December 2016/January 2017 DEEMER —JANUARY 2017 · a camping trip with John and Olive to Pitlochry to see ^The Enchanted Forest! _ This was a wonderful display of light in the darkness

20 DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017

DAY DATE SERVICES

SUNDAY 4 DECEMBER ADVENT 2 10 AM SUNG EUCHARIST

THURSDAY 8 DECEMBER 10 AM SAID EUCHARIST





SUNDAY 25 DECEMBER CHRISTMAS DAY 10 AM SUNG EUCHARIST


SUNDAY 1 JANUARY CHRISTMAS 2 10 AM SUNG EUCHARIST

THURSDAY 5 JANUARY 10 AM SAID EUCHARIST

SUNDAY 8 JANUARY EPIPHANY 10 AM SUNG EUCHARIST


SUNDAY 15 JANUARY EPIPHANY 2 10 AM SUNG EUCHARIST


SUNDAY 22 JANUARY EPIPHANY 3 10 AM SUNG EUCHARIST

MONDAY 23 JANUARY

START OF WEEK OF

PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN

UNITY

7 PM SERVICE


SUNDAY 29 JANUARY EPIPHANY 4/

CANDLEMAS 3.30 PM CAROL SERVICE

SERVICES CALENDAR

DECEMBER 2016—JANUARY 2017 December 2016/January 2017

The Scottish Episcopal Church of

St Andrew’s

Park Road

Milngavie £1

All Saints—The Baptistry, Padua


Rector Rev Andrea Hagenbuch

1 Westbourne Drive, Bearsden G61

0141-942-0029

Lay Reader Fraser Gold 0141-956-3950

VESTRY

Secretary Angela Rigg

101 Finlay Rise, Milngavie G62

0141-956-7242

Treasurer Gordon Rutherford 0141-956-2879

Lay Representative Tim Rhead 0141-576-7576

Members Caroline Logan, Ruth Long

People’s Warden Stephen McVey 0141-942-0499

Website Co-ordinator James Carrick

[email protected]

Magazine Editors Steve McVey, James Carrick,

[email protected]

Child Protection Freda Anderson 0141-955-0889

St Andrew’s is a registered charity in Scotland SC008683

Web Site : https://milngavie.church.scot

19 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 19 DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017



S tir up, 0 Lord, the wills of your faithful people: that they, plenteously bringing

forth the fruit of good works, may by you be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the collect for the last Sunday before Advent often referred to as “Stir up Sunday.” Advent is traditionally associated with preparation - a time when we prepare ourselves once again for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Spiritually Advent is a penitential season – a time when we may reflect on our spiritual wellbeing, consider our faith, our relationship with God and how that influences our lives. Advent is also a time of feverish practical preparations for the great feast of Christmas. As I write it is only the first part of November and already the shops are full of Christmas goods and wares. Plenteous seems a fitting word to describe our apparent opulence at Christmas In other parts of the world the word plenteous can only describe the devastation, suffering and hardship caused by continual war and unrest.

Christ came into this world to show God’s plenteous love for us. This doesn’t take the form of a charmed life free from pain and suffering as we are only too aware. But, if we do engage in a relationship with God, take the scriptures seriously, take part in the life of our church the rewards can be plenteous and perhaps more plenteous than we will ever realise. Jesus said “I came to give life—life in all its fullness”. John 10:10 We certainly seem to be living life to the full at St Andrew’s. The last few weeks have seen Gordon and I poring over hymn books and service sheets as we put together and plan for the Patronal Festival and The Advent Carol Services. The choir has reconvened and is in good voice ready to sing and celebrate the coming of Christ. In the Advent bible study group we have been considering “spiritual essentials for life” studying sections of St John’s gospel. Tomorrow we will consider what it means for Christ to be the “Light in our lives”. In Advent we talk about going from “darkness to light” Christ bringing

Pastoral Letter Rev. Andrea Hagenbuch, Rector


light to our dark world. We had a taste of “darkness to light” earlier in the autumn when we went on a camping trip with John and Olive to Pitlochry to see “The Enchanted Forest!”

This was a wonderful display of light in the darkness. The whole forest was lit up very imaginatively with twinkling lights. The main feature of the show being a “shimmer display” over the

Loch. This is a high-tech performance of light being shone in various ways to create different patterns telling a story – very clever and extremely effective. Another high-“light” of the trip was waking up in the morning surrounded by the hills and the fresh air, drinking that first cup of tea of the day while watching Stephen stumbling back from the ablutions block. That was followed

up later in the day when John helped a struggling Stephen put on a cover for the roof of our van – much to the amusement of Olive and me as we stood on the side lines watching them! Another autumn highlight was a trip, promised in the auction by Tim, to Millport by train and ferry. What a lovely day we had! Margot, Tim and I

Pastoral Letter Rev. Andrea Hagenbuch, Rector


Miscellanae The Constant Gardener

This is another talent auction bid being fulfilled— 2 x two hour weeding sessions in Liz and George’s small holding in Strathblane. As you can see, the service provider is hard at work.

I am no fan of weeding either, and I can imagine that George limits himself to cutting the lawn to a state suitable for practising his boules or perhaps even his cricket by throwing the odd Yorker or googly—whatever those terms mean. Only in cricket could you have an official term such as ‘Silly Mid on’…

As to the gardener, he wishes to remain anonymous, which is fine but I rather suspect that most of you will be able to identify the mystery man...

Clare and I have only just returned from a short holiday in Beatrix Potter country in The Lake District, and because of that, and looking at the photo now, I think on reflection that in fact he looks very like Mr McGregor, the scourge of Peter

Rabbit… see what I mean….?

Back to this photo which reminds me very much of an album cover from the 1970’s...however it is in fact a new release by a band called ‘Campsie Deluge’….out not in vinyl, but Goretex..

The next issue of the magazine will be issued on Sunday 29 January 2017, so can I have any articles or photos/material etc. by the preceding Sunday 22nd January 2017 please - thank you!

Steve

Magazine


Talent Auction—Fulfilment

L unch for four was Clare’s offering at the auction which was snapped up

by Gordon and Pamela, who invited Margaret and Nan to join them for a full roast dinner, with wine and all the trimmings. The displaced Logan and Steve were contemplating their fate at McDonalds when the host generously agreed to allow them to join the party—free of charge!

M argot and Tim sent in this photograph from their recent trip

to Millport with Andrea as guest traveller. Margot wonders if, only 6 months into the job, our Rector is Moonlighting already..

C lare and Steve successfully bid

at the auction for 6 week’s supply of bread, (one per week)provided by Master Baker Liz McDonald. Due to missing a couple of weeks and a hectic period of activity, we lost track of how many loaves we had actually received, so when I turned up last Friday at Liz’s door, I said to her (as she handed me the loaf) ‘Is this number 5 or 6?’ ‘No ..‘ she replied—’..it is number 4’ and proceeded to show me the very nice mosaic she had standing just outside her front door. I then went home.

Only on Sunday did we both realise that we had been talking at cross purposes—I was talking about the number of loaves we had already received (and consumed) whereas Liz thought I was asking about her house number—thus the mosaic!

I was so disappointed—I had been only too happy to accept Liz’s apparent suggestion that we had only had 4 loaves and we were therefore due another 2….whereas, in fact, it transpired that we have actually received our full quota..!

I should have been able to work all that out for myself and avoided the confusion—if only I had used my loaf..


An American Visitor

set out early and were in Millport in time for lunch at the Garrison House Café.

Next followed a trip to the cathedral and then a walking tour of the island. The autumn colours and scenery were stunning and the cathedral exquisite. This is certainly a special place and I very much look forward next year to our retreat there. In the meantime, we continue with our preparations here for Christmas. I look forward to celebrating my first Christmas with you. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only- begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 I wish you all a Happy Christmas and every blessing for the New Year. Love Andrea

O n Sunday 30th October we were delighted to welcome Rev Audrey O’Brien Stewart who came to visit and preach at our Sunday

service.

Andrea got Audrey’s job title mixed up and I initially thought she said Audrey was the Commissioner of Cannons, a post I thought had last been filled just before the Spanish Armada set sail for England, however it transpires that she is actually the Diocesan Canon Missioner!

Audrey comes from the Episcopal Church in the United States and was the Interim Priest for St Dunstan’s Church in the Diocese of Massachusetts (easier to type than to actually say…). Here she is with Andrea in the Church Hall – too late to get any chocolate cake as Angela (on the left) has got the last piece already..!

Pastoral Letter


St Andrew’s AGM

O ur AGM this year took place on Saturday 8th October, which was followed immediately by the Harvest

Lunch— a very astute piece of planning on the part of the Vestry to ensure a good turnout. Nobody wanted to miss out on one of our lavish lunches, and it would prove impossible to sneak in unnoticed at the end of the AGM and appear just for lunch. That would have been a bit like when you were a child, expecting dessert when you have not eaten all your greens, or worse still (for some at any rate) your buttered beans (ugh!)

This was our Rector’s first AGM, after barely 5 months in the job, yet the whole meeting went like clockwork, partly due to Andrea’s excellent chairmanship and partly due to the hard work and super efficiency of our secretary Angela! Of course, without wishing to detract in any way from Andrea and Angela’s efforts, enticing glimpses of the food being prepared for Harvest Lunch may also have assisted in ensuring rapid progress through the agenda…

Reports were duly delivered by several people and the Treasurer’s report was delivered by Gordon as usual, followed by the Music Report, delivered by Gordon, and then the Milngavie Churches Committee report, delivered by ...er..Gordon. After the Gordon

Rutherford Show there was Pamela on Friendship House; Ruth on the Fellowship; and Fraser on the Lay Readers report. Clare covered Social Convenor’s report and the Flower Convenor’s report which was blooming marvellous, as no issues a-rose

Elections to Vestry were then made, but first there was presentations to outgoing members of the vestry—James and Steve - in thanks for their dutiful service—James (3 years) and Steve (21 years) (Yes I know!).

The Vestry welcomes Tim Rhead as Lay Representative and he joins Ruth and Caroline as ordinary members, together with Angela and Gordon as ex officio members, and last but by no means least the Rector. Steve continues as Alternate Lay Representative and People’s Warden, the latter of which , funnily enough, entitles him to be an ex officio member of Vestry. Funnily enough the Vestry are about to get a motion for an amendment to the constitution on that very point…

After the AGM there was a short Vestry Meeting including the newly elected, who were surprised when Steve inadvertently entered the Garden Room, and in a blind panic, shot back out of the room again in case he got re-elected!


T he Book Club met at Jan MacDonald’s in Balfron on Wednesday 26 October and the book choice for that

evening was Barack Obama’s ‘The Audacity of Hope’ - a very topical choice particularly in light of the events that followed! I suspect however there will be less of an appetite for reading ‘The Donald’s’ biographical memoirs….. There was however a good appetite for the customary hospitality at Jan’s which was fantastic as usual!

The next meeting is on Wednesday 7th December at Pamela & Gordon’s. Gordon’s book choice is ‘Divided Loyalties’ by Janet Teissier du Cros (1905-1990) - and is an account of a Scotswoman’s experience of her life in occupied France during World War II, and its effect on her family.

The Book club is open to anyone to come along so please join us if you are interested!

O n Thursday 17th November, St Andrew’s sent forth a select group of MENSA candidates to do battle in

the annual St Paul’s Girls Brigade Quiz which they hold each year in aid of a nominated charity. This year the benefitting charity was Erskine Hospital.

Our team consisted of: Gordon Rutherford – reading Accounts; Pamela Rutherford – reading Chronology; John Rigg reading The Spectator; and Clare McVey and Caroline Logan...just reading lots of books really..

Regrettably, our team came third with 127 points – a highly creditable position out of the total of 13 teams that entered the competition, however just behind The Sunday School Teachers and the Congregational Board (128 points), both of St Paul’s. In football parlance, it is always difficult to win an ‘away’ fixture, particularly when the hosts have several teams in the competition, have a home crowd and are providing the questions as well as the quiz master…

As it turns out – had it not been for a incorrectly choosing between Steven Hawking and Brian Cox, we would have won the competition outright. I don’t understand how they got that wrong – the two are planets apart..

Close..but no cigar..


He Hath Escaped

O n Sunday 8th October at our 2016 AGM, I was finally released from membership of the Vestry and presented

with, not a carriage clock, but a fine pair of cuff links which I put on once my manacles had been removed. As I breathed in the fresh air and took in the sights and sounds of the world outside the Garden Room again, I looked back over my 21 years of service on the Vestry since I was elected on the 24th November at our AGM way back in 1995.

Paul Fletcher was our priest in charge then, and the Vestry included at that time, Michael Hayes, David Goslin and Queenie Maisey, however the culprits who proposed and seconded me were George Willis and Sue Brough.

21 years is a long time, however my service record is still short of Alan Williams’ record of 27 years’ service, and I think I am right in saying that Michael Hayes’ time on the Vestry was a similar duration.

Nonetheless I have served through several different priests – Paul Fletcher, Kenneth Roach , Derek Taylor, Donald Jute, Kirsten Freeman; I have served on the Way Ahead Committee and various sub committees, and on the Joint Vestry (which was always interesting)(!), and on Appointments and Interview Committees; and sat on meetings about

meetings facilitated by facilitators; and meetings about MYCMI and MAPPING; and so many more.

I can’t say with hand on heart that I have enjoyed every minute of it (!!), but the one thing I can say is that at St Andrews we always find humour in the agenda somewhere, and we can always rely on one another for help and support whenever it is needed.

Steve

Coffee Morning

My thanks to everyone for their generosity and gifting making the annual coffee morning another great success. The event raised over £800 ! Freda

They shall not pass unless they pay this man...


A s part of the church’s Talent Auction, twelve intrepid adventurers set off on Fraser’s walk over the

Campsie Fells. We started at the Clachan of Campsie, seeking out the

steepest paths in the area. It was the worst weather for weeks and after leaving the shelter of the glen, we felt the full force of the wind-lashed rain.

Surely, we would turn back at the car-park on the Crow Road, but no; we had signed up for the full Campsie experience so we pressed on, ever upwards towards the misty plateau. Fraser was like a sheep-dog, up at the front one minute, then darting back to encourage the stragglers.

We reached a large boulder and it was generally agreed that we would call this the summit. An eager group continued to the real summit which was out of sight over the ridge. The view was amazing or at least it would

have been if the cloud had cleared!

Campsies Deluge

Anyone got Noah’s phone number?

Veronica breaks away from the chasing pack...


Campsies Deluge

We retreated down the hill with a few slips on the wet grass but no damage apart from muddy bums.

A warm welcome awaited us at Liz and George’s : hot soup, a log fire and for some well-prepared individuals, dry

clothes. Had we enjoyed ourselves? Yes, we had a real sense of achievement and £120 was raised for church funds. We expressed our gratitude to Fraser and admiration at his fitness and care for his motley charges. - Tim

I am a very Wet Celebrity—get me out of here..


Dorcas Group

I n September we filled the hall with the smell of lavender as we each made a lavender heart. We were under the excellent tutelage of

Irene who had selected lovely bright fabric prints for us to work with and pre-prepared sewing kits so the task was hassle free. We were all very happy with the results even those of us who are 'faint-hearted sewers'.

In October we met in the garden room with all our produce on sale as part of the coffee morning. A few people took advantage of our craft taster session making attractive Christmas cards using colourful buttons. By the time this goes to print we will have had our final Dor-cas Group for 2016 which is designing and painting silk scarfs.

When we resume in 2017 due to hall availability our January and February

meetings will be the last Saturday in the month and then we will switch to the third Saturday in March until the end of the year.

You don't have to be creative to come along and get involved. We supply tea/coffee and cake which is consumed at various points throughout the session so feel free to pop in for a cuppa and a chat!

Caroline


A phalanx of St Andrew’s congregation, including Andrea and Stephen, joined the congregation of All Saints

to celebrate their patronal service on Sunday 30th October.

The service was conducted by Kirsten, and attended by the Bishop, who gave the sermon. There was also a very impressive full choir, all turned out very colourfully in new matching red robes which, it transpired, came all the way from Paisley. A number of those wearing the robes were also from Paisley – part of the original choir from the recently closed church of St James, who augmented the All Saints choir for the evening.

The organist was Mark Browne, who is the organist at St Bride’s in Hyndland – a position which is highly demanding not least as the organ console is located in the rafters of the church and requires the organist to scale a narrow ladder before lowering himself into position in the same way as a rear gunner in a Lancaster Bomber.

Mark is a fit young chap but ironically confessed to suffering from vertigo, however I told him not to bother asking for relief cover from St Andrew’s resident organist…

I took a photograph of an item which is fixed to the gable of All Saints’ Church Hall, next to the church entrance. I have

spotted it from a distance when passing in the car and always wondered what it was – it initially appeared to me to look like one of those fancy wall mounted cigarette bins for people who wanted a quick fag before, during, or after the service….or so I thought…

However it transpires that it is in fact a state of the art defibrillator which is actually for the use of the wider community and, I note, was funded by the Craig Hodgkinson Trust with support from the five churches in Bearsden.

I have no doubt that the equipment was installed with the best of intentions, however personally, if the first thing I saw before entering a church was not a member of the resident clergy, but a newly installed defibrillator station, I would find it not a little unsettling to say the least…..

All Saint’s Patronal Service


The Midweek Service

CHAMPIONS!

T hirteen of us were gathered around the open fire. Most were steaming – or at least their jeans were! It was

lunchtime and the rambling group had returned from their Campsie foray with Fraser. Conversation was in full flow until we reached a jaw-dropping moment. Somehow we had got around to talking about the Midweek Service.

Liz casually mentioned that one of our regulars was delighted to be able to get to the 10:00am service at St Andrew’s by catching the 06:46 from Berwick-upon-Tweed. You could hear the cogs turning (admittedly slowly, thawing out was in progress). Hmm, they thought: what is it about this Midweek

Celebration that could attract a man up from England?

I come from a long line of Midweekers. More or less the last thing my mother and father did together was to stagger

round to St Mary’s, Prittlewell for the Wednesday Eucharist. Mind you the congregation there had been leant on rather strongly by a previous vicar who had a tenuous grip on the concept of Free Will – he dragooned no fewer than 60 folk for an 06:00 Ash Wednesday service! Mum and Dad, and my Gran before them, just loved the liturgy [especially as it was 1662!] The notion of there being any “fellowship” would have been anathema to them!!

Not so at Milngavie: it is the fellowship that makes it for many – it’s obviously worth coming a long way for. The service itself takes exactly 30 minutes, after which there’s a mêlée in Friendship House to ensure that the furniture is redistributed for the anticipated number of rowdies from next door – 18 at the last count. The Spirit has pulled together a wonderfully diverse bunch.

Each week we discover some new episode in lives that have been astonishingly varied. Thursday mornings are that bit more informal and relaxed than on the Sunday: a good many folk who either can’t make it on the Sunday, or actually prefer the Thursday, feel really at home. Rosamund, the welder, is there: Mary, the bank clerk turned nurse is there: Fred, the ferryman microscopist: Nan, the wee Milngavie-born lassie: George, the Milngavie bookshop owner and organist….not to mention the man from Berwick...

And now Milngavie too


The Midweek Service

That’s a curious sub-set – the organists. When you think about it, it’s not surprising we’re there. On Sunday there’s often so much faffing about at the console - what with sorting out your combinations and avoiding tricky page turns, making sure you play the correct number of verses and so on – that focusing on the fundamental can prove tricky: I remember sharing this with David Goslin many years ago.

My life would have been impoverished without discovering the stories of these ‘Never on Sunday’ folk. I think it might be fun for us to share some of them over the next few issues . Maybe more about Fred in the next issue?

GEF

Rosamund?..really? We must learn

more...

Message from Down Under

G eorge and Liz would like to wish you all a joyous celebration of

Christmas, with our love and blessings for the coming year.

As you can imagine, we are very much enjoying ourselves, the warm weather, the delightful scenery, and, of course, our two granddaughters.

Amber, 3, asked her Mum about angels, and Imogen explained that angels lived all around us but we couldn't see them. 'We could use binoculars', Amber suggested! It is going to be delightful to see Christmas through the eyes of a small child!

Harvest Lunch

Thanks to

all who

helped

decorate

the church

for

Harvest!


Notices

Diary Dates 2016

Friday 2 December Christmas Tree

Festival—decorating

tree

Saturday 3 December Nativity Story telling

Sunday 4 December Christmas Tree Festival

Monday 12 December Vestry Meeting

Saturday 17 December Christmas Lunch

Contemplative Walks

We shall stop the walks during the winter months, as we did last year, and begin again in March, with the first signs of Spring.

Liz

Charitable Giving

St Andrew's charitable giving for the end of 2016 has been divided equally between UNHCR specifically for winter survival kits and Save the Children Syria appeal with each charity receiving £300. The Dorcas Group funds of £359 have been given to Christian Aid again to assist with the refugee crisis. Caroline

IRENE PHILIPS

Sadly we have to note that Irene Philips passed away on Sunday 20 November. There is to be a private cremation although a memorial service will be held in the church on Friday 2nd Decem-ber at 12 noon. A tribute will appear in the next magazine. She will be sadly missed by us all.

Notes from the Vestry Meeting held on Monday 14th November :

Tim was welcomed to the Vestry on his debut; completed forms had been submitted to the Diocese for renewal of the licences for our Eucharistic Assistants; a quote has been accepted for replacing the lettering on the outside of the church and a new quote sought for cleaning the Garden Room carpet; Andrea is to take an Assembly at Douglas Academy, and she also reports that the Bible Study Group is going well; and the Christmas service cards are currently being printed ready for distribution.

Deposits and payment arrangements will now be requested now for the Pilgrimage to the Cathedral of the Isles in September 2017.

Vestry Notes

Documents

December 2016/January 2017 DEEMER —JANUARY 2017 · a camping trip with John and Olive to Pitlochry to see ^The Enchanted Forest! _ This was a wonderful display of light in the darkness