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The Link

​LENT APPEAL Ukraine - Update

6/5/2022

1 Comment

 
The Lent appeal has so far raised £1996, thank you so much to everyone who has donated. There is a small amount still to be handed in – so the total should be over £2,000. Gift Aid will also be added to this. The money collected is to be split between:
​
  • The DEC Ukraine appeal – (Disasters emergency committee) - includes Christian Aid and Red Cross to work with the refugees
  • Church of Scotland Ukraine Appeal that goes to the C of S and URC partner church in Ukraine - Reformed Church in Transcarpathia, Ukraine (Egyházkerület Kárpátaljai Református)

Thank you for your support.
1 Comment

​Presbytery Mission Plan Update – MAY 2022

6/5/2022

2 Comments

 
I am very conscious that some time has passed since we mentioned in worship and by letter that some of us had attended gatherings of our cluster group in February and March.

One of the things that emerged from those meetings was to try and collaborate with St Catherine's and Marchmont St Giles. Negotiations have started in earnest, and we have more meetings this month because a timetable has been framed that requires a draft presbytery plan by June of this year.

In essence the ministry allocation is being halved by 2025.
...This creates many challenges and I think it is fair to say that no congregation will be left unaffected.

Our conversations have been very positive and encouraging and we were working together through Holy week, at Christian Aid and will be worshipping together also. None of us know exactly what will emerge from these discussions, but it is certainly my desire that what is proposed and eventually realised is a plan that will be sustainable, and life-giving and see MUC very much engaged and involved in the mission of the surrounding area as we go forward together. We will keep you up to date with how things are progressing as we go forward.

Please don’t hesitate to be in touch if you would like to discuss this further.
We will do our best to answer any questions or concerns as they arise.

With every blessing,

Steven
2 Comments

A Word from the Manse

9/3/2022

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I thank God daily, not just for the beauty we see each day that surrounds  us, but also for each other, those we share our lives with. I say this because  I have just come in from a lovely walk along the back of Blackford Hill with New College friends; it has been a wonderful afternoon, with the sun shining in a fading winter sky. On the way we saw emerging displays of spring flowers, snowdrops, aconites, crocuses and budding daffodils,  standing out against the soil and grass. There was a real lightness in the  steps of those people I passed, all enjoying the sunshine and fresh  air. There was a sense of Spring in the air and subliminally maybe a sense  of new beginnings. Our circumstances are changing and hopefully we can  look forward to warmer and longer hope filled days. 

It got me thinking, March is just around the corner and the season of Lent is  upon us and, for us as Christians, it is significant that the season of Lent  always coincides with the arrival of spring; all around we are seeing signs of  new beginnings as the earth wakes up from its winter sleep. But the  purpose of Lent is traditionally more than just a period of beginning again,  it is also a period of reflection, a time for taking stock of our life and our  relationship with God. It begins with Ash Wednesday, when we start on  our Lenten journey with Christ to the cross, and then on to the joyous  Easter dawn and his resurrection. Many Christians, under normal  circumstances would celebrate Ash Wednesday saying sorry; resolving with the help of God to turn around their life, change in life’s direction, with the  intention to be different from this point forward in a renewed decision to  live as disciples of Jesus serving others and renewing efforts to pray. March therefore is a busy month, what with Lent, Mothering Sunday, the clocks  going forward an hour, and looking forward to Holy Week and Easter. It is  with this in mind that we have much to be grateful for in our parish. 

Like many of you I am very relieved that COVID-19 and its effects are slowly dissipating and that we can gather as a worshipping community each  Sunday. The work of the congregation continues, many groups are now returning to use the building and the issues of the Presbytery Plan are  slowly being resolved.

On a positive note, we hope to appoint Brigitte
Harris as our new organist. She has a great deal of experience and was  formerly organist at St Andrews and St George's. She is an excellent  musician and will work with Evan Cruikshank to re-establish a singing 
congregation. I am especially happy with the news from the Government that we don't have to wear masks after 21 March. This means people can participate fully in worship and sing and read with gusto, and best of all, we  can celebrate the sacraments in person. 

March will also see us kick off several new events and groups that will hopefully deepen the spiritual life of the church and congregation.
  • We will  launch our Lent Appeal to raise money for good causes, details of which will  be available in the first week of March.
  • On Thursdays we hope to have music and reflection for Lent and a Bible study. This is an opportunity to  explore the Christian faith and ask those burning questions I know we all  have about life, faith, our purpose and how we might live.
  • The fortnightly coffee morning for people especially older members or those connected  with the Parish care homes has recommenced.
  • Edinburgh Napier University Chamber Choir will hold an Easter concert for us at the beginning of April  
  • Christian Aid book sale : in May, the Christian Aid Book Sale will happen in a changed format
  • At  some point in the next couple of months we shall share worship with  Christchurch, Marchmont St Giles, St Catherine’s and the German speaking  congregation.
  • I also know that we are invited to some of the Romanian  Orthodox concerts and worship for their Lent and Easter which will be later than ours because of their use of different calendars.
  • We also will be hosting the Malawian Christian Community prayer and fellowship meetings  on some Sunday afternoons.
New life is happening in the Church, and this  has been cemented by the fact that we have received 8 new members since November. 

These events that I have outlined are all part of a bigger plan that I believe the Lord is leading us into this year. The church doors at MUC are open to  allow people into the building ecumenically serving people of the parish  and University. It is my prayer that we will see more doorways open into the church for those in our community who do not yet know the redemptive love of Jesus. Because that, dear friends, is why we are here: to share that same love with our neighbours, so that they may find themselves caught up in the great story of God. So may you find a way to become a  “door” for someone else this Spring so that MUC becomes a true place of  welcome in Christ’s name. 

With every blessing,
 

Rev Steven

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Church Life at MUC – An Update

9/3/2022

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  • Book Group – will be held on 10 March 7pm-8.30 in the Vestibule. If you’d  like more information please contact Rev Steven. 
  • Coffee Mornings – Our next coffee mornings will be Thursday 10 and 24  March from 10.30am – noon in the Small Hall. All are welcome.
  • ​Holy Week Service - This will be annouced 6 March.
0 Comments

Prayer: The War in Ukraine

2/3/2022

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If you are struggling to know how to pray for today’s situation in Ukraine, we invite you to pray this prayer:‍

Heavenly Father,

Your will for your people is peace, not war. 
Pour out on our world, especially in Eastern Europe, your Spirit of compassion and solidarity.
Grant all those who believe in you the strength to be close to those who suffer
and the courage to resolve their differences and conflicts in truth and without resort to arms.
Be with the widow, the orphan, the refugee and the peacemaker.
Bind us all into the peace of your Kingdom.
​
Through Christ our Lord,
Amen 


Prayer written by Father Damian Howard 
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Church Life Updates

2/2/2022

0 Comments

 
Book Group 
  • Unfortunately, we were not able to have our first Book Group for 2022 due  to Covid restrictions. Our next meeting, however, should be able to go  ahead on Thursday 3 February in the Vestibule. 
  • This group is open to everyone from any or no church, of any or no faith or  just of an enquiring mind. We are currently a small group and discussion is open, frank and often quite lively, not always entirely to the point... Luckily, Steven usually brings us back to it.
  • We are reading The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel and have had two good meetings in December (contrary to the notice in the previous Link). In February we will discuss Chapters 4 and 5,  titled "God Isn’t Worthy of Worship if he Kills Innocent Children" and "It’s  Offensive to Claim Jesus is the Only Way to God. " 
  • Please speak to Steven if you are interested or just turn up. 

Online services – these will restart Sunday 13 February. 
​

Coffee Mornings – The Thursday coffee mornings continue to be enjoyed  by our members, friends and the yoga group who join us after their class.  We are very much hoping our local care homes may join us soon. Our next  coffee morning will be Thursday 27 January from 10.30am – noon in the  Small Hall.
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Update: The Main Hall

1/2/2022

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Picture
We are so pleased to be able to report that the floor in the  Main Hall has been finished.  

It looks wonderful!

We’re sure that everyone will enjoy being back, and would like to thank everyone for their  patience. 



Interested in hiring the Main Hall or any of our other facilities?
  • Check out our hall lettings page - https://www.morningsideunitedchurch.org/hall-lettings.html
Questions? Email  [email protected]
0 Comments

Flowers for 2022

1/2/2022

0 Comments

 
Thank you to everyone who has helped with putting flowers in the church since it has opened. They really do brighten everyone’s spirits. 

I intend restarting the Flower Rota from January 2022 and would be  delighted for anyone to give me her/his/their name to fill a Sunday slot or two. May I remind you do not have to be an expert flower arranger: a  bunch of flowers from a supermarket, a small posy in a vase, a pot plant  or a full arrangement as you wish - all are enjoyed, and variety is nice.  Some people wish to do flowers for a special occasion or anniversary,  others just when it suits. Men are as welcome and able as ladies to do this, and we welcome families and children doing flowers together.  Please just have a go, you may surprise yourself and enjoy it. Your help  would be much appreciated. 

If you wish to put flowers in the church but cannot do so yourself, please  ask someone else if he/she could do them for you. If you wish to give  money to a flower fund, please give it to me or Lesley Donald. 

Many thanks, 
​

Maggie McKenzie 
0131 261 4908

0 Comments

A Warm Welcome to Giovanni Bernardini

1/2/2022

0 Comments

 
We are glad that we can welcome a Waldensian minister in training.  Giovanni has written this biography for you. Please make him welcome and be  kind to him. 
Picture
My name is Giovanni Bernardini, and I  am a member of the Waldensian Church in Italy. Last June I graduated in  Theology at the Waldensian Faculty of Theology in Rome with a thesis on  “Restorative Justice” and on which models can be applied to our congregations.

I grew up in Turin in a family where faith and the church have always been  present thanks to the commitment of my father, as a Waldensian pastor, and my mother who works on ecclesiastical projects both nationally and  internationally. 
​
After graduating in Social Sciences, and having worked for some years in Turin, I decided to enrol in the Facoltà Valdese di Teologia in Rome.  During this time of study I had the opportunity to get to know and preach  in various Church communities in Italy, thus starting my path towards  ministry and pastoral care. This in turn led me to be interested issues related to practical theology and liturgy.
​
My studies have also been enriched by the preparation of a series of  lessons on worship and liturgy with Prof. Hiltrud Stahberger Vogel and, by  three years of collaboration with pastor Luca Negro at the Baptist  communities of Albano Laziale and Grosseto. 

As for my pastoral experiences, these have taken me to the Waldensian  Church of Verona during the summer. Here I got to stand in for the pastor  and I was able to carry out ministry and biblical studies within a  multicultural context. This was a new and highly stimulating world for me.  Another important experience was being locum pastor for six months at  the Waldensian Church of Vasto. 

In 2018 I carried out international activities by participating in the  Protestant Forum for Young Theology in Europe. This was entitled "Taking  responsibility, give hope, being visible" organized by the Community of  Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) and the Evangelischer Bund Hessen.  I also took part in the international volunteering project promoted by the  AIESEC association entitled “woman in Power (UN global goal gender  equality). 

I am looking forward to spending time here in Edinburgh and meeting both members of the MUC congregation and people from further afield.
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Good COP - Bad COP: What is COP26 and why is it so important?  ...a Christian Perspective.

1/2/2022

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Article by Jemima Parker

SEPT 2021: In just a few days one of the most important conferences to be held  
in recent years will take place. The global climate summit, known as  COP26, will be held in Glasgow during the first two weeks of  November. 

The importance and relevance of COP26 cannot be underestimated  given the domination of our news headlines, over recent months,  by one environmental crisis after another - from extreme heat  events and frequent wildfires, to catastrophic floods and  biodiversity loss. 
Events like these are becoming increasingly commonplace and, as our scientists predicted, are a result of climate change, they are  now a reality for us here in Yorkshire, just as much as they are in  distant lands. If left unchecked climate change will make life on  earth at best far less comfortable and at worst unbearable. 
There is however, still time to do something about it, if we can act  more swiftly and implement the big global wide changes that are  needed to curb fossil fuel emissions and boost nature recovery. 
These summits, known as the UN’s Conference of the Parties (COP)  are where amendments to the global agreement on climate change  are negotiated. The first COP was in Berlin in 1995 when most of  the world had yet to register the significance of climate change.  Twenty-six years later, COP26, co-hosted by the UK and Italy, will be  the most significant since COP21 in Paris in 2015. 
What emerged from COP21 is referred to as the Paris Agreement, a  landmark in the multilateral climate change process, because for  the first time a binding agreement brought all nations into a common cause, to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate  change and adapt to its effects. 
The Paris Agreement was a breakthrough because it allowed all  nations to make a pledge – or a nationally determined contribution  – which if delivered (a crucial point) should start to slow the rate of  global warming, with the ultimate aim of limiting the average level  of warming to at least 2°C, and ideally to 1.5°C. 
These figures don’t sound like much, but they are massively  significant for two main reasons. First, they are global annual  averages and there will be big variations around the world, with the  extremes being much higher and enough to trigger massive  disruptions, including making some areas effectively uninhabitable.  Second, the science is clear that 1.5°C of warming is a crucial tipping  point. Stay within 1.5°C and we retain control of our future climate  – but go beyond it and we risk triggering ‘run away’ climate change.  In other words, if we go beyond 1.5°C of warming we lose control of  our future, as a range of feedback loops kick-in where warming  unlocks natural cycles that then drive further warming. One key  natural cycle (there are many) relates to the melting of extensive  areas of permafrost which currently contain huge quantities of  methane that if released would drive further warming. 
Before the Paris Agreement, the world was headed to 4° or 5°C of  warming – well into the range of runaway climate change. The  pledges made at Paris (if they are delivered) should limit warming  to around 3°C – still well beyond that crucial threshold. But Paris  included provision for these commitments, and their delivery, to be  reviewed after five years. Glasgow is the Paris-Plus-Five COP, where  this review happens, so it is crucial that the commitments are  upgraded and each country explains how it will deliver on these  carbon cutting promises.
The prospect of accelerating climate breakdown, caused by our  fossil fuel emissions into the biosphere, and biodiversity loss, is an  unpleasant one to think about. In its most extreme form, it would  mean the end of organised human society. It’s not the earth we  need to save - it will save itself – but ourselves, from being  annihilated, as a result of making earth’s climate uninhabitable. 
Big changes are needed in humanity’s relationship with the earth - our only home. Our ancestors were not capable of affecting ‘earth  systems’, but we are, and right now our fossil fuel greedy societies  are doing just that. Times of change can be turbulent and hard for  all of us, but pretending climate change will not affect us and delaying action, as we have seen with the Covid pandemic, will lead  to harder and more costly decision further down the line. 
The good news is we have all the scientific knowledge and  technology we need to transition to a thriving carbon neutral  economy, powered by renewable energy. All that is needed is the  political will to make it happen. 
At COP26 we will be looking to our global leaders for clear strategic  action, based not on wishful thinking, but on proven pathways to  rapidly curb fossil fuel emissions, and boost nature recovery, to be  rolled out at scale and at pace. 
It is up to governments of the world to work together to forge these  international agreements. Whilst we, as citizens, have a  responsibility to remind our government - our political  representatives - of the future we want for our beautiful Yorkshire  and to show them that we are ready and willing to play our part by  embracing carbon action each of our cities, towns and villages. 
A good COP would see a global commitment from all countries to  stop subsidising fossil fuel industries and the setting in place of an  equitable agreement, where the ‘carbon polluters’ support and finance those nations and areas of the UK where climate change will  have the most climate impact. The outcome of a bad COP is not  even worth contemplating. 
Jemima Parker is the Environmental Officer of the Diocese of Leeds, Church of England. She is also the Chair of Zero Carbon Harrogate.

Parker, Jemima (2001 Sept). Zero Carbon Harrogate on why COP26 will be crucial for the future of humanity. Retrieved from https://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/news/environment/zero-carbon-harrogate-on-why-cop26-will-be-crucial-for-the-future-of-humanity-3370598.
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    The Link is a monthly publication by members and staff of Morningside United Church.

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Link Newsletter >
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      • 2023 Link magazine
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    • Gallery
    • Staff >
      • Job Vacancies
    • Our Story >
      • Eric Liddell Peace Garden
      • The Church Organ
    • Why are we United?
    • Financial Reports
  • Contact Us
  • What´s On?
    • Services >
      • Communion
      • Pray >
        • Why Pray?
        • Prayer for the Congregation
    • Performances
    • Eric Liddell Community
    • Christian Aid: Holy Corner Booksale
    • Coffee morning
    • MUC Choir
    • Book Group
  • Event Venue
    • Hall Lettings
    • Weddings
    • Baptisms
    • Renewal of Vows
    • Funerals
  • DONATE
  • Safe Guarding