February/March 2012.
Dear Friends,
The turnout at Church over Christmas was most excellent. What was also good was that there were a lot of younger people around, and that can only be encouraging. In fact at the beginning of this New Year, I personally feel quite optimistic. I do feel that 2012 is going to be good year for St Margaret’s, and we do seem to have started off in the right mode. Not only has attendance been good, but your giving has been very generous, especially with the special collection at Christmas for the Aberdeen Life-boat. I know that our efforts will be appreciated by the Coxswain Rod Macgillivray and the rest of the crew.
I convened an enthusiastic meeting, with some of the younger men in the congregation, the other night at the Rectory, about Information Technology and Communication. You will notice that on the back cover of the magazine it is advertised that we now have the ability to ‘tweet’ on Twitter! This is all part of our attempts to reach out to a wider constituency. I am only grateful for the advice and enthusiasm that allows this to happen. I am, in fact I have always been convinced, that we have to be proactive to engage with humanity. Modern Technology affords us opportunity. We have planned a whole series of things for the Church Website over the year, so watch that particular space. I have had favourable responses to the Advent Meditation which is on the website, therefore I intend to follow that up with presentations for Lent, Holy Week and Easter, and Corpus Christi.
In the pipeline, some musical delights are anticipated. The Bon Accord Silver Band will be giving a recital of music for Holy Week and Easter on Passion Sunday evening, the 25th of March. On the Vigil of the Ascension, the 16th of May, the Con Anima Choir is going to return to St Margaret’s to sing a Mass, by the medieval Scots composer Robert Carver. This is not to be missed. Carver’s music will be sung within the framework of the liturgy. Hopefully this will be a glimpse into a world where religion, music and society were at one. I used to do this sort of thing in Edinburgh at the Festival. I cannot wait to repeat that exercise here.
The project of making St Margaret’s a place where young organists are trained is now under way. On one Sunday of the month a trainee organist will be playing either the whole or part of the service. This is all about giving young people hands-on (and feet-on!) experience. Accompanying the liturgy on the organ is an art form, and quite honestly, where better to learn that, than here?
I said last year, for those who gave towards the new lighting, that it was my intention to place in Church a plaque for those who have passed to their rest, and whom the donors of the lighting would like to be specifically remembered. If you gave towards this project please see me about those whose name(s) you wished to be remembered, and I will make sure that they are listed on the plaque.
Lent is approaching and I have decided to do something different this year by inviting several people in the congregation to give a reflection as to what prayer means for them. This will be combined with Compline on Thursday evenings. A group will also meet on Monday afternoons for a period of quiet time and reflection.
With all good wishes as aye,
Fr. Emsley