December 2011

Just you wait...

PEEBLES BAPTIST CHURCH

Magazine

It doesnt have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just pay attention, then patch a few words together and dont try to make them elaborate, this isnt a contest but the doorway into thanks, and a silence in which another voice may speak.

Mary Oliver

The trees are nearly bare (most of the leaves in Peebles seem to have found their way to a great pile blocking our garage); its dark when I take the dog out for a morning walk and dark when she gets her evening walk too; a forest of wires above the High Street suggest that Peebles is about to double its electricity consumption. All these things must mean that December is upon us, and Christians around the world will be celebrating the season of Advent. For those that dont know, Advent marks the beginning of the church year and starts four Sundays before Christmas. Advent takes its name from the Latin word adventus, which means "coming." Advent is the season of waiting for and anticipating the coming of Jesus - God in the flesh - whose birthday, Christmas, ends Advent. For some of us in the Baptist church (and others of a similar Evangelical tradition) that may be news! Historically, many Baptists have tended to avoid too much focus on the events of the church calendar, on the basis that Jesus is always present in our lives, Christ is risen, our God is a Living God, and we dont need to wait for a particular date to remember and celebrate those things. And, if were honest, festivals like Advent sound suspiciously High Church, along with candles and colours and rituals and things like the Lords Prayer. But this misses the point, and it denies worshippers the opportunity to experience rich, exciting spiritual evidence of God's active presence in the world. Advent is deeply counter-cultural. We live in a society that hates to wait; fast food, immediate results, instant win, microwave ovens, gratification now. But Advent tells us to wait. It reminds us (neatly following on from what weve been studying in Daniel) that we're not in control - God is. Advent provides a structure for remembering that the world waited in lonely cosmic exile until the Messiah, Jesus, arrived to redeem us from our sins and the morass of our own making. And Advent suggests what was true 2,000 years ago remains true today. We do not set the agenda for our lives; God does. Whats all that got to do with prayer (and the Blue Iris poem on the front)? Quite a lot, actually. The simple prayer that Jesus himself taught us takes on a whole new level of urgency and beauty and significance during Advent and Christmas. Its a prayer about waiting for Gods Kingdom to come. In fact every line in the Lords Prayer makes sense only when we understand the role that Jesus himself plays in it. Well be looking at that some more through December. In the meantime, take a deep breath. Light an Advent candle. And wait.

Ian

A Prayer for Advent

Slow us down O Lord this year in the run-up to Christmas So that we may understand the darkness that this world is in. Help us want more of you and your light, and not just want more. Help us not to fear having less, Grant us the light of transformation As we wait for your true message to change our lives. Let the love of the incarnation change our actions, A love that brings us true dignity and security, A love that embraces all, that enriches all, That calls us all to share justly and celebrate joyfully together. This prayer has been adapted from an Advent prayer on consumerism by Education for Justice, and is one of the resources on BMS World Mission FACE issue 14, Dont Buy into Christmas. FACE is full of useful information and linksthis issue being especially helpful for anyone thinking seriously about how our Christmas celebrations could better reflect the message of the Incarnation. As the (Mennonite) buynothingChristmas.org puts it: Giving gifts at Christmas is a good thing to do - its a small reenactment of the incarnation of Gods love. Gift-giving, as we know from other occasions (like birthdays, weddings, housewarmings) serves as a kind of social glue that keeps us together. It shows affection, thoughtfulness and love. While gift-giving is a good thing to do at Christmas, that doesnt mean we have to go overboard ... One step you might consider is reducing wastage on fancy wrapping paper, much of which cant easily be recycled. Theres a FACE factsheet on creative wrapping ideas, with a link to an excellent video on the Japanese art of Furoshiki.see
www.recyclenow.com/ what_can_i_do_today/ furoshiki_japanese_w.html

Where to Search for the Lord . . . .

James F. Colaianni (widely quoted online)

The Christmas story reminds us once again it was not mans idea that the Son of God should be born in a stable. And so the first thing we learn from Jesus birth is that the Lord will not always be found where we expect to find Him. We tend to look for Him in the nice, the clean, the warm. We expect Him to be in churches and in the Bible and in hymns of praise and in Christmas cards which have Scripture verses on themAnd if these are the only places we search for the Lord, then were not looking in the stable. This reality is expressed with dramatic force in these lines from Michael Quoists book called Prayers: I am not made of plaster, nor of stone, nor of bronze. I am living flesh throbbing, suffering. I am among men [and women] and they have not recognized Me. I am poorly paid, I am unemployed, I live in a slum. I am sick, I sleep under bridges, I am in prison. I am oppressed, I am patronized. I sweat mens blood on all battlefields. I cry out in the night and die in the solitude of battle. And yet I said to them: Whatever you do to My brothers [or sisters], however humble, you do to Me. Thats clear! The terrible thing is that they know it, but dont take it seriously.

MISSION POSSIBLE!
Lindsey Gray is our new Missions Link person, and will be bringing news each month of some of the work that we support as a church. This month were focussing on Vision Ministries, a Scottish registered Christian charity working in Africa to equip through education, support through work initiatives and bring relief to those in extreme poverty through food, accommodation and medical assistance. Vision Ministries works through the following programmes: Education through sponsorship - educating a child brings hope for the future. VMs focus is on orphans, single parent families and families in extreme poverty. Children in these sectors face a very dismal future and often one on the streets or in prostitution. Poverty Relief - Working with the local church VM are able to identify the needs of the community, and are able to bring much need assistance in areas such as water purification, food aid, medical assistance, and orphans. Business Initiatives - Whether it's making jewellery for the tourist industry or through a kiosk selling clothes, the desired objective for VMs business initiatives programme is for people to be able to care for themselves through sustainable development in work that focuses on their ability and location. Giving people an opportunity to work develops self esteem and relieves poverty. Vision Ministries are also committed to assisting a local charity as they care for abandoned babies and work to provide loving homes and adoptive parents for children who are often dis- Another year is almost over for our children in school. carded in latrines, rubbish dumps or at the side of Unlike the UK, the school year the road. in Kenya runs from January to November. Exams will soon How can we as a local Scottish Baptist church get be starting so if you sponinvolved with Vision Ministries? sor a child please remember to pray for them especially at We can pray and continue to pray for the VM this time. They have been team including Barbara Edmondson and her working hard all year and team in Kenya. Barbara will be returning to will all be hopeful of doing Scotland just before Christmas, taking a short well in end of year assessbreak, then returning to Africa early in 2012. ment. If you dont sponsor a We could choose to give a different type of child why not think about Christmas gift this year. it, you will be giving a child Donations can be made directly to VM to sup- an opportunity through our port their work, and there is the option of spon- education programme, giving soring a child which is a gift that would last a child hope for the future.

Well Done Dechlan!

At a glittering ceremony on 12 November, Dechlan Wilson was honoured as

the British (and Scottish) Young Triathlon Coach of the Year 2011
This week he kindly agreed to snatch a few minutes from his busy schedule to answer some questions posed by this Mags (couch potato) editor: Ed: Congratulations on your award Dechlan! I think many of us in PBC knew you are a really keen triathlon competitor, but we might not have realised you're also very involved in coaching. Can you tell us a bit about the coaching side of things - do you cover all three triathlon sports, who do you coach, where, and how many hours a week do you spend on it? Dechlan: I am the Head Coach at Edinburgh University Triathlon Club. That involves planning all the coaching for all the members of the club, both great and small, for the whole year. In a triathlon there

are 3 sports, swimming - cycling - running, so we train on all 3. There are 7 official training sessions a week (and 5 informal ones where I actually get to train as well), and I coach every day except a Friday and Sunday. There are about 90 members in the club just now, so on a busy night I can be coaching 50 athletes in the pool/on a cycle/ on a run at once! But mostly sessions have between 30-40 folk each day. Obviously this is quite a lot of time coaching, but there is also planning training so everyone will be at their fastest for racing season, and then using those plans to make up each individual training session. But Caroline Wallace from the High School checks in on me every now and again to make sure everything is OK! - she used to be a professional triathlete. Ed: Which of the elements of the triathlon do you enjoy most? Dechlan: The best bit of a triathlon is definitely swimming. It is the easiest to coach because no-one can get lost and there are no cars getting in the way of bikes! Ed: Where was the Award Dinner held? How many folk were there? Was the food good? What was the highlight of the evening for you? Dechlan: The award ceremony was in Leicester in a very nice hotel. There seemed to be a lot of people there, including several world champions! The food was surprisingly good, topped of with a buffet breakfast in the morning. The highlight of the evening was getting to meet Alistair Brownlee - twice world triathlon champion. Although I think on a good day I could still beat him!
November 2011 has been an unforgettable month for other PBC folk, too. Carlyn and Janlyn discovered a whole new family! When, along with Douglas, they flew out to meet for the first time on Friday evening, (25 November) their new brother and sisters were waiting at the airport with flowers and the warmest of Italian welcomes. We hope to have more of this exciting, heart-warming story in next months Magazine.

Prayer Points for December

Give thanks and praise to our God for who He is and all that He has done for us. Gillian Gray has been off school for several weeks with a skin condition, fatigue and headaches. Please pray for her that she might have the energy to get back to school soon, and that she gets the right treatment quickly. Give thanks that Jim Munro has now had his final chemo treatment and that his wife Caroline has no infection in her hip. Continue to pray for them as they await the next steps. Continue to pray for our deacons, who have an away day on Tuesday 29th November to plan and pray and seek Gods will for the future of our fellowship. As Christmas approaches, with all the excitement that leads up to it, lets pray for the folk who are dreading it unemployed, homeless, lonely and bereaved. May God use us to help in any practical way and to show that He understands and loves them. Continue to pray for the folks we know on the Mission Field abroad: David and Ann Macfarlane, Cathie Aberdour and Barbara Edmondson - that God will lead them every step of the way as things change daily for them. Pray for Egypt - for an end to the current unrest; for Christians to be protected, have their voices heard, and be a positive force in their communities; that the parliamentary elections will be free and fair.

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might have life through Him. 1 John 4:9

Please pass prayer requests to Wilma Wintour, 723023

in Brazil with Wycliffe Bible Translators

Dear all,
We've just had a very interesting week here in our house in Manaus. Two Apurina have been with us - Nilsa and her son Nonato. Nilsa was here to get her eyes checked after her second cataract surgery. Her eyes are fine and we were able to get her glasses for distance. It was good to see that Nonato is continuing on with the Lord and has not returned to drinking. We also had 18 Waiwai Indians staying with us for four days. They arrived after a seven day boat trip from their village and were going by bus to Boa Vista to take part in a Christian conference for Indians. It was good to be able to give them accommodation while they were waiting for the next stage of their trip. It was just as well that we have a large room here with lots of hooks on the walls to hang up lots of hammocks. Even then it was pretty crowded with some of them even hanging up their hammocks to a tree in our backyard. Just as well it didn't rain! At the beginning of December Judy, our Scottish pastor friend Robert, and some from the church he attends in Manaus, are planning on making a short visit to the village. The water level of the river will be high enough then for them to reach the village. Do value your prayers for this trip when Judy will be telling them about our retirement from the Apurina work. The Presbyterian church that Robert and his wife attend has assured us that they will find a future team to continue working with the Apurina. That has been a real encouragement to us. Thanks for your prayers and financial support,

In Him, Cathie
In a recent personal update to Fergus and Vi, Cathie also wrote: Judy and I are a lot better health wise than we were. I haven't been well for a couple of months with my ataxia. It affected my eyes a lot so that I couldn't read or attend to my e-mails. If I tried for even a short time I'd get nauseated. That got me really discouraged, but at least it got me praying a lot and asking the Lord for help! Now I'm trying to catch up with answering all my e-mails. Today is the American Thanksgiving Day and so we're going out to a nice restaurant for a meal to celebrate all the Lord's goodness to us. This morning we had a prayer time and thanked the Lord for some of his many blessings to us. I guess if we'd tried to thank Him for all his blessings we'd need to pray the whole day.

MENS GROUP:
Yes, its getting to be a habit! The Mens Group is maybe not quite ready to adopt Ians suggested title of the NonGender Specific Group - but our meeting on 6 December will once again be open to women! Harvey Robertson will be showing a film on Peebles in Wartime (plus a couple of other short films). Highly recommended by members who have Everyone very welcome. Tweedbridge Court Lounge,

seen it! 7.30pm.

The December outing for the Ladies who Lunch is to the Avenue Bistro, Haddington, on Wednesday 7 December.
Places MUST be booked in advance. Speak to Kim, who can also provide more information. The community bus will leave from the Eastgate car park at 11.30am, and we expect to be back in Peebles at around 4pm.

Bill Speirs has produced more Quince Jelly, for sale for the Building Fund at 50p a jar. Available in foyer of VPC, or speak to the Drummonds, 722062.

This year we will be having lunch together on Christmas Day, along with some friends who would otherwise be on their own. If you are able to be with us please fill in the slip available from Ian or Lindsey or the Deacons, and return it as soon as possible. Please also think about who you might invite to come along with you!

NOTICEBOARD
As long as we have unsolved problems, unfulfilled desires, and a mustard seed of faith, we have all we need for a vibrant prayer life. (John Ortberg)

CHURCH PRAYER MEETING

SATURDAY 3 December Margaret Cowans home @ 9am

The next Vickys Tearoom will be on Sunday 11 December

Even if youre not involved as a helper, please do pray for the Tearoom and for our guests.

Its our turn to do Lunch and Chat again on 5 December. Please see Linda Bell with offers of help!

Peebles Churches Together

ADVENT SERVICES
Beginning on 27 November at 6.00pm in St. AndrewsLeckie church

Letter writing, and prayer for persecuted Christians, at Willie and Wilmas home, on Tuesday 13 December at 10am.

Services, December 2011

Sunday 4 December
Communion servers: Lindsey Gray, Wilma Wintour Stewards: Kirstin Gray, Linda Bell Flowers: Helen Henderson Teas: Douglas McCall

Transport: Fergus Brown, Stan Henderson, Margaret Cowan

Sunday 11 December
Stewards: Vi Brown, Lindsey Gray Flowers: Carlyn McCall Teas: Pat Hamilton

Secretary, Christine Drummond, tel 722062, Treasurer, Liz Keiro, tel 730217 722062,

[email protected] Pastor Ian Gray 07881 518854, [email protected] Pastor Ian Gray [email protected] [email protected] Pastor Ian Gray Pastor Ian Gray

Services in Victoria Park Centre, unless otherwise indicated Services in Victoria Park Centre, unless otherwise indicated Services in Victoria Park Centre, unless otherwise indicated Services in Victoria Park Centre, unless otherwise indicated

Transport: Stan Henderson, Margaret Cowan, AN Other

Website: http://peeblesbaptistchurch.org/ Website: Website: Website:

Sunday 18 December
Stewards: Gillian Gray, Jacqueline Wilson Flowers: Margaret McLeod Teas: Vi Brown

Transport: Stan Henderson, Margaret Cowan, AN Other

Sunday 25 December
JOINT SERVICE IN LECKIE MEMORIAL CHURCH at 10.30am

Sunday 1 January
10.30 am: Fellowship over Coffee and Bacon Rolls 11.00 am : New Year Service
Communion servers: Liz Keiro, Vi Brown Stewards: Christine Drummond, Frank Drummond Flowers: Margaret Cowan Teas: Wilma Wintour

Transport: Fergus Brown, Stan Henderson, Margaret Cowan

COMMUNION TABLE SETTING IN December Lindsey Gray