O’Donoghue has founded and directed four community Counselling Therapeutic Centres in Ireland, and been a visiting lecturer in two universities. Places are limited, so you’re wise to book early… don’t say you weren’t warned! For more information, pick up a brochure from the table at the back of the Cathedral?

The conference takes place from 12-16 April 2010 and there are more details and a booking form available online.

 

The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Glasgow (St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral) is a charity registered with OSCR, number SCO06225