Saint Maura

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Saints

As everyone in Scotland and probably Russia, who also has Saint Andrew as their patron saint, knows today is Saint Andrew’s day, but rather than blog about Saint Andrew again I thought I would tell you of a lesser known saint who shares this day, Saint Maura.

Only there isn’t an awful lot to tell, it is said that she was a virgin martyr who suffered in Constantinople in some unknown year, and that an island was named in her honour in the Ionian Sea, but that is about all that is said of her.  Although little is now known of her she must have been someone of great faith, otherwise the early church wouldn’t have remembered her at all, after all hundred’s of thousand’s of Christians went to their martyrdom something must have made her stand out.

Recently I was talking to a member of the congregation who has been suffering for Christ at her work.  One particular individual at her work seems to have decided that she is fair game for being harangued and taunted because of her faith.  While it is far from comfortable, at least her life is not at stake as it was for those early Christians, and still is for some who confess Christ as Lord today.  Today Christians still suffer, in different ways but suffer never the less, for and because of their faith, so it is good to remember not just the well known saints like Andrew but the countless others who were persecuted and remained firm.  Those like Maura whose name but little else is known of and those whose names are not remembered by anyone still on this earth but written for eternity in the Book of Life.  So when we in our turn have to face ridicule because of our faith we can gain strength from their example.

Dragonfly

Regilion and Politics

An interesting forum begins today in the EU, you can read about it here.

Politics in all its varied forms touches our lives, for those of faith, that faith is the guide to how they live their lives, so how can the two be separated?  Can religion really be separated from politics, and more to the point can politics be separated from religion?

Some of the questions they are going to tackle are:-

• What is the appropriate role for religious beliefs in the secular state?
• Can a secular state balance the sometimes competing interests of people with different religious beliefs? 
• Does the inclusion of even non-sectarian religious language in official government texts represent a bias against atheists?
• Can a religious believer feel fully represented by a government that does not reflect his or her religious values?
• Do religions such as Catholicism and Islam delineate separate spheres of authority for religion and politics?

Magnolia

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Films

This film, from my point of view, is a triumph it interweaves 9 peoples stories during the course of one day.  However it starts with recounting three separate and relatively well known stories about coincidence, the scene is set coincidence would appear to be the theme, but is it?

The characters who crisscross the film are all in distress of some kind or another and as they desperately seek answers to their pain-filled lives their stories unfold.  Frank (played by Tom Cruise) is writing a self help book on how to get a woman, called ‘Seduce and Destroy’, to start with the character is not likeable at all, but as you are drawn into his story and what made him who he now is I, for one, was left with a degree of sympathy for what can best be described as a lost soul.  John Reilly as a divorced police officer shines as one of the stars of the film as does Julianne Moore who plays Linda Partridge and Melora Walters who plays Claudia fighting the psychological problems of drug addiction.

Throughout the film we start to see slowly, maybe a little too slowly, see how each of the characters strive in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in their lives.  Is it really coincidence that they are all striving for meaning in their lives, surely not?  So what really connects these 9 people?

A quiz show, in some way each one has a connection with a quiz show, some more loosely than others.  Through these differing lives we see how life is much the same for each of us, regardless of age, job, wealth the thing which would appear to drive us all is a search for happiness and contentment.  The message of the film is about how and where we seek it, and the consequences that seeking may bring.

This isn’t a film to watch if you are wanting a light hearted bit of entertainment, nor is it one when you don’t have much time (it is 186 mins long), but it is a film which takes you on a remarkable journey with an ending which will make much more sense to those who know their Bibles than it will to those who don’t.  All in all it is well worth watching and probably is even better second time around.

Scottish Episcopal Flickr

From Kelvin’s Blog 

I’m pleased to announce the existence of a flickr group for the Scottish Episcopal Church.

It is open to anyone, not just members of the church; the only criteria are that photos shared with the group are of church events or buildings or people. Tourists passing by, you’re welcome. The group’s guidelines are over here.

There is a chance that we might wish to reuse images posted to the group for publicity purposes, so if you could ensure they’re highest resolution, good quality and reusable under an appropriate Creative Commons license, we would be grateful!

Many thanks to Tim for creating the group. SEC Bloggers – it would be very helpful if you could copy this note and repost on your own blogs. Let’s make this viral.

Now I just need to look out some St Mark’s pictures.

Well Done Everyone

The Fayre yesterday rasied a splendid £2,100 and still counting, with the whole event being one of enjoyment, fun and fellowship.  A big thank you and well done to everyone who was involved in any way.

Eggs

Whenever I have had a spare moment or two over the past two months I have been; blowing, cleaning, stringing, painting and decorating eggs also cutting, sticking, decorating cards and tags.

Now I am finished just in time for the Fayre tomorrow.

I no longer need to think what can I do with an egg which leaves the shell already beaten, or if the paint is dry and I can just manage to give an egg another quick coat before heading out, or what words shall to put in the insert of which card, how many tags to put in a pack and I get use of the table again without first having to clear it of paint, eggs, bits of paper, etc.

If you are in EK tomorrow – Saturday 24th – then pop in and have a cup of coffee or tea, a browse and maybe buy an item or two.

Flowers

I had a surprise visitor today bearing flowers.

The visitor was my daughter, the visit in itself was enough it is a four hour round trip for her to come and visit and she could only stay for a little over an half an hour, if I hadn’t been heading out I could have given her a lift back but she knows life isn’t always that simple and was all ready to head back by public transport.  She brought flowers because she knows Hubby doesn’t.  Now before you go berating him, he was actually very honest and open about the not buying flowers thing, he told me not long after we met that he didn’t buy flowers for the following reasons. 

If he buys them for me I will just wonder why he has, what he has done wrong; and if he doesn’t I will wonder why he hasn’t, what I have done wrong!  Simple really and there was no convincing him otherwise so I have always known I will never get flowers from him.  Ever since I told my daughter however she has made it her mission in life to buy me flowers, which is wonderful!  That being said however Hubby did once kind of buy me flowers only before he handed them over he made it very clear that they weren’t flowers at all.  It was gorgeous purple cala lilies, but as he went to great pains to point out what it really was, was a pot plant that just happened to be in flower.  

Saint Cecilia

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Saints

Today marks her day, the patron saint of musicians and church music.

Now if I could choose to be a patron saint of anything music would be right up there, after all not a day passes without me enjoying music of some kind, singing it, listening to it, okay the playing of it has been a long time since, but I do keep saying one day I will take up an instrument again.  Why though is she only parton saint of church music?  She apparently got the gig because she sang on the way to being beheaded for allowing Christians to meet at her house, presumably it was hymns of the day or psalms, maybe if she had sung the folk songs of the day she would be the patron saint of all music.  Then again if she had sung about the Roman equivalent of Robert Burns McPherson’s Farewell or the like she wouldn’t have ended up a patron saint at all!

It Isn’t The Size Of The Star That Matters

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Films

This story made me smile when I saw it last night after returning from a dire Regional Council AGM, why do people who lead such things not prepare, not draw up an agenda and neither circulate or have a copy of the previous minutes?  Answers on the back of a postcard please.

But I digress the story that made me smile you can read about here the Munchkins from the Wizard Of Oz have been honoured with a star on the walk of fame.  Without the Munchkins the film just wouldn’t have been the same - just as without the Umpa Lumpa’s Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory would be lacking - and it was about time their contribution was marked.  Without wishing to sounds heightist, as in the rest of life the little people rarely get any mention, praise, thanks or recognition, it is good to see it happening in this instance.  In honour of them I would like to add my own thanks to all the people (wrongly often reffered to as the little people) who work away getting things done, making a difference and adding colour to life, that star on a Hollywood pavement might not have your name on it but I say it goes to you too, whoever you are and whatever physical height you happen to be.