Just out (November 2014) the latest edition of the Society's annual journal.
CONTENTS:
Iain B Galbraith on his career as a Scottish church musician
Dr Galbraith, in his Presidential Address to the Society in May 2014, shows the different foun-dation stones of his service to the Church. His heritage in a Vale of Leven parish church pro-vided a point of reference. Education in the old system led him to the Royal Academy of Music and then to teaching, but with a developing interest in theology. Within this came a vocation to be a church musician, carried out in several congregations, which are instanced. There were then influences, particularly the figure and the music of J S Bach. Finally, the author outlines his personal credo about music for the church, which must contain the elements of offering and mystery, elements lacking in much music written for worship today.
Hugh Gilbert OSB, formerly Abbot of Pluscarden and now Bishop of Aberdeen, on Baptism
This is the transcript of a talk given by Bishop Hugh to the Aberdeenshire Theological Club in January 2014. It is reflection on the feast of the Lord's Baptism and its mystery, since 'each feast is a doorway to mystery, to one refraction of the single, indivisible "mystery of Christ! (Eph.3:4)'. The history of the feast, now being given a higher profile, for a conflation of biblical, pastoral, ecumenical and theological factors. The offices that contain it. A number of mis-conceptions about Baptism are outlined, followed by what we can say about it: 1. the climax of John's ministry, 2. a beginning, 3. Jesus' anointing for mission as Messiah, 4. it anticipates his Paschal Mystery, 5. it is an Epiphany, a Theophany, 6. it is a sanctification of the waters, 7. it is the source and pattern of our Baptism. 'The Christological, Trinitarian, missionary or prophetic, cosmic dimensions of Christian Baptism are already anticipated in Christ's.'
Scott Rennie, minister of Queen's Cross Church Aberdeen, recounts a visit of the Wild Goose Resource Group on the theme of 'Doing things differently'. This began with a Big Sing on Friday night, followed by workshops all day on Saturday where different possibilities for congregational song, organisational structure, using the buildings you have, and children's activities were explored.
The Editor, James Stewart, scans the second fifty years of the Church Service Society's life
This encompasses the launch of the Society's journal in 1928, the Assembly-authorised Prayers for Divine Service, the union of the Society with the Church Worship Association of the UF Church, itself the union of two pre-1900 UP and Free Church societies, with their publication Directory and Forms for Public Worship and the Book of Common Order of 1928. The consid-erable contributions of W D Maxwell and William Macmillan are outlined, as is a paper by John A Lamb which is credited with leading to the founding of the Joint Liturgical Group. One or two proposals, made during the period, for the improvement of the Society's contribution, such as seeking out more theologians as members, are noted.
The Editor offers an appreciation of the ministry and character of the late the Revd Edward M H Lewis, who had left a benefaction to the Society.
Marion Dodd reviews the Society's recent publication A Useable Past?
Dr Henry Sefton reviews a Hymn Society booklet on the metrical psalms written by a mem-ber of the Church Service Society, the Revd Graham Deans.
The Secretary summarises the contents of fifteen new books about liturgy and worship re-cently published.
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