Messy fun at Rattray
Morning worship on Sunday was conducted by Rev Harry Mowbray and commenced with the choir singing the introit Today I Awake And God Is Before Me, followed by the minister’s welcome and intimations.
The hymn, Let All the World in Every Corner Sing, was followed by prayers of approach and confession, and the minister’s first thought.
Mr Mowbray said Christian Aid Week was approaching and people are reminded of the very many projects the organisation is involved with. These include providing food, water and shelter to South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, helping refugees in Syria and Iraq, plus on-going emergency work due to hurricanes in Haiti and flooding in Malawi. Donations will be collected in Blairgowrie’s Tesco supermarket on Friday, April 21.
The hymn, Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation, was followed by scripture readings by Andy Lang from Exodus ch 12-18, Moses on Mount Sinai, and St Matthew ch 17 v 1-9, The Transfiguration. Between the readings the choir sang the anthem, Higher Ground by Charles Gabriel.
The hymn, You, Lord, Are Both Lamb and Shepherd, was followed by the minister’s sermon, which Mr Mowbray started by saying that in the present age people remember events with photography. During The Transfiguration there was no such luxury, but the disciples would remember these vivid events. The Gospel is for everyone and the images experienced by the disciples are passed on, helped by artistic representations by the painter Raphael in his Transfiguration scene which showed the radiant light that we crave, in which God reminded the disciples: “This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” But this image can’t last in the real world and we need constant reminding of the disciples’ experience. People pray for peace and relief from suffering. A calling is not just to listen but to follow Jesus, doing what we can to bring God’s love where it is needed.
The hymn, Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies, was followed by the uplifting of the offering and prayers of thanksgiving and intercession.
The service closed with the hymn, To God Be the Glory, Great Things He Has Done, and the benediction.
Musical offerings by organist Lex Dunlop included Prelude IV Andante Tranquillo by CV Stanford; Es Ist Das Heil (Salvation Unto Us Has Come) by David Polley (born 1953); and Concerto in F Major (Final Movement) by Handel.
Mr Mowbray reminded the congregation that as the car park in the former school playground was not now available arrangements had been made for the Freedom Coach to transport members of the congregation from the former gas works car park along from the Co-op from around 10.30am and will leave for the church at 10.45am.
Volunteers are required to help with the Christian Aid collections in Tesco on Friday, April 21. There is a form in the lower hall where volunteers can enter their names and what shifts they would prefer or be available for.
A World Day of Prayer service will be held in Blairgowrie Parish Church on Friday, March 3, at 7pm. The material for the service has been written by women of the Philippines.
Members of the congregation were urged to keep knitting items for Africa as Mission International has taken over from Raven’s Trust and will deliver items to Malawi.
The Kirk Session will meet in the Session Room on Wednesday this week at 7.30pm.
The next praise service will be held in the church hall on Sunday at 7pm.
The next Messy Church will be in the church hall on Sunday, March 19, at 9.30am.
The next early service will be on Sunday, March 26, at 9.30am.
Ushers this Sunday - Archie Mitchell beadle, Bob Strachan, Isobelle Howes, Brenda Kerr, Fiona Bain, Ron McLaren.
Tea rota - Connie Irvine, Brenda Kerr, Margaret Conroy.
Crèche duty - Joy Kearns and Anne Dow. On Sunday there were morning services in St Catharine’s, Blairgowrie, St Anne’s, Coupar Angus and St Ninian’s, Alyth.
In the afternoon, there was a service at St Michael’s, Ballintuim. The reading from St Matthew’s Gospel told the story of Christ’s Transfiguration, and those gathered were encouraged to reflect on the value of those ‘mountain top’ experiences when we suddenly become aware of God’s presence and activity in the ordinary day to day events of our lives.
As part of the Coupar Angus Snowdrop Festival, the window ledges in St Anne’s church were decorated with artistic displays on the theme of ‘New Beginnings’, prepared by people associated with the church under the guidance of Roz Arno-Button. The church remained open through the afternoon to allow people to view and interact with the displays. In the afternoon, refreshments were served in the church hall, where there were also plants for sale.
The season of Lent begins this week. Ash Wednesday will be marked with a service in St Catharine’s, Blairgowrie at 11.30am which will include the imposition of ashes as a sign of repentance. Three Lent Groups begin this week. One group will meet weekly in Coupar Angus for a Bible Study on the following Sunday’s Gospel reading. One will meet in Blairgowrie to reflect on chapters from ‘The Nail’ by Bishop Stephen Cottrell, followed by a time of prayer. An ecumenical Rattray Parish Church held a Messy Church at Rattray Hall, Balmoral Road, recently when the theme was‘God’s love for us and the whole world’.
Craft activities included making cards to give to friends and family, friendship bracelets, and toy volcanoes.
Pictured are: Paulene MadocJones, Beau Duncan, her sister Poppy, and their grandmother Jacqui Duncan, and Jasmine Mowat, with co-ordinator Evelyn Grieve, back left, and Muriel Brown. Pic: David Phillips
group will meet in Kirkmichael, using material from the York Courses. All three groups will continue throughout Lent, with a final meeting just before Easter. Members of St Ninian’s congregation will meet to say evening prayer together on Thursday, March 2. Sunday, March 5, is the first Sunday of Lent. There will be the usual services at 9.30am in St Catharine’s, Blairgowrie and at 11am in St Anne’s, Coupar Angus, and St Ninian’s, Alyth. The Rector, Very Rev Kenny Rathband, can be contacted via 01250 874583.
For more details, see www.abcsaints.org.uk or search on Facebook for ‘ABC Saints’. The service on Sunday, March 5, will begin at 11am and will be in the usual location at the Wellmeadow Café on Blairgowrie’s Gas Brae. The service will be led by Judy Jarvis. All are welcome to join the congregation for worship and for tea or coffee afterwards. The service on February 26 renewed contact with local preacher Julya Walsh who is currently residing in Bulgaria. Her service was relayed via Skype and included an interesting account of the ways in which Easter is celebrated in the United Methodist Church in Bulgaria. Coffee mornings are held on the first Monday of each month in the Wellmeadow Cafe. The next coffee morning is on Monday, March 6, from 10am to 11.30am. All welcome. Further information can be found on the website at www.riverside-methodist-church.co.uk. The congregation celebrated this Sunday’s service giving thanks to God for the gift of faith that puts all normal fears into healthy perspective.
The first reading was taken from Isaiah ch 49, v 14-16 and it states that God loves people just as a woman loves the child of her womb.
The second reading was taken from 1 Corinthians ch 4, v 1-5. Here, Paul argues that Apostles have authority as stewards of the mysteries of God. Gospel was taken from Matthew 6:24-34. It makes clear that they are not to worry as their deepest needs are supplied by Providence.
In his reflection, Fr Gregory Umunna brought the human experience of fear into the context of faith which can moderate it.
After the service, Fr Gregory announced the topic of the 2017 Lenten talk as: ‘Godhead Here in Hiding and Incarnation and the History of Human Suffering.’ They will take place in St Stephen’s RC Church on Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1.
The aim of the talks, the fourth in the series, is to reflect on the ‘classical’ doctrine of incarnation from a variety of perspectives and to interact this with understanding of human history as a history of suffering.