Category Archives: Sunday Service

Weekly Blog Sunday 22nd. March, 2020

Normally I would be in church at this time on a Sunday morning — in fact in the years since I took over at Fogo I have only ever missed one Sunday morning service and that was because we were in the Holy Land together.

This has been a very strange week. Strange because we are now all in lockdown, at least it seems that everyone I know is isolated in some form or other, it could that’s because everyone I know is quite old! And strange because we have been told we cannot any longer have services in church. And this came just as I thought that our service was really quite a safe one as regards the virus. We had put sanitizing gel by the door and everyone could have their own box-pew so social distancing would happen naturally. Of course, it is right that these precautions have been taken and we must all do everything we can to stay safe.

But people need to worship as well and congregations need to stay together. I wasn’t sure quite what we ought to do. I checked what some of our neighbouring congregations have planned. Our friends in Duns are experimenting with some kind of conferencing system which sounds quite exciting; while Andy at Eyemouth and Coldingham is streaming his service, presumably with a small group of folk all observing social distancing. Neither of these options is open to us because they both require internet access and that is something which we don’t have at Fogo. So we are putting something up on line and leaving it there just for Sunday. If we are able to, we shall replace it during the week with a reading, a thought and a prayer.

There is nothing more important than keeping our congregation together and I would love to hear ideas from you all about what we should be doing.

I broke off from writing this blog to drive down to church because I wanted to be there at the normal worship time. I met John B who was also sitting quietly in church. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place and one can feel the prayers which have been offered there over the centuries and over recent years.

I’m already getting feedback from our service this morning and everyone seems to have appreciated what we have offered. (Although Rachel has insisted that I have to trim my moustache and learn how to smile — I’ll try!) Please remember that if there is anything that anyone needs, we have folk here who will be delighted to help. Please keep safe and do remember that God loves you,

January, 2020 Highlights

Frog and Henry played in Fogo in January
Rev. John Hunter conducted one of our Sunday morning services in January
After Church on Sunday 12th. January we held a congregational lunch followed by a conference to prepare our mission strategy for this year.

Sunday, 12th. January, 2020. Today was a big day at Fogo Parish Church. Our service at 10.30 a.m. was followed by a congregational lunch and conference session of what we should be doing as a congregation during 2020. It was a meeting of the Kirk Session, Congregational Board and members of the congregation deliberately structured as such to enable decisions to be made. The session was conducted by Julian, one of our new elders and experienced in leading such sessions. He asked us all to identify what made Fogo Church what it was, what brand image did we have in our own minds when we thought of our congregation or what made us want to belong. Then we were invited to think of the people to whom we wished to reach out — a whole variety of responses was received, from an elderly lady with few friends in a nursing home, through families who were doing well and had no interest at all in what happened in their local church, to young folk who had previously had no involvement at all with matters of faith. Finally we were asked to think through plans to reach out to those people we had identified. A huge range of proposals was produced ranging through those which might be grouped under the heading of communication, through those centering on special events, to making more use of digital media to reach out, share and interact with those whose circumstances prevent them from being with us, seeking the assistance of young folk to enable us to communicate with the elderly. The results of our conference will now be analysed and a detailed strategy produced with a view to being implemented by Easter.

On 27th. January twenty-seven folk set off from Fogo for an eleven day pilgrimage in the Holy Land (returning safely on 6th. February).

Roger made a special desert for our congregational lunch. It was very much appreciated!

Our Christmas Services

Christmas Services in Fogo

Sunday 15th. December at 10.30 a.m. Advent Calendar Service with Christingles.

Wednesday 18th. December at 11 a.m. Christmas Service with the children, parents and staff of Fogo Nursery.

Sunday 22nd. December at 10.30 a.m. Service of Nine Lessons and Carols.

Christmas Eve at 11.20 p.m. Christmas Eve Watch-Night Service with carol-singing from 11 pm.

Christmas Day at 10.30 a.m. A short, informal service for Christmas Day.

Sunday 29th. December at 10.30 a.m. Service of Music and Readings for the Christmas Season with Holy Communion.

Sunday 29th. December at 5 p.m. Service in which we remember those we love and who we miss especially at this time of year.

Sunday  5th. January at 10.30 a.m. A Service to  celebrate Epiphany — the arrival of the Wise Men to visit the baby Jesus.

“You are always welcome at Fogo Parish Church”

Friday 24th. January at 7.30 p.m. Frog and Henry New Orleans Band return!

Epiphany celebrated!

We had a good congregation in Church for our Epiphany Service on Sunday — the Kings were out in force on the Communion Table!

This is going to be a big year for us. Later in the month a party of twenty-seven of us are going on Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and next Sunday, after our morning service there will be a congregational lunch followed by a meeting of the Kirk Session and Congregational Board to which everyone is invited. The meeting will start to consider our Mission programme for this year. If you think about it, there is nothing more important than mission and having got our building in order and built our congregation it is now appropriate for us to plan how we are going to start to change the world!

Our two-hour session on Sunday will be led by one of our new elders, Julian, who has already done quite a bit of preparation for this meeting to ensure that we think through all of the opportunities which are open to us. Quite a number of ideas have already been brought forward and there will be a full report on the web-site following our meeting.

Two Services tomorrow Sunday 29th. December, 2019

Our first service tomorrow is at 10.30 a.m. and is a service of readings and music for Christmas. There will be prose and poetry, traditional and modern words which will start in the stable at Bethlehem, include the travelling Magi and excerpts from the diary of the Reverend Francis Kilvert who was a curate in the 1870s and recorded church life in days which are very different from today. We will be reminded of a Christmas in space and of the importance that Handel’s Messiah played in Yorkshire in times past . We’ll sing several traditional carols and listen to a number of musical items on the organ, including John Rutter’s Angel’s Carol, the traditional Scots Rorate Caeli Desuper and the popular Parade of the Tin Soldiers.

At 5 p.m. we have a service in which we remember those who have died and whose presence we miss, and whose absence we feel always, but especially at Christmastime. There will be a time for reflection, a ceremony of remembrance using the advent candles and a short communion service. Everyone is always welcome at Fogo Parish Church.

Sunday 15th. December at 10.30 a.m. Advent Calendar and Christingle Service

We set up our giant Advent Calendar this morning. It looks superb!

It’s the Third Sunday of Advent and we shall be celebrating by reminding ourselves of the Christmas story using our extra large Advent Calendar with beautiful stained-glass panels behind the doors.

Once we have opened the doors, enjoyed the story, and sung appropriate carols, we’ll round off our service with the ceremony of the Christingle. Our Christingles were made this morning — the oranges, candles, ribbon and sweets have all come together to make something special for our celebration tomorrow. We are hoping that some visitors will come along to join us!

Remember — “You are always welcome at Fogo Parish Church”

Christingles all ready for our service tomorrow.

What a wonderful day!

Alison and Laura

Sunday 1st. September, 2019 at 10.30 a.m. A large congregation gathered for a very special service. It was special because this was the first service since we completed the three year period of continued services which Presbytery allowed us following the retirement of the previous minister. The real challenge for us was to get over that line — and although it has been clear for several months that we now have a longer term future, it was really good to be worshipping in Fogo Church with the three year date now past.

But Sunday was special for real reasons as well! Particularly because we celebrated the Baptism of Alison and then the confirmation of both Alison and Laura. It was a most memorable service.

Alison’s Baptism

After some wonderful hymns, two Bible readings narrating the baptism of the Ethiopian pilgrim by Philip and the Philippian jailer and his family by Paul, and a short talk on the significance of these events for us today, Alison was baptised using the font lent to us by the congregation at Burnmouth whose church is closing.

Laura and Alison are confirmed

The baptism was followed by the confirmation of Baptismal promises by Laura and Alison, after which they were presented with certificates, books and flowers and invited not only to participate in the Sacrament of Holy Communion but also to share in leading the service by carrying out the bread to the congregation. The service then came to a glorious conclusion with the singing of the old Scottish paraphrase ‘I’m not ashamed to own my Lord’.

After the service there was a short meeting of the Kirk Session and Congregational Board to which all members of the congregation were invited to contribute. The most important item of business was the decision to show our thanks to God for his goodness to us as a congregation by making a donation of £5,000 to the development programme of Eyemouth Parish Church, one of the sister congregations within our presbytery.

Then everyone made their way to Liz and Jim’s home for lunch served in the Church marquee.

Pete, Alison, Laura and Melanie

It was there that Molly took this picture of Pete and Melanie with Laura and Alison. The significance of the picture is that Pete and Melanie were Alison’s Baptismal sponsors and will provide her with support within our church family.

Edrom Casals Centre musicians

At three in the afternoon musicians from the Edrom Casals Centre provided an excellent concert under the leadership of Lucy Cowan. They were ably supported by Heather Cattanach and Heather Playfair and the concert reached an exciting conclusion with a performance of Bach’s double violin concerto. It had been a splendid day.

Weekly Blog

Friday 23rd. August, 2019

Plans are afoot for our service on Sunday 1st. September when Alison will be baptised and Laura will be confirmed. It will be really special and the service will end with a short celebration of Holy Communion.

The church marquee has now moved to Jim and Liz’s home and after the service on 1st. September everyone is invited there for a celebratory lunch. Church seems to be a succession of celebrations at the moment but we shall soon be getting back into harness with preparatory meetings for our congregational pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with our regular film evenings and with our University of the third age course which we are hosting.

Later on the afternoon of 1st. September at 3 p.m. there will be a Chamber Concert in church. The concert will be led by Lucy Cowan and will include a piano and string ensemble, along with the Bach double violin concerto. This concert has been arranged by Bridget who says that, although there is no charge for the concert, donations to Operation Raleigh International would be most welcome.

Preparing for Worship

Chris and John prepare for a Service in Fogo Parish Church

Chris Scott, our lay reader, will be leading our worship on Sunday 18th. and Sunday 25th. August. Rev. John Hunter, whose father was minister of Fogo for many years during the twentieth century, has agreed to come and conduct our service on Sunday 6th. October.

Three special services for our folk to look forward! But there is more — on Sunday 1st. September there will be a service of adult baptism and confirmation followed by a celebration lunch in the church marquee which, on this occasion, will be erected at the home of Jim and Liz.

September being a five-Sunday month there will be a service of Holy Communion on the final Sunday, Sunday 29th. Rachel is working on a special musical communion service for us on that day.

All services in Fogo Parish Church are at 10.30 a.m.

“You are always welcome at Fogo Parish Church”