Columcille

The Bishop of Argyll

and The Isles’ Newsletter. No 24

January 2008

The Pines, Ardconnel Road, Oban,

Argyll PA34 5DR.

alexandermartin.shaw@virgin.net

Home: 01631 566912 Office: 01631 570870 Mobile: 07801 549615

Dear Friends,

Some of you will have the opportunity to read this letter before Christmas as I try to send it out in the latter part of the month before its date. Others of you will be preparing for sermons and addresses at Christmastide. Michael Parkinson has now retired from his show. As a farewell one of his guests was a favourite of his Billy Connolly. During the interview Billy with his usual hilarious touch was devastating about the Christian Church and preaching in particular, which seemed to him to be incomprehensible. He would love to have the chance to shout from the back of the church “what are you talking about?” I found this very salutary myself! However although simplicity and clarity are essential there is a danger in being simplistic and therefore avoiding speaking about the mystery of God in human flesh.

Although the difficulties of The Anglican Communion are considerable particularly in the lead up to the 2008 Lambeth Conference, in the face of what seems to be increasingly rapid changes in our climate and the intractability of conflicts around the world, Christians have to focus there attention where most suffering is. The strange paradox is that because of Christmas, Christians are those that rejoice when there seems to be little in the news to rejoice about.

Diocesan Synod – March 5^th 2008

A) Diocesan Stewardship Renewal – It is now a year since the launch of the renewal and we will be asking for a brief report from the charges about the progress of renewal in your charges. It would be helpful to draw the attention of the appropriate person in your vestry to this.

B) Accommodation – At the last Synod not many people took up the hospitality of those offering accommodation in and around Oban free of charge. If you wish to take this up for the next Synod please get in touch with Sue Pollard at The Diocesan Office, Tel. 01631 570870, email office@argyll.anglican.org Those who wish to book a Bed and Breakfast we have decided to limit the expenses for this to £35 per night.

C) Pre-Synod Day – 4^th March. 10am for 10.30am. The focus of the day will be on “ The Developing Life of Small Congregations”. The day will be led by Dr Anne Tomlinson The Local Collaborative Ministry Officer for The Province. As I mentioned in my last letter Anne has prepared a workbook called “Welcoming Small Congregations” which is a practical and helpful guide.

D) Synod Eucharist -4^th March. 5.30pm. For our next Synod we are trying a new experiment in order to extend the time for business on the Synod Day itself. So the Eucharist will be held in St John’s Cathedral, Oban at 5.30pm in advance of the Synod Dinner in The Gathering Hall at 7pm for 7.30pm.

Further details will be sent out with the Synod papers.

Diocesan Magazine and Website – The Reverend Professor Bobby Sommerville has now resigned from being Honorary Editor of the magazine and webmaster. Bobby was involved at the very beginning in the design of not only the existing Diocesan Website but also the Provincial one. His skills and commitment to the tasks have been considerable and efficient. On behalf of the Diocese I am grateful to him and for his friendship.

Currently we are designing a new website with a company here in Oban who will manage it. The Diocesan magazine will be produced from the office here in Oban collated by Audrey Walton and I will edit it myself. The magazine will be easily downloadable from that website .Printed copies will still be available from the office but there will be a cost for these which we are currently reviewing.

Reminder – Material and photographs for inclusion in the next magazine should be received by the Diocesan Office by Monday 21^st January.

Lent Courses

At our Diocesan Synod in March 2008, one of our features on the pre-Synod Day will be on Small Congregations. Dr Anne Tomlinson has produced an outstandingly helpful workbook which she will be introducing. If you would like as a charge to use this book during Lent or indeed at any other time then do let me know and I will order you a copy – “Welcoming Small Congregations”.

“The Lord’s Prayer: Praying it, Meaning it, Living it” is the title of the Lent course produced by “York Courses”. Bishop David Hope, Canon Margaret Sentamu and Elaine Storkey are among the contributors. For more information www.yorkcourses.co.uk

Email lordsprayer@yorkcourses.co.uk telephone 01904 466516.

Diocesan Lent Appeal 2008– Bishop Douglas Cameron my predecessor and Christopher hall a previous Diocesan Secretary have direct experience of our companion Diocese of Zanzibar. Therefore with their experience I have decided that our Lent Appeal should be for Zanzibar again. I have received an appeal for financial help towards education and Clergy support. However there are issues to do with HIV and other medical problems. In my next newsletter I will be able to give you more focussed detail.

Lent Study Groups 2008 –Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) in collaboration with BBC Radio 4 are producing material for a course called “Pathways to Prayer”. If you are interested in using the material email ecumenical@acts-scotland.org

If you would like further information on this please do get in touch with me personally.

Iraqi Christians – Although there is tentative good news about the decrease in the numbers of those killed in Iraq, Christians who have been in Iraq since the First Century are experiencing threats, intimidation, kidnapping and murder. The Barnabas Fund has been set up to give them some support. If you are interested in more information please see www.barnabasfund.org

Or telephone 0247 623 1923.

Suicide Intervention – Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is the most widely used and acclaimed course of its kind, worldwide. The Argyll and Bute Choose Life Initiative is holding a series of two training courses in January and February of 2008 in this region. If you are interested in knowing more please email marie.park@nhs.net

Care of your church buildings – It has been brought to my attention that there is a very useful website for all those in our Diocese responsible for the stewardship of our buildings held in trust. It is already supported by the four main responsible bodies in Scotland, including the SEC, and its learning, toolkit and resource modules are of a high standard – www.maintainyourchurch.org.uk

Diocesan Retreat 2008 (27^th -31^st Oct)

Next years Diocesan Retreat will take place as usual on Cumbrae. The retreat conductor will be The Reverend Canon Brian Hardy. The cost of the retreat will be £160 and £50 a day for those who can only come for part of the time. Contact tccumbrae@argyll.anglican.org or telephone 01475 530353.

Church Action on Poverty

Poverty and Homeless Action Week (26^th Jan – 3^rd Feb 2008) is a major opportunity to discover and engage with poverty and social justice issues within your community. Poverty Action Sunday (3^rd Feb 2008).For guidance and information: info@church-poverty.org.uk

JUST A FEW PLACES LEFT! Assisi 2008 – May 25^th – June 1^st

Once again Elspeth and I are leading a pilgrimage to the magnificent city of Assisi in Umbria, Italy. Our next pilgrimage will be following in the footsteps of Saint Francis but with new insights and locations!

If you are interested in participating please get in touch with me.

Prayer for Christian Unity 2008

“But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters be at peace among yourselves.” (One Thess 5.12-18). Churches Together in Britain have produced order forms for pamphlet and preparation materials for The Week of Prayer (18^th-25^th January), If you have not got information contact www.ctbi.org.uk

The Reverend Peter Rice – As most in the Diocese will know by now Peter will be retiring from being Priest in Charge of The West Highland Mission as from May 1^st 2008. We will be writing about Peter in the next Diocesan magazine. However I would like to thank him publicly for his commitment to a complex series of charges which covers a vast geographical area of our Diocese. Peter’s good cheer and pastoral sense have been much valued. He will be moving to Lochgair not far from Lochgilphead so in a sense he will still be with us. His contribution both to the nurture of the church locally and in Diocesan structures have been important not only through his Priesthood but also through his experience as a naval officer. Peter’s wife Fiona is the Diocesan president of The Mothers Union. She also has given a great deal through her involvement in Information and Communications and her pastoral concerns through the MU. I am so glad we will not be losing these gifts. On behalf of the Diocese I wish them well in this new phase of their lives.

THE BISHOP’S JANUARY DIARY

Tues 8^th – Consultation with Portnacroish and Duror 5pm

Fri 11^th – Sun 13^th - Franciscan Friary Alnmouth

Mon 14^th – Island Retreats Limited Board Meeting 12noon

Tues 15^th – Sun 20^th – On leave.

Tues 22^nd – Diocesan Finance Committee – 10.30am

Wed 23^rd – All Saints Inveraray

Thurs 24^th – Diocesan Board of Mission and Ministry – 2.30pm

Sat 26^th – Mon 28^th - St Kiaran’s Campbeltown (LCM Review)

Tues 29^th – Diocesan Standing Committee. Chapter meeting

Wed 30^th – Glenalmond Education Committee

The February Newsletter – material to be received by 24^th January.

Reflection. (Epiphany)

Today the Magi find, crying in a manger. the one they have followed as he shone in the sky. Today the Magi see clearly in swaddling clothes, the one they have long awaited as he lay hidden among the stars. Today the Magi gaze in deep wonder at what they see: heaven on earth. earth in heaven, humankind in God, God in human flesh, one whom the whole universe cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body. As they look. they believe and do not question, as their symbolic sifts bear witness: incense for God. gold for a king. myrrh for one who is to die. (Peter Chrysologos 'Golden Words', 5th Century Bishop of Ravenna)

In the love of God, +Martin, Oban