|
As I write this, the world is still suffering from the tragedy experienced not only by America but by the whole world. Just a very short time before, and on the very day that the tragedy took place, I was conducting the wedding of two Americans. The groom was himself employed at Boston Airport where the doomed aircraft started their final journey. The tragedy affects all of our lives in so many different ways. Brought to mind was this:
~~~~~~~The present society is a society of appeasement just as was that of the pre-war Prime Minister who returned from a visit to Hitler with a scrap of paper!! Crimes of violence must be punished, but the lives of innocents must be protected. SO BE IT (Colin) ~~~~~~~Dear Friends, I look forward to our future together. Anne (Rev.A.Wicker) At the moment I am in process of moving back to Dundee, so, as a temporary measure, please contact me through my father! ~~~~~~~THIS PAGE IS EMPTY,
SAVE FOR THESE FEW WORDS.
WILL YOU HELP ME TO FILL IT?
WHAT DO YOU THINK? ~~~~~~~Today, the 15th.November, I appeared on 'Good Morning TV'! Why? Well, yesterday I conducted a wedding at Kinfauns Castle, near Perth! So what?, I hear you ask. The bride and groom had won a competition organised by G.M.T.V. and as a result had won the prize which was a Scottish Wedding at Kinfauns! I was invited to conduct the wedding, and G.M.T.V. recorded the whole ceremony. In the morning programme only a small part of the total ceremony was shown, but there was I! Quite an experience, but most enjoyable. Colin ~~~~~~~A welcome is extended to our new member, Dr S. Cayless. She writes " I have read the information on the SUF website with interest and with much relief at finding a philosophy that comes so close to what I instinctively feel is right. I was brought up in a structured religion that I found too claustrophobic and dogmatic and have been at rather a loose end since turning from it, wanting something and not knowing what. I now believe that in the Unitarian philosophy, I have found a home. I am too far from a congregation to be able to attend, but would hope now to be linked with other like-minded people." ~~~~~~~THE ROPEThere were eleven people hanging on to a rope that came down from a helicopter. Ten men and one woman. They all decided that one person should get off because, if that didn't happen, the rope would break and everyone would die. No one could decide who should go, so, finally, the woman gave a really touching speech saying how she would give up her life to save the others, because women were used to giving up things for their husbands and children; giving in to men and not receiving anything in return. When she finished speaking, all the men started clapping. NEVER underestimate the power of a woman! ~~~~~~~CHURCH ATTENDANCEThree ministers were having a chat about unwanted starlings in their church buildings. The first said: "I tried shooting at them with a catapult, but they all came back. I was left with holes in the roof". The second said "I tried catching them all and driving them miles away, but when I returned they were already back." The third said: "Just do what I did. Catch them, baptise and confirm them, and you'll only see them again at weddings and funerals!" (With thanks to the 'Civil Service Pensioner') ~~~~~~~THE CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS.....Why do we celebrate Christmas? To reflect upon the miracle of birth,, for with the winter solstice the sun turns around to begin again the rebirth of nature. once again we can marvel at the regeneration of plant; of animal; and of we humans. To celebrate the living of life, for in this life is our one and only opportunity to laugh and to cry; to sense and to appreciate; to feel and to think; to accept and to create; to do and to give; to live and to love. To recall the spirit and message of that great prophet, Jesus; for he preached that there is no greater thing than to love your God by loving your neighbour as yourself. To join in the fellowship of giving; for this is a time for coming together and to give of our friendship and of our love, and thus of ourselves. Robert Edward Green We are the ones who keep Christmas. Christmas is what we want it to be. Christmas is loveliness, happiness, singing, laughter, giving and sharing, but only if we make it so! May then, this season be a time of rebirth and renewal, a time of happiness and joy. Let there be light and warmth, and let us be their bearers. Holly Bell ~~~~~~~PAUSE FOR THOUGHTFrom Miss Margery MacKay UNITARIAN EXPERIENCE WEEKSeven people from Scotland attended this week during which making connections between science and religion was one of the many good experiences. The meeting took place at the Unitarian Holiday Home based at Great Hucklow in Derbyshire. More than forty individuals coming from Australia, Nigeria, the U.S. and Britain returned home with the enthusiasm coming from a programme of leisure, walks, creative workshop, painting, writing, making music and discussion. The theme of the week was "Weaving the Living Web" and the first discussion outlined the ways in which all of life on this planet is connected. It briefly examined scientific methods and maintained that it had a spiritual component. The biology behind genetics was elaborated because it is involved in so many contemporary ethical disputes. It was agreed that more education in critical thought was needed if there is to be more participation in decision-making. Discussion followed about the nature of reality. It was agreed that science can only deal in probabilities and as with religion there is much metaphysical modelling involved. The second session was about the part that Celtic spirituality and technology had played in the history of mankind. Burial sites, stone circles, and charms were considered. Prayers in a Celtic language were experienced and a prehistoric 'Cathedral of the Peak' was visited. The third session was about human responsibility for the future state of this 'living web'. A so-called 'God shaped hole' left in the wake of scientific discovery was one of the issues referred to. It was suggested that a community such as ours aiming to be non-dogmatic and open to scientific insights could have a part to play. Another residential experience week will be held in the summer of 2002. ~~~~~~~A CREE INDIAN!Kim Foden (nee Twatt), (the daughter of my old friend in Orkney - Jack Twatt) is one of our Orkney members who has recently been elected an Honorary Member of the Cree tribe of the 'Red Indians' of Canada. Following some research, Kim discovered that a forefather of hers who had sailed from Orkney with the Hudson's Bay Co. had married a wife of the Cree tribe. So visiting the present day members of the tribe in Canada, she was able to discover some of her 'eigth' cousins. Two whole pages of the local Orkney paper 'The Orcadian' contained pictures of her enjoying the traditional life of the Cree tribe even including life in a WigWam! Congratulations Kim, and we do hope that your wish that some of your tribal relations will be able to visit you in Orkney ere long will soon come true! ~~~~~~~Our very best wishes for a speedy and full recovery go to Mr Neil Dalton of Dornoch who so recently underwent a serious operation in the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. At my request, Rev. Anne Wicker was able to visit him in the hospital, and I am assured by him that her visit was much appreciated and helpful. ~~~~~~~May I take this opportunity to once again remind you all that you should let me know of any occurrence which calls for a visit from us. That's what this Fellowship is all about, after all. Even tho' it is a postal, phone, e-mail, web-site Fellowship, we are all people who need people from time to time. So don't hesitate! ~~~~~~From our Members, Mr & Mrs Wighton.... "Dear Colin, Sharon & Eddie." ~~~~~~~Did you know that the European Union have announced that English will be adopted as the language for communications rather than German which was the other possibility? However, English spelling may produce some difficulties so it has been agreed that a simplification should be introduced, such as: "During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary 'o' can be droped from vords kontaining 'ou', and similar changes vud of kors be apliyd to ozer kombinations of leter. After ze fifz yer, ve hav a reli sensibil riten styl. Zer vil be no mo trublis of difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi to understand ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali kum tru!" (With thanks to the 'The Bond" - the Newsletter of the Customs & Excise Retired Staff Association.) ~~~~~~~Many thanks to our member, Susanna Mitterer, for this Christmas story: Some time ago a man punished his 5 year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became even more upset when the child pasted the gold paper so as to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her father the next day, and said "This is for you, daddy." The father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He spoke to her in a harsh manner "Don't you know, young lady, when you give a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?" The little girl looked at him with tears in her eyes, and said "Oh Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was full." The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around the little girl, and he begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger. An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the father kept the gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. And when he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who put it there. In a very real sense, each of us as human beings have been given a golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold. Friends are like angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly. ~~~~~~~"Someone recently asked me if Unitarians were involved and interested in social betterment programmes. Stunned, I replied, 'Yes, social involvement defines the movement.' Then he asked, 'Why are there no Unitarian hospitals, no Unitarian drug and and alcohol rehabilitation centres, and no Unitarian homeless shelters?' I could not answer. Can you? Best wishes from J.Gaston, an humble and penitent Unitarian." Unitarians in the past have been very involved in Social Issues. A book was written some years ago: "The Unitarian Contribution to Social Progress" which I used to possess but unfortunately has now ' disappeared'! But one need only think of the work of Albert Schweitzer in Africa, and of the support given to him by the Unitarian Movement. But much of our work was of a more personal nature. Our own member, Jamie Smith has spent a lifetime working for the protection of all animals. I myself have connections with the S.S.P.C.A. and the P.D.S.A. And it was my proposal at a G.A. Meeting many years ago that resulted in our Movement calling upon the Government to equalise the travel concessions for both men and women. In Montrose, the Sunnyside Hospital was established through the initiative of one of our earliest Scottish Unitarians. At this hospital, a new, more humane treatment of mentally-ill patients was introduced. And I too have addressed crowds from the balcony of the Dundee City Hall concerning the evils of Apartheid in South Africa. The Unitarians believe that we should all work for a better Society in any way we can and to the best of our ability. ~~~~~~~CHRISTMAS PRAYER
As I have mentioned elsewhere in this 'LINK', our member, Jamie, is very concerned about the treatment of all animal life, and, as such, is a long established vegetarian. Unfortunately, whilst very concerned myself about the welfare of all animals, I do enjoy my 'Mince & Tatties'! (Colin) ~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~
|
