Cake and Questions

Hawking, Dawkins and God

CD Cover

During our meeting on Thursday 7th May, as well as enjoying marzipan and blackcurrant muffins, we listened to a York Courses CD, ‘Hawking, Dawkins and God’ as a basis for our discussion. John Polkinghorne, an Anglican Priest, also Fellow of the Royal Society and a former Professor of Mathematical Physics at Cambridge University discussed his Christian faith in the light of New Atheism and explained why he believes in God.

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We meet every Thursday in the Meeting Room at 10.30. Our meeting starts with some time to catch up on news and enjoy sampling the different baking which we have each week. Discussion follows which is based around a book or other resources linked with the Bible.

At the moment we are continuing to explore some of the questions from the York Lent material that we followed in the weeks leading up to Easter, which we’ve found very interesting.

Notices

If you have been here before, you may find things a little different today; but you are nonetheless very welcome. Do feel welcome to stay for lunch, or even just for coffee, afterwards, even if we weren’t expecting you. There’s always plenty!

Ann Shukman writes, ‘the Orthodox church at Braithwaite finds its roots in the ancient land of the British saints and is dedicated to Saints Bega, Mungo and Herbert. These and many other saints of all nationalities are portrayed on the icons which cover the walls of the church. The liturgy, mostly chanted in the Russian tradition, is in English. It lasts from 10.30 to 12. There are seats and the hospitality is warm!’ A group of people from St J’s and elsewhere are planning a trip to Braithwaite on Sunday, 07/07/2019, departing St J’s at 08.30am and those attending are invited to stay for lunch with the Congregation there afterwards. We might be back in Dumfries about 4.00pm. The Thornhill Community Transport bus will be going, and the suggested fare is £13. Please contact Ann Shukman, if interested (revann AT stjohnsdumfries DOT org).

Whilst on the subject of transport, we have two, now pretty much fully booked, trips running; on Saturday, 22 June, to Abbotsford, and, on Thursday, 29 June, to Alnwick. If you would like to go on further such trips in due course, please speak to June Frank or David Kerr, and we’ll see what we can organise.
St John’s@150: Congregational Picnic at Speddoch House: Saturday, 29/06/2019, times to be confirmed. We will be running a minibus from St J’s. Sign up sheet is on the lit noticeboard.

St John’s Holiday Club for primary aged children will run, this year, from Monday, 05/08/2019 to Friday, 09/08/2019, between 10.30am and 3.30pm; and will be themed around the Lego movie, Let’s Go. Participation is free, and all children currently in P1-7, as well as those who will start P1 in August, are eligible. Please obtain an application form and/or further details from the Rector (rector AT stjohnsdumfries DOT org / 07487 653069). And there’s still room for volunteers willing to help! Again, speak to the Rector.

First Base Food Parcels. Thank you, everyone, for your support. When we deliver the food we usually ask Ian what they are short of. The response is still EVERYTHING. The need never gets less… so can we help yet again? UHT milk, tins of meat, fish, cereals, rice, pasta, tins of beans etc etc. It’s all needed. Thank you. Annette and Pauline.

St John’s will be providing the soup etc. for next month’s First Base Soup Lunch next Friday, 14/06/2019. Volunteers needed! Please speak to Linda Scott, or sign up (rear of church).

The Diocesan Newsletter is now on display on the lit noticeboard. It can also be found at : http://bit.ly/2YQC58X. Similarly, the Synod Office advises: The Annual Report of the Scottish Episcopal Church for the year ended 31/12/2018 can be accessed at the following address/link: https://www.scotland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/36th-Annual-Report-Final-2.pdf. In addition to the Annual Report, the Agenda and Papers for this year’s General Synod are now also available on our website: https://www.scotland.anglican.org/wp-content/uploads/General-Synod-Agenda-Papers-2019-1.pdf

Christian Aid: Thank you for the further donations received for Christian Aid Week. The “week” is very flexible and if you have not had an opportunity to give yet but would like to do so there are envelopes at the back of church which should be given with the collection.

Margaret Morton

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St John's Dumfries

a church for everyone

Cake and Questions

Hawking, Dawkins and God

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