Church of Scotland

Diaconate Newsletter
Summer 2013
Editor: Moyra McCallum e-mail: moymac@aol.com

Presidents Letter
Dear Friends, First of all may I thank you for the trust you have placed in me to be the President of the Diaconate Council and I hope and pray that I will be able for the task. I would like to ask you to pray for me as I take this on. Also Id like to thank all those who have undertaken this in the past for their inspiration and hard work. My first task after Council was to attend an Enquirers Conference at the end of June, Paul Cathcart and I attended and spoke to those who had some interest in ministry in the Church of Scotland and it was an interesting event thankfully our DVD was of great help in illustrating the work of Deacons and it certainly made quite a few think about what their calling might be. Almost immediately after that I winged my way to Berlin for the World Diakonia which was a week blessed by inspiring worship and talks as well as an opportunity to make new friends and renew old friendships. As I write this, I am looking at the readings for this Sunday and its the passage from Lukes Gospel about Martha and Mary. I am sure many of you like me feel a bit sorry for Martha at Jesus rebuke. Mary has chosen the better part and I know that as Deacons many of us feel that Martha was being more Diaconal than Mary! However I believe that studying Gods word and spending time in prayer is needed in our diaconal work so much. We cant do the serving well without keeping close to God. When we are too busy to pray, we are too busy. This is the lesson that I am trying to learn from the story of Martha and Mary and I hope it will be helpful for each of you too. God bless you and you families and friends as we enjoy the, maybe, slightly less busy summer months. Your friend

Pat

From the editor...

Little did we think when we included Part One of Kays story in the Spring edition of the Newsletter that she would no longer be with us when Part Two appeared, but while she was in hospital I sent her a copy, and at the meal after the funeral service I met a friend who had opened the mail and read it to her so she had advance knowledge that it would appear. With Kays passing, it feels as if an age has come to an end: she had such an encyclopaedic knowledge of things diaconal, both local and world-wide, and many of us will miss a loving, perceptive and listening friend. The tribute from Fiona Gordon comes from one who kept up with Kay from St Colms days, and we are indebted to Fiona for her reminiscence. If you were at Council in June, you will know what a rich celebration of 125 years it proved to be. Guilty of looking back? Yes, but the past is the platform from which we derive strength for the present and vision for the future. (Think how often the people of God in the Old Testament were reminded of their past history and Gods hand in it, and how our Christian celebration of a historical event is the basis of our individual and corporate witness.) A display put together on the first evening from archive material and memorabilia sent in by present deacons DR gave us all an awareness of publications and facts about the diaconate which were in danger of being forgotten. Unusually, we did not have with us our ecumenical contacts; they were invited as usual but the dates did not suit. We did, however, have at the celebratory dinner representatives from the other bodies set up by Dr Charteris, namely the Guild and Life and Work. The Moderator of the General Assembly was also present and gave a sympathetic speech. Jeannie Allan memorably paraded in a grey uniform (and sat on the knee of the Principal Clerk!) as we listened to the song Beneath my JM costume grey from a production of the 50s called The Daring Deaconess.
DR Three Charteris Organisations I hope that that you have caught up with some of the Guild, Diaconate and Life and Work publicity in Life and Work and on Facebook. Many people took photographs, and I hope that these will be shared at local meetings and with elderly deacons who are interested. There is also available on DVD some photographs taken by Jackie Macadam (of Life and Work) which may be freely used provided acknowledgment is made.

We have one more major 125 celebration ahead a public service of worship at Charteris Memorial Church in Edinburgh on Saturday, December 7th at 2.30pm, followed by refreshments. We hope that this will be an occasion to which we can invite friends and ministers who have some association with our historic past and present. It will be preceded by Diaconate Council in the morning, replacing Council due to be held in January 2014, and the change has been made to have something to round off the year and on a day near the anniversary of Lady Grisell Baillies commissioning in 1888.

FULL CIRCLE Part 2

Kays story Then the Ayr Advertiser. Here was happiness indeed. Ayr is a beautiful place with a glorious seafront. The Advertiser was a much larger business than Montrose or Alloa, with an excellent editor and sub-editor and three great male colleagues. The work was very varied. I particularly enjoyed the sheriff court. I noticed that when the accused was taking the oath, the sheriff was watching him very closely and I wondered whether he wanted to know if the accused was taking the oath in good faith or not. Then the paper was always given tickets for the local repertory theatre and my colleagues didnt want them, so I could always go. I rather fancied myself as a drama critic, me with my experience of the Royal Shakespeare Company and so on. I was certainly going to tell the truth, and since I thought rather poorly of the first play, I wrote a very stinging review and was very pleased with myself. The theatre manager complained bitterly to my editor, and he gently but tellingly told me that I must never do that again. It had been very hurtful for the players; the Advertiser was not in the business of hurting people and could itself be damaged. So I took this to heart and in future wrote more about the play itself and praised warmly where praise was due. Robert Burns is a great presence in Ayr and there are several famous and ancient Burns clubs there and round about. So when January arrives, all these are busy planning their suppers and splendid occasions these were indeed. We were invited in order to report on the Immortal Memory speech given by some highly regarded Burnsian authority.. I am afraid that my dear colleagues knew that they were leading me into a wasps nest when they handed me the invitation to a very famous club. They did not tell me that it was all male and that there would be a night of the bawdiest songs and poems Burns ever wrote. I saw immediately that my arrival was an acute embarrassment, but the chief, who was charming, managed things beautifully. He said that following the magnificent six course meal they would move the Immortal Memory up to the top of the programme and that I would no doubt be happy to get away. I agreed, and departed, happily replete after a sixcourse meal. A lot of things were beginning to bubble up in my mind about then. There was the murder of a young boy. His father was deemed to be a suspect. The national press descended on Ayr, and seeing them never off the doorstep of the boys home gave me suddenly a scunner for journalism. Then Billy Graham came and held a huge service at Prestwick airport, and I organised a bus to go up from Ayr to Glasgow to hear him in the Kelvin Hall. I have not yet told you that along my path of reporting I had lost my heart to one of my male colleagues. Alas, he already had a girl-friend, and told me more or less immediately that he could not hurt her. Likewise, I did not wish anyone to be hurt. But I hoped that things might eventually come right for us, and went on hoping, as one does. We kept on corresponding after I had moved on to another job. At last came the letter telling me he was engaged. There followed one of the strangest nights of my life. Flames of fire seemed to be running through me, flames of agony and also of joy. In the morning I went into the back garden, calm and clearheaded, and began to plan two letters, one to the man, friendly
and congratulatory, and the other to the Church of Scotland inquiring about deaconess work. The Lord had been very patient with me, but now he had me for himself at last. Praise his name!
Kayon the RIGHT not long after her commissioning. With Fiona Gordon LEFT and Connie Philp CENTRE

Johannestift, Spandau, Berlin What a beautiful setting for our 21st World Assembly! The diaconal campus of some 30 buildings all constructed within 2 years (1908-10) carries out social and medical work with young and old. With the church at its centre, and the grounds and houses laid out in a way that seem to breathe peace and order, it was easy to relax even in the busy-ness of the Conference. 5 continents; 35 nations; 339 participants, with another 100 or so attending the weekend only. The Worship Morning and evening worship was uplifting and meaningful to all the senses. Sometimes it was stunning as different lighting was used each evening to illuminate the chancel. Singing in different languages is always fun, if somewhat challenging on occasion. But the musical director, on guitar and with voice, and his assistant on the harp and oboe, did a wonderful job. The Work Healing & Wholeness for the World The presentations on the theme were translated and hard to follow at times. I have just jotted down snippets from each session that caught my attention and made me want to think some more. The Witness Small Groups, Workshops, Outings These are the times of sharing and staring which probably add more to our memory banks than anything else, as we heard personal and incarnational stories of diakonia, and stared at our Christian and diaconal heritage and history over the centuries, in Berlin and its surrounding area.

Berlin 1-8 July 2013

Final business and worship, with communion, was held in the BERLIN DOM/ Cathedral. Rev Sandy Boyce was inducted as President of World Diakonia for the next 4 years. She is a deacon of the Uniting Church in Australia. Praise to God soared into the dome from some 450 voices, a huge organ, Berliner Brass, and our own musicians. At the end, we spilled out onto the front steps for the photoshoot, attracting many curious onlookers from the Platz as we sang, We are marching in the light of God. Our Assembly song was: Healing comes through Gods grace, right into our world Give wholeness and healing that will unify the world. Life is flowering for us all Diakonia as the healing and liberative ministry of the church. Pluck the rose while it is still blooming = Carpe Diem = seize the day. Where medicine can no longer help, love and compassion take over. I need the angel in you to stay with me song. Remain open to the pain that life brings; remain human. Quoted someone in a wheelchair who said he only felt disabled when he did not belong. Diakonia knows how to make someone feel they belong, to God and to the community. God at the Margins - Central Part of Diakonia There is no good, unless you do it. There is no diakonia unless it is a blessing AND is blessed. Trees in the Bible are a symbol of both resting and doing (bearing fruit). When we work at the margins, we can feel lonely. But God is still with us, because he is not marginal and is at the centre of all life/ our lives. Diakonia not just about good deeds but beautiful deeds. Mary did something beautiful for Jesus. Scent filled the room. Are we more sweating deacons than scented, someone asked??!! Hildegard von Bingen 12th Century Visionary Erum.. Order, harmony of creation seen in music and word. Use erbs (herbs).Too much asceticism not good. Need balance and moderation so we had some J My Small group had 4 USA, 1 x Aussie, German, Dutch, Tanzanian, Scot My workshops were Photography and Kaire. Outing to Kloster Lehnin

Katherine Ramsay 12 April 1924 15 June 2013

Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall rise up on wings as eagles. Richmond Craigmillar Church echoed to her chosen hymns as family and friends gathered to give thanks for the life of Kay Ramsay aunt, great aunt and friend of so many Kay and her brother Alistair grew up in Edinburgh, in Dalkeith Road. Sadly their father died when Kay was only 7, leaving her mother to take his place in the family dairy business. Kay boasted they made the best ice cream in town. She went to school at Gillespies, a star pupil in English and literature the beginning of a life-long love of writing and of good books. On her first day she sat beside Myra, a little Jewish girl (now living in Israel), and they were friends for life. She studied English at Edinburgh University pursuing her love of Shakespeare by securing a librarian job near Stratford upon Avon. Every Sunday, she said, I attended the service in the beautiful church where Shakespeare had his tomb. One day when I came out, I had a powerful feeling that the Lord wanted me to give my life to him. But not quite yet. The love of writing and a strong sense of social justice led her into journalism. Coming back to Scotland to be nearer her mother, she worked on local newspapers in Montrose, Alloa and Ayr before starting training at St Colms in 1955. In the international community of the college she imbibed the richness of the worldwide church as part of her deaconess formation. She served as parish deaconess in four churches: first in Glasgow at St James, Pollock, then back in Edinburgh at St. Andrews, Clermiston, at Granton and at Holy Trinity, Wester Hailes. Much as Kay loved the people in her parishes, she had other gifts to offer to the wider church. For many years she divided her time between parish work and the part time post of Secretary to the Deaconess Board. Her clear and open thinking, her wide reading and knowledge of the church and its ways all made her a wise and helpful lynchpin in those years. She also served her term as President of the Deaconess Council. Her big contribution to Diakonia was as English editor of the World Federation Diakonia News, 1973- 88. To celebrate 50 years of Diakonia, she edited Diakonia Challenge and Response which was launched in 1996 at the World Assembly in Friedrichrode, Germany. She revelled in her international contacts and attended every Assembly she could and also the World Council of Churches in Nairobi in 1975. Her friendships spanned the world. Her last post with the Church of Scotland was in the 1980s when she worked with the Board of World Mission. She was responsible for the archives, as well as editing newspapers and having care of the overseas bursars. For four years she was part of a Church of Scotland group in dialogue with the Jewish community in Glasgow. As the old saying puts it, Kay was far ben and after retiring from World Mission she trained in Spiritual Direction and was involved in the retreat movement along with Catholic and Protestant friends. She served on the Key House management committee and organised retreat days for her fellow deacons for many years. She felt honoured to be made an associate of the Catholic Society of the Sacred Heart and was part of the pastoral team of the LArche community. This meant, as always, mingling and working with people of many Christian traditions as well as being an active member of her own church of Richmond Craigmillar. All this, along with her wonderful friendship with brothers and sisters of the Roslin community who invited her to be their Guardian has reflected Kays deep faith and love of her Lord. She is survived by her three nephews, Richard, Ian and Duncan, their wives and 6 great nieces and nephews. She kept a sharp interest in everything the family was doing always loving to hear of their achievements and exploits. And proud of them all. Richard talked of the aunt they knew and loved, She had so many passions and interests: books of course, so well read, and several books on the go at once; she was a writer and a poet, conversations on politics and putting the world to rights. She was such a good listener. And silence was another of her attributes companionable, reflective silence. She could make life pause. Her church and charitable interests were huge, driven by her faith, her ecumenical beliefs and her knowledge of politics and world events. We remember her with enormous love, and sadness that we never had that one more conversation with her, that one more story from her rich life.

All her friends will echo that. She has always been K to us, never Aunty K. this was her choice. It was the practice in Malaya when we were growing up, to refer to parents friends as Aunty. We had so many Aunties that K decided it was far more special to be just K clear, concise, a one off and very special K. . What a rich and full heart and mind she had, said one. Right to the end she was leading a Meditation group each week at Homeroyal House.

JM

JM

Past Presidents with Moderator

JM

JM

JM

Cross presented by the Moderator

Photos DR Duncan Ross JM Jackie Macadam

Jeannie THE DARING DEACONESS

DR

[ Local Association reports are read at June Council, sometimes in their entirety, sometimes highlighting events. The full reports are held in the Church Offices and the originals are more lively than the notes here!]

Synopsis of Local Association Reports

June 2013

Aberdeen and the NE area Local Association 2 active, 7 retired Distance militates against frequent meetings of the whole group, but they have managed an occasional meal, and make some use of email and telephone to keep in touch; this session they have created a prayer plan, remembering individual members of the group on a particular day of the week. In 2012, those who went to the Coach House in Kilmuir welcomed the then 94 year old Ellen Rutherford, one of our oldest deacons, for one of the sessions, to the great delight of all! Contact with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary at Ellon has been renewed and a shared Quiet Day has been arranged for July. Cumbernauld Local Association 2 active, 4 retired and 1PPW. Meets monthly for fellowship, food and discussion of diaconal issues. Not much luck with restaurant venues this session one closure, one fire in a kitchen, and the Chinese restaurant has gone Italian! Dundee Local Association 4 active, 3 retired, 1 PPW Meets monthly in members homes in Perth, Leven and Dundee for food and fellowship. Annual outing this session to the Falkirk Wheel. Noted that three members had a commission to the General Assembly this year. Gave thanks for Elspeths presidency and wished Pat every blessing as she took up the reins. Edinburgh and East of Scotland Met in members homes and in Drylaw Church Hall. Meetings involved sharing news of one another, good books, sharing with Methodist colleagues, looking at photographs taken over the years in preparation for our celebration. A highlight was Bill Morrisons audio visual presentation on Tom Fleming. Hope to organise a summer outing. Glasgow and West of Scotland - 15 active, 2 candidates 10 retired. Met for meals in August, October, December and May and plan a celebratory afternoon tea in September, marking our 125th anniversary. In November held a Retreat day in Renfield St Stephens, joined by deacons from other local associations. In March visited St Lukes Greek Orthodox Church where Deacon Mark Mitchell spoke about Orthodox worship and traditions. Inverclyde 1 active, 4 retired, 1 Methodist Meet for meals in a local restaurant. Visit 101 year old member, Nancy Copland. Paisley Local Association - Meet monthly for lunch no agenda, but good chat, support and fellowship. In July will have an extra meeting to say farewell to Bill Wishart who is moving to Edinburgh after 9 years in Paisley.

Changes of Address
Bill Wishart has been accepted as a candidate for the Ministry of Word and Sacrament and begins study in Edinburgh in the autumn. He will be living in Portobello and his wife Erica will be working at St Philips. New address: 1 Brunstane Road North EH15 2DL Mobile Number 07956 719991. E-mail address bill@wishartfamily.co.uk Margaret McBain Margaret McBain's new e-mail address is margarettsmcbain@icloud.com

Service at Kirk O'Field

(Charteris Memorial Church) Saturday 6th December 2013 at 2.30 pm, followed by refreshments. Open to friends of the diaconate and to the general public. Diaconate Council meeting on the morning of 6th December 2013, replacing the usual January Council. This will round off our year of celebration and happens at the time of Lady Grisell Baillies commissioning in 1888.

Next Edition of the Newsletter will be the Advent one

Please send in material to the editor by 7th November 2013 Email moymac@aol.com or 176 Hilton Drive Aberdeen AB24 4LT

Photos by Duncan Ross