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The following Elders are entitled to a 30 years’ service certificate:
The Certificates will be presented at the Annual Presbytery Service which will take place in Cragiebuckler Church at 7.30pm on Friday 3rd February. The Moderator of the General Assembly, The Right Rev David Arnott will be preaching and will present the certificates. The Service is open to all. |
Gordon Cooper
Hello!
Since beginning my time at Mannofield at the start of November, What is my surname? and What am I doing here? |
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I am Gordon Cooper and I have been placed at Mannofield Church for the first of the two six month training placements I will be undertaking as part of the formation process for the Readership within the Church of Scotland. A Reader is someone who is qualified in preaching and in leading worship, but is not ordained and does not perform the sacraments. I have been delighted to see a few familiar faces at Mannofield Church. As a native Aberdonian, I am a member of Craigiebuckler Church and therefore you will normally see me either walking or cycling to Mannofield (it’s good to leave the car at home!) I will be with you until the end of April, and taking part in services, doing some pastoral work, and perhaps getting involved in some youth work and schools ministry. However, the Readership is a part-time ministry, and I also have evening classes to attend in theology and essays to write. When I am not at church, my “day job” is as a musician – I graduated this year from the University of Aberdeen with a BMus (Hons) and am pursuing an interesting career now combining piano teaching,accompanying, playing in the Sideline Jazz Quartet and working as an organist in Stonehaven Dunnottar Church of Scotland (part-time) too. So I have plenty to keep me busy! I’ll be at Mannofield for normally three services per month (including morning, evening and Wednesdays). I look forward to meeting as many of you as I can and thank you already for welcoming me to your church family for the next six months. It will be past very quickly so I will try to make the most of my time with you. Please say hello to me after services, as I have a lot of people to try to get to know in a very short time! Gordon Cooper |
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Alisa's Stole
After much interest in the topic, I am sitting down to explain my purple liturgical stole.
The stole was purchased through a fair trade organization called UPAVIM* Fair Trade Crafts. The organization makes a wide range of products. They exist as a cooperative of approximately 80 women who live in marginalized communities on the outskirts of Guatemala City. |
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The women in the organization are all mothers and homemakers, some widows, and some abandoned. Many of the women are the sole providers of economic support for their families. The mission of UPAVIM is to empower these women in their community, enabling them to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families by providing access to education and employment opportunities, health and child care services, and personal and professional developmental programs.*
The making of this style of clerical stole was introduced by a martyred priest, and the technique has been passed down for hundreds of years through the members of this village. This specific stole can be worn during the liturgical seasons of Advent and Lent, and is decorated with various Christian symbols, including crosses, fish, church, dove, wheat and a basket of bread.
The fish, or Ichthus (ἰχθύς), is one of the earliest symbols for the Christian faith. The fish naturally became a symbol based on the number of references to the fish, fishing, and fisherman in the New Testament. The word was then used as an acrostic, forming words based off each of the letters. The acrostic for ichthus reads: "Jesus Christ, God's son, Saviour."
The dove, represents the Holy Spirit. This image is common throughout Christian art, and refers to the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River when the spirit of the Lord in the form of a dove decended upon him.
The anchor is another very early Christian symbol that has been found throughout the catacombs. It brings together the cross and the various nautical Christian symbols (fish, boat, fishermen), it symbolizes Christian hope in the salvation of Christ and holding secure in our faith. The anchor is also the symbol of St. Clement of Rome, who tradition says was martyred by being tied to an anchor and thrown into the sea.
The wheat and bread are symbols of prosperity and fruitfulness. It represents the most basic sustenance of life, and the Body of Christ. Christ used bread and wine at the Last Supper before his death on the cross to institute the rite of Holy Communion and proclaimed, "I Am the Bread of Life."
The "Chi-Rho" which is the letters "X" and "P," represents the first letters of the title "Christos." The letters were eventually put together to form this symbol for Christ. It is this form of the Cross that Constantine saw in his vision along with the Greek words, "En touto nika" (Έν τούτω νίκα) which are rendered in Latin as "In hoc signo vinces" which translates as the famous "in this sign thou shalt conquer."
Grace and Peace, Alisa
*Information about UPAVIM is taken from their website: www.upavimcrafts.org where all their products are available for purchase.
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