'The Net'
December 2021
The deadline for The Net is rapidly
approaching, and I’m currently sitting
and listening to a forest rainstorm that
shows no sign of letting up anytime
soon. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not
shirking my Rectorial responsibilities
by wandering through some heavily
wooded, unduly moist Highland glen
when I should be at my desk. In fact,
at my desk is precisely where I am.
And I could, if I chose, with the mere
click of a button be immersed instead
in the sound of a fire crackling in the
grate, or a tumble dryer, or the ebb
and flow of waves on a pebble-strewn
beach. And all without moving so
much as a muscle. Well, maybe one
– the one that powers my button-
pressing finger.
Should you by now be wondering
what on earth I’m talking about, the
answer lies in my decision to avail
myself of the benefits of having some
‘white noise’ playing in my
headphones as I work. Typically I
prefer to work (and certainly to write)
in silence; but silence in a time of
COVID is in rather short supply in the
Rectory. The Rector’s wife, like so
many others, is still ‘working from
home’, an arrangement involving
enthusiastic participation in online
meetings several times a day, filling
http://www.stasstas.com
the room from the bay window of world is often heightened rather than
which my desk generally enjoys a reduced by this, as other senses
splendid (but silent) view of the become much sharper and more
Rectory carpark with the uninvited finely tuned to enable their skilled
utterance of sundry members of navigation of the world. But to be
seemingly agitated university staff. robbed of all our senses, all of those
So, ‘white noise’ it is if I am to be able features of our bodies through which
to concentrate at all. The obliteration our dealings with the world around us
of inconvenient noise with more, are mediated and facilitated, is a
louder noise of my own choosing. condition more or less impossible for
us to imagine, and one that, if we try
The irony in this is that I suffer from to imagine it, rapidly poses questions
high-frequency hearing-loss and about what it means to be a human
generally cannot hear unaided all being at all.
sorts of useful things that I actually
want to hear! But the voices I It’s odd that religious traditions of one
currently don’t want to hear are sort or another (including Christianity)
clearly not high-frequency enough to have sometimes been rather
be disadvantaged by this. So, I drown grudging about bodies, and have
them out with some noise of my own. entertained instead a notion of a
‘purely spiritual’ existence (one in
Our experience of the world, of other which bodies are in some sense left
people, of God is tangled up behind) as the ideal state for an
inexorably with our possession and encounter with God. That’s actually
use of what we call our ‘senses’ – not a very Christian way of thinking
sight, hearing, touch, taste, and about things. As the approaching
smell. I remember ruminating which season of Christmas reminds us,
of these, if I had to sacrifice one in Christians believe that God is most
order to preserve the others, I would completely fulfilled not in the
choose to let go. My guess is that enjoyment of a disembodied ‘spiritual’
most of us might choose smell or eternity, but precisely when he ‘takes
taste (temporary loss of both of which flesh’ in order to heal and redeem it
has, of course, been for some a and make it his own, drawing the
symptom of COVID), and that it would whole of our humanity (and us with it)
be sight that we would be most into God’s own joyful and 'down to
determined to hang on to for as long earth' life as Father, Son and Holy
as possible, probably followed closely Spirit.
by hearing.
Of course, there are plenty of people ~ Trevor
living fulfilled and accomplished
human lives who either lack or have
lost their sight or their hearing, or
both; and their experience of the
On the edge

Christmas sets the centre on the edge;

The edge of town, out-buildings of an inn,
The fringe of empire, far from privilege
And power, on the edge and outer spin
Of turning worlds, a margin of small stars
That edge a galaxy itself light years
From some unguessed-at cosmic origin. Family
Christmas sets the centre at the edge.
And from this day our world is re-aligned;
Crib Service
A tiny seed unfolding in the womb
Becomes the source from which we all unfold
And flower into being. We are healed,
The End begins, the tomb becomes a womb,
For now in him all things are re-aligned.

Malcolm Guite Mince pies served

afterwards in the Hall

The perfect gift

for the person who has everything...

The Saint Andrew's, St Andrews Book of Prayers

is now complete and will be on sale at church
from Sunday December 5th.

Compiled and edited by Helen Paterson, the book

contains prayers chosen by members of the
congregation and photographs and drawings of
our church building.

The books cost £7.50 each, and for every two

purchased £5 will be donated to buy and plant a
tree in Fife which will help further offset the
church's carbon foot print.

You might like to buy them for Christmas presents

or take one to someone who is housebound or
unwell.

ST ANDREW’S Roselind and Bea's lovely stained glass window

ST ANDREWS cards ( £1.50) and book marks (£1) would make
BOOK OF PRAYERS perfect accompaniments!
 See what it says?
Saint Andrew's to host important exhibition...
A picture, it’s said, can paint a thousand words. Be that as it may, curators
of exhibitions typically feel the need to provide us with a few more words
yet, typically in catalogues and on those little notices pinned on the wall
adjacent to each image. Usually, as well as telling us the name and dates
of the artist, these will also provide some ‘helpful’ information to guide us in
viewing whatever we are looking at. Quite often, especially with older
works, even the given title of the painting turns out to have been supplied
in this way – that is, not by the artist themselves, but by an ‘expert’ in a
gallery wanting to help the viewer understand (and sometimes, no doubt,
to buy!) the picture in question.

Words attached to pictures, then, affect the way we view them; how we
see them; what they show us. They direct our attempts to make sense of what we see, to pin down what it means.
Sometimes we may be grateful for that! But it’s not difficult to imagine artists objecting to the process, observing that if they
had wanted to tell us something they could have done so perfectly well and saved themselves a lot of effort into the bargain,
and insisting that, if we want to grasp the meaning of their work, we should set all such easy distillations aside and simply go
back and look at the picture again. And again. And again...

What, though, if the words are to be found not on the wall outside the picture’s frame, but inside it, as part of the painting
itself? What sort of difference might (and should) these words, ones put there deliberately by the artist, make to what we see
and how we make sense of what we see? This is one of the questions being explored by a research project hosted by the
School of Divinity and the School of Psychology and Neuroscience in the University of St Andrews. Entitled ‘Text & Image’,
the project will also investigate how attempts to make sense of sacred texts such as passages from the Bible affects the
production of images inspired by that same text.

At the heart of this fascinating research project there is to be an exhibition of works by some contemporary artists involved in
it. The exhibition is called ‘Art as Revelation’, and it will be in our own church building from 10th to 19th December between
11am and 4pm. Do come and have a look!

At Evensong in St Ninian’s Trevor is now a Canon Theologian

Cathedral in Perth on Sunday
21st November, Trevor was
made a Canon Theologian
following which he was led to
his stall in the cathedral. This
is a very special honour
recognizing not only Trevor’s
distinction as an academic
with an international
reputation and former
Principal of St Mary’s College
at St Andrews University, but
also his long-standing
contribution to theological
formation across the Scottish
Episcopal Church both within
the province and the diocese.
As far as I am aware Trevor
is only the second person in
the province to become a
Canon Theologian and the
first in our diocese.

~ Alan Werritty
Advent Quiet Time Services during the Christmas Season

Sunday 19th December

On Saturday December 4th, 10am-1pm, in Saint
Andrew’s Church Hall there will be a Quiet Time to 10am Eucharist with Young Church Nativity
mark the beginning of the season of Advent. The
Leader will be Alex Holmes, Co-ordinator in Scotland
5pm Lessons and Carols for Christmas
for the World Community for Christian Meditation.
Alex is a seasoned and oft-requested Retreat Leader.
He also visits Calais from time to time, ministering to
Christmas Eve
young asylum seekers. We are very fortunate to be
able to avail ourselves of his wide experience and 10.30am Crib Service
profound knowledge of meditation-style prayer. The
Quiet Time is open to anyone who wishes to spend 11.30pm Holy Communion at Midnight
some time reflecting on the crucial role contemplative
prayer can play in our time. So many people in Christmas Day
today’s culture are searching for something they can
build their lives around in the midst of confusion, lack 10am A Celebration for all the Family
of purpose, disorientation, all of which have been
highlighted by the present pandemic and climate Boxing Day (Sunday 26th)
crisis. Our programme will consist of presentations by
Alex, time for prayerful silence and reflection, and, Please Note: No services today!
perhaps a time for questions/discussion. There is no
charge for the event, but donations will be welcomed
Sunday 2nd January
to help defray the cost of Alex’s travel and other
expenses he might incur. Do pass on all the above
10am Eucharist with Carols
information to anyone you feel might be interested in
taking part in the Quiet Time.
~ Jim Thomson

Eco-Tip
What shall I get them for Christmas?
We all want to give our loved ones something they would like for Christmas but everything we buy
emits carbon dioxide while it is being made and, especially if made from plastic, can cause disposal
problems as well. Thanks to disruptions in the global supply chain, many popular items may be in
short supply or not be available at all. Sadly, there are also occasions when things that have been
given with love are never used. And so, might we consider instead giving an experience with little
carbon impact? Families might love a trip to St Andrews Aquarium (recently reopened), the Scottish
Deer Centre, or Deep-Sea World near the Forth Bridge; the more adventurous could try paddle
boarding, surfing, kayaking or sand yachting with Blown-Away at the West Sands, a sailing taster or
course at the East Sands or even abseiling from the Forth Bridge. We could give a walking or cycling
holiday or, for the real petrol-heads, why not a drive in a Tesla or ride on an electric bike? Older
people often like money to be given on their behalf to charities such as Mary’s Meals, Give-a-Goat,
Just Earth, etc.
The recipient will have a great time and, if the adventure is in St Andrews, we may get the bonus of an
extra family visit as well as seeing everyone wreathed in smiles!

@StAndrewsSEC
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