2

St. John’s Burns Night Supper,

Saturday 27th January 2018

Photograph by Michael

St. John’s Burns Night Supper,

Saturday 27th January 2018

Photograph by Kirsteen

3

From the Rectory

It is indeed my great pleasure to meet

you through 'the Eagle'! A little over a

month has passed since I was licensed

and installed as Priest in Charge at St

John's and I am encouraged that it's

been a good first month!

I was ordained in the Church of South

India and have been involved in the

ministry of the church in various ca-

pacities in India and in the UK over

the past twenty years. My wife, Grace,

is also an ordained minister and we

are blessed with three children: Felina,

Erina and Darshan, who are settling

well in their schools and nursery.

My doctoral studies at the University of Nottingham brought us to the

UK in 2011 and seven years on, I am delighted to have received the call

to serve as Priest at St John's Forres. It's a privilege and joy to join in the

long-standing and continuing Christian witness and heritage of this

place.

We are grateful for the warmth, welcome and goodwill extended to us.

Evidently, a lot of work has gone into preparations, particularly the redec-

oration of the Rectory and the work in the gardens. With the unpacking

now completed, we are delighted to have this beautiful house as our

home. We are enjoying getting acquainted with the beautiful surround-

ings and friendly people of Forres. We look forward to getting to know

you all and participate in the vibrant community spirit obvious both in

the church and in the town.

I do wish to thank Dean Alison for her thoughtful leadership during the

interregnum, the clergy and lay ministers and members of the congrega-

tion who helped foster a renewed enthusiasm during this period. It is in

4

this context that I begin my work. While looking for a new priest, St

John's has also identified several areas of ministry which were laid out in

the parish profile under 5 categories for the development of the mission

and ministry of St John's. I see these as the blueprint of the congrega-

tion's vision for the future of St John's. In the months and years to come,

we will endeavour to discern God's direction for us and to journey to-

gether in worship and service towards realising the vision for St Johns'

ministry for its members, for Forres and beyond.

It was refreshing to have the opportunity to engage with children of the

community in my first month in Forres. A group of students from Ander-

son's Primary School visited St John's on Ash Wednesday as part of their

Religious and Moral Education. We've got very encouraging feedback

about the visit. Planning is underway for a visit from Hop, Skip and Jump

Nursery just after Easter.

But before getting to Easter, we are in the season of Lent - a season for

introspection and returning to God in pursuit of the restoration of God's

image in all of us. I pray that we have a meaningful season of Lent as we

await the celebration of Easter - the dawn of the hope of new life. I look

forward to your participation and involvement in the services planned for

the season and Holy

Week. May the dawn of

Easter - of life, in all its

fullness - amidst and be-

yond suffering, guide our

reflections, motivations

and actions as we navi-

gate through this sacred

journey of rediscovering

the image of God within

us!

Hamilton and his Family at In-

verness Cathedral in 2017, pho-

tograph by Michael

5

The following sermon was given by the Rt. Reverend

Gordon Mursell at the Installation of our new Priest

in Charge, Reverend Doctor Hamilton Inbadas on the

occasion of his installation on Saturday 20th January

2018. Several congregation members asked if a copy

of his sermon could be published in Eagle.

Bishop Gordon was born on 4th May 1949 and is a

retired British Anglican bishop and author. From 2005

to 2010, he was the Bishop of Stafford in the Church

of England. He was educated at Ardingly College and

Brasenose College, Oxford. He was ordained in 1974

and began his career with a curacy at St Mary Walton,

Liverpool and was then successively Vicar of St John's

East Dulwich, a tutor at Wells Theological College, Team Rector of Stafford (1991–

1999), Provost (1999–2002/3)and then Dean of Birmingham (2002/3–2005) [6] before

his ordination to the episcopate as the suffragan Bishop of Stafford - a post he va-

cated in June 2010. A prolific author, he is also a keen hill walker and had the sur-

prise of meeting again with Deacon Anthony. {Information from Wikipedia)

THE SERVANT KING {Luke 12:35-44}

A bishop who was a former colleague of mine tells the story of how, soon after retir-

ing, he went to a cathedral (in mufti) for some big service; and as he was leaving, a

lady came up to him and said “You’re Bishop Mike!” “Yes, I am,” he said, pleased to

be recognized. And she said, “You won’t remember me [which is just as well, because

he didn’t], but you confirmed me, many years ago, and I’ve never forgotten what you

said in your sermon then - it’s stayed with me and helped me ever since.” The bishop

was, not unnaturally, flattered, and asked when and where the confirmation had

been, not remembering anything about it; and then he said, “What was it I said that

impressed you?” And she said, “I will never forget it, it helped me so much. You said,

‘Every cloud has a silver lining.’”

Now I have no doubt that Hamilton’s sermons will have much more to say than

“Every cloud has a silver lining.” But that story does underline one of the many para-

doxes of ministry – that our weakest efforts, or what we feel to be our least effective

words, may end up bearing more fruit than our finest achievements. This should not

surprise us, for all ministry is Christ’s, not ours, and through the work of his grace our

weaknesses and even our failures may do more for him than all our gifts and abilities.

And what is true of Christian ministry is true of the Church as a whole.

Bishop Gordon’s Sermon

6

It’s not our job, or Hamilton’s, to convert or change the world. Only God in Christ

can do that. We are called to help him in whatever ways we can. And what that

means is the subject of today’s Gospel reading, which offers us three vital ingredi-

ents of a genuinely Christ-centred, life-changing church: it will be an outward-

looking church, an expectant church, and a serving church. Let’s look briefly at all

three.

First, we are called to be an outward-looking church. Today’s Gospel reading begins,

“Be dressed for action…” (12:35). That translation is a bit of a paraphrase: the Greek

verb there is περιζώννυμι (perizonnumi), to put a belt or apron round oneself. The

old KJV is much more accurate: “Let your loins be girded about.” It’s very practical,

down-to-earth. We are to gird ourselves for action because Christ is doing the same

thing. We will come back to this at the end; what matters for now is to notice the

language Jesus uses: belts (or aprons), lighting lamps, wedding parties, people

knocking on doors. It’s the language of the world out there, not remotely churchy.

Jesus could have said something like “Be dressed for action in anticipation of the

eschatological advent of the Son of Man,” and he’d have bored everyone rigid. In-

stead, he told it how it is. He made connections. He did with his teaching what he

did with his life: he earthed it, made it come alive in flesh and blood.

And that’s one of the reasons why we need priests. We need people who, by their

lives, their preaching, and by the way they lead worship, can help us make connec-

tions between the holy and the everyday, between St John’s church here and the

town of Forres out there, and also between the local and the global. That’s not easy.

Hamilton will need fellow-Christians who will work with him (not leave everything to

him) so that together you can connect the real presence of Christ in here with the

real presence of Christ in the world. Lonely though it can often be, priests are people

called, not to be ecclesiastical functionaries, but to inhabit the borderlands between

the holy and the everyday, to be at home in the street as well as the sanctuary, not

so that the rest of us don’t have to, but precisely to give the rest of us the confi-

dence to do the same.

An outward-facing church; secondly, an expectant church. Today’s reading is

suffused with a sense of quiet expectancy. “The Son of Man is coming at an unex-

pected hour” (12:40). “Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he

comes…” (12:37). This is not optimism, a vague hope that things will turn out all

right. Nor is it a spurious activism, like the T-shirt with the inscription “Jesus is com-

ing. Look busy.” Rather it is an active, subversive expectation that Jesus longs to

come into our lives, day after day, and to open us up to new and surprising possibili-

ties.

Hamilton comes to you with two very particular resources to help recover or develop

7

a sense of expectancy. First, he and Grace come from the rich spiritual heritage of

Asian Christianity. One of the greatest privileges of my life as a bishop was to visit

parts of Asia and to see what God is doing there, and what we in Europe could learn

from that. And what I experienced, again and again, in Malaysia and Hong Kong was

a spiritual vitality, a passion for social justice, and above all a pervasive expectancy –

that God can and will do amazing things in and through us, if only we can believe it,

and expect it. Hamilton and Grace come to you from Tamil Nadu, in south India, a

state with an immensely rich and dynamic Christian spirituality, and a place where

Anglicans and Lutherans in particular (which they both represent) have worked very

closely and fruitfully together. You might say that Hamilton and Grace are a walking

parable in effective ecumenism. But more important still: they can help you look for-

ward with real enthusiasm for all that God longs to do with and for you here.

And there’s one other particular way in which Hamilton can help you nurture a sense

of expectancy. As many of you will know, his academic research has been in the area

of palliative care and end of life issues. Thinking about death may seem a rather de-

pressing thing: in fact, exactly the opposite is true. Not to face these issues is to be

like the man who jumped off a tower block and shouted out halfway down, “OK so

far!” It’s only when we’ve helped one another face the reality of our own mortality

that we are truly free, both to delight in the life we have here and to look forward

expectantly to the life that awaits us in glory. The church has, or should have, a huge

amount to contribute to this area, not just because we look forward to the new life of

Easter but because we seek to be communities of unconditional love where we can

help each other, and those outside, face the tough realities of life and death and yet

look forward in hope to all that is yet to be.

An outward-facing church; an expectant church; and finally a serving church. Let’s

return to that passage about fastening a belt or apron round ourselves: “blessed are

those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will gird

himself with a belt or apron and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and

serve them” (12:37). Those final words are found only in Luke’s Gospel. We worship a

God who longs to help us face outwards, to connect sacred and secular, Sunday and

Monday, who encourages us to live expectantly and look forward to the new future

he has in store for us, and who comes among us as one who serves. And here is the

heart of what you might call the paradox of Christian ministry. Hamilton is here to

be, in the words of today’s Gospel, “a faithful and prudent steward”: to keep you

company, to offer spiritual leadership, to help you connect the local with the univer-

sal, to encourage you to dream dreams and look forward expectantly to all that God

longs to do here; but above all he is here to serve, in the name of the servant king,

who came to live among us and who laid down his life to offer us a love that is

stronger even than death.

8

So, Hamilton, perhaps it doesn’t matter too much if not everything works out the

way you’d hoped. Perhaps it doesn’t even matter too much if, as with my former

colleague Bishop Mike, people sometimes take away the most unlikely things from

your sermons. And perhaps it doesn’t matter at all if people soon discover that you

aren’t, and don’t seek to be, a heroic super-priest who can do everything all on your

own. For we worship a servant king; and in his service our weaknesses and failures,

our private fears and doubts, our hopes and our disappointments, may bear as

much if not more fruit than all our proud successes. Let me leave you with words of

St Paul which capture the heart of what Christian ministry, and Christian discipleship,

are all about, for Hamilton, for Grace, and for every one of us too:

As God's ministers, we try to recommend ourselves...by innocent behaviour and grasp of

truth, by patience and kindness, by gifts of the Holy Spirit, by unaffected love, by declar-

ing the truth, by the power of God...Honour and dishonour, praise and blame, are alike

our lot: we are the impostors who speak the truth, the unknown ones whom everyone

knows; dying, we still live on; disciplined by suffering, we are not done to death; in our

sorrows, we have always cause for joy. Poor ourselves, we bring wealth to many; penni-

less, we own the world” (2 Cor.6:4,6-10 REB).

Thanks be to God +Gordon

The Installation was very well attended by not only our congregation and other churches

in the dioceses and other denominations. The service was also blessed by a contingent

from Hamilton’s former church in Dumfries (who had braved the snow and blizzards on

their journey to and from Forres and a number of thank you letters and articles have

been published.

Jeff Lowndes writes in the News blog on the website of Gordon Chapel, Fochabers:-

On Saturday 20 January, Rev Michael (Last) and I put on our robes and headed for Forres

where another vacancy would come to an end.

Bishop Mark, freshly returned from Rome where there was a meeting of Celtic Bishops (I

assume not the football team!!) arrived at St John the Evangelist Church, Forres for a joy-

ful event. This was the Licensing and Installation of Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas as Priest-in-

Charge of St John’s. The service, in a packed church, was a joyful celebration with great

music and wonderful fellowship. +Mark led the service and the sermon was given by the

Rt. Rev Gordon Mursell with great humour. Assisting +Mark were the Dean, the Very Rev

Alison Simpson and Deacon Anthony Matchwick. It was a delight to meet Rev Hamilton

and his wonderful family – Forres are in for good times ahead.

By the way – if you are in the area do pop into St John’s – it is a most interesting church,

open during the day so that you may have some quiet time, and you will be able to see

some amazing murals.

From http://www.gordonchapel.org.uk/

9

10

Finally, Hamilton's installation also reached the learned

heights of Page 2 of the February newsletter of the Scottish

Episcopal Institute. The collection from Hamilton’s Installa-

tion was presented to this body.

The SEI Training Fund benefited last month from several

generous donations, including one from the congregation

of St Ninian’s, Castle Douglas (Diocese of Glasgow and Gal-

loway) who kindly chose to make the Fund one of the ben-

eficiaries of its annual charitable giving, and another from Gill Reynolds, SEI Ambas-

sador for the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway. St Mary’s Dalmahoy (Diocese of

Edinburgh) had a collection following the Revd Dr Robert Gould’s period of interim

ministry there, the proceeds of which Bob very

kindly donated to the Fund. A hugely generous

cheque was received from St John’s Forres (Diocese

of Moray, Ross and Caithness) following the licens-

ing and installation of the Revd Dr Hamilton In-

badas (left) as Priest-in-Charge on 20 January. Lo-

cum fees were again very kindly donated by Canon

Robin Paisley and the Revd Sally Gorton (Diocese of

Glasgow and Galloway).

11

The Mothers’ Union have been supporting Mary’s

Meals since their meeting in October. The funds

have been boosted by the collection at the Blue Ser-

vice before Christmas as well as the collecting boxes

at the post 10am Service refreshments in the Hall

and the Collecting Jar at the refreshments after the

10am service on a Thursday.

The aims of Mary's Meals

The charity's constitution sets out the focus of our

charitable activities as:

To provide a daily meal, in a place of education, for children in the world’s

poorest communities.

To provide relief for those suffering, in any part of the world, as a result of

humanitarian crises or poverty; to help people escape poverty; and to pro-

vide care for orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children.

To raise awareness in the UK and worldwide of poverty issues through

education.

For every pound we give to Mary’s Meals, they have a commitment to spend a

minimum of 93p on their charitable activities. In 2016 out of a total income of

£12,862,185 Mary’s Meals spent 96% on their charitable activities and only 4%

on fundraising. As an organisation working in some of the world’s poorest com-

munities, they are committed to keeping our running costs low to maximise the

good we can do with the donations entrusted to us.

This is only possible because most of their work is done by an army of volunteers

in their fundraising countries and in the communities where they work, who carry

out lots of little acts of love on their behalf.

Their programmes work to bring about the following positive changes in the

lives of children and their communities:

Short-term changes

Reduced hunger.

Increased school enrolment.

Mothers’ Union

News

12

Improved attendance, concentration and learning.

Increased progression between grades.

Improved health and wellbeing.

Long-term changes

Encouraging community support for education.

Support for smallholder farmers.

Increasing government recognition of school feeding.

Three very generous benefactors had offered to match all donations given to

Mary’s Meals before the end of 2017. This meant that instead of costing the

charity £13.90 to feed one child for a year,, they would be able to feed two chil-

dren in 2018. St John’s collections up to the end of 2017,John’s raised £627.18

which will allow Mary’s Meals to feed 90.2 children in 2018. Further collections in

2018 have raised a further £135.89 for the charity. This means that 100 children

will be fed for a year, thanks to your magnificent generosity. It is a small number

in their global feeding effort, which at the time of production of this edition of

Eagle is providing 1,230, 171 children with a better and healthier future.

You may be concerned with the recent publicity of safeguarding issues with in-

ternational charities. Mary’s Meals issued the following statement on the 18th

February…

In line with our statement of values and code of conduct, Mary’s Meals

takes the issue of safeguarding extremely seriously and is committed to

ensuring that abusive behaviour is not tolerated within our organisation.

Respecting and upholding the dignity and safety of all those involved in

our mission – including our staff, volunteers, the children who receive our

meals, and the wider communities in which we work – is central to every-

thing Mary’s Meals does.

We have robust safeguarding policies and procedures in operation to pro-

tect vulnerable people and we are committed to continually reviewing and

improving our approach, so that the strongest possible safeguarding prac-

tices are in place. Our supporters will be reassured to know that Mary’s

Meals has had no reported incidents of misconduct involving children.

In 2017, we investigated one incidence of an inappropriate relationship

between two consenting adults; a local male member of staff, from one of

the countries in which we work, and a local woman.

13

Although no crime was committed, no minors were involved and the inap-

propriate behaviour did not occur while carrying out the charity’s activities,

the staff member’s actions were in breach of our code of conduct, which

sets high standards for all those involved in our mission. The staff member

was dismissed promptly after the relationship was reported.

The work of Mary’s Meals is made possible by the kindness and goodness

of many people all over the world – who refuse to accept that any child

should go hungry in this world of plenty – and, together, we are commit-

ted to reaching more and more hungry children with a nutritious daily

meal in school.

In response to one of our pre Christmas Donations, their Founder and Chief Exec-

utive writes:-

Thank you so much for your generous donation of £301.75 to Mary's Meals. Eve-

ry gift makes such an incredible difference to the lives of hungry children, and

donations in response to our Double The Love appeal are having even more of

an impact thanks to match-funding.

This beautiful mission began with the words of one child, Edward in Malawi,

whose only hopes in life were to have enough to eat and to attend school. That

hope is now a reality for more than 1.2 million children around the world, includ-

ing 13-year-old Famatta from Liberia, who walks for three miles every day, across

rough terrain, to reach school where she will attend class and eat what is often

her only meal of the day.

During that long, lonely walk, Famatta thinks about the subjects she is studying

and her dreams of becoming a doctor and freeing her family from poverty and

hardship. She said:

"School is very important to people in Liberia. When you learn, tomorrow you will

not suffer. We really appreciate Mary's Meals. lf I came to school and they were

not cooking, I would feel bad. We can say thank you because Mary's Meals is

doing well for us."

The simple heartfelt words of a child, to which I (Magnus Macfarlane-Barrow) add

my deepest gratitude for your kindness.

Please continue with your generous donations at Mothers’ Union Meetings as

well as the Sunday and Thursday Eucharist, to allow St. John’s to continue

helping this worthwhile cause. Thank You

14

Perth here we come

The St. John’s Youth Fellowship

The St John’s youth fellowship enjoyed a lovely weekend away in Perth for Pisky

Pancake party a PYC meet up with fellow delegates. They arrived at the church hall

and registered, the youth enjoyed waiting for all their friends to arrive and greeting

them with big hugs. After they registered they made a plate about them to tell eve-

ryone what’s important in their lives and then shared with the group. the delegates

then split into groups and got to either decorate the Glenalmond duvet or create a

paper pancake after they switched and got to do the other activity. The youth then

split into 3 groups and each group was given a leader and they enjoyed doing a

pancake flipping competition before running and flipping the pancakes at the same

time. They then got to use their paper pancakes and try to throw them into a bin,

they got three chances to do it. For dinner the youth enjoyed having some fajitas

for their main and then pancakes and ice-cream for after.

The youth then had some free time where they sat and chilled until splitting into

groups for worship prep where they could choose either readings, sermon or inter-

cessions, they got to plan what they would do for the church service. They then en-

joyed a juice break with cake before going back to worship planning.

The youth set up their beds and chilled for a bit before heading into the church to

do night prayer. When they came back through they got changed and the film for

the night was set up, the youth watched Hop a film about an Easter bunny. The film

15

finished and everybody went to bed.

The youth woke up in the morning and packed up before enjoying some chocolate

croissants and bacon or egg rolls before church. They then had some time for a little

bit of worship planning before the church service started.

During the church service the youth enjoyed joining in with and taking over parts of

the service and the group that did the readings enjoyed acting out the Psalm and the

first reading and the Gospel reading as well as joining in with peace and meeting

new people. The youth enjoyed signing songs they wouldn't normally sing and taking

part in communion. The church service finished and the youth went back through to

the hall and enjoyed some juice and cake, talking to different people and hanging

out with each other while waiting for their parents to pick them up.

The youth of St John’s had an amazing time catching up with old friends and making

some new ones and they can’t wait until the next event and are looking forward to

going to Glen in July when they get to spend a whole week with the Pisky family and

enjoying some fun activities.

Meghan Philp

16

Every Sunday, 10.00am

Sung Eucharist using the 1982 Scottish Episco-

palian Church Liturgy and

readings from the Scottish Epis-

copalian Liturgy. There is nor-

mally a short sermon and we

also have a Sunday School for

younger worshipers. The service

is followed by fellowship

Worship at St. John’s

Church Forres All are welcome …

here’s what to expect

Every Sunday, 8.00am Said Eucharist

Using the 1970 Scottish Episcopal Liturgy

and readings from the 1929 Scottish Prayer

Book, for those who like a more traditional

sermon and singing free. service.

Alternate Wednesday Evenings.

7.00pm Youth Fellowship an oppor-

tunity for younger members to enjoy fel-

lowship in the luxurious refurbished parish

room or a parishioner’s home, fun, laugh-

ter and discussion to help us feel closer to

God.

Second Tuesday of the Month 2pm

Mothers’ Union an opportunity for more

mature (men and women) to enjoy some

fellowship in the luxurious refurbished par-

ish room or a parishioner’s house, fun,

laughter and discussion to help us feel

closer to God.

Every Sunday, 10.00am

Sung Eucharist using the

1982 Scottish Episcopalian Lit-

urgy and readings from the

Scottish Episcopal Lectionary.

There is usually a Sunday

School for younger children

and the service is followed by

Tea/Coffee and Fellowship in

our Parish Hall.

17

Every Sunday, 10.00am

Sung Eucharist using the 1982 Scottish Episco-

palian Church Liturgy and

readings from the Scottish Epis-

copalian Liturgy. There is nor-

mally a short sermon and we

also have a Sunday School for

younger worshipers. The service

is followed by fellowship

Every Thursday, 10.00am Said Eu-

charist using the 1970 Scottish Episco-

palian Church Liturgy in our smaller and

more intimate Lady Chapel . The service

is usually followed by tea & coffee and

many worshippers stay on for the Bible

Study Group

Every Thursday, 11.00am Bible Study

Group an opportunity to share

thoughts and listen to others as we

reflect on the readings and other as-

pects of our Christian Faith. In the inti-

mate surroundings of our Lady Chap-

el, we share prayers & contemplation

Every Sunday, 10.00am

Sung Eucharist using the

1982 Scottish Episcopalian Lit-

urgy and readings from the

Scottish Episcopal Lectionary.

There is usually a Sunday

School for younger children

and the service is followed by

Tea/Coffee and Fellowship in

our Parish Hall.

Second Tuesday of the Month

7pm Book Club meeting at 7pm

on the second Tuesday of the Month

in a parishioner’s home to discuss a

book read recently by club members.

18

John Scott writes

Dear Michael

What a splendid Installation service and what a beautifully provided service

guide so well printed by Top Print and their Staff!! Here is something for the

forthcoming Eagle. I appreciate the Presentation is normally celebrated in early

February, but a little late license may be allowed.

Mary, accompanied by Joseph, recalls presenting her Christ Child at the Temple.

As faithful Jews it was our intent

Forty days from birth to offer God our Son,

So up to Jerusalem we went

Where this presentation should be rightly done.

Stiff the upward walk from the Temple Court

Where we changed our money fir two pigeons tied

A sacrifice from our savings bought

Then looked for a priest to be our ritual guide.

We Obeyed the required by law

And then returned to the Temple’s open space

To join the noisy throng as before

Who were praying for the blessing of God’s grace.

We saw an old man push to the fore

Coming directly to meet us beyond the press

He turned about and did all implore

For quiet so that he could my Son address:

“I shall come in peace,” he said,

“Having seen the salvation of the world;

His Word will uphold those who hear

yet condemn many who listen not;

But his glory will increase.”

He gazed long in worship at my newly born

And tears of joy coursed down his cheeks creased and worn.

Then came a woman of sanctity and age

Praising God she pointed at my baby Child

Saying He would Jerusalem’s wrongs amend

And raise her up again though much reviled

while those around shouts of joy the air did rend

Mary recalls the Presentation

19

We began to leave lest a riot brew

And I wrapped my shawl closer to my Son

For in winter’s weather the snow flakes flew.

In my heart the certainty stirred

That angel Gabriel’s prophecy was wholly true

Confirmed by the greetings we’d just so heard.

I wondered why my maidenhood was preferred

For in in my body God’s Son my life had shared

And with my mind his divinity was paired.

When outside the Temple wall, out of sight of all

Joseph whispered though we were alone

“I’ve learned that Herod’s men are seeking to do evil to our child

Already to the authorities known.

We must hide away this very day

And flee to Egypt by coastal road where we should make our abode

Till Herod dies at last and any danger is past”

Downhill we threaded our way through the crowd

As fast as our hurried pace allowed;

Then to the city gate we went out straight.

Rest On the Flight into Egypt by French artist Luc Olivier Merson

From commons.wikemedia.org

20

The Nail

Nail, You are iron and of the earth, created

and for that I love you.

You are this time innocent of guile,

but not of implication

Your sin, and Mary’s YES, together

bought humanity’s salvation.

You held Noah's plank firm

floated in the flood

a bow ln heaven;

You hold my hand now.

wet with blood

you are forgiven.

I felt you near me long ago,

you are no stranger;

the smell of straw and ass, remember?

combined with wood and formed into

a manger.

You supported door; I knock;

espalier'd the vine

held together boards

the table on which I gave myself,

In bread and wine.

Nail, you are a friend now, with others

You support me well, with these, your two brothers?

It ls my love for you which led us to this Calvary;

and Nail, ln heaven, I’ll wear your mark upon my hand,

Eternally

Poem supplied by Deacon Anthony

21

A Flower Lady’s Thoughts

I was reminded during Hamilton’s first sermon (Sunday 21st) of one of my awe-

some silent moments and no doubt many of you readers will have experienced

these wonderful spiritive flashes of God at work. (I think so—and this moment

left me with a thumping heavy chest). I felt a shock run through me.

I arrived in church on Easter Saturday 2017 it happened when I came to do the

flowers, but for once I was the first person there. With an armful of greenery I

was heading carefully towards the door….but as I opened it, I was stopped in my

tracks, staring at the Altar, in astonishment at the brightness of the light over the

altar.

My mood and the coincidence of the Easter Saturday Altar had moved me and I

gasped This is Jesus Christ’s Shroud. By the time the next flower lady arrived, the

sunbeam had moved and faded. I was embarrassed to share my revelation. With

hindsight, I have questioned why if the Altar was stripped, had I seen such an

image of whiteness over the Altar. From where, for why, was it for me?—my im-

agination ( I didn’t think so) but Alleluia, Praise the Lord.

As Hamilton said God is around us, He is there in the Silence

A moment in Hamilton’s Installation—note the bright light on the painting,

maybe the two Bishops are also witnessing the blessing of the Holy Spirit on

the occasion. Editor’s untouched photograph.

22

Britain is using far more

than its share of world’s

resources

The average Briton is using

more than three times their

share of the world’s re-

sources as they work

through 24 tonnes of crops,

trees, minerals and fossil

fuels a year.

A new study warns that

increasing global demand

for consumer products and a better lifestyle is using up key environmental re-

sources at an alarming rate – and points to wealthy countries such as the UK,

Spain and the US as being among the worst offenders.

It found that out of the 150 nations assessed not one of those that was able to

provide a ‘good life’ for its citizens is doing so without unsustainable use of re-

sources.

“I was both worried and surprised by the results of this study which is very much

a wake-up call for sustainability,” said the study’s lead author, Daniel O’Neill, of

Leeds University.

“We expected out of 150 countries there would be at least one we could hold

up as a shining star example – giving their people a good life and doing well on

the environment. But there wasn’t,” he added.

“We have to totally redesign the way we transform resources into wellbeing –

both physically and in terms of how we organise our societies. That is something

we will be looking at,” Dr O’Neill said. In search of the good life.

The global pursuit of a ‘good life’ has put the world in danger of using phos-

phorous and nitrogen – essential for plant and animal growth – at six times the

sustainable level at some point in the future.

Meanwhile, the global use of crops, trees, minerals and fossil fuels – or ‘material

footprint’ -could eventually rise as high as four times the sustainable rate. This

Sharing the World’s Resources

23

measures the volume of resources needed to produce the food, consumer

goods, utilities and services we consume and is currently at 1.3 times the sus-

tainable rate.

Mike Barrett, director of science and policy at WWF said: “Nature is in decline

and we are the cause. We are facing the first mass extinction of wildlife since the

demise of the dinosaurs — driven by our consumption. “We know what we need

to do to protect the planet. We need to tackle carbon emissions, transform the

food system and protect the places where wildlife thrives,” he added.

Britain’s material footprint of 24.3 tonnes of crops, trees, minerals and fossil fuels

is 3.4 times the sustainable level. It is below the US, on 27.2 tonnes, and Spain at

25.7 tonnes but well below Russia.

From energyindemand.com

How does your church care for God’s creation? Would you like support to do

more?

Eco-Congregation Scotland is an ecumenical movement helping local groups of

Christians link environmental issues to their faith, reduce their environmental

impact, and engage with the community (www.ecocongregationscotland.org). A

number of Moray churches have already become involved: for example, Alves &

Burghead; Bellie & Speymouth; Duffus, Spynie & Hopeman (all Church of Scot-

land); Holy Trinity; St John’s (Scottish Episcopal); and St Margaret’s (Catholic).

Representatives from the different congregations in Moray meet regularly for

mutual support and to share ideas. We’d like to inspire members of other con-

gregations to join us and to find out more about the links between faith and

creation care. We’re particularly keen to increase the number of different de-

nominations involved.

With this in mind, on Saturday 17th March, we’re hosting a meeting in the Wil-

liamson Hall in Elgin. Davis Bethune, the Eco-Congregation Scotland co-

ordinator will provide information about the movement. He’ll explain how local

congregations can get involved by registering and by taking part in the new

awards scheme. Local church members will give examples of what they’ve done

to ‘green’ their churches. There’ll be opportunities to share ideas and challenges,

too.

We warmly invite you and members of your congregation (including young peo-

24

ple) to join us. We’d be grateful if you could advertise this opportunity, and en-

courage interested people to attend.

25

Easter and some of the

words are in the list, going

across, the bold squares will

spell out the most im-

portant word that we must

not forget when we are en-

joying ourselves with Paste

Eggs (carefully rolled down

Cluny Hill) or even Choco-

late Eggs; the real message

of Easter.

Dolorosa, Pilate. Cross,

Passion, Friday, Cockerel,

Nails, Jesus, Thorns,

Easter, Barabbas

Solution on page 29 (and its upside down and back to front to make it harder! so

no cheating...your pesky {piskie?} editor)

It’s the Via for Easter

Glenda and Patrick Thompson wish to thank folks at St. John’s for their prayers and helpful enquiries during Glenda’s time of illness. At this time Glenda seems to recovered well from her first operation, but a small-er second operation will take place at the end of February, after which there will be a fur-ther period of treatment. Be-cause Glenda tires very quickly. We must continue to be strict on the matter of visitors, but we are very grateful to you for the many kind offers of help.

Please continue with your pray-ers for her full recovery.

Patrick and Glenda

26

The birds in your garden

Garden Bird Health

People often ask what should be done about

garden birds seen to be in distress. There is

rarely a good answer. It’s not the happiest of

subjects and thus probably doesn’t get as much publicity as it should.

A collaborative project to monitor the health of British wildlife, called

Garden Wildlife Health, has been running for several years now; it is or-

ganised by the Zoological Society of London, the BTO, Froglife and the RSPB.

It focuses on garden birds, amphibians, reptiles and hedgehogs, and relies on the public

reporting sick or dead wildlife, and sending in carcasses for analysis when asked. Every

report submitted contributes to a national database, and all are archived into one of the

world’s largest wildlife databanks.

The project started in 1989 when wildlife volunteers were asked to report the deaths of

newly released Red Kites. It was soon expanded to include other species being released

for conservation purposes. Perhaps its most important early discovery was that the decline

of red squirrels is mainly caused by a deadly squirrelpox virus carried benignly by the in-

troduced grey squirrel.

If you see any wildlife in your garden that seem to be ill, or has died with no obvious

cause, you can contact the GWH who can offer advice, but not treatment. (https://

www.gardenwildlifehealth.org).

They say that if you find a sick or injured wild animal which can avoid threats from do-

mestic animals or human beings, it may be in its best interests to be left alone. If it is inca-

pable of fending for itself, you can contact your local vet or animal rescue organisation.

However, remember that most wildlife have unique requirements for survival after treat-

ment, and are intolerant of prolonged captivity (even for veterinary care). The British Wild-

life Rehabilitation Council has a list of rescue organisations.

If you find dead wild waterfowl or gulls, or 5 or more dead wild birds in the same location,

you should report them to the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77). If you want to find out

more on the subject, the GWH website is a good starting point.

There are many diseases that can affect garden birds, but the one you are perhaps most

likely to encounter is Trichomonosis. Trichomonosis is caused by a single-celled protozo-

an parasite. It is endemic in pigeons and doves and is thought to have been transferred to

finches at shared feeding sites. Greenfinches have been the most gravely affected, with

their numbers falling by two thirds over the last ten years; though other finches have also

been affected. Transmission frequently occurs when sick birds regurgitate food which is

consumed by others.

27

The St John's 200 Club is a simple, legal and fun way of raising a regular income for our

church. The Club is a Small Social Lottery as defined in the Gambling Act 2005 and is reg-

istered with Moray Council. One ticket gives you four chances per month, for a whole

year, of winning a cash prize. The size of the prize depends on how many people partici-

pate but half the money goes to St John's Church and the other half is returned as prize-

money. A ticket costs only £12 and the four prizes drawn each month can be from £5 to

£50. That's 48 chances of winning in one year!

If you would like to take part please ask George or Julian for a form and return it to them

with a cheque for £12 per ticket. There is no limit on how many tickets you may buy with-

in the maximum, overall limit of 200. So far there are over 80 participants/ starters but the

more the merrier for the Church.

The organisers (George and Julian) will allocate you a number (numbers) and guarantee

that the number (numbers) will be in the draw every month which will be made in public,

usually at coffee after the Sunday 10 o'clock service, on the last Sunday of the month.

They will notify you of any winnings and send/deliver them to you as is most appropriate.

They will be very grateful if you are able to help the Church in this way and if you think of

any others who might like to join in please give either George Latham or Julian Rudd their

names etc. There is no requirement to be a member of the Church but the support would

be very welcome.

The sooner you can send in your contribution, the sooner your name will be in the hat

(actually the organisers use a bag but you know what they mean!). Thank you!

St John’s 200 Club

Trichomonas Gallinae typically causes lesions at the

back of the throat and in the gullet, meaning that

the bird cannot feed properly. The disease takes

several days to kill, with infected birds becoming

emaciated, with matted plumage around the head.

Should you spot more than just the odd poorly

finch, stop putting out food and leave your birdbath

empty for 3 or 4 weeks, to allow the affected birds

to disperse. The parasite is vulnerable to desiccation

and cannot survive for long periods outside the host.

If on restarting feeding you see more sick birds, stop immediately. Feeders, and areas

around feeders and birdbaths, need regular cleaning and occasionally disinfecting; even if

you don’t see sick birds. It is also a good idea to move them around from time to time.

If you find the lives of our garden birds to be of interest, and would like to join in and

count the feathered occupants of your garden, please contact me or visit the BTO Garden

BirdWatch website (www.bto.org/gbw). If you know of an organisation not a million miles

from York which would like a talk on garden birds call: Mike Gray 07596 366342 or

gbwmike@gmail.com.

28

St. John’s Mothers’ Un-

ion - there is a box at

the back of the church

for non-perishable food

donations to support the Moray Food Bank - please sup-

port this worthwhile outreach by the members of the

Mothers' Union. The group also collect for Mary's Meals at

their meetings as well as at the Tea/Coffee after the 10.00am Sunday Eucharist and

10am Thursday Eucharist.

Lent Talks —starting on Wednesday 21st February at 5pm and running for five

weeks, there will be a series of talks exploring the key elements in the story of our

salvation; the talks will focus on the role of OIL, WATER, BLOOD, BREAD and WOOD

and each service will conclude with the Order of Compline.

World Day of Prayer—there will be an Ecumenical Service at St. Leonard's at 3pm on

Friday March 2nd. Two readers are requested from St. John ‘s, please get in touch with

June Airey if you would like to assist (01309 673667). All welcome at the service.

Mothers’ Union —Tuesday 13th March at 2pm - details and venue tba.

Book Club —our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 13th March at 7pm at 4

Leslie Place, Forres. The book to be discussed will be The Churchwarden by Margery

Roberts.

Churchwarden Christopher Jamieson has devoted himself tirelessly to St

Benet's Church and its Anglo-Catholic tradition. Single, lonely and prickly, he

feels happier in the company of eighteenth century church architecture and

beautiful vestments than in that of his colleagues. But the parish is struggling

and, when the Church authorities plan a takeover by a hugely successful and

popular Evangelical church, Christopher finds himself at odds with his up-

bringing, his associates, his fellow churchwarden, Caroline, and even his loyal

and sympathetic friend, Max. As the takeover becomes more certain, his out-

look on life becomes more bleak and desperate, until he takes a step that will

change everything.

Coffee Morning—Saturday 17th March 2018 from 10am to Noon in the Town Hall,

Forres - please bring any donations for the Chocolate Stall (no matter how small) to

Church on a Sunday where Tina will collect it from you.

Eco-Congregation Moray Group - will be meeting from 2pm to 4pm on Saturday

17th March in the Williamson Hall, Duff Avenue, Elgin when David Bethune (Program

St JOHNS NOTICES

NOTICES

29

Our Priest in Charge’s contact details are:- The Reverend Dr. Hamilton Inbadas The Rectory, Victoria Road, Forres, IV36 3BN Telephone 01309 672856 Email clergystjohnsforres@gmail.com

Our website is www.stjohnsforres.wordpress.com, where you will find de-tails of our services and other events and also a full colour copy of Eagle

Scottish Charity Number SC010346

Coordinator, Eco-Congregation Scotland) will talk about the Scottish Churches

Awards scheme. There will also be a chance to discover how to register as an Eco-

congregation as well as moving beyond registration. In additional there will be a

Graffiti Wall for environmental issues as well as Tea and Coffee.

Christian Aid Week—is from the 14th to the 20th May—events will be taking place

in and around Forres, more of which in the pew sheet On behalf of the world’s poor,

Thank You for taking part.

Your next edition of Eagle— will be in church from Sunday

29th April. Eagle is produced on a two monthly basis, with Ea-

gle arriving in church for the last Sunday in February, April,

June, August, October and December. Please submit articles

for publication in the next edition of Eagle by 5pm on Friday

20th April.

Your editor and webmaster is Michael Ellison, who can be contacted :-

St. Crispin’s, 9 South Street, Forres IV36 1DE

Email michael56101@gmail.com

Telephone 07932 000398

{The editor would like to thank all the members

of our congregation who have contributed arti-

cles for this Edition and also thank all for your

kind words of support and encouragement for

the previous editions)

Many Thanks Michael

The Via of Easter (page 25) solution

30

Services at St John’s For Lent and Easter

Wednesdays during Lent – 21st and 28th February, 7th, 14th and 21st March at

5pm

A series of talks exploring the elements of our salvation. The talks will

explore the key elements in the story of our salvation; the talks will

focus on the role of OIL, WATER, BLOOD, BREAD and WOOD and each

service will conclude with the Order of Compline.

Mothering Sunday – 11th March

Said Eucharist 8am; Holy Eucharist, 10am

Palm Sunday – 25th March

Said Eucharist 8am; Holy Eucharist, 10am

Please remember the clocks will be going forwards by one hour in the

early hours of Palm Sunday Morning

Maundy Thursday – 29h March

There will be the traditional Eucharist, with washing of the feet and

stripping of the altar at 7.30pm

The service will be followed by the Watch

Good Friday – 30th March

The church will be open from 10am for quiet medita-

tion starting at 2.30pm

Holy Saturday – 31st March

There will be an Easter Vigil Service at 8pm for the lighting of the East-

er Fire, Blessing of the Paschal Candle, The Exsultet and the Renewal of

the Baptismal Vows

Easter Sunday – 1st April

Said Eucharist, 8am

Holy Eucharist for Easter Day, 10am

Feast of the Ascension – Thursday 10th May

There will be an addition Holy Eucharist at

7pm as well as the normal Eucharist at 10am followed by

the Bible Study Group at 11am.

31

Installation of our new Priest in Charge, photos by the Editor and Michael Smith. We are truly blessed at St John’s

32