SEI

SEI February 2021 Newsletter

sheumais News, SEI

Rev Alice Moira Grigor, who retired to Cromarty in 2015, died on 27 December 2020 aged 71. She served as Don Grant’s Diocesan Advisor during his training and Don writes of her:

“Her stories and examples of parish situations were a delight as well as being informative. She could talk for Britain, meaning that our meetings were never less than two hours and often more, though they were always too short.“

At her funeral on 8th January, Patsy Thompson, a neighbour and the Warden of Lay Readers in Moray, Ross and Caithness said:

“Priest, relative, neighbour, friend – in every role Moira was a true force of nature. Everyone who knew her emphasises her powerful energy and stamina, her courage, her generosity, her skill as a cook, her love of fine art and music, and her sense of style.“

Patsy has also said:

“Moira had enough energy to power the national grid. I miss a strong, vital theologian friend, someone to cross swords with about church and mission; someone who introduced me to Wentworth’s jigsaws and taught me how to do lockdown with a much better grace.“

You can read Rev Ann Tomlinson’s full piece about Moira and all the other news from the SEI in the February 2021 SEI Newsletter.

SEI January 2021 Newsletter

sheumais News, SEI
Harriet and Lee

Revd Harriet Johnston is serving her Title at St James the Less, Bishopbriggs; her husband, the Revd Lee Johnston, is also a Curate in the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway, serving at Christ Church, Lanark. Both Harriet and Lee spent short periods staying with Anna and James during their training, experiencing ministry in East Sutherland and Tain.  Here Harriet describes her ordination to the priesthood in November.

“My ordination to the priesthood was memorable for all the right reasons. I was encouraged by the kind words of those who brought greetings from family, friends, and colleagues around the world.

Bishop Kevin preached a memorable sermon that he made personal to me. As you might imagine, the moment of ordination was deeply profound for me too. Only 20 people were permitted to be in the church but that made the service intimate and personal.

Due to the travel restrictions, my family watched the ordination on Zoom from their kitchen. It was good to know they were there along with many friends and members of St James’ Church.“

You can read Harriet’s full piece and all the other news from the SEI in the January 2021 SEI Newsletter.

Churches Closed Again, sadly

sheumais Diocese, Local, News, Notices, SEI

Following the announcement in the Scottish Parliament by the First Minister today (4th January 2021) and pending updated guidance from the College of Bishops, our Churches will no longer be open to the public for either services of worship or private prayer.  So from now on we must all pray at home.

We will be reflecting and praying about what we can offer by email, on-line and on paper over the next few days and would appreciate your prayers as we do this.  The on-line Coffee Morning will still take place on Tuesday mornings on Zoom using the same details as before (if you have mislaid the joining details, email James and they will be provided by return).

Keep safe, keep well and we can all look forward to when we can gather again in the presence of God and each other for worship.  In the meantime, we can all help to look after each other via the phone, email etc.

May God bless you all.

Two prayers from the Scottish Prayer Book

In the time of any common Plague or Sickness.

O ALMIGHTY and merciful God, with whom are the issues of life and death: Grant us, we beseech thee, help and deliverance in this time of grievous sickness and mortality, and sanctify to us this affliction, that in our sore distress we may turn our hearts unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

For Hospitals and Infirmaries.

ALMIGHTY God, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ went about doing good, and healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people: Continue, we beseech thee, his gracious work among us in all hospitals and infirmaries; console and heal the sufferers; grant to the physicians, surgeons, and nurses, wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; prosper their work, O Lord, with thy continual blessing; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

SEI November 2020 Newsletter

sheumais News, SEI

Philip Schonken – Ordinand from Moray Ross and Caithness

The Scottish Episcopal Institute, which is responsible for training priests, deacons and lay readers in our Church, produces a monthly newsletter.

This edition of the Newsletter will bring you up-to-date on all that is happening with regards to training during the pandemic.  Read all about it and much other SEI news in November 2020 News from SEI.

SEI October 2020 Newsletter

sheumais News, SEI

The Scottish Episcopal Institute, which is responsible for training priests, deacons and lay readers in our Church, produces a monthly newsletter.

This edition of the Newsletter is the first of the new academic session.  Orientation Week this year was held on-line (see image above) and gave the new and returning students the opportunity to get to know each other and the staff.  Read all about it and much other SEI news in SEI Newsletter October 2020.

The SEI Journal’s Autumn issue features a set of articles on Pilgrimage. It includes papers from a Conference at the Church of St Margaret of Scotland, Aberdeen, in September 2018, organised by the Church in Society Committee of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The aims of the Conference were to review the history of pilgrimage in the northern part of Scotland, to assess its contribution to Scottish heritage and culture, and to look ahead to how it might continue to contribute to the development and maintenance of Christianity in Scotland.

The Journal hopes to continue to publish on the topic of pilgrimage in
its Winter 2020 issue and throughout 2021. Two years ago, the College of Bishops designated 2021 a Year of Provincial Pilgrimage. The Rt Revd Anne Dyer, Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney, lead bishop in this initiative, said: “In this designated year of pilgrimage we will be encouraging as many people as possible to make a holy journey of some kind. This can include taking part in an organised pilgrimage or spending time individually or in groups simply focusing on our own spiritual journeys.”

SEI July-August 2020 Newsletter

sheumais News, SEI

The Scottish Episcopal Institute, which is responsible for training priests, deacons and lay readers in our Church, produces a monthly newsletter.

This edition of the Newsletter is a bumper issue for two months.  It covers the SEI Lecture by Dr Cathy Ross, the Institute Council, Diocesan Advisor Training and  special edition of the SEI Journal. SEI Newsletter July-August 2020.

The SEI Journal’s Summer issue is entitled ‘Church, Ministry and Coronavirus’. It was conceived as the nation entered ‘lockdown’ and the churches with it. The impact on our lives is unprecedented. Significant theological concerns have come to the fore in the worldwide crises of the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue reflects not only on the life of the Church, but on society, community and the value of human life.

‘Church, Ministry and Coronavirus’ draws together contributions from a variety of disciplines to resource the people of God in their exploration of the issues and discernment of the theological truths to be applied now and in the coming years.  In the bedrock of our Christian faith is the belief that every human being is created in the image of God and that the glory of God is each one of us fully alive and flourishing in a community of persons. In a time when a cacophony of voices shout for our attention, the prophetic voice of the Church is urgently needed.

 

SEI June 2020 Newsletter

sheumais News, SEI

Looking for the Path Ahead

The Scottish Episcopal Institute, which is responsible for training priests, deacons and lay readers in our Church, produces a monthly newsletter.

This edition of the Newsletter says goodbye to those whose training has been completed, in spite of Lock-down.  What will training for Ministry look like in the coming year and in the Future?  What indeed will Ministry look like?  You might find some hints in the SEI Newsletter June 2020.

 

SEI May 2020 Newsletter

sheumais News, SEI

The Scottish Episcopal Institute, which is responsible for training priests, deacons and lay readers in our Church, produces a monthly newsletter.

This larger-then-normal edition of the Newsletter focuses upon ‘work and worship’ at SEI during the COVID-19 pandemic. It opens with two of the Associate Tutors – the Revd Professor David Jasper and the Revd Jane MacLaren – reflecting respectively upon their current teaching methods. SEI Newsletter May 2020

 

SEI April 2020 Newsletter

sheumais News, SEI

The Scottish Episcopal Institute, which is responsible for training priests, deacons and lay readers in our Church, produces a monthly newsletter.  If you are interested in what the Institute and its students have been up to, you can read all about it in SEI Newsletter April 2020.

 

Churches Now Closed

sheumais Diocese, Local, News, Notices, SEI

Following the directive from Boris Johnson this evening (23rd March) and updated guidance from the College of Bishops, our Churches will no longer be open to the public for either services or private prayer.  So from now on we must all pray at home.

Two prayers from the Scottish Prayer Book

In the time of any common Plague or Sickness.

O ALMIGHTY and merciful God, with whom are the issues of life and death: Grant us, we beseech thee, help and deliverance in this time of grievous sickness and mortality, and sanctify to us this affliction, that in our sore distress we may turn our hearts unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

For Hospitals and Infirmaries.

ALMIGHTY God, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ went about doing good, and healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people: Continue, we beseech thee, his gracious work among us in all hospitals and infirmaries; console and heal the sufferers; grant to the physicians, surgeons, and nurses, wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; prosper their work, O Lord, with thy continual blessing; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen