news

This is the

churches' news-sheet

for for September 2010

From the Manse . . . .

This month, our country recalls and commemorates the dark days of the Second World War, and in particular, the critical weeks that came to be known as the 'Battle of Britain'. Following a number of intense phases of bombing by the German Luftwaffe, the fourth phase began on the 7th of September 1940 with daylight attacks on London and its docks. This was to last for nearly a month and reached its climax on the 15th September, when over a thousand sorties were flown against the capital in the afternoon and at night. The odds against the RAF were 2,790 to 650 aircraft. Between the 24th August and 15th September RAF Fighter Command lost 103 pilots killed and 128 seriously wounded with 366 aircraft put out of action. On Sunday 15th September there came what Sir Winston Churchill called 'one of the decisive battles of the war.' In his immortal words, 'Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few' .

Today, 70 years later, major conflicts are thankfully rarer and attrition rates lower..They are still, however, a tragic loss to the country and as equally unbearable to those who are left to mourn loved ones. Let us continue to pray for those who have experienced such a loss, whether in past or ongoing conflicts. May these words offer some comfort and hope:

'I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing' [2 Timothy 4;7-8.]

May God bless and keep you. Yours aye, Duncan.

Floods in Pakistan

Millions of people in Pakistan are now at serious risk of an epidemic of diseases such as cholera because of contaminated water and a lack of sanitation, the country's Prime Minister, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, has said. Mr Gilani said that his country was experiencing the worst natural calamity of its history. Aid agencies are increasingly worried that the disaster could worsen dramatically if epidemics strike. The UN estimates that about 1600 people have died, and 20 million have been affected, with 8 million people made homeless by the torrential monsoon rains. An estimated 8000 are still cut off by the floodwater.

North-eastern regions of India are also suffering from flash flooding which has caused landslides. Hundreds are reported to have died in and around the Leh region, in Ladakh.

In Britain, the Disasters Emergency Committee's appeal has raised £ 33 million so far. It is the first appeal to record a rise in donations in the second week, suggesting that awareness of the scale of the disaster (the floods cover an area the size of England) appears to have overcome any traces of compassion fatigue. (Can there be such a thing as this? Ed.)

Is it a take-over, but not as we know it?

The Church of Scotland has put forward proposals which would see its St Andrew Press arm run by a distinguished international religious publishing house. Under the plans, St Andrew Press would be operated by Hymns Ancient and Modern but retain its own unique identity in Scottish publishing. Hymns Ancient and Modern already runs the publishing arm of the Church of England and is a charitable organization with an international reputation and an annual turnover of almost £ 6 million. Under the proposals which require to be approved by the Kirk's Council of Assembly next month, the Church would continue to market in Scotland and overseas.

Reverend Mark Johnstone, Convenor of the Mission and Discipleship Council which oversees St Andrew Press, said: 'These proposals would place St Andrew Press with an established publisher in the religious market and open up new markets for our books and our authors here in Scotland, in the UK and in all major international markets'.

Dominic Vaughan, the Group Chief Executive of Hymns Ancient and Modern said 'the Trustees of Hymns Ancient and Modern are delighted to be given the opportunity to pursue a successful relationship with the Church of Scotland and to be associated with such a great publishing house as St Andrew Press '.

[Do you have a view on this? Please let the Minister know]

The Ten Commandments - a Refresher *

6 You shall not kill. This is not just a prohibition of murder. If looks could kill, many would kill with a look. If murder can be committed by cutting words, many are guilty. Indeed Jesus said that to be angry with someone without a cause, and to be insulting , are just as serious, while John draws the right conclusion when he writes 'Any one who hates his brother is a Murderer'. [1 John 3:15] Every loss of temper, every outburst of uncontrolled passion, every stirring of sullen rage , every bitter resentment and thirsting for revenge - all these things are murder. We can kill by malicious gossip. We can kill by studied neglect and cruelty. We can kill by spite and jealousy. We have probably all done so.

7 You shall not commit adultery. Again, this commandment has a far wider application than just to unfaithfulness in marriage. It includes any sort of sex outside the marriage relationship for which it was designed. It includes flirting, experimenting, and solitary sexual experience. It also includes all sexual perversions, for although men and women are not responsible for a perverted instinct, they are for its indulgence. It includes selfish demands within wedlock, and many, if not all, divorces. It includes the deliberate reading of pornographic literature, and giving in to impure fantasies. Jesus made this clear when he said

' . . . every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart'.

Just as to entertain murderous thoughts in the heart is to commit murder, so to entertain adulterous thoughts in the heart is to commit adultery. This commandment in fact embraces every abuse of a sacred and beautiful gift of God.

* Stott, J. (1958) 'The Ten Commandments' in Basic Christianity pp 74; Inter-Varsity Press reprint 2007

Dedication Service at Kinloss

On Sunday 29th August the Minister conducted a Service of Dedication and Thanksgiving to mark the completion of the refurbishment of Kinloss Church. The oldest church of the linked charges of Alves, Burghead, Kinloss and Findhorn has now been sensitively transformed into a dual purpose building that will not only provide a warm and welcoming place of worship, but also a much needed community facility. Coffee on Tuesdays at 10 am.

Church Register

Marriage

The marriage of Leslie Sutherland and Brian Attridge will take place on Burghead Church at 3.30 pm on the 18th September.

Harvest at Alves

Alves Harvest Festival will take place on 3rd October.

Visiting Preacher

On Sunday 17th October the Morning Service in Burghead will be conducted by the Reverend Bill Reid (formerly of the Scots Kirk, Paris, and one time Minister of St Laurence Church, Forres.)

Holy Communion at Burghead will be celebrated on 24th October at 11.30 am

Bible Wordsearch

If you are reading this, you can probably find in puzzles at http://biblewordgames.com this month's puzzle on the Four Horsemen in Bible Wordsearch no 180

Blythswood

Collections are made from Burghead, outside the Church Hall (but not obstructing the door) between 1.00 and 1.30 pm on the certain Tuesdays [21 Sep, 19 Oct, 16 Nov, 21 Dec] Please don't leave bags at other times.