ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTERs 2015 to 2025
Here gathered in one place are Anne MacKenzie's eleven Advent Letters, continuing the tradition of Murdoch's Christmas Letters, which sadly ended with his Advent Letter of December 2014. Among much else, he mentioned that in June of that year he and Anne had celebrated their Golden Wedding.
The letters give an inspiring insight into Anne's life, encompassing her family and friends, her charitable work and the church of which she was an Elder, all in the context of a concern for the futures of all people in the face of ensuing climate change and global challenges.
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2015
Advent is a time of hope and expectation and looking forward. But I find I cannot write this letter without thinking back to Advent last year. Murdoch was in hospital, awaiting more surgery and remained there most of December. We were hopeful that he would gain strength and health but then at New Year the haematologist told us that because of his blood condition he had only a few weeks to live. Throughout the months of Murdoch’s illness we received so many messages of love, respect and gratitude to him for contributions he had made to people’s lives – by the grace of God (words Murdoch used frequently). Even in the last few days he valued conversations with family, with friends from around the world and with Bob, the barber, who cut Murdoch’s hair on his last afternoon at home! Christmas Day spent in Catriona’s home, and New Year’s Day spent in Ruth’s home are special memories. We received the best of care from the NHS and were glad for Murdoch when he was finally at peace. The Thanksgiving Service was truly memorable, moving and a celebration of the Gospel. The ‘children’ (Ruth, Catriona and Iain) and I received so much support and loving comfort that day and in the weeks and months that have followed. So many wise and wonderful words have come my way and helped during this time of ‘alone-ness’. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote ‘Nothing can fill the gap when we are away from those we love…… but God keeps it empty so that our communion with one another may be kept alive, even at the cost of pain’.
This is Advent again, and while endeavouring to ‘disentangle peace from pain’ I do look forward in hope and expectation. The birth of a baby is always a life-changing event and the birth of Jesus Christ continues to change many lives.
I have had four short times away from home since Murdoch died. I went to Alnwick for three nights. Murdoch had been there as a child and we had planned a visit in each of the two preceding years but Murdoch’s health had prevented us from going. The gardens, the castle and the Northumbrian coast were a delight, but to ‘holiday’ alone was a challenge. At the end of May I was able to spend time with friends in Connel and to retrace some of the steps we had taken during our wonderful ten years in Argyll. In July I went to Milton Keynes and was warmly welcomed in Two Mile Ash, staying with Elisabeth and Nick. I was able to worship in two of the Watling Valley churches, to visit Macintyre, a charity which supports the less able and where I had volunteered in the garden shop each week, and to visit some friends in their homes. I thanked them for holding a Thanksgiving Service at the same time as the Greyfriars one, which was accessible to folk with whom Murdoch had worked closely. [Friends in the Kirk in Chennai held such a service a couple of weeks later on Murdoch’s birthday] I was at an amazing educational music session with Adrian Boynton, and Elisabeth and I went to London on the Sunday evening and joined Ruth, Chris, Iain and Alison, Chris’ sister, at the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem.
Finally, in September, I went to Argyll and Iona and enjoyed warm hospitality again. The Argyll Iona Family Group all gathered for food in Mollie and Stanley’s home in Kilmichael Glassary – I am still a sort of ex-officio member of that group! My first visit to Iona was 50 years ago when Murdoch was joining the Community. In many ways the island is unchanged. I worshipped in the Abbey Church and walked the same footpaths to the machair and the North end which hold precious memories. My stay there was an opportunity to meet with Swedish friends and folk from Oban, and to attend two of John Bell’s amazing ‘Sing’ sessions. All these ‘adventures’ were a bit of a challenge by myself but should be easier next time.
I am a member at Augustine United Church and appreciate its warm and welcoming fellowship and inspired worship. Some of you will remember our minister, Fiona, singing the introit at the Thanksgiving Service. I have joined the ’City Singers’, and enjoy the ‘Ecumenical Friends’ meeting at lunchtime each week, and the North West Edinburgh Iona Family Group, monthly. I often have visitors from near or far and I am considering various volunteering possibilities.
The ‘girls’ (Ruth is about to celebrate her 50th birthday!) are regular visitors. I can walk to Ruth and Chris’s home via Inverleith Park and I am always welcome at Catriona and Damir’s where I can garden if I wish. Iain makes fairly frequent visits from London. He has a delightful girlfriend here so there is a double incentive! We have had a few family gatherings and it is helpful to have fun together and to share memories. Hana is studying French and Law at Edinburgh University and now driving. This relieves her parents of some of the 5.30am journeys to the swimming which keeps both Hana and Benjo fit. He is studying for his Highers and is now more than big enough to handle the double bass. I see Murdoch’s brother, Kenneth, and his wife, Irene, fairly often and the occasional cousin too!
I look forward to receiving your news. You are always welcome here, wherever you are.
I wish you Joy at Christmas and I pray for Peace in our lives, in the ‘little town of Bethlehem’ and ‘over all the earth’. Peace! Peace! Peace!
This is Advent again, and while endeavouring to ‘disentangle peace from pain’ I do look forward in hope and expectation. The birth of a baby is always a life-changing event and the birth of Jesus Christ continues to change many lives.
I have had four short times away from home since Murdoch died. I went to Alnwick for three nights. Murdoch had been there as a child and we had planned a visit in each of the two preceding years but Murdoch’s health had prevented us from going. The gardens, the castle and the Northumbrian coast were a delight, but to ‘holiday’ alone was a challenge. At the end of May I was able to spend time with friends in Connel and to retrace some of the steps we had taken during our wonderful ten years in Argyll. In July I went to Milton Keynes and was warmly welcomed in Two Mile Ash, staying with Elisabeth and Nick. I was able to worship in two of the Watling Valley churches, to visit Macintyre, a charity which supports the less able and where I had volunteered in the garden shop each week, and to visit some friends in their homes. I thanked them for holding a Thanksgiving Service at the same time as the Greyfriars one, which was accessible to folk with whom Murdoch had worked closely. [Friends in the Kirk in Chennai held such a service a couple of weeks later on Murdoch’s birthday] I was at an amazing educational music session with Adrian Boynton, and Elisabeth and I went to London on the Sunday evening and joined Ruth, Chris, Iain and Alison, Chris’ sister, at the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem.
Finally, in September, I went to Argyll and Iona and enjoyed warm hospitality again. The Argyll Iona Family Group all gathered for food in Mollie and Stanley’s home in Kilmichael Glassary – I am still a sort of ex-officio member of that group! My first visit to Iona was 50 years ago when Murdoch was joining the Community. In many ways the island is unchanged. I worshipped in the Abbey Church and walked the same footpaths to the machair and the North end which hold precious memories. My stay there was an opportunity to meet with Swedish friends and folk from Oban, and to attend two of John Bell’s amazing ‘Sing’ sessions. All these ‘adventures’ were a bit of a challenge by myself but should be easier next time.
I am a member at Augustine United Church and appreciate its warm and welcoming fellowship and inspired worship. Some of you will remember our minister, Fiona, singing the introit at the Thanksgiving Service. I have joined the ’City Singers’, and enjoy the ‘Ecumenical Friends’ meeting at lunchtime each week, and the North West Edinburgh Iona Family Group, monthly. I often have visitors from near or far and I am considering various volunteering possibilities.
The ‘girls’ (Ruth is about to celebrate her 50th birthday!) are regular visitors. I can walk to Ruth and Chris’s home via Inverleith Park and I am always welcome at Catriona and Damir’s where I can garden if I wish. Iain makes fairly frequent visits from London. He has a delightful girlfriend here so there is a double incentive! We have had a few family gatherings and it is helpful to have fun together and to share memories. Hana is studying French and Law at Edinburgh University and now driving. This relieves her parents of some of the 5.30am journeys to the swimming which keeps both Hana and Benjo fit. He is studying for his Highers and is now more than big enough to handle the double bass. I see Murdoch’s brother, Kenneth, and his wife, Irene, fairly often and the occasional cousin too!
I look forward to receiving your news. You are always welcome here, wherever you are.
I wish you Joy at Christmas and I pray for Peace in our lives, in the ‘little town of Bethlehem’ and ‘over all the earth’. Peace! Peace! Peace!
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2016
It is time to start on our Advent Journey again. Advent is a waiting time, a time for reflection, a time when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and, traditionally, a time when we share news with family and friends. In the summer I shared in a Pilgrimage with members of the city churches to Dunkeld and we were reminded that a pilgrimage is a sharing with fellow travellers, and that is what we do during Advent.
This whole year has been a year of pilgrimage for me, a journey with friends and family. Some of my journeys have been ones Murdoch and I planned to do together but Murdoch was never well enough to make them. In the Spring I went by train to the south of England and the West Midlands. Here I shared stories with friends with whom we worked both in India and in Birmingham and all kinds of memories came tumbling in. In Worthing as I sat at table with Roma and Fred Alberts we sang ‘Johnnie Appleseed’ for the grace, as Fred remembered Murdoch teaching it to his children when we ate together in Madras more than 40 years ago! Wherever I went folk were most generous with their time and their hospitality. On that journey I also enjoyed time with Ruth and Chris and Alison, Chris’ sister, in Alison’s home in Christchurch, and a few nights with Joan and Arthur in Codsall. Joan and I first met more than 60 years ago when we were first year medical students. Sadly, last month, Arthur died. I am so glad that I had time with him and Joan in April.
Later in the year, I drove to Merseyside, via Glenridding, where I stayed with Anthea Kaan. Anthea, Murdoch and I grew up in the same Sunday School in Prenton Congregational Church! In Liverpool I spent some time at two family graves, where my parents and their ancestors are buried. These two cemeteries, Allerton and Toxteth, are well cared for and blessed with many trees. I also had time with two childhood friends, one of whom lives in the same house in front of which we had a street party on V.E. day, and we spoke of annual picnics to Hoylake or New Brighton. The sun always shone! I visited Dorothy, the widow of a cousin of my mother’s, and her son, Paul, shared some family history with me about the days of sailing ships. I had lunch beside the River Dee with a medical friend in Chester and visited my only cousin, Beryl. An afternoon in Runcorn enabled me to visit friends there and to walk or drive down many ‘memory lanes’, as I did in all these places. On the Sunday I worshipped in Prenton United Reformed Church, a very special place for me, and there are still friends there – including Glenys who dropped her sheath knife through her foot when I was First Aider at a Guide Camp in the 1950s! It was good to see a Malayalam congregation worshipping in the church hall. On my journey north I went to see Judith who looked much the same as she did when we graduated in 1961, and I stayed overnight near Appleby with friends from Milton Keynes. These are all folk with whom I have shared my life journey and memories are precious.
Between these two travels in England, I joined Ruth and Chris on a journey to Italy. We enjoyed Turin, a fine city, not yet overcome by tourism, and the beauties of Tuscany, but the highlight of the visit was our time in Vesime in Piedmont. Here we received overwhelming kindness from Maria Teresa and Riccardo. Murdoch met Riccardo in Bruges in 1957 when they were both prize-winners in a European Schools’ Essay competition. We visited him in Vesime in 1959, and twice in the last ten years. Riccardo and Maria Teresa were so generous to Ruth and Chris and me in sharing their wonderful old home, their village and all the beautiful countryside with the vines, the hazelnuts and the poplars. Not a lot has changed in the 57 years since I was first there and walking up to the ruined castle on the hillside just above their home was a very moving experience for me. Murdoch and It is time to start on our Advent Journey again. Advent is a waiting time, a time for reflection, a time when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and, traditionally, a time when we share news with family and friends. In the summer I shared in a Pilgrimage with members of the city churches to Dunkeld and we were reminded that a pilgrimage is a sharing with fellow travellers, and that is what we do during Advent. ADVENT LETTER 2016 16/3 Rocheid Park, Edinburgh EH4 1RU Riccardo developed a very close relationship in recent years and shared many thoughts and inspirations with each other in correspondence, so it was hard for him that I was there without Murdoch.
The family continues to be a blessing. Iain is still based in London but visits Edinburgh frequently and has recently invested in a flat here. He continues to work to save the environment doing EPCs and has also qualified as an SAP assessor. He is playing a lot of badminton and he sings in the Primrose Hill Community Choir. Catriona and Damir have busy lives – Social Work and Immigration Law are both very demanding occupations. They have two – delightful – teenagers, too! Hana is in her second year studying French and Law at Edinburgh, and Benjo is planning to study Chemical Engineering, perhaps also in Edinburgh, next year. They both still make music and swim. Hana is teaching some junior members of the swimming squad and Benjo is helping youngsters with their playing of the double bass. Rowing has just started to feature in Hana’s timetable and she is enjoying that. Ruth continues as the Support for Learning teacher at Carrick Knowe Primary School, and never has enough time in the week! She cycles and swims to keep fit, but not as often as she would like. Chris commutes to Glasgow for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra each day. From time to time I enjoy the fruits of his labours. He loves his job and running up and down to the station keeps him fit! I see Kenneth, Murdoch’s brother, and Irene most weeks and although Kenneth is now quite severely restricted by Parkinson’s disease he and I can smile at memories of people and pranks - (his!) - in Prenton in the 1950s!
I have enjoyed visiting some amazing stately homes and their fantastic gardens during the year. Their owners are very generous in the way they open the gardens to the public who can then share the delights. The Botanic Gardens are within walking distance for me and a joy. Catriona gets a lot of pleasure from her garden and puts many hours into it. I put on my gardening boots occasionally there but do no serious work! I just enjoy being there with her, and my own little balcony is also a source of pleasure. I have welcomed visitors from Connel and further afield - folk are very kind to share some of their holiday time with me. Each week I attend the meeting of the ‘Ecumenical Friends’ and we have some fine speakers and a warm and happy time of fellowship over a sandwich lunch. I sing with the Edinburgh City Singers which is great fun and we have two concerts each year which bring a full house! I volunteer for ‘Fresh Start’ each week, helping homeless folk who have been newly provided with accommodation to make it ‘home’. I never cease to be amazed by the army of volunteers who commit themselves to give their time and skills, and by the abundance of bedding, household goods, food etc., which flows into the warehouse each week enabling an empty flat to be changed into a ‘home’. Folk are very generous in their giving, and many of the clients are generous in their thanks for being given a fresh start.
‘The Church on the Bridge’, Augustine United, is my spiritual home and I am grateful to God that I can be a part of that warm and wonderful fellowship of folk ‘Sharing seeds of justice and joy’. I have friends too in my neighbours, in the Iona Family Group and here and there in the city, so I am not often lonely but feeling ‘aloneness’ sometimes is something which will always be there. I send you my love and prayers for next year’s journey, Anne
So this has been my pilgrimage, my journey this year. I have met with so much generosity and kindness. I hope you have too. We have a generous God and we must be glad and rejoice that Love has come again, for ever, in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. We are called to be Joyful and Triumphant and to share that Love in this weary world. I send you my love and prayers for next year’s journey, Anne
This whole year has been a year of pilgrimage for me, a journey with friends and family. Some of my journeys have been ones Murdoch and I planned to do together but Murdoch was never well enough to make them. In the Spring I went by train to the south of England and the West Midlands. Here I shared stories with friends with whom we worked both in India and in Birmingham and all kinds of memories came tumbling in. In Worthing as I sat at table with Roma and Fred Alberts we sang ‘Johnnie Appleseed’ for the grace, as Fred remembered Murdoch teaching it to his children when we ate together in Madras more than 40 years ago! Wherever I went folk were most generous with their time and their hospitality. On that journey I also enjoyed time with Ruth and Chris and Alison, Chris’ sister, in Alison’s home in Christchurch, and a few nights with Joan and Arthur in Codsall. Joan and I first met more than 60 years ago when we were first year medical students. Sadly, last month, Arthur died. I am so glad that I had time with him and Joan in April.
Later in the year, I drove to Merseyside, via Glenridding, where I stayed with Anthea Kaan. Anthea, Murdoch and I grew up in the same Sunday School in Prenton Congregational Church! In Liverpool I spent some time at two family graves, where my parents and their ancestors are buried. These two cemeteries, Allerton and Toxteth, are well cared for and blessed with many trees. I also had time with two childhood friends, one of whom lives in the same house in front of which we had a street party on V.E. day, and we spoke of annual picnics to Hoylake or New Brighton. The sun always shone! I visited Dorothy, the widow of a cousin of my mother’s, and her son, Paul, shared some family history with me about the days of sailing ships. I had lunch beside the River Dee with a medical friend in Chester and visited my only cousin, Beryl. An afternoon in Runcorn enabled me to visit friends there and to walk or drive down many ‘memory lanes’, as I did in all these places. On the Sunday I worshipped in Prenton United Reformed Church, a very special place for me, and there are still friends there – including Glenys who dropped her sheath knife through her foot when I was First Aider at a Guide Camp in the 1950s! It was good to see a Malayalam congregation worshipping in the church hall. On my journey north I went to see Judith who looked much the same as she did when we graduated in 1961, and I stayed overnight near Appleby with friends from Milton Keynes. These are all folk with whom I have shared my life journey and memories are precious.
Between these two travels in England, I joined Ruth and Chris on a journey to Italy. We enjoyed Turin, a fine city, not yet overcome by tourism, and the beauties of Tuscany, but the highlight of the visit was our time in Vesime in Piedmont. Here we received overwhelming kindness from Maria Teresa and Riccardo. Murdoch met Riccardo in Bruges in 1957 when they were both prize-winners in a European Schools’ Essay competition. We visited him in Vesime in 1959, and twice in the last ten years. Riccardo and Maria Teresa were so generous to Ruth and Chris and me in sharing their wonderful old home, their village and all the beautiful countryside with the vines, the hazelnuts and the poplars. Not a lot has changed in the 57 years since I was first there and walking up to the ruined castle on the hillside just above their home was a very moving experience for me. Murdoch and It is time to start on our Advent Journey again. Advent is a waiting time, a time for reflection, a time when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and, traditionally, a time when we share news with family and friends. In the summer I shared in a Pilgrimage with members of the city churches to Dunkeld and we were reminded that a pilgrimage is a sharing with fellow travellers, and that is what we do during Advent. ADVENT LETTER 2016 16/3 Rocheid Park, Edinburgh EH4 1RU Riccardo developed a very close relationship in recent years and shared many thoughts and inspirations with each other in correspondence, so it was hard for him that I was there without Murdoch.
The family continues to be a blessing. Iain is still based in London but visits Edinburgh frequently and has recently invested in a flat here. He continues to work to save the environment doing EPCs and has also qualified as an SAP assessor. He is playing a lot of badminton and he sings in the Primrose Hill Community Choir. Catriona and Damir have busy lives – Social Work and Immigration Law are both very demanding occupations. They have two – delightful – teenagers, too! Hana is in her second year studying French and Law at Edinburgh, and Benjo is planning to study Chemical Engineering, perhaps also in Edinburgh, next year. They both still make music and swim. Hana is teaching some junior members of the swimming squad and Benjo is helping youngsters with their playing of the double bass. Rowing has just started to feature in Hana’s timetable and she is enjoying that. Ruth continues as the Support for Learning teacher at Carrick Knowe Primary School, and never has enough time in the week! She cycles and swims to keep fit, but not as often as she would like. Chris commutes to Glasgow for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra each day. From time to time I enjoy the fruits of his labours. He loves his job and running up and down to the station keeps him fit! I see Kenneth, Murdoch’s brother, and Irene most weeks and although Kenneth is now quite severely restricted by Parkinson’s disease he and I can smile at memories of people and pranks - (his!) - in Prenton in the 1950s!
I have enjoyed visiting some amazing stately homes and their fantastic gardens during the year. Their owners are very generous in the way they open the gardens to the public who can then share the delights. The Botanic Gardens are within walking distance for me and a joy. Catriona gets a lot of pleasure from her garden and puts many hours into it. I put on my gardening boots occasionally there but do no serious work! I just enjoy being there with her, and my own little balcony is also a source of pleasure. I have welcomed visitors from Connel and further afield - folk are very kind to share some of their holiday time with me. Each week I attend the meeting of the ‘Ecumenical Friends’ and we have some fine speakers and a warm and happy time of fellowship over a sandwich lunch. I sing with the Edinburgh City Singers which is great fun and we have two concerts each year which bring a full house! I volunteer for ‘Fresh Start’ each week, helping homeless folk who have been newly provided with accommodation to make it ‘home’. I never cease to be amazed by the army of volunteers who commit themselves to give their time and skills, and by the abundance of bedding, household goods, food etc., which flows into the warehouse each week enabling an empty flat to be changed into a ‘home’. Folk are very generous in their giving, and many of the clients are generous in their thanks for being given a fresh start.
‘The Church on the Bridge’, Augustine United, is my spiritual home and I am grateful to God that I can be a part of that warm and wonderful fellowship of folk ‘Sharing seeds of justice and joy’. I have friends too in my neighbours, in the Iona Family Group and here and there in the city, so I am not often lonely but feeling ‘aloneness’ sometimes is something which will always be there. I send you my love and prayers for next year’s journey, Anne
So this has been my pilgrimage, my journey this year. I have met with so much generosity and kindness. I hope you have too. We have a generous God and we must be glad and rejoice that Love has come again, for ever, in the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. We are called to be Joyful and Triumphant and to share that Love in this weary world. I send you my love and prayers for next year’s journey, Anne
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2017
Advent is here again and we look forward to receiving news from friends and family in traditional cards and letters and also electronically. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ we light candles in our homes and in our churches – as a child I remember living Christmas trees and live candles in small wobbly holders! No ‘Health and Safety’ then. The candle flames remind us that we are welcoming the Light of the World into our homes and churches. Light for the whole world and all that is in it. Even as we do this we are surrounded by noise, busyness, broken lives, evil dictators, poverty, homelessness, just as Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem more than 2000 years ago. But hopefully we can find time to be still and to reflect on the message of the angels, ‘Peace on earth and goodwill to all people’.
In spite of the brokenness, God’s goodness is all around us, evidenced by the constant renewal of the earth with the beauty of the changing seasons, by acts of kindness and gentleness and also in the technological creativity of the 21st century. The Château at Chenonceau, the Queensferry Crossing, the lighthouse at the Butt of Lewis, the shining steam engine in the National Railway Museum in York, the intricate icing on a 50th birthday cake and the taste of a newly baked loaf, these are all wonders of God’s creation which I have experienced this year.
Gardens are wonders too and always bring pleasure to all the senses. The Archivists’ Garden in central Edinburgh (discovered through the book ‘Secret Edinburgh’), Sandy’s Mill near Haddington, an amazing ‘Open Garden’ on a croft on the Isle of Lewis, the gardens at Kew and Giverny, the natural garden at New Kilpatrick cemetery and, of course, Catriona’s garden and my own little balcony have all refreshed my soul this year.
Meeting with friends old and new is also refreshing, at home, out and about, and by phone and email. There is sadness too in the death of friends who have gone on to join the company of heaven. I have found new friends this year at the Mental Health Drop-In sessions where I volunteer. It is a privilege for me to be welcome in this community where vulnerable folk can find a voice and support each other, sharing stories, gifts, experiences and fun over a cup of tea or coffee.
Augustine United, the Church on the Bridge, continues to be full of life and to sow seeds of justice and joy. We are a great variety of members and I think that each of us feels a sense of belonging and valued as a unique child of God. The Iona Community Edinburgh Associates held a ‘Big Sing’ there recently; folk discovered voices they did not know they had and nearly raised the roof! (It is just as well we did not quite manage this, as it is only a year since we celebrated the completion of major works to repair it.) Recently at Augustine, the Scottish Synod of the United Reformed Church celebrated the centenary of the birth of Erik Routley, a renowned preacher and hymnologist who ministered at Augustine in the 1950s and ‘60s. He was born on the 400th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses. Erik used words which made the Gospel relevant to the 20th century, believing that the Church needed to be reformed before it could grow, just as Luther did 500 years ago when he nailed those Theses to the door at Wittenburg.
The family are well and pursuing their busy lives in education, social work, sustainability, orchestra administration and immigration law. I have a new laptop - the old one was grinding to a halt - so Iain spent time setting it up for me. He is planning to start a business which he hopes will encourage folk to ride bikes round London rather than polluting the atmosphere with their cars. Benjo, who reached 18 in November, has embarked on Chemical Engineering studies at Edinburgh University and Hana is in Nancy pursuing her law studies in French! A few days before Hana left for France, Catriona celebrated her 50th birthday at home with many friends, flowers from her garden and photos on every door! In July, I spent a relaxed and enjoyable week on a former croft on Lewis with Ruth and Chris, and we drove home via Skye where we spent a night with one of Murdoch’s cousins and his family.
We have good news to proclaim - tidings of comfort and joy, peace and goodwill, hope in a weary world, but while there is injustice there can be no real comfort, peace or hope. People trafficking, hunger, climate change, violence – as individuals we cannot change the world, but with God’s grace whatever little we can do will make a difference. As we rejoice, it is good to take a moment to be silent – ‘How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given’. May we receive this gift, the Light of the World, in our hearts, our homes, our communities and throughout God’s world this Christmas.
Pictures Spring in Rocheid Park Summer in Connel
Autumn in Inverleith Park Wintry road from Argyll
God’s Wonderful World!
With my love,
Anne
In spite of the brokenness, God’s goodness is all around us, evidenced by the constant renewal of the earth with the beauty of the changing seasons, by acts of kindness and gentleness and also in the technological creativity of the 21st century. The Château at Chenonceau, the Queensferry Crossing, the lighthouse at the Butt of Lewis, the shining steam engine in the National Railway Museum in York, the intricate icing on a 50th birthday cake and the taste of a newly baked loaf, these are all wonders of God’s creation which I have experienced this year.
Gardens are wonders too and always bring pleasure to all the senses. The Archivists’ Garden in central Edinburgh (discovered through the book ‘Secret Edinburgh’), Sandy’s Mill near Haddington, an amazing ‘Open Garden’ on a croft on the Isle of Lewis, the gardens at Kew and Giverny, the natural garden at New Kilpatrick cemetery and, of course, Catriona’s garden and my own little balcony have all refreshed my soul this year.
Meeting with friends old and new is also refreshing, at home, out and about, and by phone and email. There is sadness too in the death of friends who have gone on to join the company of heaven. I have found new friends this year at the Mental Health Drop-In sessions where I volunteer. It is a privilege for me to be welcome in this community where vulnerable folk can find a voice and support each other, sharing stories, gifts, experiences and fun over a cup of tea or coffee.
Augustine United, the Church on the Bridge, continues to be full of life and to sow seeds of justice and joy. We are a great variety of members and I think that each of us feels a sense of belonging and valued as a unique child of God. The Iona Community Edinburgh Associates held a ‘Big Sing’ there recently; folk discovered voices they did not know they had and nearly raised the roof! (It is just as well we did not quite manage this, as it is only a year since we celebrated the completion of major works to repair it.) Recently at Augustine, the Scottish Synod of the United Reformed Church celebrated the centenary of the birth of Erik Routley, a renowned preacher and hymnologist who ministered at Augustine in the 1950s and ‘60s. He was born on the 400th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses. Erik used words which made the Gospel relevant to the 20th century, believing that the Church needed to be reformed before it could grow, just as Luther did 500 years ago when he nailed those Theses to the door at Wittenburg.
The family are well and pursuing their busy lives in education, social work, sustainability, orchestra administration and immigration law. I have a new laptop - the old one was grinding to a halt - so Iain spent time setting it up for me. He is planning to start a business which he hopes will encourage folk to ride bikes round London rather than polluting the atmosphere with their cars. Benjo, who reached 18 in November, has embarked on Chemical Engineering studies at Edinburgh University and Hana is in Nancy pursuing her law studies in French! A few days before Hana left for France, Catriona celebrated her 50th birthday at home with many friends, flowers from her garden and photos on every door! In July, I spent a relaxed and enjoyable week on a former croft on Lewis with Ruth and Chris, and we drove home via Skye where we spent a night with one of Murdoch’s cousins and his family.
We have good news to proclaim - tidings of comfort and joy, peace and goodwill, hope in a weary world, but while there is injustice there can be no real comfort, peace or hope. People trafficking, hunger, climate change, violence – as individuals we cannot change the world, but with God’s grace whatever little we can do will make a difference. As we rejoice, it is good to take a moment to be silent – ‘How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given’. May we receive this gift, the Light of the World, in our hearts, our homes, our communities and throughout God’s world this Christmas.
Pictures Spring in Rocheid Park Summer in Connel
Autumn in Inverleith Park Wintry road from Argyll
God’s Wonderful World!
With my love,
Anne
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2018
In September a friend of more than fifty years, Jo Newell, and I celebrated together our journeying into a new decade, taking a spectacular journey in the Canadian Rockies. The magnificence of lakes, mountains and reflections, of forests of tall trees, landscaped gardens and window boxes, and the simplicity of the flight of the bald eagle, and of dragonflies hovering over lily pads caused me to reflect on the wonder of God’s created world at every turn. We learned a lot about the First Nation people including their art, and their life journeys recorded on totem poles. They accord huge significance to the number four which stands for the four seasons, four directions and four elements – earth, wind, fire and water. As Christians we are starting on our Advent journey, travelling together through the four weeks of preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. During these weeks of waiting we reflect on journeys we have made together with friends and family over the years, and now is the time to be in touch and share those memories.
My family made sure that my journey into the ninth decade was memorable and fun, with a party at the Botanic Gardens for family and mainly local friends, and the first hearing of a new family poem to add to our collection. I was treated to
First Nation totem pole, Stanley Park, Vancouver
a day at the Chatsworth Flower Show, and another at ‘West Side Story at the Proms’ in the Royal Albert Hall. Both of these events were opportunities to share travel with the children and to celebrate together our family life. So thank you!
There are daily journeys too, together with folk at Fresh Start, which is a charity supporting homeless folk, on a journey back to dignity and hope, and together with friends at the NHS Mental Health Drop-in, a safe, relaxed space where folk can be themselves, chat, laugh, maybe cry, and drink coffee. The ‘Ecumenical Friends’ lunch gatherings are an opportunity to share journey experiences of up to seventy years from around the world. There is time, too, to meet with other friends and neighbours for coffee or soup or just a chat. Our journeys are to and from different places, but in time, we are all travelling together, sharing this environment which is so threatened by the way we live and make our journeys. At Augustine United Church we have recently received the Silver Award from Eco Congregation Scotland, but we are aware that we must not be complacent and that each one of us contributes to environmental damage, and can also contribute to the healing if we put our minds to it. Eco Congregation Scotland has recently appointed an Environmental Chaplain and we are glad and privileged that he is a member of our congregation, so he will keep us on the right road for our journey, looking toward 2030 which is a critical date for the environment.
Lake Louise, Alberta
Around the world, too, there is talk of togetherness, and the Church of Scotland Guild, in partnership with the World Mission Council, is supporting a project in
Zambia, ’Journeying Together’, which empowers vulnerable and disadvantaged teenage mothers. The ‘World Council of Churches’ has been celebrating ‘Walking Together’ for 70 years, having been initiated as a Christian ecumenical response to the tragedy of World War II. The number of Churches on this journey together has doubled over the years and now represents about a quarter of all the Christians in the world, in 150 countries. So wherever we are and whoever we are, we are travelling together on shared journeys with friends and family, near and far, building community in these unsettling and unpredictable times.
‘Homecoming’ First World War Naval War Memorial, Victoria, Vancouver Island
Ruth, Chris, Iain and I will spend Christmas in Edinburgh along with Mary, a cousin of Chris. Catriona will be in Chennai, fulfilling a long held wish to take Damir, Hana and Benjo to the place where she grew up. It will be an exciting and busy time for them visiting friends and old familiar places. Catriona’s camera will be working overtime! In the city centre, we at Augustine United Church, with our covenanted partners, Greyfriars Church of Scotland and St. Columba’s by the Castle Episcopal Church will be proclaiming the Good News to all who join with us in worship or acts of service, or just pass by. Our covenant is appropriately called The Local Church, or TLC, and giving ‘tender loving care’ is how we try to show the many vulnerable folk on the city centre streets that God loves us all.
I wish you joy this Christmas and I pray that in the year ahead, justice, peace and goodwill will increase throughout our troubled world.
With my love,
Anne
P.S. ‘Imagine all the people living life in peace ………….
I hope some day you’ll join us and the world will be as one.’
John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ will feature in the Edinburgh City Singers Christmas programme.
My family made sure that my journey into the ninth decade was memorable and fun, with a party at the Botanic Gardens for family and mainly local friends, and the first hearing of a new family poem to add to our collection. I was treated to
First Nation totem pole, Stanley Park, Vancouver
a day at the Chatsworth Flower Show, and another at ‘West Side Story at the Proms’ in the Royal Albert Hall. Both of these events were opportunities to share travel with the children and to celebrate together our family life. So thank you!
There are daily journeys too, together with folk at Fresh Start, which is a charity supporting homeless folk, on a journey back to dignity and hope, and together with friends at the NHS Mental Health Drop-in, a safe, relaxed space where folk can be themselves, chat, laugh, maybe cry, and drink coffee. The ‘Ecumenical Friends’ lunch gatherings are an opportunity to share journey experiences of up to seventy years from around the world. There is time, too, to meet with other friends and neighbours for coffee or soup or just a chat. Our journeys are to and from different places, but in time, we are all travelling together, sharing this environment which is so threatened by the way we live and make our journeys. At Augustine United Church we have recently received the Silver Award from Eco Congregation Scotland, but we are aware that we must not be complacent and that each one of us contributes to environmental damage, and can also contribute to the healing if we put our minds to it. Eco Congregation Scotland has recently appointed an Environmental Chaplain and we are glad and privileged that he is a member of our congregation, so he will keep us on the right road for our journey, looking toward 2030 which is a critical date for the environment.
Lake Louise, Alberta
Around the world, too, there is talk of togetherness, and the Church of Scotland Guild, in partnership with the World Mission Council, is supporting a project in
Zambia, ’Journeying Together’, which empowers vulnerable and disadvantaged teenage mothers. The ‘World Council of Churches’ has been celebrating ‘Walking Together’ for 70 years, having been initiated as a Christian ecumenical response to the tragedy of World War II. The number of Churches on this journey together has doubled over the years and now represents about a quarter of all the Christians in the world, in 150 countries. So wherever we are and whoever we are, we are travelling together on shared journeys with friends and family, near and far, building community in these unsettling and unpredictable times.
‘Homecoming’ First World War Naval War Memorial, Victoria, Vancouver Island
Ruth, Chris, Iain and I will spend Christmas in Edinburgh along with Mary, a cousin of Chris. Catriona will be in Chennai, fulfilling a long held wish to take Damir, Hana and Benjo to the place where she grew up. It will be an exciting and busy time for them visiting friends and old familiar places. Catriona’s camera will be working overtime! In the city centre, we at Augustine United Church, with our covenanted partners, Greyfriars Church of Scotland and St. Columba’s by the Castle Episcopal Church will be proclaiming the Good News to all who join with us in worship or acts of service, or just pass by. Our covenant is appropriately called The Local Church, or TLC, and giving ‘tender loving care’ is how we try to show the many vulnerable folk on the city centre streets that God loves us all.
I wish you joy this Christmas and I pray that in the year ahead, justice, peace and goodwill will increase throughout our troubled world.
With my love,
Anne
P.S. ‘Imagine all the people living life in peace ………….
I hope some day you’ll join us and the world will be as one.’
John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ will feature in the Edinburgh City Singers Christmas programme.
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2019
In recent weeks and months we have heard often that we are living in ‘challenging’ times. As we move into Advent, a time of waiting and preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we remember that times have always been challenging! Mary was challenged to say ‘yes’, Joseph was challenged to take her as his wife, and they were both challenged to make the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem along a rough road and expecting the birth of a baby at any moment! Every day we all make different kinds of journey and face different kinds of challenge. Earlier in the year I was able to take part in the ‘Kiltwalk’ here in Edinburgh along with three friends from Augustine United Church, and to share the journey with literally thousands of folk, all sponsored to raise funds for charities which support a great variety of ‘good causes’. Some chose the 24 mile walk but for others the distance was just 5 miles, among whom I was one, along with blind and lame folk, wheelchair riders, pushchairs and the very old! There was a sense of ‘togetherness’ as we all shared in the challenge. In Advent we share with Christians around the world reflecting on the message of the angels ‘Peace on Earth’ and hopefully taking up the challenge to build bridges in these ‘challenging times’. These angels you see here are displayed in a window in Milan Cathedral.
There are many positive and encouraging responses to challenge around the world. The L’Arche Community was started in France by Jean Vanier 55 years ago and now in 150 homes worldwide, 12 of which are in the UK, adults with learning disabilities are sharing their lives with ‘normal’ people in a rich and tender ‘togetherness’. An obstetrician from London has returned to her home country of Somalia, leaving the security of her employment with the NHS, to care for mothers and babies in most primitive and squalid conditions, hoping to reduce both infant and maternal mortality. Mediators from ‘Place for Hope’ are praying with clergy from South Sudan for peace and reconciliation in their country which is at crisis point. There are challenges for and with vulnerable folk here in Edinburgh. A chance of restored dignity and self-esteem is offered to some by Fresh Start, celebrating 20 years of service this year, helping homeless people make a home for themselves. I make up bedding rolls each week with the generous donations which continually flow into the warehouse! At a weekly ‘Drop In’ gathering the NHS mental health chaplaincy provides a safe place where friends can find a voice and support each other, and it is my privilege to be a volunteer in that community.
Our care of this wonderful planet in which God has placed us is being challenged by young and old. Greta Thunberg speaking at the Climate Action Summit this year spoke emotionally and powerfully of the risk to our eco systems. David Attenborough brings to us wonderful images of species around the world which are at risk of extinction, and Extinction Rebellion activities are making us all think. Christian Aid reminds us that social and environmental justice go hand in hand, and around the world partner organisations are working to achieve a sustainable future and a ‘fulfilling life for all’. As a response to the environmental challenge In Kenya the government there has banned the use of plastic bags. Traidcraft is this year celebrating 40 years of pursuing trade, social and environmental justice. The Fairtrade Foundation with its familiar Fairtrade Mark has been working to empower disadvantaged producers around the world for 25 years, and facing many challenges to overcome injustice.
Edinburgh City Council is considering creating a ‘healthy space’ in the city centre for the benefit of people and the environment. At the Festival this year there was less use of leaflet publicity and one show in the Fringe was powered by the audience pedalling! The Lothian buses ‘Fleet of the Future’
aims to have reached the EU emissions target by the end of 2020. Annually they will save 12 K tonnes of CO2 which is the equivalent of taking 2396 cars off the road for a year! So many challenges are being taken up and acted upon, and at Augustine United Church we are working with a consultant on a project called ‘Shaping a Healthy Future’ in order to help us sustain our ministry and mission in the city centre – if God wants us to be there!
Ruth, Catriona and Iain, along with Chris and Damir, face challenges in their daily work, with their concerns for vulnerable children and families, for sustaining the environment and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and for the needs of immigrants from around the world. Hana graduated this year and she and Benjo continue their studies, and their swimming coaching. In the summertime they both spent three weeks in Sarajevo doing a Bosnian language course.
I keep well, and busy and I have much for which to be thankful. I have plenty of opportunity to remain in touch with friends from earlier days which keeps good memories fresh and alive. Early in the year I spent three days in Liverpool with Joan whom I had first met there when we were ‘fresher’ students in 1955! In May I was in Little Lever for a few days with Jo who, with Roy, was working in Madras in 1967 when we arrived there and over the years our friendship has been very precious. Jo’s sister and her husband were very generous in their hospitality and we saw some lovely Lancashire countryside. A recent phone call from a ‘young’ couple who were teenagers when we left the Kirk in Madras in 1978 was a delight! In 1957, Murdoch met a young Italian called Riccardo in Brugges when they were both winners in a European Schools Essay Competition – about Europe! – and in July, Ruth, Chris and I enjoyed three days with Riccardo and his wife, Maria Teresa, in their home in Vesime in Northern Italy. The warmth of their welcome and our friendship remained with us as we spent a further three days in Bergamo and Milan. The challenge for me on that holiday was to meet up with Ruth and Chris in Milan Central Railway Station as they had been elsewhere in Europe. All went smoothly and I have never seen my son-in-law so pleased to see me! We travelled home together in a plane (sorry) full of Italian families coming to Edinburgh to enjoy a (wet) week at the Festival. Just last month I re-lived childhood memories on the narrow gauge steam railways in North Wales with my friend, Kay. On my way home I had two nights in Chester with my only cousin, Beryl. We were able to share family memories from our early childhood. Connel friends and neighbours come to the big city from time to time and I experienced the fresh air of Argyll when I was on Iona at Easter. Before you receive this I will have spent a few days in Milton Keynes, staying with Elisabeth and catching up with life there.
But most of the time I am here in Edinburgh and there is plenty of time for local friends to visit, to be visited or to meet up for a coffee. I enjoy my ‘wee’ balcony garden and my home, where you are more than welcome. Do drop in, or give me a ring and let me know that you are coming! I saw this beautiful skyscape from the balcony one December early morning in 2014. Can you spot Arthur’s Seat?
I look forward to hearing your news and I hope that this year has been good for you. May you know love, joy and peace this Christmas, and a living hope as we face the challenges of the year ahead.
With my love
Anne
There are many positive and encouraging responses to challenge around the world. The L’Arche Community was started in France by Jean Vanier 55 years ago and now in 150 homes worldwide, 12 of which are in the UK, adults with learning disabilities are sharing their lives with ‘normal’ people in a rich and tender ‘togetherness’. An obstetrician from London has returned to her home country of Somalia, leaving the security of her employment with the NHS, to care for mothers and babies in most primitive and squalid conditions, hoping to reduce both infant and maternal mortality. Mediators from ‘Place for Hope’ are praying with clergy from South Sudan for peace and reconciliation in their country which is at crisis point. There are challenges for and with vulnerable folk here in Edinburgh. A chance of restored dignity and self-esteem is offered to some by Fresh Start, celebrating 20 years of service this year, helping homeless people make a home for themselves. I make up bedding rolls each week with the generous donations which continually flow into the warehouse! At a weekly ‘Drop In’ gathering the NHS mental health chaplaincy provides a safe place where friends can find a voice and support each other, and it is my privilege to be a volunteer in that community.
Our care of this wonderful planet in which God has placed us is being challenged by young and old. Greta Thunberg speaking at the Climate Action Summit this year spoke emotionally and powerfully of the risk to our eco systems. David Attenborough brings to us wonderful images of species around the world which are at risk of extinction, and Extinction Rebellion activities are making us all think. Christian Aid reminds us that social and environmental justice go hand in hand, and around the world partner organisations are working to achieve a sustainable future and a ‘fulfilling life for all’. As a response to the environmental challenge In Kenya the government there has banned the use of plastic bags. Traidcraft is this year celebrating 40 years of pursuing trade, social and environmental justice. The Fairtrade Foundation with its familiar Fairtrade Mark has been working to empower disadvantaged producers around the world for 25 years, and facing many challenges to overcome injustice.
Edinburgh City Council is considering creating a ‘healthy space’ in the city centre for the benefit of people and the environment. At the Festival this year there was less use of leaflet publicity and one show in the Fringe was powered by the audience pedalling! The Lothian buses ‘Fleet of the Future’
aims to have reached the EU emissions target by the end of 2020. Annually they will save 12 K tonnes of CO2 which is the equivalent of taking 2396 cars off the road for a year! So many challenges are being taken up and acted upon, and at Augustine United Church we are working with a consultant on a project called ‘Shaping a Healthy Future’ in order to help us sustain our ministry and mission in the city centre – if God wants us to be there!
Ruth, Catriona and Iain, along with Chris and Damir, face challenges in their daily work, with their concerns for vulnerable children and families, for sustaining the environment and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and for the needs of immigrants from around the world. Hana graduated this year and she and Benjo continue their studies, and their swimming coaching. In the summertime they both spent three weeks in Sarajevo doing a Bosnian language course.
I keep well, and busy and I have much for which to be thankful. I have plenty of opportunity to remain in touch with friends from earlier days which keeps good memories fresh and alive. Early in the year I spent three days in Liverpool with Joan whom I had first met there when we were ‘fresher’ students in 1955! In May I was in Little Lever for a few days with Jo who, with Roy, was working in Madras in 1967 when we arrived there and over the years our friendship has been very precious. Jo’s sister and her husband were very generous in their hospitality and we saw some lovely Lancashire countryside. A recent phone call from a ‘young’ couple who were teenagers when we left the Kirk in Madras in 1978 was a delight! In 1957, Murdoch met a young Italian called Riccardo in Brugges when they were both winners in a European Schools Essay Competition – about Europe! – and in July, Ruth, Chris and I enjoyed three days with Riccardo and his wife, Maria Teresa, in their home in Vesime in Northern Italy. The warmth of their welcome and our friendship remained with us as we spent a further three days in Bergamo and Milan. The challenge for me on that holiday was to meet up with Ruth and Chris in Milan Central Railway Station as they had been elsewhere in Europe. All went smoothly and I have never seen my son-in-law so pleased to see me! We travelled home together in a plane (sorry) full of Italian families coming to Edinburgh to enjoy a (wet) week at the Festival. Just last month I re-lived childhood memories on the narrow gauge steam railways in North Wales with my friend, Kay. On my way home I had two nights in Chester with my only cousin, Beryl. We were able to share family memories from our early childhood. Connel friends and neighbours come to the big city from time to time and I experienced the fresh air of Argyll when I was on Iona at Easter. Before you receive this I will have spent a few days in Milton Keynes, staying with Elisabeth and catching up with life there.
But most of the time I am here in Edinburgh and there is plenty of time for local friends to visit, to be visited or to meet up for a coffee. I enjoy my ‘wee’ balcony garden and my home, where you are more than welcome. Do drop in, or give me a ring and let me know that you are coming! I saw this beautiful skyscape from the balcony one December early morning in 2014. Can you spot Arthur’s Seat?
I look forward to hearing your news and I hope that this year has been good for you. May you know love, joy and peace this Christmas, and a living hope as we face the challenges of the year ahead.
With my love
Anne
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2020
We move into the season of Advent at a time of uncertainty and change – what will the next few months bring? Will we be able to cope with the challenge? One thing is certain - Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever, showing us the way.
The four candles you see are for Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, we have ‘Hope’ in our hearts and minds, not a vain hope but a certain hope. I wonder what Mary and Joseph were hoping for as they travelled the dusty road – a safe delivery? A healthy baby? Less turbulent times so that they could make plans for their little one? Christmas at Augustine United, December 2019 God had a plan for them then, as He/She does for us today.
The second candle represents ‘Love’ and there is a lot of it around, often shown in ‘unusual kindness’. This was the message in the Ecumenical Service during the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, way back in February, when we considered how the Maltese cared for Paul and his companions when they had been shipwrecked. During the Covid- 19 pandemic we have been thankful for so many acts of kindness, so much love, shown by neighbours, family, friends, folk in the community helping more vulnerable folk, and NHS and other essential workers literally giving their all in loving kindness. Kindness became the ‘in’ word. The Red Cross had ‘The Power of Kindness’ as its slogan and a food retailer chose ‘The Taste of Kindness’. Fresh Start writes of ‘Kilted Kindness’ in its ‘thank you’ to those who raised over £15,000 by participating in the Virtual Kiltwalk. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience and Kindness – these are the fruits of the Spirit as Paul reminds us in his letter to the Galatians.
We are all pilgrims on this pandemic journey, an experience shared all over the world. The questions of youngsters on the back seat of the car - ‘How much longer? When will we get there?’ - come to mind. Nobody knows, but hopefully the pandemic is helping us to break down barriers and allowing us to support one another wherever there is need. We have to ‘run with patience’ as we live in these strange days. The wonders of technology have enabled us to see faces, hear voices, chat, share worship and go to meetings, but there is no touch, no presence, no comforting awareness of somebody in your living room or beside you in the pew, no re-assurance of a gentle hug or squeeze of the hand. ‘Bubble’ has a new meaning and it is no longer something untouchable that you cannot catch. You can climb inside and receive comfort and be present with your fellow bubblers!
Nature and the environment celebrated this Spring when the air was unpolluted and all was quiet. The birds sang with greater clarity, colours of the young leaves on the trees were intensely beautiful and the sun shone throughout the month of May. There was a glimpse of a cleaner world, more friendly to all species. There was a baby boom among the elephants in Kenya, white storks bred in the UK after 500 years as the result of a conservation programme, 11,000 trees were planted in the streets of Eastbourne and plastic straws were banned in England! Mountain goats ran amok in the streets of Llandudno and pink flamingos flocked to a Mumbai beach! I have a small pink orchid which lay dormant for a couple of years and then flowered throughout lockdown.
I am grateful for my wee balcony which is full of life and interest, and I always find pleasure in tending the plants and talking to the perky little robin. I keep walking in parks, on the waterfront, cycle paths and the city streets, often discovering something I had not noticed before! At home I have caught up with stitching projects which had been on hold for 20 years or more, knitted a couple of jerseys, and I am trying to discover some piano playing skills! I enjoy playing from ‘The Authentic First Schumann’ from which I learnt as a child and the ‘children’ had lessons from it in India! Nobody can hear my efforts and I find it relaxing. The phone is a great blessing and conversations with church friends and others, near and far, have deepened relationships and often brought laughter which is good therapy! Volunteering stopped, but just this month the warehouse at Fresh Start has re-opened and I am back sorting all the generous donations and having the opportunity to be with friends there again.
I joined my neighbours to clap and bang pan lids on Thursday evenings in appreciation of the work of the NHS during lockdown. That was the start of building a sense of community here and five or six of us, as we were available, took – and still do take – our mugs of coffee into the street at 11am each day to have a good chat. We keep a safe distance from each other and so far the occasional car or helicopter has not reported us to the police!
I have enjoyed reading a variety of books – a ‘positive’ for me as a result of lockdown! First I read Muriel Spark’s ‘The Mandelbaum Gate’ and then John Humphrys’ memoirs ‘A Day like Today’. This gave me insight into some of the workings of the BBC and brought reminders of news events reported over many years, most notably the ‘Aberfan disaster’. John was a very young reporter then and he was the first on the scene. Murdoch and I heard about it on a tape which my mother sent to us while we were doing Tamil language study in Bangalore in 1966. ‘Batting for the Poor’ was the next on my literary agenda, the biography of Bishop David Sheppard. This took me to familiar places in my home city, Liverpool, with memories of major ecumenical happenings there, when David Sheppard along with Archbishop Worlock and the Free Church leader enabled a united Church to enrich the life of the community and of individuals in Liverpool. Now I have been lent a copy of ‘Becoming’ and Michelle Obama writes so beautifully about her early years on the South Side of Chicago. I find it fascinating. I have not reached the White House yet!
My ‘bubble’ has been good for spending time with Ruth and Chris. My holidays this year have been a couple of nights in 5 star accommodation in their home in Stockbridge just a couple of miles away! Chris is working for the BBC, from home, doing archive work on the Radio Times, starting in 1935 when the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra was formed. Ruth is in school doing a lot of ‘outdoor learning’ in the allotment with the children and their friend, Skye, the scarecrow! Catriona and Damir have added interest and excitement to their lovely garden this year by installing a greenhouse. Hana has started work as a trainee solicitor with her father’s colleague, and Benjo, now 21, is in his fourth year studying chemical engineering. He has moved out to share a flat with four of his pals. The fifth member of their family, Luna, the cavapoo, is a delight and keeps them all fit and happy. Iain is well but his leisure activities, badminton and singing, came to a halt so he invested in a beach volley ball kit and whenever they could he and his friends played on Primrose Hill. Christmas Cactus, December 2020
The ‘Joy’ and ‘Peace’ candles remain. The angels’ message of ‘Peace on Earth’ has perhaps become a fraction closer to reality because the ‘Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons’ has just become official as the 50th country, Honduras, has ratified it. Finding peace in our lives, our world and our universe is something for which we all bear some responsibility. However we celebrate Christmas this year - it is certainly not cancelled - we can be full of joy as we thank God for his wonderful gift, Jesus Christ.
I wish you, your families and friends Hope, Peace and Joy in the year ahead.
With my love,
Anne
The four candles you see are for Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, we have ‘Hope’ in our hearts and minds, not a vain hope but a certain hope. I wonder what Mary and Joseph were hoping for as they travelled the dusty road – a safe delivery? A healthy baby? Less turbulent times so that they could make plans for their little one? Christmas at Augustine United, December 2019 God had a plan for them then, as He/She does for us today.
The second candle represents ‘Love’ and there is a lot of it around, often shown in ‘unusual kindness’. This was the message in the Ecumenical Service during the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, way back in February, when we considered how the Maltese cared for Paul and his companions when they had been shipwrecked. During the Covid- 19 pandemic we have been thankful for so many acts of kindness, so much love, shown by neighbours, family, friends, folk in the community helping more vulnerable folk, and NHS and other essential workers literally giving their all in loving kindness. Kindness became the ‘in’ word. The Red Cross had ‘The Power of Kindness’ as its slogan and a food retailer chose ‘The Taste of Kindness’. Fresh Start writes of ‘Kilted Kindness’ in its ‘thank you’ to those who raised over £15,000 by participating in the Virtual Kiltwalk. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience and Kindness – these are the fruits of the Spirit as Paul reminds us in his letter to the Galatians.
We are all pilgrims on this pandemic journey, an experience shared all over the world. The questions of youngsters on the back seat of the car - ‘How much longer? When will we get there?’ - come to mind. Nobody knows, but hopefully the pandemic is helping us to break down barriers and allowing us to support one another wherever there is need. We have to ‘run with patience’ as we live in these strange days. The wonders of technology have enabled us to see faces, hear voices, chat, share worship and go to meetings, but there is no touch, no presence, no comforting awareness of somebody in your living room or beside you in the pew, no re-assurance of a gentle hug or squeeze of the hand. ‘Bubble’ has a new meaning and it is no longer something untouchable that you cannot catch. You can climb inside and receive comfort and be present with your fellow bubblers!
Nature and the environment celebrated this Spring when the air was unpolluted and all was quiet. The birds sang with greater clarity, colours of the young leaves on the trees were intensely beautiful and the sun shone throughout the month of May. There was a glimpse of a cleaner world, more friendly to all species. There was a baby boom among the elephants in Kenya, white storks bred in the UK after 500 years as the result of a conservation programme, 11,000 trees were planted in the streets of Eastbourne and plastic straws were banned in England! Mountain goats ran amok in the streets of Llandudno and pink flamingos flocked to a Mumbai beach! I have a small pink orchid which lay dormant for a couple of years and then flowered throughout lockdown.
I am grateful for my wee balcony which is full of life and interest, and I always find pleasure in tending the plants and talking to the perky little robin. I keep walking in parks, on the waterfront, cycle paths and the city streets, often discovering something I had not noticed before! At home I have caught up with stitching projects which had been on hold for 20 years or more, knitted a couple of jerseys, and I am trying to discover some piano playing skills! I enjoy playing from ‘The Authentic First Schumann’ from which I learnt as a child and the ‘children’ had lessons from it in India! Nobody can hear my efforts and I find it relaxing. The phone is a great blessing and conversations with church friends and others, near and far, have deepened relationships and often brought laughter which is good therapy! Volunteering stopped, but just this month the warehouse at Fresh Start has re-opened and I am back sorting all the generous donations and having the opportunity to be with friends there again.
I joined my neighbours to clap and bang pan lids on Thursday evenings in appreciation of the work of the NHS during lockdown. That was the start of building a sense of community here and five or six of us, as we were available, took – and still do take – our mugs of coffee into the street at 11am each day to have a good chat. We keep a safe distance from each other and so far the occasional car or helicopter has not reported us to the police!
I have enjoyed reading a variety of books – a ‘positive’ for me as a result of lockdown! First I read Muriel Spark’s ‘The Mandelbaum Gate’ and then John Humphrys’ memoirs ‘A Day like Today’. This gave me insight into some of the workings of the BBC and brought reminders of news events reported over many years, most notably the ‘Aberfan disaster’. John was a very young reporter then and he was the first on the scene. Murdoch and I heard about it on a tape which my mother sent to us while we were doing Tamil language study in Bangalore in 1966. ‘Batting for the Poor’ was the next on my literary agenda, the biography of Bishop David Sheppard. This took me to familiar places in my home city, Liverpool, with memories of major ecumenical happenings there, when David Sheppard along with Archbishop Worlock and the Free Church leader enabled a united Church to enrich the life of the community and of individuals in Liverpool. Now I have been lent a copy of ‘Becoming’ and Michelle Obama writes so beautifully about her early years on the South Side of Chicago. I find it fascinating. I have not reached the White House yet!
My ‘bubble’ has been good for spending time with Ruth and Chris. My holidays this year have been a couple of nights in 5 star accommodation in their home in Stockbridge just a couple of miles away! Chris is working for the BBC, from home, doing archive work on the Radio Times, starting in 1935 when the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra was formed. Ruth is in school doing a lot of ‘outdoor learning’ in the allotment with the children and their friend, Skye, the scarecrow! Catriona and Damir have added interest and excitement to their lovely garden this year by installing a greenhouse. Hana has started work as a trainee solicitor with her father’s colleague, and Benjo, now 21, is in his fourth year studying chemical engineering. He has moved out to share a flat with four of his pals. The fifth member of their family, Luna, the cavapoo, is a delight and keeps them all fit and happy. Iain is well but his leisure activities, badminton and singing, came to a halt so he invested in a beach volley ball kit and whenever they could he and his friends played on Primrose Hill. Christmas Cactus, December 2020
The ‘Joy’ and ‘Peace’ candles remain. The angels’ message of ‘Peace on Earth’ has perhaps become a fraction closer to reality because the ‘Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons’ has just become official as the 50th country, Honduras, has ratified it. Finding peace in our lives, our world and our universe is something for which we all bear some responsibility. However we celebrate Christmas this year - it is certainly not cancelled - we can be full of joy as we thank God for his wonderful gift, Jesus Christ.
I wish you, your families and friends Hope, Peace and Joy in the year ahead.
With my love,
Anne
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2021
Greetings from Edinburgh!
Dear Friends,
It is good to be in touch at this time when there are so many uncertainties for us, and for folk around the world, with the pandemic, climate change and Afghanistan all at the forefront of our daily news. But it is quite certain that we are on our Advent journey, when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ some of whose final words to his disciples were that they should be ‘witnesses to the ends of the earth’. As the temperatures rise and our ecosystem is depleted, what is our witness to the ‘ends of the earth’, if we pop into the car to drive to the local corner shop, fill the kettle when we only need a cup of hot water, treat our plants to peat-filled compost, buy a polo neck jumper when we have more than enough to keep us warm, or even concrete our front garden? We do have the freedom to make our own choices, and whatever agreements have been reached at COP26, there are hopeful things happening. Chris Packham marched to Buckingham Palace with 100 children to raise the possibility of re-wilding the Royal estates, saying ‘We are custodians of the planet, one race, and we are all in the race to pass on a healthier baton’. ‘Plant Britain’ is planting three quarters of a million trees, and Prince William’s ‘Earthshot Prize’ is encouraging eco initiatives from ‘the ends of the earth’.
My ‘ends of the earth’ this year have been to the Isle of Lewis with Ruth and Chris, to the north of England with Jenny, and to Hampton Court Flower Show with Elisabeth. No flights, very reduced mileage in the car, and a great pair of walking shoes! The ‘ends’ are very local, too, and with some of the pandemic restrictions behind us it is good to be able to visit friends, and to welcome folk into my home and at my table again. It was a particular joy that Joan made the pilgrimage north of the border for a few days and together we reminisced about the 66 years since we first met as fresher medical students! Recently, Ealasaid, who house-sat while Murdoch and I were in Bossey, and who frequently gave our dog, Misha, a holiday while we were living in Connel, came from Argyll for a couple of nights. We can share a table anywhere, whether in the kitchen, in a café in town, at the ‘Drop in’, or at Communion – all are God’s table. We remember this when we say the grace, particularly if we say the words frequently used by George Macleod, ‘Christ our host, Christ our guest’.
Augustine United Church is alive and active. Throughout the pandemic restrictions, worship, social times and church meetings have continued by webinar and zoom, thanks to a skilled and committed ‘tech’ team. We have recognised the significance of ‘being’ the church, rather than ‘going’ to church, and the fact that people are much more important than buildings. However, Augustine has just celebrated its 160th birthday and it is good to remember all the lives that have been changed as a result of the Gospel being preached in our very own building! We are committed to ‘Sowing Seeds of Justice and Joy’, caring for each other, the users of the building, and the local community, and supporting vulnerable folk around the world by prayer, and through Christian Aid and other organisations. There is deep concern for the planet, too, and our Peace and Justice team constantly challenge us to things like a ‘Plastic free July’ - now a permanent challenge, ‘Plastic free Augustine’, - and reminding us to make curry out of our carved pumpkins! Our Junior Church made a ‘Save the Planet’ banner which was displayed along with hundreds of others on the towers of New College throughout COP26, and ‘Our Tribe’ contributed to a display at the Climate Fringe exhibition in St Cuthbert’s. AUC was a stopping place for the YCCN pilgrimage, from Cornwall to Glasgow. They collected the prayer boats and carried them to COP26. We, as a congregation, are delighted that the URC in the UK has selected Fiona Bennett, our minister, to be the Moderator from 2022 to2023 – a wise choice! The URC celebrates its 50th anniversary next year – its founding, another wise decision!
I am fortunate to keep well and to have family and friends with whom to share time and interests. I have visited a few National Trust for Scotland properties this year, I regularly enjoy the delights of the Royal Botanic Gardens, and weekly, I spend a morning ‘working’ at Fresh Start, an organisation which helps homeless friends find a home. Chris has recently retired but is still working on an archive project for the BBC SSO. Ruth continues to teach children with Additional Support Needs, which is challenging but she loves them! Catriona, too, encounters families with very special needs in her work in Kinship Care. Damir is busy with his Immigration Law responsibilities, and Hana will be in Brussels for the next few weeks as part of her Trainee Solicitor experience. Benjo is in his fifth and final year studying Chemical Engineering, and in his leisure time goes to the gym and coaches a young swimming squad. Iain is well and has managed quite a few visits to Edinburgh this year. He is busy with his work in sustainable development and property management, and also with playing badminton, and singing in a few different choirs in London. Zoom and the telephone have been great assets for keeping in touch with folk, but it was exciting and a joy to be at a face-to-face Iona Family Group meeting one evening recently. On my wee balcony, the plants flourish and it is a challenge to find space to sit! Indoors, moths and mice can be a challenge!
Christmas is coming and we have good news to proclaim, news of peace and goodwill, of hope in this weary world. Jesus Christ has come among us. May we each receive this gift. and experience love, joy and peace wherever we celebrate His birth. As we move into 2022 may we keep Hope – and 1.5 – alive!
With my love, Anne
Dear Friends,
It is good to be in touch at this time when there are so many uncertainties for us, and for folk around the world, with the pandemic, climate change and Afghanistan all at the forefront of our daily news. But it is quite certain that we are on our Advent journey, when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ some of whose final words to his disciples were that they should be ‘witnesses to the ends of the earth’. As the temperatures rise and our ecosystem is depleted, what is our witness to the ‘ends of the earth’, if we pop into the car to drive to the local corner shop, fill the kettle when we only need a cup of hot water, treat our plants to peat-filled compost, buy a polo neck jumper when we have more than enough to keep us warm, or even concrete our front garden? We do have the freedom to make our own choices, and whatever agreements have been reached at COP26, there are hopeful things happening. Chris Packham marched to Buckingham Palace with 100 children to raise the possibility of re-wilding the Royal estates, saying ‘We are custodians of the planet, one race, and we are all in the race to pass on a healthier baton’. ‘Plant Britain’ is planting three quarters of a million trees, and Prince William’s ‘Earthshot Prize’ is encouraging eco initiatives from ‘the ends of the earth’.
My ‘ends of the earth’ this year have been to the Isle of Lewis with Ruth and Chris, to the north of England with Jenny, and to Hampton Court Flower Show with Elisabeth. No flights, very reduced mileage in the car, and a great pair of walking shoes! The ‘ends’ are very local, too, and with some of the pandemic restrictions behind us it is good to be able to visit friends, and to welcome folk into my home and at my table again. It was a particular joy that Joan made the pilgrimage north of the border for a few days and together we reminisced about the 66 years since we first met as fresher medical students! Recently, Ealasaid, who house-sat while Murdoch and I were in Bossey, and who frequently gave our dog, Misha, a holiday while we were living in Connel, came from Argyll for a couple of nights. We can share a table anywhere, whether in the kitchen, in a café in town, at the ‘Drop in’, or at Communion – all are God’s table. We remember this when we say the grace, particularly if we say the words frequently used by George Macleod, ‘Christ our host, Christ our guest’.
Augustine United Church is alive and active. Throughout the pandemic restrictions, worship, social times and church meetings have continued by webinar and zoom, thanks to a skilled and committed ‘tech’ team. We have recognised the significance of ‘being’ the church, rather than ‘going’ to church, and the fact that people are much more important than buildings. However, Augustine has just celebrated its 160th birthday and it is good to remember all the lives that have been changed as a result of the Gospel being preached in our very own building! We are committed to ‘Sowing Seeds of Justice and Joy’, caring for each other, the users of the building, and the local community, and supporting vulnerable folk around the world by prayer, and through Christian Aid and other organisations. There is deep concern for the planet, too, and our Peace and Justice team constantly challenge us to things like a ‘Plastic free July’ - now a permanent challenge, ‘Plastic free Augustine’, - and reminding us to make curry out of our carved pumpkins! Our Junior Church made a ‘Save the Planet’ banner which was displayed along with hundreds of others on the towers of New College throughout COP26, and ‘Our Tribe’ contributed to a display at the Climate Fringe exhibition in St Cuthbert’s. AUC was a stopping place for the YCCN pilgrimage, from Cornwall to Glasgow. They collected the prayer boats and carried them to COP26. We, as a congregation, are delighted that the URC in the UK has selected Fiona Bennett, our minister, to be the Moderator from 2022 to2023 – a wise choice! The URC celebrates its 50th anniversary next year – its founding, another wise decision!
I am fortunate to keep well and to have family and friends with whom to share time and interests. I have visited a few National Trust for Scotland properties this year, I regularly enjoy the delights of the Royal Botanic Gardens, and weekly, I spend a morning ‘working’ at Fresh Start, an organisation which helps homeless friends find a home. Chris has recently retired but is still working on an archive project for the BBC SSO. Ruth continues to teach children with Additional Support Needs, which is challenging but she loves them! Catriona, too, encounters families with very special needs in her work in Kinship Care. Damir is busy with his Immigration Law responsibilities, and Hana will be in Brussels for the next few weeks as part of her Trainee Solicitor experience. Benjo is in his fifth and final year studying Chemical Engineering, and in his leisure time goes to the gym and coaches a young swimming squad. Iain is well and has managed quite a few visits to Edinburgh this year. He is busy with his work in sustainable development and property management, and also with playing badminton, and singing in a few different choirs in London. Zoom and the telephone have been great assets for keeping in touch with folk, but it was exciting and a joy to be at a face-to-face Iona Family Group meeting one evening recently. On my wee balcony, the plants flourish and it is a challenge to find space to sit! Indoors, moths and mice can be a challenge!
Christmas is coming and we have good news to proclaim, news of peace and goodwill, of hope in this weary world. Jesus Christ has come among us. May we each receive this gift. and experience love, joy and peace wherever we celebrate His birth. As we move into 2022 may we keep Hope – and 1.5 – alive!
With my love, Anne
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2022
Greetings from Edinburgh!
Dear Friends,
As I write, Cop27 is under way in Egypt. Will there be any progress towards alleviating the eco crisis in which we are living? The challenge is massive; perhaps this is the one chance to begin to sort it out. Toads and hedgehogs, cuckoos and greenfinches, are all in decline in the UK, our winters are much warmer than they were in 2010, the Amazon rainforest has decreased by more than 3,800 square miles in a single year, one third of Pakistan’s land mass has just been under water, and drought is killing millions of folk in African countries. It is a big challenge, but as we approach Advent and prepare to celebrate the birth of the ‘Light of the World’, we have hope that that light will shine even in these dark and anxious times, and in the darkest places, bringing change for the whole of creation, for the earth, for the animal kingdom and for humankind.
Traditionally, this is a time to share our news, to greet family and friends with messages of Peace, Joy, Hope and Love, and to reach out and share the Good News with folk who struggle to find any of these gifts in their lives. My family brings me joy, and also hope for the future. Benjo is now studying for a Ph.D in ‘carbon capture’, Hana has completed her solicitor traineeship and is working in immigration law, and, along with many other wonderful young people in our midst, they are in the generation who are reminding us that we must keep the hope of 1.5 alive! Ruth continues to help children with additional support needs to reach their full potential – she loves them all but gets exhausted! Catriona, too, is sometimes exhausted by working long hours in Kinship Care helping families to provide a home for young ones, sometimes abused, and always desperately in need of love and security. Iain has lived in London for more than 30 years now and enjoys friends, singing and badminton, alongside his work assessing energy efficiency, and helping tenants to have comfortable places in which to live. Chris has recently had hip replacement surgery so once again is able to enjoy pain-free cycling with Ruth. Damir’s father, Fadil, turned 80 in October, and Damir and Catriona and all their Bosnian family shared a weekend together, celebrating those 80 years.
I am fortunate to be well and able to keep walking, visiting friends, volunteering, singing and being part of the inclusive and loving family of Augustine United Church. I enjoy my wee balcony – more than 50 pots to be cared for – and welcoming friends and family into my space, here at Rocheid Park. Over recent months some neighbours have started to develop more of a sense of community, beginning with a gathering to celebrate the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It was good to share memories of some of those 70 years – I was actually on the streets of London for her Coronation! Following the death of HM the Queen in September, just a few months after the Platinum Jubilee the whole nation shared grief – and thankfulness – and the media brought us all very close together in those days of mourning. Sadly, some friends of mine have died this year. I am thankful for their friendship, and I have shared in the grief with their families.
My volunteering with Fresh Start keeps me in contact with both the generosity and the vulnerability of people here in Edinburgh. There is a constant supply of donations, which I spend time sorting and making into bedding packs. The work in the Fresh Start Pantry has become more and more needed by the local community in these days of poverty, right on our doorstep. The choir in which I sing, the Edinburgh City Singers, has Fresh Start as its charity this year, and a bake sale at our rehearsal last week raised £900 for Fresh Start which was a remarkable result. Baking always sells well - lots of tasty goodies, healthy, if eaten in moderation! A newer venture for me is that I volunteer with ‘The Singing Group’. We gather in Drylaw Parish Church fortnightly and provide a social and musical afternoon for dementia sufferers and their carers, mainly those living at home, but also some local care home residents. It is a joy to see faces light up when we sing the old familiar songs, with the words and memories returning. We fly kites, blow bubbles, dance – not all night – and follow the ‘happy wanderer’! These volunteering activities, bring hope and joy to both the receivers and the givers!
I have enjoyed musical evenings provided by the BBC SSO, RSNO and Dunedin Consort, and this year I made more of an effort to take in the interest and pleasure of the Edinburgh International Festival, and the ‘Fringe’, both music and drama. The city was very busy during the Festival, more like pre-pandemic days.
Time is precious and it is good to share it, but this is not always easy when you live alone! The telephone is a great blessing. Modern technology can be problematic for some of us, but the ‘phone is always a way to have a chat with friends or family, and to share memories, opinions, diaries and laughter. Time away from home this year has taken me to Connel, Iona and Fort William at Eastertime, to Aberdeenshire in July, and to Chester and Devon in September, sharing the delights of beautiful and interesting places, the company of friends and family, and the wonders of creation. The Edinburgh and Dawyck Botanic Gardens are at the forefront of conservation endeavour, as is the National Trust for Scotland, and it has been good to enjoy their green spaces this year. Lions are listed as ‘vulnerable’, and the pride (sculptured) which currently ‘roams’ on Boys’ Brigade Walk, off Middle Meadow Walk in the Meadows, is a reminder of our responsibility for conservation. Rewilding can have interesting results – not only in ‘The Archers’! The first baby bison born in the UK for millennia was a welcome surprise this autumn at a rewilding project in the south of England!
Christmas is coming and we will celebrate the birth, more than 2000 years ago, of the ‘Lord of all hopefulness’. Hope is something that we all do on a daily basis, whether it is for the rain to stop, a better future for our children, money to pay the bills, a good sleep, or for peace in Ukraine. Hope, God’s gift, unites us and sustains us. Wherever we are and whatever our situation we can choose to follow the Way of Light, living hopefully by giving and receiving small acts of kindness, watching our carbon footprint, remembering in prayer the people of Ukraine and Russia, and thanking God for Creation and the gift of Jesus Christ.
I wish you and your family a Happy Christmas, and a New Year keeping Hope - and 1.5 - alive.
With my love,
Anne
Dear Friends,
As I write, Cop27 is under way in Egypt. Will there be any progress towards alleviating the eco crisis in which we are living? The challenge is massive; perhaps this is the one chance to begin to sort it out. Toads and hedgehogs, cuckoos and greenfinches, are all in decline in the UK, our winters are much warmer than they were in 2010, the Amazon rainforest has decreased by more than 3,800 square miles in a single year, one third of Pakistan’s land mass has just been under water, and drought is killing millions of folk in African countries. It is a big challenge, but as we approach Advent and prepare to celebrate the birth of the ‘Light of the World’, we have hope that that light will shine even in these dark and anxious times, and in the darkest places, bringing change for the whole of creation, for the earth, for the animal kingdom and for humankind.
Traditionally, this is a time to share our news, to greet family and friends with messages of Peace, Joy, Hope and Love, and to reach out and share the Good News with folk who struggle to find any of these gifts in their lives. My family brings me joy, and also hope for the future. Benjo is now studying for a Ph.D in ‘carbon capture’, Hana has completed her solicitor traineeship and is working in immigration law, and, along with many other wonderful young people in our midst, they are in the generation who are reminding us that we must keep the hope of 1.5 alive! Ruth continues to help children with additional support needs to reach their full potential – she loves them all but gets exhausted! Catriona, too, is sometimes exhausted by working long hours in Kinship Care helping families to provide a home for young ones, sometimes abused, and always desperately in need of love and security. Iain has lived in London for more than 30 years now and enjoys friends, singing and badminton, alongside his work assessing energy efficiency, and helping tenants to have comfortable places in which to live. Chris has recently had hip replacement surgery so once again is able to enjoy pain-free cycling with Ruth. Damir’s father, Fadil, turned 80 in October, and Damir and Catriona and all their Bosnian family shared a weekend together, celebrating those 80 years.
I am fortunate to be well and able to keep walking, visiting friends, volunteering, singing and being part of the inclusive and loving family of Augustine United Church. I enjoy my wee balcony – more than 50 pots to be cared for – and welcoming friends and family into my space, here at Rocheid Park. Over recent months some neighbours have started to develop more of a sense of community, beginning with a gathering to celebrate the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It was good to share memories of some of those 70 years – I was actually on the streets of London for her Coronation! Following the death of HM the Queen in September, just a few months after the Platinum Jubilee the whole nation shared grief – and thankfulness – and the media brought us all very close together in those days of mourning. Sadly, some friends of mine have died this year. I am thankful for their friendship, and I have shared in the grief with their families.
My volunteering with Fresh Start keeps me in contact with both the generosity and the vulnerability of people here in Edinburgh. There is a constant supply of donations, which I spend time sorting and making into bedding packs. The work in the Fresh Start Pantry has become more and more needed by the local community in these days of poverty, right on our doorstep. The choir in which I sing, the Edinburgh City Singers, has Fresh Start as its charity this year, and a bake sale at our rehearsal last week raised £900 for Fresh Start which was a remarkable result. Baking always sells well - lots of tasty goodies, healthy, if eaten in moderation! A newer venture for me is that I volunteer with ‘The Singing Group’. We gather in Drylaw Parish Church fortnightly and provide a social and musical afternoon for dementia sufferers and their carers, mainly those living at home, but also some local care home residents. It is a joy to see faces light up when we sing the old familiar songs, with the words and memories returning. We fly kites, blow bubbles, dance – not all night – and follow the ‘happy wanderer’! These volunteering activities, bring hope and joy to both the receivers and the givers!
I have enjoyed musical evenings provided by the BBC SSO, RSNO and Dunedin Consort, and this year I made more of an effort to take in the interest and pleasure of the Edinburgh International Festival, and the ‘Fringe’, both music and drama. The city was very busy during the Festival, more like pre-pandemic days.
Time is precious and it is good to share it, but this is not always easy when you live alone! The telephone is a great blessing. Modern technology can be problematic for some of us, but the ‘phone is always a way to have a chat with friends or family, and to share memories, opinions, diaries and laughter. Time away from home this year has taken me to Connel, Iona and Fort William at Eastertime, to Aberdeenshire in July, and to Chester and Devon in September, sharing the delights of beautiful and interesting places, the company of friends and family, and the wonders of creation. The Edinburgh and Dawyck Botanic Gardens are at the forefront of conservation endeavour, as is the National Trust for Scotland, and it has been good to enjoy their green spaces this year. Lions are listed as ‘vulnerable’, and the pride (sculptured) which currently ‘roams’ on Boys’ Brigade Walk, off Middle Meadow Walk in the Meadows, is a reminder of our responsibility for conservation. Rewilding can have interesting results – not only in ‘The Archers’! The first baby bison born in the UK for millennia was a welcome surprise this autumn at a rewilding project in the south of England!
Christmas is coming and we will celebrate the birth, more than 2000 years ago, of the ‘Lord of all hopefulness’. Hope is something that we all do on a daily basis, whether it is for the rain to stop, a better future for our children, money to pay the bills, a good sleep, or for peace in Ukraine. Hope, God’s gift, unites us and sustains us. Wherever we are and whatever our situation we can choose to follow the Way of Light, living hopefully by giving and receiving small acts of kindness, watching our carbon footprint, remembering in prayer the people of Ukraine and Russia, and thanking God for Creation and the gift of Jesus Christ.
I wish you and your family a Happy Christmas, and a New Year keeping Hope - and 1.5 - alive.
With my love,
Anne
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2023
Greetings from Edinburgh!
Dear Friends,
We are approaching the season of Advent again, and we are all facing challenges of living life in our sad and weary world. As I look back to my Advent letters of previous years, I am reminded that there are always challenges, just as there were at the time of Jesus’s birth. We may be weeping as we see the horrors of war in what we may call the ‘Holy Land’, and we pray for wisdom, as individuals, to work and walk in the ways that make for peace, peace in our lives, our world, our universe.
Cop 28 is approaching. Last year we were all excited about Glasgow hosting Cop 27, hoping that some of the destructive effects of climate change could be reversed. This year, there will be stocktaking to assess any progress, urgency will bring a new momentum, with activism, optimism and hope relieving some of the anxieties about our future on the planet Earth.
Hope is one of the things we celebrate as we journey through Advent towards the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, along with Love, Joy and Peace. Deep and living belief in hope was evident in the ‘Earthshot’ prize finalists. Their projects ranged from a ‘Waste Free World’, with female farmers in India combatting food waste, reducing rural poverty and gender inequality, to ‘Boomitra’ (Sanskrit for Friends of the Earth) using AI technology for regenerative agriculture, and others to recycle lithium batteries, protect the oceans’ surfaces, and restore the High Andean Forest ecosystems. We can share in the hopes of these mainly young people, as we live our daily lives, being aware of how we use water, fuel, food, textiles etc. Every little helps to save our planet Earth!
1948 was a year when Hope was alive, as life was settling down after the challenges of the Second World War, and this year several organisations which were started in hope in 1948 have reached their 75th anniversary. The NHS is one of these, founded on compassion, and believing that everyone counts and should be treated with respect and dignity. The Paralympics also started that year, as the Stoke Mandeville Games, and with the NHS they celebrated together, remembering the hope and restored life they have brought to so many people over those 75 years. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the World Council of Churches were also born in 1948, with Dignity, Freedom and Justice, and Unity, Justice and Peace at their cores. Also, in June that year the ‘Empire Windrush’ arrived, and so this year we have celebrated all the achievements of the ‘Windrush Generation’ and the contributions they have made to our society, in spite of the many challenges they faced. Challenges breed opportunities, and opportunities release hope!
I am fortunate to be well and to have a comfortable home here in Edinburgh. I have welcomed two friends to stay with me, each for a few days, from Runcorn, and from Cairnbaan, and I have enjoyed their company. Neighbours, other local friends, church friends and the local Iona Family Group also share my space from time to time and it is always a joy to have laughter in the flat! I visit some friends who are housebound, still volunteer at Fresh Start, which helps to make an empty room into ‘home’
for folk as they move off the streets, and supports people living in the local community with the ‘Pantry’ and mini allotments. I also volunteer with The Singing Group which caters for dementia sufferers and their carers, and this raises the voices and spirits of the members, the carers and the volunteers alike! Singing with a large community choir is fun too, and we are just preparing for our Christmas concert. This year, I managed to benefit from the Edinburgh Festival, and I was at two inspiring performances, one musical and the other dramatic. Tan Dun’s ‘Buddha Passion’ was a blend of Eastern and Western music, with dancing and indigenous singers, lyrics in Chinese and Sanskrit (with English super-titles!), and telling the story of Buddha’s enlightenment, and the path of compassion to Nirvana. The drama, ‘As far as Impossible’, was a very much down to earth story of doctors and journalists working with the International Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, facing impossible situations and having to make impossible choices, about the value of individual lives, and which life to save with the last pack of pills or pint of blood. The simple stage-setting and a wonderful percussionist helped to immerse the audience in these decisions.
In August, along with eight friends from Augustine United Church, I was able to enjoy a week of ‘Time and Space’ on the island of Iona, which brought memories of visits over the last 58 years, since Murdoch joined the Iona Community in 1965. Either side of the Iona visit, I spent time with friends in Connel, Mull, and Fort William. Earlier in the year in the hot month of June, I had ten days in England, travelling on some heritage railways, and catching up with friends in Worcester, Codsall, and Milton Keynes, from where I was delighted to attend the wedding of an Indian friend, Ira, to Bernard, in Hemel Hempstead. Shorter excursions have taken me to Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow, Blantyre, East Lothian, and Edinburgh and its environs, the incentive being to visit Scottish National Trust properties. The National Trust works very hard at conservation, protecting properties, landscapes, islands and coastal waters, monitoring threatened species of plants and animals, raising awareness of the biodiversity and climate crises, and helping to save our planet Earth.
Time spent with family is always precious and I am fortunate that Ruth and Chris live near enough for me and them to be able to walk between each other’s homes and share a cuppa! Catriona and Damir are on the south side of Edinburgh, with Benjo still living at home, and Hana in a flat a short distance away. They have recently lost Fadil, Damir’s father, who had lived in Wetherby since he and his late wife arrived from Bosnia in 1992. At the funeral it was lovely to see how much he was loved and respected by that community, many of whom came to the graveside to remember him. Iain has lived in London for more than thirty years now, where he enjoys badminton and singing, alongside his property and sustainability responsibilities. He was here in June and kindly organised a birthday picnic for us all in the Botanic Gardens. Teaching, archiving, social work, immigration law and carbon capture keep the rest of the family busy, and I am thankful that each of them makes a positive contribution to society. As we each start our journey through Advent, our Advent candles, remind us of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, and in the centre is the candle for Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. That light can penetrate even the darkest of places, like Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, and situations around the world, and in our own lives. We pray that it will shine brightly, and enable us to move forward into 2024 with hope for our planet Earth.
With my love, Anne
Dear Friends,
We are approaching the season of Advent again, and we are all facing challenges of living life in our sad and weary world. As I look back to my Advent letters of previous years, I am reminded that there are always challenges, just as there were at the time of Jesus’s birth. We may be weeping as we see the horrors of war in what we may call the ‘Holy Land’, and we pray for wisdom, as individuals, to work and walk in the ways that make for peace, peace in our lives, our world, our universe.
Cop 28 is approaching. Last year we were all excited about Glasgow hosting Cop 27, hoping that some of the destructive effects of climate change could be reversed. This year, there will be stocktaking to assess any progress, urgency will bring a new momentum, with activism, optimism and hope relieving some of the anxieties about our future on the planet Earth.
Hope is one of the things we celebrate as we journey through Advent towards the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, along with Love, Joy and Peace. Deep and living belief in hope was evident in the ‘Earthshot’ prize finalists. Their projects ranged from a ‘Waste Free World’, with female farmers in India combatting food waste, reducing rural poverty and gender inequality, to ‘Boomitra’ (Sanskrit for Friends of the Earth) using AI technology for regenerative agriculture, and others to recycle lithium batteries, protect the oceans’ surfaces, and restore the High Andean Forest ecosystems. We can share in the hopes of these mainly young people, as we live our daily lives, being aware of how we use water, fuel, food, textiles etc. Every little helps to save our planet Earth!
1948 was a year when Hope was alive, as life was settling down after the challenges of the Second World War, and this year several organisations which were started in hope in 1948 have reached their 75th anniversary. The NHS is one of these, founded on compassion, and believing that everyone counts and should be treated with respect and dignity. The Paralympics also started that year, as the Stoke Mandeville Games, and with the NHS they celebrated together, remembering the hope and restored life they have brought to so many people over those 75 years. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the World Council of Churches were also born in 1948, with Dignity, Freedom and Justice, and Unity, Justice and Peace at their cores. Also, in June that year the ‘Empire Windrush’ arrived, and so this year we have celebrated all the achievements of the ‘Windrush Generation’ and the contributions they have made to our society, in spite of the many challenges they faced. Challenges breed opportunities, and opportunities release hope!
I am fortunate to be well and to have a comfortable home here in Edinburgh. I have welcomed two friends to stay with me, each for a few days, from Runcorn, and from Cairnbaan, and I have enjoyed their company. Neighbours, other local friends, church friends and the local Iona Family Group also share my space from time to time and it is always a joy to have laughter in the flat! I visit some friends who are housebound, still volunteer at Fresh Start, which helps to make an empty room into ‘home’
for folk as they move off the streets, and supports people living in the local community with the ‘Pantry’ and mini allotments. I also volunteer with The Singing Group which caters for dementia sufferers and their carers, and this raises the voices and spirits of the members, the carers and the volunteers alike! Singing with a large community choir is fun too, and we are just preparing for our Christmas concert. This year, I managed to benefit from the Edinburgh Festival, and I was at two inspiring performances, one musical and the other dramatic. Tan Dun’s ‘Buddha Passion’ was a blend of Eastern and Western music, with dancing and indigenous singers, lyrics in Chinese and Sanskrit (with English super-titles!), and telling the story of Buddha’s enlightenment, and the path of compassion to Nirvana. The drama, ‘As far as Impossible’, was a very much down to earth story of doctors and journalists working with the International Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, facing impossible situations and having to make impossible choices, about the value of individual lives, and which life to save with the last pack of pills or pint of blood. The simple stage-setting and a wonderful percussionist helped to immerse the audience in these decisions.
In August, along with eight friends from Augustine United Church, I was able to enjoy a week of ‘Time and Space’ on the island of Iona, which brought memories of visits over the last 58 years, since Murdoch joined the Iona Community in 1965. Either side of the Iona visit, I spent time with friends in Connel, Mull, and Fort William. Earlier in the year in the hot month of June, I had ten days in England, travelling on some heritage railways, and catching up with friends in Worcester, Codsall, and Milton Keynes, from where I was delighted to attend the wedding of an Indian friend, Ira, to Bernard, in Hemel Hempstead. Shorter excursions have taken me to Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow, Blantyre, East Lothian, and Edinburgh and its environs, the incentive being to visit Scottish National Trust properties. The National Trust works very hard at conservation, protecting properties, landscapes, islands and coastal waters, monitoring threatened species of plants and animals, raising awareness of the biodiversity and climate crises, and helping to save our planet Earth.
Time spent with family is always precious and I am fortunate that Ruth and Chris live near enough for me and them to be able to walk between each other’s homes and share a cuppa! Catriona and Damir are on the south side of Edinburgh, with Benjo still living at home, and Hana in a flat a short distance away. They have recently lost Fadil, Damir’s father, who had lived in Wetherby since he and his late wife arrived from Bosnia in 1992. At the funeral it was lovely to see how much he was loved and respected by that community, many of whom came to the graveside to remember him. Iain has lived in London for more than thirty years now, where he enjoys badminton and singing, alongside his property and sustainability responsibilities. He was here in June and kindly organised a birthday picnic for us all in the Botanic Gardens. Teaching, archiving, social work, immigration law and carbon capture keep the rest of the family busy, and I am thankful that each of them makes a positive contribution to society. As we each start our journey through Advent, our Advent candles, remind us of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, and in the centre is the candle for Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. That light can penetrate even the darkest of places, like Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, and situations around the world, and in our own lives. We pray that it will shine brightly, and enable us to move forward into 2024 with hope for our planet Earth.
With my love, Anne
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2024
Greetings from Edinburgh
Dear Friends,
Advent is here again – so soon! It is good to be in touch with friends and family as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, lighting candles in our churches and homes. The traditional Advent Ring (see over!) has candles for Hope, Love, Joy and Peace, for all of which we pray in these challenging times. In the centre is the Light of Christ which outshines all the others, and enables us to play our part in caring for the whole of creation, if we follow that light in our daily living. We are tenants on this earth and we need to play our part in preserving the ecosystem, whether it be growing our own vegetables, cutting the grass less often, considering how we use fuel in our homes, or making environmentally friendly choices about travel, both local and further afield. At Augustine United Church, we are currently reviewing our commitment to Eco Congregation Scotland both as a community in the building, and in our individual lives.
The Fairtrade Foundation celebrated 30 years this year, although fairly traded goods have been available through Traidcraft and similar organisations since the early ‘80s. The slogan for the Foundation’s celebrations was ‘Be the Change’, encouraging us consumers to change our habits. Perhaps we can go to the Ethical superstore, Pachamama, who have been employing and trading fairly for more than 30 years, and 10% of their profits go to children in Nepal. Oxfam, Shelter, Bethany and other charity shops have rails of perfectly good clothes, so we can avoid buying new, and everyone benefits! Considering the packaging of goods is another way we can ‘Be the Change’. Plastic manufacture consumes 6% of global oil production, the same as aviation! Surely we must change our habits: 1.7 billion pieces of plastic are thrown away every week in the UK – and a large proportion of that goes to Turkey for ‘disposal’!
Fresh Start also had an anniversary this year. It was started 25 years ago with the idea that for just 4 or 5 years there may be a problem of homelessness across the city, and that there were people living in Pilton who could be helped out of poverty. 25 years on, the need is as great or greater. I volunteer in their warehouse, a treasure-trove of goods waiting to be re-homed, where we sort donations and make ‘Starter packs’ which help to change a couple of bare rooms into a home. Next door, in the Community Hub, there is the ‘Pantry’ where for a weekly membership fee of £4.50 local residents can access £20.50 of food. Some of this comes from Foodshare, saving supermarket excess going to waste. Cooking classes, shared meals, English language lessons, gardening groups all help to build up community, bringing hope and putting smiles on people’s faces in these difficult days. Smiles too for youngsters in 1000 schools across the UK, as Kellogg’s provide cereals for their breakfast clubs!
More smiles, this time on the faces of dementia sufferers, their carers and the volunteers alike at the end of our Singing Group afternoons. After a cuppa, and a chat we spend an hour singing, sometimes dancing, shuffling, flying kites and blowing bubbles, according to the
afternoon’s programme. We all go home feeling uplifted and looking forward to the next time. I also sing with the Edinburgh City Singers, a relaxed and enjoyable community choir and at present we are preparing for our Christmas concert, for a programme which includes John Rutter’s ‘Angels’ Carol’, which is quite lovely. Indeed, listening to music has been a part of my year, with the BBC SSO, the Georgian Concert Society, the Edinburgh Bach Choir and a Festival performance of ‘Songs of the Bulbul’ bringing pleasure – and amazement!
Iain has just had dinner with me. He keeps fit playing badminton and singing in London, as well as working to keep his tenants comfortable. Tomorrow he will spend time with Ruth and Chris. Ruth was diagnosed with bowel cancer on a routine screening test. She has had surgery and will start on a course of chemotherapy soon. She is very fit and made a quick recovery from surgery, so we are hoping that the next few months will not be too difficult for her. We are thankful for the NHS and screening tests which must be saving many lives. Chris is on hand to give her lots of TLC. Catriona, too, has had time off work this year with health problems, and she is always under pressure because of too much need in the Kinship Care system. Hana and Damir keep busy with Immigration Law, and Benjo with ‘Carbon Capture’. He has recently been in San Diego, presenting a paper at a gathering of experts in his field.
I am fortunate to be healthy, although I have some creaking joints. But my legs work well, so I keep walking. I am still driving but not in the dark! My car is getting old, too, and has restrictions placed on it because of its age, so our partnership may not last much longer! Lothian buses are very good, and can take me into the city, to church, and to visit elderly friends, some at home, and some in care. Twice I travelled south of the border this year, by coach and train. In the Spring I spent a few days on a National Trust holiday based in Chester, and this gave me the opportunity to spend time with my cousin, Beryl. Later in the year, I enjoyed time with Jenny, my friend of more than 60 years, in Yorkshire and Northumberland, based in a spooky hotel! Between these two ‘foreign’ trips I spent a week in fresh air on the Isle of Lewis, with Ruth and Chris, returning home via Connel, and visiting Arduaine and Crarae Gardens on the way. The blue and white hydrangeas were spectacular. There have been deaths of friends and family, this year, and I like to think of these lovely people in ‘bright array’ beside the saints in heaven.
Christmas is coming! As we are transformed by the Light of Christ, we can ‘be the change’ and go forward, sustained by the Hope of Chris Hoy’s ‘Tour de Four’, and by the many acts of kindness we see around us, and sharing Love with all creation. I wish you Joy as you celebrate with family and friends, and I continue to pray for Justice and Peace in the year ahead.
With my love, Anne
Dear Friends,
Advent is here again – so soon! It is good to be in touch with friends and family as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, lighting candles in our churches and homes. The traditional Advent Ring (see over!) has candles for Hope, Love, Joy and Peace, for all of which we pray in these challenging times. In the centre is the Light of Christ which outshines all the others, and enables us to play our part in caring for the whole of creation, if we follow that light in our daily living. We are tenants on this earth and we need to play our part in preserving the ecosystem, whether it be growing our own vegetables, cutting the grass less often, considering how we use fuel in our homes, or making environmentally friendly choices about travel, both local and further afield. At Augustine United Church, we are currently reviewing our commitment to Eco Congregation Scotland both as a community in the building, and in our individual lives.
The Fairtrade Foundation celebrated 30 years this year, although fairly traded goods have been available through Traidcraft and similar organisations since the early ‘80s. The slogan for the Foundation’s celebrations was ‘Be the Change’, encouraging us consumers to change our habits. Perhaps we can go to the Ethical superstore, Pachamama, who have been employing and trading fairly for more than 30 years, and 10% of their profits go to children in Nepal. Oxfam, Shelter, Bethany and other charity shops have rails of perfectly good clothes, so we can avoid buying new, and everyone benefits! Considering the packaging of goods is another way we can ‘Be the Change’. Plastic manufacture consumes 6% of global oil production, the same as aviation! Surely we must change our habits: 1.7 billion pieces of plastic are thrown away every week in the UK – and a large proportion of that goes to Turkey for ‘disposal’!
Fresh Start also had an anniversary this year. It was started 25 years ago with the idea that for just 4 or 5 years there may be a problem of homelessness across the city, and that there were people living in Pilton who could be helped out of poverty. 25 years on, the need is as great or greater. I volunteer in their warehouse, a treasure-trove of goods waiting to be re-homed, where we sort donations and make ‘Starter packs’ which help to change a couple of bare rooms into a home. Next door, in the Community Hub, there is the ‘Pantry’ where for a weekly membership fee of £4.50 local residents can access £20.50 of food. Some of this comes from Foodshare, saving supermarket excess going to waste. Cooking classes, shared meals, English language lessons, gardening groups all help to build up community, bringing hope and putting smiles on people’s faces in these difficult days. Smiles too for youngsters in 1000 schools across the UK, as Kellogg’s provide cereals for their breakfast clubs!
More smiles, this time on the faces of dementia sufferers, their carers and the volunteers alike at the end of our Singing Group afternoons. After a cuppa, and a chat we spend an hour singing, sometimes dancing, shuffling, flying kites and blowing bubbles, according to the
afternoon’s programme. We all go home feeling uplifted and looking forward to the next time. I also sing with the Edinburgh City Singers, a relaxed and enjoyable community choir and at present we are preparing for our Christmas concert, for a programme which includes John Rutter’s ‘Angels’ Carol’, which is quite lovely. Indeed, listening to music has been a part of my year, with the BBC SSO, the Georgian Concert Society, the Edinburgh Bach Choir and a Festival performance of ‘Songs of the Bulbul’ bringing pleasure – and amazement!
Iain has just had dinner with me. He keeps fit playing badminton and singing in London, as well as working to keep his tenants comfortable. Tomorrow he will spend time with Ruth and Chris. Ruth was diagnosed with bowel cancer on a routine screening test. She has had surgery and will start on a course of chemotherapy soon. She is very fit and made a quick recovery from surgery, so we are hoping that the next few months will not be too difficult for her. We are thankful for the NHS and screening tests which must be saving many lives. Chris is on hand to give her lots of TLC. Catriona, too, has had time off work this year with health problems, and she is always under pressure because of too much need in the Kinship Care system. Hana and Damir keep busy with Immigration Law, and Benjo with ‘Carbon Capture’. He has recently been in San Diego, presenting a paper at a gathering of experts in his field.
I am fortunate to be healthy, although I have some creaking joints. But my legs work well, so I keep walking. I am still driving but not in the dark! My car is getting old, too, and has restrictions placed on it because of its age, so our partnership may not last much longer! Lothian buses are very good, and can take me into the city, to church, and to visit elderly friends, some at home, and some in care. Twice I travelled south of the border this year, by coach and train. In the Spring I spent a few days on a National Trust holiday based in Chester, and this gave me the opportunity to spend time with my cousin, Beryl. Later in the year, I enjoyed time with Jenny, my friend of more than 60 years, in Yorkshire and Northumberland, based in a spooky hotel! Between these two ‘foreign’ trips I spent a week in fresh air on the Isle of Lewis, with Ruth and Chris, returning home via Connel, and visiting Arduaine and Crarae Gardens on the way. The blue and white hydrangeas were spectacular. There have been deaths of friends and family, this year, and I like to think of these lovely people in ‘bright array’ beside the saints in heaven.
Christmas is coming! As we are transformed by the Light of Christ, we can ‘be the change’ and go forward, sustained by the Hope of Chris Hoy’s ‘Tour de Four’, and by the many acts of kindness we see around us, and sharing Love with all creation. I wish you Joy as you celebrate with family and friends, and I continue to pray for Justice and Peace in the year ahead.
With my love, Anne
ANNE MACKENZIE'S ADVENT LETTER of 2025
Dear Friends,
As Advent approaches we all perhaps feel overwhelmed by the sad situation in which our world finds itself, with war, violence, abuse, famine and climate change leaving many of our sisters and brothers, and the planet itself, damaged and forlorn. But, as Christians, we are looking forward in hope as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, whose message for all of creation is one of peace and goodwill. Nevertheless, we are challenged, just as Mary and Joseph were by the long dusty road on a tired donkey, no place to stay, public disapproval, and an uncertain future as bewildered refugees. This was a very ‘down to earth‘ start with an ‘out of this world’ result, the potential for love, joy and peace!
This has been a challenging year for me. After spending Christmas in bed with a chest infection, in January I was admitted to hospital with an obstructed bowel and I had surgery for bowel cancer. I was fortunate not to need any chemotherapy and made a good recovery. However, a few months later a post-operative scan revealed that I had breast cancer, so more surgery was required. Again, I recovered well, and radiotherapy was not considered essential at my age! These ‘experiences’ were as good as they could possibly have been, and I am so thankful for the skill and care of the NHS, and for the loving support of family and friends.
In the midst of all this I moved house – see my new address at the top of this letter. I am now located very close to a bus stop with a choice of buses, and this means that I can continue to pursue all my usual activities, being involved in the life of Augustine United Church, visiting some ‘elderly’ friends, and volunteering with Fresh Start and a Singing Group for folk suffering with dementia. I can walk to the Botanic Gardens in less than 10 minutes, and when I was having coffee there recently with one of my new neighbours we agreed that the move into Homescott House was a very wise decision. I am on the fourth floor, and have a light, airy apartment, overlooking the Heriot’s rugby ground, beyond that to Leith, and even to the Lomond Hills on a clear day! There are good windowsills for my indoor plants, one of which you see below, resting on some Palestinian needlework. I was sad to leave my lovely neighbours and my balcony garden in Rocheid Park, but the good news is that Ruth and Chris bought my flat. They moved in on Friday, 24th October, and I know I am welcome there any time! Certainly, moving is a challenge, but it has brought opportunities to meet new friends and neighbours, and, of course, to recycle ‘stuff’ accumulated over the years. It is just 12 years since Murdoch and I moved into Rocheid Park, to start a new phase of our life journey together, which sadly only lasted about 18 months. There have been deaths of beloved friends this year, and I believe they are safe and at peace in the mystery of heaven.
Ruth has had a challenging year, too. At the end of February she completed a course of chemotherapy following her bowel cancer surgery, and returned to school after Easter. Now she and Chris are surrounded by many boxes and busy getting ‘sorted’. Ruth will be 60 in December and she is planning to retire from her demanding teaching job. Chris has completed the archive project he was doing for the BBC SSO and they both have exciting plans for some travel next year. Catriona is continually challenged by her work in ‘Kinship Care’ with more care needed for damaged children, alongside budget cuts and a smaller team. Hana keeps fit with agility events with Luna, her cavapoo, and in her work in Immigration Law is currently supervising a trainee. She is a trustee of Beyond Srebrenica which involved her in an event in the Botanic Gardens on the 30th anniversary of the genocide, around some trees which have been cultivated from saplings which came from Bosnia. Benjo is coming to the end of his PhD work, and is shortly going to Japan to present a paper related to Carbon Capture. Then he will take the opportunity to meet his girlfriend Kristie’s parents in Hong Kong. Iain is always challenged to fit in all his activities in his life in London, and at the same time to share time with family here in Edinburgh - badminton, choirs, and changing tenants keep him on his toes. He seems to approve of the recent family ‘removals’ and we look forward to his being here at Christmas time. His good friend, Karen, with whom he shared various adventures during the year, has returned to Australia, as her work permit came to an end. She may be back for a visit quite soon!
But all these challenges are nothing compared with the challenge of climate change and the devastation it is causing for the whole of creation, the earth, plants, animals and humankind. Textile production greenhouse gas emissions stand at 1.2 billion tonnes per year, higher than emissions from all international flights and maritime voyages combined. Surely this should direct you and me to charity shop fashion. Simon Reeve took us to Patagonia in one of his Wilderness Journeys and we saw how the ice fields are diminishing and the water source for millions of people is threatened. Loss of the Amazon rain forests means there is lots of CO₂ not being absorbed, and meanwhile we continue to burn fossil fuels and produce more. COP 30 is imminent and hopefully campaigners like Friends of the Earth will be able to influence decisions that will help shape the future of our planet.
Challenge brings opportunity, and hope, of which we are reminded every day when the sun rises – seen here over Arthur’s Seat! Ospreys have returned to the restored Wetlands in the Lake District, Malawi has a plastics ban, and we can all participate in our Big Plastic Count again in the spring. Global investment in renewable technologies was the highest ever in the first half of 2025. The artisans in the ‘Repair Shop’ did a Kintsugi type repair to a rocking horse, the only connection a Syrian family has with their home, Prince William’s Earthshot Prize is encouraging young entrepreneurs around the world to combat climate change, and in our daily lives small decisions we make about our lifestyle can bring hope for the future of the planet.
Traditionally, the four candles we light in churches during the Sundays in Advent represent Love, Joy, Peace and Hope. I pray that our neighbours around the world, and you, your family and friends, may experience something of these Christmas blessings, now, as we celebrate, and in the year ahead.
With much love,
Anne
As Advent approaches we all perhaps feel overwhelmed by the sad situation in which our world finds itself, with war, violence, abuse, famine and climate change leaving many of our sisters and brothers, and the planet itself, damaged and forlorn. But, as Christians, we are looking forward in hope as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, whose message for all of creation is one of peace and goodwill. Nevertheless, we are challenged, just as Mary and Joseph were by the long dusty road on a tired donkey, no place to stay, public disapproval, and an uncertain future as bewildered refugees. This was a very ‘down to earth‘ start with an ‘out of this world’ result, the potential for love, joy and peace!
This has been a challenging year for me. After spending Christmas in bed with a chest infection, in January I was admitted to hospital with an obstructed bowel and I had surgery for bowel cancer. I was fortunate not to need any chemotherapy and made a good recovery. However, a few months later a post-operative scan revealed that I had breast cancer, so more surgery was required. Again, I recovered well, and radiotherapy was not considered essential at my age! These ‘experiences’ were as good as they could possibly have been, and I am so thankful for the skill and care of the NHS, and for the loving support of family and friends.
In the midst of all this I moved house – see my new address at the top of this letter. I am now located very close to a bus stop with a choice of buses, and this means that I can continue to pursue all my usual activities, being involved in the life of Augustine United Church, visiting some ‘elderly’ friends, and volunteering with Fresh Start and a Singing Group for folk suffering with dementia. I can walk to the Botanic Gardens in less than 10 minutes, and when I was having coffee there recently with one of my new neighbours we agreed that the move into Homescott House was a very wise decision. I am on the fourth floor, and have a light, airy apartment, overlooking the Heriot’s rugby ground, beyond that to Leith, and even to the Lomond Hills on a clear day! There are good windowsills for my indoor plants, one of which you see below, resting on some Palestinian needlework. I was sad to leave my lovely neighbours and my balcony garden in Rocheid Park, but the good news is that Ruth and Chris bought my flat. They moved in on Friday, 24th October, and I know I am welcome there any time! Certainly, moving is a challenge, but it has brought opportunities to meet new friends and neighbours, and, of course, to recycle ‘stuff’ accumulated over the years. It is just 12 years since Murdoch and I moved into Rocheid Park, to start a new phase of our life journey together, which sadly only lasted about 18 months. There have been deaths of beloved friends this year, and I believe they are safe and at peace in the mystery of heaven.
Ruth has had a challenging year, too. At the end of February she completed a course of chemotherapy following her bowel cancer surgery, and returned to school after Easter. Now she and Chris are surrounded by many boxes and busy getting ‘sorted’. Ruth will be 60 in December and she is planning to retire from her demanding teaching job. Chris has completed the archive project he was doing for the BBC SSO and they both have exciting plans for some travel next year. Catriona is continually challenged by her work in ‘Kinship Care’ with more care needed for damaged children, alongside budget cuts and a smaller team. Hana keeps fit with agility events with Luna, her cavapoo, and in her work in Immigration Law is currently supervising a trainee. She is a trustee of Beyond Srebrenica which involved her in an event in the Botanic Gardens on the 30th anniversary of the genocide, around some trees which have been cultivated from saplings which came from Bosnia. Benjo is coming to the end of his PhD work, and is shortly going to Japan to present a paper related to Carbon Capture. Then he will take the opportunity to meet his girlfriend Kristie’s parents in Hong Kong. Iain is always challenged to fit in all his activities in his life in London, and at the same time to share time with family here in Edinburgh - badminton, choirs, and changing tenants keep him on his toes. He seems to approve of the recent family ‘removals’ and we look forward to his being here at Christmas time. His good friend, Karen, with whom he shared various adventures during the year, has returned to Australia, as her work permit came to an end. She may be back for a visit quite soon!
But all these challenges are nothing compared with the challenge of climate change and the devastation it is causing for the whole of creation, the earth, plants, animals and humankind. Textile production greenhouse gas emissions stand at 1.2 billion tonnes per year, higher than emissions from all international flights and maritime voyages combined. Surely this should direct you and me to charity shop fashion. Simon Reeve took us to Patagonia in one of his Wilderness Journeys and we saw how the ice fields are diminishing and the water source for millions of people is threatened. Loss of the Amazon rain forests means there is lots of CO₂ not being absorbed, and meanwhile we continue to burn fossil fuels and produce more. COP 30 is imminent and hopefully campaigners like Friends of the Earth will be able to influence decisions that will help shape the future of our planet.
Challenge brings opportunity, and hope, of which we are reminded every day when the sun rises – seen here over Arthur’s Seat! Ospreys have returned to the restored Wetlands in the Lake District, Malawi has a plastics ban, and we can all participate in our Big Plastic Count again in the spring. Global investment in renewable technologies was the highest ever in the first half of 2025. The artisans in the ‘Repair Shop’ did a Kintsugi type repair to a rocking horse, the only connection a Syrian family has with their home, Prince William’s Earthshot Prize is encouraging young entrepreneurs around the world to combat climate change, and in our daily lives small decisions we make about our lifestyle can bring hope for the future of the planet.
Traditionally, the four candles we light in churches during the Sundays in Advent represent Love, Joy, Peace and Hope. I pray that our neighbours around the world, and you, your family and friends, may experience something of these Christmas blessings, now, as we celebrate, and in the year ahead.
With much love,
Anne
