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James McDougall

We hope you will enjoy

reading this magazine as we try to convey

why Easter is so important to millions of

Chris&ans around the world.

Why is it important?

Because we believe that Jesus Christ

came to tell us things, to give us an

amazing opportunity and a crucial choice,

and then to die for us all and, three days

later, come back from the grave to prove

that life exists a,er death.

Much is said and wri-en about Easter. As

Chris&ans we believe that Jesus is the Son

of God and that He died on Good Friday to

pay all the debts that we humans have in

the form of sin through the damage we do

to God's property.

What property?

Well, humanity, the environment and

other occupants of this wonderful world,

such as birds and animals. People of faith

believe that God is the source of energy,

power and ideas behind all of crea&on, so

all belongs to Him.

Why would God ask for a repayment of

such debts?

If we here in Aberdeen city centre are

hurt when our property is damaged or

threatened, why should God be any

different?

So what? Does it ma(er that

Jesus died and rose again?

Weird though it may seem that

He had to die, it's the difference in

this life between finding and not

finding the freedom, inner peace

and purpose that lasts and

sa&sfies. It is also crucial to the

well-being of our immortal souls.

In this magazine you’ll find

insights into important Easter

events and tradi&ons, as well as a

children’s corner, an anagram

compe&&on, church contacts,

Easter service informa&on and an

ar&cle on the role of work place

chaplains.

We hope you will find it an

interes&ng and fun read. And if we

can help you in any way, please let

us know.

In the mean&me, HAPPY EASTER

TO YOU FROM ALL IN THE ABERDEEN

CITY CENTRE PARISH GROUPING!

“Easter Good News” is the

magazine of the Aberdeen City

Centre Parish Grouping, a joint

working arrangement between

three city centre churches. St

Mark’s (next to HM Theatre) and

Queen Street (opposite the Arts

Centre) are Church of Scotland

charges, and the Kirk of St

Nicholas Uni&ng (on Union Street)

is an ecumenical union of the

Church of Scotland and the

United Reformed Church.

The Grouping has a Triskeles logo,

symbolising the three-way co-

opera&on and the Chris&an doctrine

of God as a three-in-one Trinity –

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Aberdeen City Centre Parish Grouping Le(ers to the Editor

If you have a viewpoint you would like to

share about anything you read in this

magazine, or any issue concerning

Aberdeen city centre, please send your

le-er to:

Ian McIver, c/o Queen Street Church, 79

Queen Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1AN, or by

email to ianmci@hotmail.co.uk.

Easter Sunday is always one of the 35

dates from March 22 to April 25, being

the Sunday following the Paschal

(Passover) Full Moon, which this year

falls on April 6. Easter Sunday is

therefore on April 8.

Shrove Tuesday (also known as Pancake

Day) is the day preceding Ash

Wednesday, the first day of Lent.

Observed in English-speaking countries,

the day is known for the ea&ng of

pancakes, made out of sugar, fat, flour

and eggs, the consump&on of which was

tradi&onally restricted during the ritual

fas&ng associated with Lent.

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent

and occurs 46 days before Easter.

According to the Gospels of Ma-hew,

Mark and Luke, Jesus spent 40 days

fas&ng in the desert before the beginning

of His public ministry, during which He

was tempted by Satan. Ash Wednesday

marks the beginning of this 40-day

period of prayer and fas&ng. It derives its

name from the prac&ce of placing ashes

on the forehead as a sign of mourning

and repentance to God.

From the upper room, Jesus goes to the

Garden of Gethsemane (meaning ‘oil

press’) at the foot of the Mount of Olives

in Jerusalem where Judas betrays him

with a kiss, leading to His arrest.

Good Friday commemorates the trials

of Jesus before the Jewish authori&es

and the Roman Governor Pon&us Pilate,

culmina&ng in his flogging, Crucifixion

and death on Calvary’s hill, outside the

city walls of Jerusalem. Calling the day of

the Crucifixion ‘Good Friday’ is peculiar

to the English language. In German, for

example, it is called ‘Mourning Friday’.

So, why call it Good Friday? Some hold

that the word ‘good’ used to have a

secondary meaning of holy, while others

point out the similarity between ‘God’

and ‘good’ (eg the phrase ‘God be with

you’ is now ‘good-bye’). But perhaps it’s

called Good Friday because all the

tragedy and suffering brought about the

greatest good there could be.

Easter Day or Easter Sunday is the

central feast in the Chris&an calendar,

celebra&ng the day on which Jesus rose

from the dead on the third day a,er His

Crucifixion. Easter marks the end of Lent

and is followed by a 50-day period called

Easter1de or the Easter Season, ending

with Pentecost Sunday, commemora&ng

the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the

remaining eleven disciples (Judas had

hanged himself).

For the believer, Lent is a &me of

prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving

and self-denial. During the Lenten

season, some faithful observants commit

to a form of fas&ng or (temporarily!) give

up certain types of food e.g. chocolate.

Palm Sunday marks the start of Holy

Week and is a moveable feast that falls

on the Sunday before Easter,

commemora&ng Jesus' triumphal entry

into Jerusalem. It is marked by the

distribu&on of palm leaves (o,en &ed

into crosses) to the assembled

worshippers.

The fi,h day of Holy Week, Maundy

Thursday, is the common name for Holy

Thursday and marks the beginning of the

three-day celebra&ng of Easter. It

commemorates the day of the Last

Supper of Jesus Christ with His disciples

and gets its name from the La&n word

mandatum, which means ‘command’.

Near the end of the Last Supper, a,er

Judas Iscariot had departed, Christ said

to the disciples, "A new command I give

you: Love one another. As I have loved

you, so you must love one another." (John

13:34).

The Last Supper, held in an upper room

in Jerusalem on the night before Jesus’

Crucifixion, provides the scriptural basis

for the Eucharist, also known as ‘Holy

Communion’ or ‘the Lord's Supper’.

Ma-hew, Mark and Luke tell of Jesus

taking bread, giving thanks and breaking

it, saying: “This is my body.” Then he

takes the cup (the so-called ‘Holy Grail’),

gives thanks and offers it to the disciples,

saying: “This is my blood of the

covenant, which is poured out for

many.”

What do work place chaplains do . . ?

Well, they spend quite a lot of &me wandering around listening to

people!

This is a crucial part of their role because, in the course of wandering,

listening and cha�ng, connec&ons are made with those in the work

place, rela&onships are formed, so that when a worker needs an ear for

a significant conversa&on, they are talking to someone they know and

trust.

Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland (WPCS) offers pastoral and spiritual care to those of all faiths and none, believing that the

opportunity to express what gives value to their lives is an important aspect of spirituality.

Chaplains hope and pray that they will be able to bring something of the loving presence of Christ into the work arena and,

aware that they hold a representa&ve role for all Chris&ans in employment, they try to encourage Chris&ans in the work place

to share the ministry with them.

All that chaplains offer comes out of their personal rela&onship with God and is resourced by those around them on the

Chris&an journey. In various ways, by their connec&ons within churches and other organisa&ons, they provide a bridge between

faith communi&es and the world of work, living up to WPCS’s mo-o: “We’re there and we care!”

Chaplaincy in Aberdeen is provided to the large shopping malls, small retail outlets, the voluntary (‘Third’) sector and

Aberdeen City Council. Whatever form it takes, it is to the benefit of employees and employers alike. Studies have shown that

where good quality, consistent chaplaincy is provided, personnel feel be-er supported, absentee rates fall and industrial

rela&ons improve.

Because the working community in Aberdeen is so vast, WPCS is interested in hearing from volunteers who feel they may be

called by God to share this ministry with the two full-&me chaplains.

Obedient Unto Death The Source of Eternal Life

On On On On

the the the the

Third Third Third Third

DayDayDayDay

Hot cross buns are sweet, yeast-

leavened, spiced buns made with

currants or raisins, o,en with candied

citrus fruits, marked with a cross on the

top. The cross can be made from pastry,

flour and water mixture, rice paper or

icing. In many historically Chris&an

countries, buns are tradi&onally eaten

hot or toasted on Good Friday, with the

cross standing as a symbol of the

Crucifixion, but in the UK they are now

sold all year round.

Easter eggs are o,en given to celebrate

Easter or spring&me. The oldest tradi&on

is to use dyed or painted chicken eggs,

but a modern custom is to subs&tute

chocolate eggs, or plas&c eggs filled with

confec&onery. The egg is seen by

Chris&ans as a symbol of resurrec&on:

while being dormant, it contains a new

life sealed within it. In Eastern tradi&ons,

Easter eggs are dyed red to represent

the blood of Christ, shed on the Cross,

and the hard shell of the egg symbolises

the sealed tomb of Christ — the cracking

of which symbolises His Resurrec&on

from the dead.

An Easter Bonnet represents the tail-

end of a tradi&on of wearing new clothes

at Easter, in harmony with the renewal

of the year and the promise of spiritual

renewal and redemp&on

The Easter Bunny or Easter Rabbit

(some&mes Spring Bunny in the U.S.) is a

character depicted as a rabbit bringing

Easter eggs, some&mes depicted with

clothes. In legend, the creature brings

baskets filled with colored eggs,

chocolate and some&mes toys to

children’s homes.

Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fer&lity

symbols of an&quity. Since birds lay eggs

and rabbits and hares give birth to large

li-ers in the early spring, these became

symbols of the rising fer&lity of the earth

at the Vernal Spring Equinox.

Mothering Sunday in the UK, the

equivalent of Mothers' Day in other

countries, is a &me when children pay

respect to their mothers, o,en giving

them a gi, and a card.

Many churches give the children in the

congrega&on a li-le bunch of spring

flowers to give to their mothers as a

thank you for all their care and love

throughout the year. Mothering Sunday

is always the fourth Sunday of Lent (18

March 2012).

On the Sunday before Easter, many

Chris&ans celebrate Palm Sunday.

Recalling the triumphal entrance of Jesus

into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey,

churches distribute palm leaves in

remembrance of the people who waved

them and carpeted his path with them.

One of the things you can do with these

palm leaves is to fold them into palm

crosses. These are o,en handed out as

gi,s at church services.

The pre-Chris&an Saxons had a spring

goddess Eostre, whose feast was held

on the Vernal Equinox, around 21

March. Pope Gregory the Great ordered

his missionaries to use old religious sites

and fes&vals and absorb them into

Chris&an rituals where possible. The

Chris&an celebra&on of the

Resurrec&on of Christ was ideally suited

to be merged with the Pagan feast of

Eostre and many of the tradi&ons were

adopted into the Chris&an fes&vi&es. In

Britain, Germany and other countries

children tradi&onally roll eggs down

hillsides at Easter, symbolic of the

rolling away of the rock from Jesus

Christ’s tomb before His Resurrec&on.

The day before Good Friday is known

as Maundy Thursday in Britain. At the

Royal Maundy religious service on that

day the Bri&sh Monarch ceremonially

distributes small silver coins, known as

"Maundy money" (legally, "the Queen's

Maundy money"), as symbolic alms to

elderly recipients. The coins are legal

tender, but do not circulate because of

their silver content and numisma&c

value. In the Middle Ages, English

monarchs washed the feet of beggars in

imita&on of Jesus, and presented gi,s

and money to the poor.

Remember, God is always with us,

although we don’t see Him. But He

can see us and He is with us

wherever we go.

Easter reminds us of when Jesus

was crucified by bad people who did

not care for Him. But God cares for

everyone, even those who break the

law and behave in a disgraceful way

towards other people.

James McDougall

Christmas Anagram Winner

Congratula&ons to Mrs Wilma

Simpson of Rosemount

Solu1on:

Poinse�a, Crackers, Pantomime, Baby

Jesus, Watchnight Service,

Decora&ons, Boxing Day, Advent

Calendar, Candles, Saint Nicholas,

Carols, Snowman, Na&vity, Manger,

Brandy Sauce, Mistletoe, Turkey,

Yule&de, Chestnuts, Presents.

Easter Anagram Compe11on

Find these words in the grid above:

Maundy Peter Holy

Crucifixion Jerusalem Resurrec&on

Gethsemane Emmaus Colt

Jesus Upper Room Sanhedrin

Calvary Mob Empty Tomb

Sunday Cross Nails

AIOODDFGRY (2 words) AAEELLMPSV (2) AAEEEEOOCCGGHLRSTT (3)

IIIOUCCFNRX AAIOOODLRSV (2) EEIOUCNRRRST

EIOGGGLLNR (2) AEOPRSSV AAEIIICFHLNRSSTTV (2)

EOBNNT AACHLPS AAUDLMNPSY (2)

OOUBCHNRSSST (3) AIOOOCDHHLLSY (2) AEEEIILLRSST (2)

EODKNY AEULPPRSST (2) AAAEEDGLMMNRY (2)

AAUUDDHMNRSTYY (2) EEUCHLPRS EONST

Entries to: Ian McIver, Queen Street Church, 79 Queen Street, Aberdeen,

AB10 1AN, or by email to ianmci@hotmail.co.uk. Closing date is 13th

April

2012. The first correct entry out of the bag at 5pm on that day will win a

£20 food voucher.

Community Contacts (as at February 2012)

Aberdeen City Council Services:

An&-social behaviour: 08456 066548 (Mon-Sun 9-4)

Benefits advice: 522709 (Mon-Fri 9.30-12, 2-4)

Consumer direct: 08454 040506 (Mon-Fri 8-6.30; Sat 9-1)

Council Tax & housing/council tax benefits: 08456 080921 (Mon-Fri 9-5)

Debt counselling: 523738 (Mon-Fri 9-5).

General enquiries: 08456 080910 (Mon-Fri 9-5).

Social work services: duty team 522055; welfare rights team 523203; out of hours team 693936.

MSPs

Kevin Stewart (SNP), Aberdeen Central, 522540 or 0131 348 6382, e-mail Kevin.Stewart.msp@sco�sh.parliament.uk

(For regional MSPs, see www.sco�sh.parliament.uk)

MPs

Frank Doran (Lab), Aberdeen North, 252715, e-mail frank.doran.mp@parliament.uk; Anne Begg (Lab), Aberdeen South, 252704, e-mail

anne.begg.mp@parliament.uk

Grampian Police Local Policing Teams

Contact the inspectors or their teams for Rosemount, Hanover and the City Centre on 0845 600 5700 or

mylocalpolicingteam@grampian.pnn.police.uk

Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111. Aberdeen & District Samaritans: 574488, or 08457 909090, or e-mail jo@samaritans.org

Aberdeen City Centre Parish Grouping Community Outreach Worker: Ian McIver, 07890 932677, or e-mail ianmci@hotmail.co.uk

The Aberdeen City Centre Parish Grouping will be holding five HOLY WEEK SERVICES in Queen Street Church (between the Arts Centre and

the Lemon Tree) from Monday-Friday, 2-6 April at 7.00pm. An open invita&on is extended to a-end any or all of them.

Easter Services

Kirk of St Nicholas Uni1ng

Maundy Thursday (April 5) Eucharist in

the Cowan Chapel - 1.05pm; Good

Friday Service (April 6) as part of the

City Centre Walk of Faith - 12.30pm;

Easter Sunday (April 8) Eucharist –

11.00am.

Queen Street Church

Easter Sunday Holy Communion -

11am.

St Mark’s Church

Easter Sunday “He is Risen!”

Celebra&on, Well of Spa Piazza,

Denburn – 9.00am; Easter Sunday

Family Fun Service (to include judging

of Easter egg decora&on and Easter

picture entries) – 11.00am, followed by

a short service of Holy Communion.

April 15 – Church Family Party,

celebra&ng Easter, spring and life in

Christ.

Kirk of St Nicholas Uni1ng

Minister: Rev Stephen Taylor

e-mail: minister@kirk-of-st-nicholas.org.uk

Church office: 643494

e-mail: mitherkirk@btconnect.com

website: www.kirk-of-st-nicholas.org.uk

Queen Street Church

Minister: Rev Dr Graham D S Deans

Church office (Weds): 643567

e-mail: queenstreetchurch@btconnect.com

website: www.queenstreetchurch.org.uk

St Mark’s Church

Minister: Rev Diane Hobson Manse 641758

e-mail: dianehobson.rev@b&nternet.com

Church office: 640672

e-mail: stmarksabdn@btconnect.com

website: www.stmarksaberdeen.org.uk