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Monthly evening service
A monthly evening service to be held on one Sunday per month from January until June is one of the many positive outcomes from COSY initiative. This evening service, along with the bi-monthly prayer meetings which are being hosted by Wrangholm were recommended by the Outreach group at one of the recent COSY meetings.
After the June service, we will review how successful they have been along with the prayer meetings. We will then decide through COSY what will happen for the remainder of the year.
As you may recall, lain asked for volunteers to help organise the evening service. Following this intimation, he invited the 7 volunteers to the manse on the evening of Sunday 17th January to have a cup of coffee and talk about the format of these services, the first being the following Sunday. Various ideas were kicked around and discussed with everyone present participating. This team approach with guidance from the minister looks as if it could be fairly effective. We generally tried to consider these services as an opportunity to try a fresh approach to worship. Someone thought it would be good to have different themes, some thought that rather than call it an evening service, we should call it something different. 'New beginnings' was one idea put forward for consideration.
We also thought that although circumstances dictate that the first meeting is held in the Church, it would be more intimate to meet in the hall once it is ready. It was decided that it should be a departure from what went before. This is not to say there was anything wrong with what went before, we just thought that it would be an opportunity for doing something just a little bit different, for example taking a less traditional approach to the sermon or address.
A Praise theme was also suggested. Some modern hymns were chosen for the first service but a night of Psalms was also considered for the future. Margaret played one of the new clavinovas we've recently purchased at the first service and we may try and supplement this from time to time with a guitar or guitars.
We felt that there should be an opportunity for fellowship at this service. At the morning service, lain has to rush away to Wrangholm, others have to make sure they get the bus. We don't have the same pressures at an evening service so after the evening service we will all stay for a cup of tea or coffee and probably a biscuit as well.
There is a will to involve some of the younger members of the congregation. We've not figured out a way to achieve this yet but hopefully it's something we can work on. We thought that more participation would be good and everyone who attended the first meeting took part in the first service.
Future evening services will be intimated in advance and if transport is a problem for anyone, we'll be depending on them letting us know about it and we'll get a lift organised. Most importantly we're looking for feedback from you on what you think worked in the first service and also what you think didn't work so well. Over and above that we would like you to tell us what you would like to see at an evening service and if it is at all possible or practical, we will try and use your suggestions for future services.
Our theme for the February Service will be the 'Journey to the Cross', Oberammergau and lent. The theme for the March Service will be Easter, two on the Emmaus Road.
Sinai mountains
Sinai meaning "a district of broken rocks" in which its highest peaks reach 10,000 feet above sea level is the group of mountains in the peninsula formed by the northern gulfs of the Red Sea, but more especially the name applies to one very high range of mountains of which the northern end is called Horeb, and the southern end Sinai (or Moses Mount). It is a wild region, bleak and dismal, with only a small shrub here and there in a hollow. The general impression is one of startling brilliance in red sandstone in the north and igneous rock, granite, porphyry and sandstone in the south. The summit of mount Sinai is composed of fine grey granite and often covered with snow. The views are awe-inspiring with Serbal in the distance and Jebel Katharin close at hand.
The ascent of the mountain can be made by the winding road to the south, or by a steeper road behind the convent (St Catherine's). This road is very rugged - but has ancient stone steps cut or laid most of the way which are said to have been made by the Empress Helena, but may even be older, and are said to number 6,000. Halfway up the mountain is a fine hollow with a cypress in the middle and a round pond containing water. This resting place is mentioned in the Scriptures, which speak of Moses and Joshua leaving the people and ascending the hill, and of Moses leaving the elders and going up to stand before God. Here in this wild mountain range God spoke to Moses from the Burning Bush (Exodus 3) and gave to Israel the Ten Commandments. At the foot of the mountain is the Convent of St Catherine, the library of which has numerous works in Syriac, Greek, Hebrew, Slavonic, and other Eastern and European languages.
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