What a great weekend we had at St Margaret’s Tide this year. There was a good atmosphere around and lots of good things were happening.
Even although the attendance at Bingo in the Hall could have been better on the Friday evening it was still a good night. The home-bakes were excellent, Fr Gary shouted the bingo, and we managed to raise £100 towards the Fabric Fund. There was an excellent attendance at the Gregorian Chant workshop on Saturday with some of the participants staying on and joining us for the Sung Mass on Sunday morning St Margaret’s Day. This made a big improvement to the singing at Mass. After that there was the usual style St Margaret’s Buffet Lunch in the Hall. In the evening the whole weekend was brought to a close with the Cathedral Choir and Fr Isaac joining us for Evensong and Benediction. The music at this was superb. Not only was the Gregorian Chant well performed but two pieces of composition by Bill Brown were sung. The Harmonies were beautiful. The visual presentation of the monstrance with Christ mysteriously present under the Eucharistic Host… the smell of incense and the sound of the gong all drew us into to a deeply spiritual atmosphere. It all contributed to a deep awareness and experience of the Spirit of God at work in our worship. Truly it was an apprehension of that which is beyond. In all the 40 years that I have led Benediction here and in All Saints’ Edinburgh I can honestly say that was the most awe inspiring that I have ever led and participated in. Something powerful was happening.
The Gaelic word is duisgeadh, an awakening…I sincerely hope it is, because the Church in this City needs to feel and experience that. Duisgeadh is a spiritual regeneration. This City and the world needs to experience that just now, because we are not living in good times.
Even nearly a week on from Sunday evening, I can still hear the Cathedral Choir singing those wonderful words Adoro Te by Thomas Aquinas, translated by Gerard Manley Hopkins with the music composed and arranged by Bill Brown…
Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore.
Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more.
See, Lord, at thy service, low lies here a heart.
Lost, all lost in wonder, at the God thou art.
Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived;
How says trusty hearing? That shall be believed;
What God’s Son has told me, take for truth I do;
Truth himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true.
Jesus, whom I look at shrouded here below,
I beseech thee send me what I thirst for so,
Some day to gaze on thee, face to face in light
And be blest for ever, with thy glory’s sight.
I have ‘booked’ the Cathedral Choir to come back next year! My heartful thanks to all who made that weekend so special.
Advent is fast approaching, quickly followed by Christmas. This is a special time in the Church’s Kalendar. Now you cannot celebrate Christmas fully unless you get to Church. So, unless you are on holiday or housebound or in hospital, then please make the effort. I’ll be honest with you…the ‘turn-out’ last year at Christingle was abysmal. If you have children in the house over Christmas please try and bring them to Church especially for Christingle. Together we can make this a special time. The Christingle will take place at the earlier time of 5pm.
The AGM of the Congregation will take place on Advent II the 7th of December. We will meet in the Hall after a shortened 1030 a.m. Sung Mass.
I am hoping to hold a readers’ practice after Mass on Advent III for those who read lessons or lead intercessions in Church. There is a need for this because sometimes it is difficult to hear clearly what is being read or said especially if you sit at the middle to the back of the church or up in the sanctuary like myself. The acoustic in St Margaret’s is excellent however, I do have a few tips for Readers. I refuse to consider the use of microphones as I think that that makes people lazy, and that they become too dependant on them for voice projection.
Even if you are not on either of the lists for readers or intercessors then please do come along. New participants are always welcome and being able to take a more active involvement in the Liturgy can only be for the good. The word Liturgy comes from two Greek words in derivation… λαος [laos] and έργον [ergon] basically ‘the work of the people.’
We also need some new folks to help with the church cleaning so if you can oblige speak either to George Lowe or myself. Church cleaning usually occurs on Thursday mornings and is a very sociable occasion.
I was much blessed to be given the opportunity to speak to the Aberdeen City Heritage Trust Annual Lecture at the Town House the other week. My topic was “The Incomparable Comper.”
It was a great opportunity, not only to present an appreciation of Ninian Comper’s Art and Architecture but to introduce the listeners to his father John’s sacramental theology and ecclesiology. St Andrew’s Cathedral and St Margaret’s share a common architect in Ninian Comper. Both buildings are his father’s theology in stone. The Cathedral was built to celebrate the Scottish Liturgy. St Margaret’s to celebrate Holy Week and Easter. Both buildings are distinctive, but both were built to give the East End ‘working-class’ of Aberdeen something greater than the poverty they were experiencing. The Liturgy in both places was a foretaste of Heaven.
That is our job in the contemporary world. Live in the spirit of Fr John Comper, bring others, friends, members of your families to Mass. Make this a memorable Advent and Christmas.
An’ ilka blissuns fur Yule an’ a Gweed Healthy 2026 forbye,
As Aye,
Fr Emsley.
