From our epistle:
"Let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth."
Last Sunday the rector preached about the risen Christ's appearance to the disciples, their fear and confusion and his charge to them and to us; forgiveness of sins and repentance (that is the gospel, the good news) should be preached to all the nations: "You are witnesses": and later that day I read in the Church Times words by Tom Wright, soon to be Bishop of Durham.
'The resurrection stories don't say 'Jesus is raised therefore we will go to heaven and/or be raised from the dead' - they say 'Jesus is raised therefore we have a job to do.'
This week we, along with St Andrew's Church, are going to celebrate the consecration of the first church on this site one hundred years ago - a small iron church with free seating for 150 people. This was a brave initiative by Canon Winter and the Vestry of St Andrew's which itself had been consecrated about 30 years before, having outgrown its previous building in North Street, where the College gate extension now stands, which was built in 1825.
I hope you have had a chance to read Bob Gillies' article in our May magazine which shows that less than half of the congregation voted in favour of the plan to build an iron mission church on this site - most of those who voted were in favour of doing nothing, which sounds likely but it didn't stop the Vestry from proceeding!
T.T. Oliphant had been campaigning for some years for the move because there was not enough room to seat everyone at the morning service. The shortage of space and the custom of charging pew rents excluded poorer members from the fishing community - this church gave clothes to those in need and so became known as the "bundle Kirk' - there was real physical and spiritual need to be met and the congregation grew and the present stone chancel was built as a memorial to Mr Oliphant and his wife - it was consecrated in 1907.
At the end of the First World War Mrs Younger of Mount Melville agreed to complete the church in stone and build the halls, Castlewynd House had already been bought and she bought the rest of the site - before the houses were demolished she built the block of flats called St Gregory's up towards the Kirk Hill. You might think that people might have objected to being moved but I was assured by some of them who were children then that the flats had all the mod. cons. of the day and were very popular.
Those of you who saw the exhibition at the Crawford will have seen how magnificently Mrs Younger carried out her vision of a beautiful church built to the glory of God with such care and dedication - when she died in 1942 the statue of the Virgin and Child was commissioned as a memorial to her.
The other buildings were built with equal care - the big hall was equipped for plays, for the young there was the gym and guide hall - now the Ladyhead - there were the club rooms in Castlewynd house with a library, a billiard's room and women's club room with sewing machines and a penny-bank!
I remember in the 1930s going with my mother and grandmother, Mrs Dalmahoy (the 'rood' was given in memory of her family) on a Monday afternoon to the women's club room where they took in any small amounts that the local women could spare as savings - they kept careful records and paid out money when it was needed (I think I was allowed to help count it!). This unobtrusive and informal method of banking was very welcome and my sister, Anne Rose, and I are surprised to find ourselves running a very similar system at the Age Concern club in the hall here on a Wednesday!
In 1920 All Saints became an independent congregation with Piers Holt Wilson , our father, as priest in charge.
In 1923 the new church was consecrated so you will have to have another celebration then!
St Andrews changed a great deal over the first twenty years that a church stood on this site. In 1903 fishing was in decline and became worse - but the university was slowly recovering from the low ebb of the 18th and 19th centuries. At the end of the First World war the promise of 'a lad fit for heroes to live in' was not kept and there was much unemployment - so the building of all these facilities to make a community centre and a 'nice' place to return to from the rigours of empire building had resulted in a lot of new buildings and improvements to the west end of the town and golf had become very popular - and not only with visitors; many of the young men of the congregation went off to make their living making golf clubs or designing golf courses in America.
In the 20s and 30s the student numbers rose slowly (but there were only 500 in 1939) and they became involved here too - worshipping here, singing in the choir and serving and helping with the boys club in the gym and meeting for discussions and prayers.
Big changes came with the Second World War. Some had already started for many of the fisher people's houses had been condemned as unfit to live in and council houses had been built across the Kinness Burn. The unemployment that had bedevilled the interwar years was lost sight of as able bodied men and women were 'called-up' for the forces or war work. Shortages of fuel, food rationing and the 'black-out' restricted social and congregational life.
After the war, in 1946, the university was full with war-service and young students, more student residences were built and fewer people lived in this end of the town - the needs of the congregation were different - the club rooms less needed - the billiard room became the North Hall. In time Castlewynd House became the Anglican Chaplaincy and when the guide club room fell out of use it was converted into the Ladyhead book and coffee shop which was started by the then rector, Russell Ingham - in spite of gloomy forecasts it flourished and became a real public service and meeting place and also helped with financing such a large church property.
Looking back there are so many people who have had a hand in the continued change and development of All Saints since the brave decision of St Andrew's Church to found it. There have been tireless workers in Sunday Schools and clubs, choirs, flower arrangers and sacristans, fundraisers in all forms, vestries and caretakers - I think there should be a roll of honour for them, such love and devotion they have given to keeping the church as well - from old Jessie Melville in whose memory the beautiful window in the chapel was installed - a daunting old lady who kept everyone in order, I gather from an old member who was a student here during the First War.
Then living in Castlewynd there were people like Henry and Doddie Gourlay whose memorial to their daughter is over near the statue, the Huttons and the Douglasses who thankfully are still with us, and of course Tom and Effie Keracher did wonders there too. Tom is still keeping us all right and now Frank has achieved 26 years as caretaker and moves soon to a more accessible flat.
So I hope I have shown that change and response to new needs is a real feature of the life of this church - however traditional and stable it may appear. For 100 years the gospel has been preached, the sacraments celebrated, the resurrection witnessed to in word and action but what next I wonder. What new use will be found for our wonderful inheritance of church, people and buildings? Already the halls are used more by the community, plays, concerts, groups, ceilidhs, parties, and clubs, and our own centenary fund will improve the access and facilities. What new way of witnessing and spreading the gospel may emerge here next? Interest in prayer and spirituality and a need for 'quiet places' has increased and St Andrews has become more and more popular a place for visitors and the university continues to develop.
Only God knows what we as a congregation may be called to next but we need to be as alert as our founders to changing needs. As Alex Macdonald - Rector from 1946 for over 30 years - wrote in his foreword to the handbook of the church published in 1965:
"The church, the Body of Christ, does not consist of buildings and furnishings however beautiful, but of men, women and children who comprise her and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But in the work of shepherding those human lives and in our common work of worshipping God and of evangelization. All Saints is a superb piece of apparatus - a grand workshop."
So let us rejoice in the last 100 years and look ahead to a future with confidence in God.
"Let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth."
Amen
Sermon by: Marie Louise Moffat