Newsletter
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CHURCH SERVICES We are open for worship! Now that restrictions have eased, we are returning to face-to-face worship in the church building. We are still taking precautions to keep everyone safe, including mask wearing, more space between seats, and hand sanitiser available at the door, and enhanced cleaning after every service. If you would like to join us for worship at 11am on Sundays, there is no need to book. If you don’t feel ready to attend face to face worship yet, you are most welcome to join Banchory East or West churches on zoom or livestream. See https://www.banchorywestchurch.com or https://www.banchoryeastchurch.comfor more details. FROM OUR MINISTER Dear Friends, This year our Harvest Service will be on Sunday 3rd of October. In previous years we have invited people to bring Harvest gifts to church to be distributed in the community, but this year our plans have changed. If you would like to make a Harvest gift this year, we are suggesting that you either make a donation to a local food bank (collections are available at most local supermarkets, and lists are usually provided of items that are particularly needed at the moment), or give some flowers, fruit etc as a gift to a neighbour who would appreciate them. Offerings: Many thanks to all of you who have continued to support our church financially during the pandemic, your gifts are much appreciated. If you have been in church with us recently, you may have noticed that instead of passing the offering plate from hand to hand around the congregation, we place it outside the sanctuary so that offerings can be placed in it before the service starts, and we then bring in the offering as we sing the dedication later in the service. We are still able to accept offering envelopes and cash in the plate. If you prefer, it is possible to give by standing order, and if you would like more information about this, please contact our treasurer, Susan Zappert. Amy
Lectionary for the Week: Monday, Sept., 27: Psalm 140; Esther 4:1-17; 1 Peter 1:3-9 Tuesday, Sept., 28: Psalm 140; Esther 5:1-14; 1 John 2:18-25 Wednesday, Sept., 29: Psalm 140; Esther 8:1-17; Matthew 18:6-9 Thursday, Sept., 30: Psalm 26; Job 2:11-3:26; Galatians 3:23-29 Friday, Oct.,1: Psalm 26; Job 4:1-21; Romans 8:1-11 Saturday, Oct., 2: Psalm 26; Job 7:1-21; Luke 16:14-18
FIRESIDE REFLECTION
John Forbes writes:- The noise of the combines in the fields are about me reminding me that in the parishes of our land we may be able to celebrate our Harvest Festivals, actually within our own churches this year. I write this thought early in September. Some parishes may have already celebrated this and driving recently in Dorset with its high hedged narrow lanes, meeting a combine on the road could present some very anti-harvest feelings. What a nuisance having to reverse maybe half a mile to let the machine pass. But that feeling is very temporary. Something good and essential within us realises that what Mother, or Father, or maybe Tesco can put on our plate deserves our thanks. Some of us receive letters or leaflets that drop out of our P&J reminding us, as we curse Brexit or the Covid for producing empty shelves, maybe reducing the number of cereal choices to a mere thirty instead of sixty, that there are places like the Yemen or now Afghanistan where people struggle to find even enough corn for their daily bread. Those leaflets challenge us to give help. I remember as a boy working and helping in the harvest on my Father’s farm. The field we worked in was full of people leading the cart horses, stooking the sheaves, (beware not having your sleeves rolled up because of the thistles), loading the carts with a pitchfork and arranging the sheaves on the cart itself. We were all involved. Nobody complained when at the bottom of the field we saw two ladies appear with an urn of tea and a large basket of sandwiches thick with raspberry jam! It is a long time since the fear of a bad harvest meant that we were liable to go hungry until a better harvest came next year. As we say Our Lord’s Prayer, how easily the words ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ can trip off the end of our tongue. For some, however, those words are not just words, but a cry for help.
NOTICES
Church Cleaning We are looking for volunteers to supplement our church cleaning team. If you could spare a couple of hours once every 4-6 weeks we would be so grateful! Please contact Jean Haslam for further details ( 01330 850407 or haslam@finzean.com) Pastoral Care If you know of anyone who is in hospital or would appreciate a card or phone call, please let a member of the Pastoral care team know. (Jean Haslam, Judy Taylor, Val Ramshaw, Mary Taylor, Maureen McLellan – 01224 582491 Reading Rota Many thanks to all regular readers for your continued support, new readers are always very welcome. If you would like to do the Bible reading during a service, please contact Maureen McLellan (01224 582491 or mmclellan54@icloud.com Shoebox Appeal 2021 We are running our Shoebox Appeal in partnership with Blythswood Care. Information leaflets can be found at http://www.blythswood.org This year they are accepting drawstring bags if you do not have a shoebox (no plastic bags please.) A check list of suitable items for your shoebox will be sent out by email but a handwritten piece of card or paper with details of items would be suffice, securely attached to your bag or box. Completed boxes/bags can be brought to church on any Sunday. The last Sunday for receiving boxes will be Sunday 24th October but Malcolm will be in the church carpark on Tuesday 26th October from 11-11.30am to receive any additional boxes where they can be placed directly into the boot of his car. Thank you.
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