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BARK Dear all
O ne night a group of thieves broke
into a jewelry store. But rather than stealing anything, they simply switched all the price tags. The next day no one could tell what was valuable and what was cheap. The
expensive jewels had suddenly become cheap, and the costume jewelry, which had been virtually worthless before, was suddenly of great value. Customers who thought they were purchasing valuable gems were getting fakes. Those who couldn’t afford the higher priced items were leaving the store with treasures. (a story attributed to Soren Kiekegaard)
S omewhere along the line someone has switched the price tags in our world. It is hard to tell what
is of real value and what is not. Great value seems to be given to the accumulation of stuff (material wealth) and the power that goes with it. We tend to put a high price on popularity, prestige and fame particularly where our reputation is at stake.
T hrough the time of recession, we were told, fuel bills rising and VAT set to return to its old rate
and food bills rising too, so Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year? I am sure we can relate to Mr Scrooge’s caution saving every penny at the moment. The thought is maybe Father Christmas will have a heavier bag due to some reforms on the economic front.
T his is also a time of unrest and displacement for our world as we worry about fragmented family
and community and the global displacement of human beings, thinking especially of those searching for shelter and refuge from Syria.
C hristian Churches around the world and certainly here in Bengairn Parishes with Castle Douglas
Parish Church will enter the Advent period preparing the message of hope and joy for all people. How can we possibly do so in light of the above?
H ow, because of the real Father of Christmas who has revealed through Christ the switching
of the world’s price tags we learn we have hope, love and faith. In the midst of the darkness and gloom, like Mr Scrooge desperately hanging on to his wealth. We are illuminated to the real meaning of Christmas and the life that is brought back into people where life is valued.
G od so loved the world he gave his only son that who ever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life…” (John 3:16) We know that Jesus is the light of the world casting out all darkness and it is here, and in him we will have hope.
S o where is the true value for our price tag to be placed? Standing in the middle of Bengairn
Parishes and Castle Douglas Parish. I am struck by the true value of these parishes. It is a space designed to be open, warm, and comfortable because you will be in God’s presence. Our buildings, the furnishings, decoration and very fabric should be expressions of our faith painting a picture of our response to the good news and the hope of Christ, the light of the world. Its value lies in the heart of God and his people, the church. It is an illustration of the space, warmth and peace within the heart that beats for all of life in this community.
W hile you read this know that you are welcome and God believes your life is worth everything
to him. Now receive and celebrate the true gift at Christmas, Jesus Christ.
Steve…
Your Parish Minister.
Church Diary, Parish Register, Duty Rota 2
Stille Nacht, Health and Safety Guidance 3
Notes from the Session, Church Personnel 4
The Day after Christmas, Safeguarding 5
Church Guild News, Notes from the Organ 6
Remembrance 6/7
Christmas Prayer, Words, Oonagh’s Corner 8
No forwarding address…
A weary traveler arrived at the hotel in Bethlehem and checked in. As he signed the Hotel register, he said to the sleepy receptionist, ‘I hear you had some excite-ment here a few weeks ago’.
The sleepy receptionist replied, “not much of a story really. Some time during the night a squalling kid was born in the stable. Some shepherds, smelling of sheep dip, came in from the hills and had a look at the kid. Later on three well-dressed men came into town from the eastern highway. They left some expensive gifts with the parents. And that’s about it, except a few days later the family disappeared suddenly. Nobody knew where they had gone. Anyhow when you’re slum-ming it in a stable nobody bothers to ask for a forward-ing address.
Previously published in Kirkcudbright Parish Church News.
“
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December
Sunday 13 Christmas Carols at Auchencairn 7pm
Friday 18 Guild—Dinner and visit to Pantomime
Saturday 19 Christingle Service at Kelton 7 pm
Sunday 20 Christmas Lights at Castle Douglas 7pm
Thursday 24 Christmas Eve Auchencairn 11.30 pm
Friday 25th Christmas Day
Castle Douglas 10.30am
January
Wednesday 6 Joint Session and Board fellowship meeting 7pm
Tuesday 12 Guild—Kelton Hall 2.00 pm
Sunday 17 Communion Kelton 9.30 am
Castle Douglas 11 am
February
Tuesday 9 Guild—Auchencairn Community Hall
2 pm
Wednesday 10 Ash Wednesday
Wednesday 17 Session Meeting Kelton 7pm
March
Friday 4 World Day of Prayer
Tuesday 8 Guild –Kelton Hall 2pm
Sunday 20 Palm Sunday
Thursday 24 Maundy Thursday Meal
Castle Douglas Parish Church 7 pm
Friday 25 Good Friday Service Kelton 7pm
Sunday 27 Easter Sunday
Communion Auchencairn 9.30 am
April
Tuesday 12 Guild—AGM 2pm
Wednesday 20 Session Meeting Kelton 7 pm
May
Sunday 1 Communion Kelton 9.30 am
Tuesday 10 Guild—Outing
Sunday 15 Pentecost
Funerals September John Mitchell
October George Emkes Internment
November Elizabeth Carson
Rev Noel Warman
Church Diary
Parish Register
Baptism September Jack Muir Findlay
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Stille Nacht Gedächtniskapelle I have visited this lovely little Austrian chapel in Oberndorf twice in recent years. It really is as small as it looks and very simply decorated inside. The chapel is no bigger than it looks in this picture but took twelve years to build. It stands on the site of the former St Nicholas church in which Silent Night was premiered on 24 December 1818.Together with Joseph Mohr, a Catholic priest who wrote the origi-nal German lyrics, Franz Xaver Gruber, the church organist, composed the music for the Christmas carol Silent Night. On Christmas Eve of 1818, Mohr, an assistant pastor at St Nicholas, showed Gruber a six-stanza poem he had written in 1816. He asked Gruber to set the poem to music. The church organ had broken down so Gruber produced a melody with guitar arrangement for the poem. The two men sang Stille Nacht for the first time at Christmas Mass in St Nicholas Church while Mohr played guitar and the choir repeated the last two lines of each verse.
Editor
The Rocking Song
We will rock you
Little Jesus, sweetly sleep, do not stir;
We will lend a coat of fur,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you,
We will rock you, rock you, rock you.
Jingle Bells
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh,
O’er the fields we go,
Laughing all the way
While Shepherds Watched
While Shepherds watched
Their flocks by night
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around
Rudolph
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever see him
You would even say it glows
Little Donkey
Little Donkey, Little Donkey on the dusty road,
Got to keep on plodding onwards with your precious load
The Singing of Festive Songs
Fur is no longer appropriate wear for small infants, both due to risk of allergy to animal fur and for ethical reasons. Therefore, faux fur, a nice cellular blanket or perhaps micro-fleece material should be considered a suitable alternative.
Please note: only persons who have been subject to a Criminal Rec-ords Bureau check and have enhanced clearance will be permitted to rock baby Jesus. Persons must carry their CRB disclosure with them at all times and be prepared to provide three forms of identification before rocking commences.
A risk assessment must be submitted before an open sleigh is consid-ered safe for members of the congregation to travel on. The risk assessment must also consider whether it is appropriate to use only one horse for such a venture, particularly if passengers are of larger proportions. Please note, permission must be gained from the land-owners before entering their fields. To avoid offending those not participating in celebrations, we would request that laughter is mod-erate only and not loud enough to be considered a noise nuisance.
The union of Shepherds has complained that it broaches health and safety regulations to insist that shepherds watch their flocks without appropriate seating arrangements being provided therefore, bench-es, stools and orthopaedic chairs are now available. Shepherds have also requested that due to the inclement weather conditions at this time of year, they should watch their flocks via cctv cameras from centrally heated shepherd observations huts. Please note that the angel of the lord is to be reminded that before shining his/her glory all around, she/he must ascertain that all shepherds have been is-sued with glasses capable of filtering out the harmful effects of UVA, UVB and Glory.
You are advised that under the Equal Opportunities for All policy it is inappropriate for persons to make comment with regard to the ruddi-ness of any part of Mr R Reindeer. Further to this, exclusion of Mr R Reindeer from the Reindeer Games will be considered discriminatory and disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty of this offence. A full investigation will be implemented and sanctions – including suspension with full pay - will be considered while this in-vestigation takes place.
The RSPCA have issued strict guidelines with regard to how heavy a load a donkey of small stature is permitted to carry, also included in the guidelines is guidance regarding how often to feed the donkey and how many rest breaks are required over a four hour plodding.
Health and Safety Guidance
Thanks to Jean Brown for passing on this timely information.
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Minister Rev Stephen Ashley-Emery BD DpsTh The Manse,1 Castleview, Castle Douglas DG7 1BG 01556 505893 e. [email protected] Session Clerk Mr Peter Gladstone 01557 330158 e. [email protected] Clerk to the Congregational Board Mrs Brownie Wright, 01556680251 e. [email protected] Miss Jean Brown (Minute Secretary) 01557 500268 Treasurer Mrs M Dunlop, 01556 502646 e. [email protected] Organist Auchencairn: Mr Peter Gladstone, 01557 330158 Kelton: Mrs Eileen Cawthorne, 01557 860249 Property Convenor Mr A Dunlop, 01556 502646 e [email protected] Gift Aid Administrator Mrs Dawn Campbell 01556 680309 e. [email protected]
Free Will Offering Administrator Mr W Hean e. [email protected] J Henry 01556 640214 Presbytery Elder Mr Peter Davis - 01556503430 e. [email protected] Bengairn Guild Secretary - Mrs Margaret Shanks 01556 502956 Church Website - bengairnparishes.org.uk Editor Mrs B Wright e. [email protected] Newsletter Editor and Safeguarding Officer Mrs Rosemary Gladstone 01557 330158 e. [email protected]
Notes from the Session At a recent meeting the dates for various services were approved and are published elsewhere in the newsletter. We are all very pleased to welcome Rev Oonagh Dee as our “OLM in residence”. Since she came to assist in our joint parishes, she has certainly impressed with her conduct of worship and her caring and friendly personality. We must all also thank “ Mr Oonagh” who assists Oonagh in transport and various carrying of materials for use in the services.
What a welcome surprise on Sunday 1st November at Kelton ---- THE CHURCH WAS WARM---
Thanks are due to Andrew and his property committee for their work in commissioning the new heating system for the Church. We can now look forward to a more comfortable winter of worship at Kelton.
Now that our physical comfort has been attended to, we can concentrate on our spiritual comfort with the preaching team (Stephen, Oonagh and of course Lynne).
We look forward to a joint event with the office bearers of our linked partners of Castle Douglas Parish
in order to promote closer co-operation and fellowship between us all.
With the approach of Advent and Christmas, we wish you all health and happiness for the season of goodwill.
Peter Gladstone, Session Clerk
January brings the snaw -
There’s nae thing ye can dae at a’
February brings the rain,
Blocking a’ the drains
March brings nocht but caulds and chills
Coughs and ‘flu and ither ills.
April brings the heavy shooers,
Aye gaun on fur ‘oors an’ ‘oors.
May brings flocks o’ shiv’rin’ lambs,
Floodit fields an’ broken dams.
June’s supposed tae bring the lilies.
It’s faur mair like tae gie’s the willies.
Close July brings thunnerstorms,
Lightnin’ strikes! - insurance forms!
August brings the drookit corn,
Fermers wish they’d ne’er been born.
September brings the wasps aboot,
Buzzin’ roon the rotten fruit.
October brings a touch o’ frost,
A’ the summer’s blooms are lost.
Dull November strips the trees,
Blaws the kilts abune the knees.
Cauld December’s here at last
Anither weary year is past.
The Scottish Months
Thanks to Margaret Shanks for this topical forecast
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‘Twas the Day After Christmas
‘Twas the day after Christmas, when all through the town
Every creature was stirring, taking ornaments down.
The lights were extinguished, the candles all burned,
Empty boxes abounded wherever you turned.
The children were cranky, they’d been good for soooo long
That their innards were bursting to do something wrong.
The toys of which visions had danced in their heads
Lay abandoned in corners, their batteries dead.
When you sprang to the window and opened the sash,
Your eyes were assaulted by mountains of trash.
So it’s back to the office, to the matters at hand,
As relief, like an aspirin, spreads through the land.
And the windows in outlines of colours once bright
Now returned to dark shadows, as black as the night.
The fires of warm feelings were beginning to wane,
Like the hard, icy touch of a cold window-pane.
As the world, like the dread of an overcast day,
Reverted to form, to its patterns of grey.
When what in our wondering ears should we hear
But the Word of the Father to be of good cheer,
To take hold of the light that will never go out,
And carry it high, and spread it about.
Throw the holly and the ivy out if you will,
But the star is before you. Follow it still.
The wonder of Christmas, of God coming here,
Cannot be confined to the end of the year.
For the light of the manger, which is now packed away,
Continues to shine and glows brighter each day.
Ken Goodrich
Appointment Did you know that we are required to have a Safeguarding Officer in the congregation?
For many years this task has been carried out by Margaret Shanks. A few months ago, Margaret decided it was time for a change and asked to be replaced. Margaret, received the thanks of the Kirk Session for so many years of work. The session then appointed me to take over from Margaret and I have since attended Church of Scotland training.
Recently the Church of Scotland has produced posters to be displayed on church premises so that everyone knows who the Safeguarding Officer is and what the Church’s policy on Safeguarding is. You will find these on or near the doors of the churches at Kelton and Auchencairn and in Kelton Church Hall. The role of the Safeguarding Of-ficer is to ensure as much as they can that anyone working on behalf of the church whether on a paid or voluntary bases is registered under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups act where appropriate and to take forward any com-plaints or concerns any member of the congregation has. Perhaps we think primarily of children being vulnerable but it could be an adult who is vulnerable due to mental or physical health issues.
At the moment of course we don’t have a Sunday School, Bible Class or other youth group so we don’t have Sun-day School or other youth leaders. Hopefully in the future we may have and those people who come forward to volunteer with such groups would be required to register with PVG, supply references and undergo an interview before they could begin. Similarly if at any time we formed a group of visitors specifically to visit vulnerable adults e.g. in Barlochan House or other care homes, hospitals or their own homes, the visitors would need to go through a similar process. At the moment the only one working on behalf of the congregation in that way is the minister and he has undergone checks by the Church of Scotland. I have also been checked as I could be privi-leged to confidential information about other people. A Safeguarding Panel is also to be appointed which will probably consist of five people including the Safeguarding Officer, the Minister, the Session Clerk and two other members of congregation. Their role is to support the Safeguarding Officer and they would be involved in inter-views for volunteer or paid staff.
Every member of the congregation has a responsibility to care for each other and if they have any concerns about any member (even if it is something they think may be happening outside of the church) and would like to discuss these please be assured that they will be taken seriously. All information will be kept confidential only being passed on to appropriate authorities.
Rosemary Gladstone
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Church Guild
Our speaker at the October meeting, Mrs Nicky Smith, gave an entertaining resume of her very busy and rewarding life.
Becoming a Reader in the Church of Scotland while living on the Island of Cumbrae gave her opportuni-ties to share her faith and also take a full part within the island community.
A keen interest in many forms of craft work has seen Nicky amassing an interesting collection of books of instruction. She had brought a selection with her which members enjoyed discussing with her. As Evelyn said in her vote of thanks to Nicky this was a perfect start to our session.
Evelyn also welcomed a new member to our group and also our friends from Auchencairn. What about joining us in January? Our home brewed meeting is always a happy occasion certain to beat the winter blues. A warm welcome to all.
Margaret Shanks
Notes from the Keyboard Forgive the slight pun in the title, but it has been not-ed that everybody joins in the praise with enthusiasm and vigour. There have been a few of the newer items included in the praise list recently and all of you have tackled them very well.
In the Church of Scotland there is always a feeling of resistance to too much change, but happily we are getting there. We now approach one of the main sea-sons in the life of the Church when many of the old favourites will be sung, but probably a few less famil-iar items will be included.
Carry on with the enthusiastic praise and worship with joy !!!!
Peter Gladstone
Memorial Plaque at Buittle Church after wreaths laid on 11/11/2015
Remembrance
The weather could hardly have been worse on Sun-day 8 November when members of the congregation and local communities gathered at the war memori-als in Auchencairn, Dundrennan and elsewhere. Of course, no matter how blustery and wet the weath-er here it is nothing to the often extreme conditions that soldiers endure in theatres of war all over the world to this day.
The morning service at Auchencairn led by Lynne was very thought provoking and surely no-one could fail to be moved by the stories she related. Amongst those mentioned was Woodbine Willie—the Rev Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy—who following the question from a casualty wanting to know “What is God like?” went on to consider the question and rec-ord his answers in books and poems. He has been criticised for the language he uses and certainly he doesn’t pull any punches in the poems I have looked at. I have decided not to include any of his poems but have included two by local poets.
There were also short acts of rememberance on 11 November at Auchencairn, Kelton, Buittle, (thanks to new owner Carol Ann Brown), Castle Douglas Par-ish Church and St Andrew’s Church (now The Fullarton), and it is hoped that these will be contin-ued in future years.
Page 7
FLANDERS (Written after a visit to Tyne Cot Cemetery)
We stood in awe, gazing round.
Rows of headstone mark the ground.
Birdsong the only living sound—
In Flanders Fields.
Flooding with light, this Meadow of Sighs,
The glinting marble hurt our eyes:
Silenced now of battle cries -
These Flanders Fields.
Countless sons and husbands here are lying.
Chiselled words tell briefly of their dying;
Whilst overhead, the flags are flying—
In Flanders Fields
Their names writ large on history’s page,
With thousands others on this stage -
Where once a hellish battle raged -
Called Flanders Fields.
Crosses silhouette the summer sky,
The gentle breezes whisper “Why”?
Scarlet poppies marking where they lie
On Flanders Fields.
Sylvia Hastings
Kirkcudbright
Britain’s forgotten War – Almost 100,000 troops fought in Korea
THE FIGHTING ‘T’
Who were the men of the ‘Carrier Group’
that helped the lads ashore?
Who shared with them the danger,
the blood, the guts, the gore.
Their battlefield a ship of steel,
that no one can deny.
No hill, no trench, no foreign field
For those about to die.
‘Theseus’ mythical, from the past,
a warrior of some renown.
But now the name of a fighting ship,
That represents ‘The Crown’.
Her teeth the ‘planes that stood on deck,
or sheltered down below.
Her heart the men from all the land,
from Plymouth to Scapa Flow.
Unlike her predecessors,
that needed wind and sail
she charged through the Bay of Biscay
in the face of a screaming gale.
Through the balmy climes of the Middle East,
this ‘Man o’ War’ was sent
to help with the fight for freedom,
beyond the Orient.
On station off Korea,
that’s where her duty lay.
Men toiled, sweated, cursed and lived
throughout each ugly day.
Planes returned from bombing raids,
their bellies caked with dust.
They’d flown so low to hit the mark,
as hit the mark they must.
Then ‘The Reiper’ came to designate
whose battle was now o’er.
Location was the flight deck,
in the air or on the shore.
Where mortal remains existed,
they were committed to the deep.
with shipmates gathered all around,
they began eternal sleep.
Heads bowed, we sang the sailors hymn
Of ‘Peril on the sea’.
A last farewell to messmates,
From the dear old ‘Fighting T’. David McCubbin
A section of Tyne Cot cemetery
Page 8
Items for the next newsletter should be given to the Editor IN WRITING at Church,
by e-mail to [email protected] or by post
to Mrs R Gladstone, Lansdowne, 93A St Mary Street, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4EL by Sunday 6 March 2016
Contributors should give contact details in case of any queries.
The Bengairn Parishes on the Web www.bengairnparishes.org.uk Page 8
A Christmas prayer
Loving Father help us remember the Birth of Jesus that we may share in the song of the Angels. The gladness of the Shepherds and the worship of the Wise Men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.
May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts. Forgiving and forgiven. For Jesus sake.
Amen
Robert Louis Stevenson.
Fun Words at Chirstmas
One of Santa’s helpers was on his way to a concert carrying the words of some well known carols and songs. Suddenly he slipped on the ice and they went EVERY WHERE!!! He managed to get the titles or the first lines together but couldn’t unscramble the letters or put the words of each one in the right order in time. How quickly can you help him sort them out.
1. het nsig krHa lehard slagen
2. yctini ecOn diavD’s alyor
3. gthin yhol tihgn nleSit
4. ertih ghnit ybrdesphesh eWith tcdehawc fsolk
5. sedon eth pluhodR edr enidrere
6. ni a granme wyAa
7. yoknde itLetl
8. no Go natimuon ti ltel het
9. nme dogo tCrnihsa jrcioee
10. byo dah a ayMr rIVing heT bbya
11. rtsif fonO htiCramss yda the
12. rerym oyu ishw a smCirhats eW
Oonagh’s corner
I wonder if you like the autumn leaves as much as I do? Pave-ments and gardens adorned with wonderful colours of yellow and
red for me are irresistible! Last year I pressed dozens between pa-per but alas, I couldn’t make the beauty of their moment last.
B ut here is blessing in deed; their moment has returned and it seems more glorious than ever.
W hat do you make of this? For you, does science explain it all, or does the turning of the seasons somehow speak of the
faithfulness and power and Glory of God? As I stand gazing at na-ture’s own firework display, I feel the awe of the Disciples when they asked, “Who then is this? Even the wind and waves obey Him”. Across time and space is God asking us to trust, to keep faith with Him?
A s I sit with my tea and ponder it all, there is also the real blessing of being with you. A people keeping faith; giving thanks for the Love of God which weaves through lives to craft, in a different way, another beautiful
reflection of the Divine.
S o, thank you for that, and however you approach the autumn days; may you find within them the joy and wonder of God’s faithful love for you. Yours, Oonagh.
King’s Park, Glasgow,
Oct 2015
