We will be going ahead with the ‘Pilgrimage and Picnic’ today, please see below for details.

On Thursday 9th of November the Episcopal Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church elected the Rev Canon Anne Dyer as the new Bishop of Aberdeen & Orkney.

Canon Dyer is Rector of Holy Trinity church, Haddington (since 2011). Her wider church involvement includes being a member of the Scottish Episcopal Institute Council and a member of General Synod.

Being in the first group of women for each of these Orders, Canon Dyer was ordained Deacon in 1987 and Priest in 1994 in Rochester. She served as Warden of Cranmer Hall, Durham and before that was Ministry Development Officer in the Diocese of Rochester. Prior to ordination Anne Dyer read Chemistry at St Anne’s College, Oxford and was a Business Systems Analyst with Unilever before training for ordained ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and studying theology at King’s College London.

Canon Dyer is Chair of the East Lothian Foodbank and is also a regular lecturer across Edinburgh and the Lothians on the subject of fine art and theology.

On hearing of her election Canon Dyer said “I am delighted to be elected by the Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church to serve as Bishop in the United Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney. It will be a privilege to lead the people of this diocese as they continue to make known the love of God to those in their communities and beyond. I am looking forward to both the challenge and excitement of serving and worshipping together in diverse locations across the diocese and to joining the College of Bishops.”

Canon Dyer is the first woman to be elected Bishop in the Scottish Episcopal Church. The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church voted to allow the election of female bishops in 2003. The See of Aberdeen & Orkney became vacant last November when the Rt Rev Dr Robert Gillies retired as Bishop of the Diocese.

The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church says “I am delighted to welcome the Rev Canon Anne Dyer to the College of Bishops. Anne brings with her a wealth of experience in theological education and mission development, and has so many of the gifts sought by the diocese together with a deeply loving and generous personality.

I am also delighted that those gifts have allowed us to elect a woman to our College of Bishops. Please pray for Anne, her family, for the congregation at Haddington and for the Diocese of Aberdeen & Orkney as they journey on in faith.”

Canon Dyer was born in 1957, is married and has a daughter.

We welcome new students arriving in Aberdeen, alongside our regular Sunday services at 10.30am on Sunday we have a Young Adults Group (YAG) which is a community of young adults living and growing in their social lives, as well as their Christian lives.  Students, graduates and others are all welcome to join our social events and meet ups.  Click for more info about St. Ninian’s YAG

• FINDING SPACE………it’s an unexpected oasis of quiet after the noise of busy traffic on King Street; come in on a Sunday morning from just after 10am and see for yourself. You can sit wherever you want – we have comfy chairs, no hard pews here.
• FINDING EACH OTHER………there’s always someone to say hello; we welcome everybody – babies, the elderly and everybody in between; we get to know each other because we are a small and diverse family congregation.
• FINDING OURSELVES………time to think, to listen, perhaps to pray, to ask questions,  or just to be….and to enjoy a good cup of coffee or tea
• FINDING GOD………through our singing, our prayers, through hearing the story of God from the Bible and finding our place in that story now, through our sharing of bread and wine as tokens of God’s love for each one of us.
• FINDING PURPOSE………we go out to share God’s love asking God to be with us and show us what God might be calling us to do with our lives.

By Revd. Joan – as published in the P&J 10th June 2017

“It’s all Greek to me” is a phrase used when we just don’t understand something , when we read the instructions and they make no sense.  The church can be skilled at this but it’s not Greek that’s the problem – it’s Latin!  Because many of our religious words come from Latin, these can be lost for lack of translation.  We hide behind words like “redemption”, “justification”, “transubstantiation”, “trinitarian” but they carry little meaning for our daily lives.

“Salvation” is one of these. Think of that classic phrase “Are you saved?”  Saved from what? Saved for what?  I’m fine, thanks, so no thanks!

Salvation can be understood in two ways – God is described as our rock and our salvation (Psalm 89:26) to whom we cling when all is chaos around us.  We hide behind this rock safe from everything that is going on outside.  There are times when that is what we need and all that we can do.   But that is to ignore another way of thinking about salvation which comes from the Latin salvusand means  safe, healthy, unharmed.

How safe, healthy, unharmed is life in Aberdeen? Can we see our communities as broad spaces where everybody can live in safety? Jesus lived in a “broad space” despite the surrounding danger and crossed many borders willingly.  This took him to the cross but led millions to follow that way which actually brings freedomas we claim our “salvation” – the right to be in a broad space in freedom, safety and health – and to find calm in the chaos which can surround us.

Apologies for the Latin lesson but it’s good to know our roots!

Reverend Joan Lyon

We welcome new students arriving in Aberdeen, alongside our regular Sunday services at 10.30am on Sunday we have a Young Adults Group (YAG) which is a community of young adults living and growing in their social lives, as well as their Christian lives.  Students, graduates and others are all welcome to join our social events and meet ups.  Click for more info about St. Ninian’s YAG