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04 December 2002

Contents Soundings:12

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SACH  Soundings
 No 12 December 2002

Page 6

Christmas Offerings

Mary’s Dream

I had a dream, Joseph.
I don’t understand it, not really, but I think it was about a birthday celebration for our son. I think that was what i was all about.
The people had been preparing for it for eight weeks. They had decorated the house and bought new clothes. They’d gone shopping many times and bought elaborate gifts. It was peculiar, though, because the presents weren’t for our son. They wrapped them in beautiful paper and tied them with lovely bows and stacked them under a tree-----yes, a tree, Joseph, right in their house! They’d decorated the tree too. The branches were full of glowing balls and sparkling ornaments. There was a figure on the top of the tree. It looked like an angel might look. Oh, it was beautiful.
Everyone was laughing and happy. They were all excited about the gifts. They gave the gifts to each other, Joseph, not to our son-----I don’t think they even knew him-----they never mentioned his name. Doesn’t it seem odd for people to go to all that trouble to celebrate someone’s birthday if they don’t know him? I had the strangest feeling that if our son had gone to this celebration he would have been intruding.
Everything was so beautiful, Joseph, and everyone so full of cheer, but it made me want to cry. How sad for Jesus not to be wanted at his own birthday celebration.
I’m glad it was only a dream. How terrible, Joseph, if it had been real.

This story proved very popular in Aberdeen last Christmas

A useful Book

Maragret Cameron, chaplain at Accord Hospice in Paisley, recommends the book "Shine on,star of Bethlehem" a worship resource for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.
Compiled by Geoffrey Duncan for Christian Aid—£9.99
Canterbury Press. This is a collection of poems, prayers and meditations.

Rev Blair Robertson has been appointed Chaplaincy Coordinator in South Glasgow Trust in succession to the Rev Janet MacMahon who moved to Castlemilk in August. This appointment has been made directly by the Trust.
Two locum part-time chaplains have been appointed while there is a vacancy for a whole-time chaplain. They are the Rev David Hood and Rev Norman Shanks.
Rev Bill Campbell plans to retire from the Royal Cornhill Hospital in January 2003.

A warm word of appreciation for Anne Harper who has now completed her term as President of SACH. Anne very obligingly responded to an emergency vacancy, saying that she would tide SACH over for a few months, and then staying on for a number of years!
Anne has steered the SACH Executive through the early years of consolidation when we were all feeling our way, has puzzled over and helped us to interpret, many NHS changes, and had always kept the profile of Chaplaincy, Spiritual Care, and SACH very much to the fore. She has done all this with much patience, a uniquely wry sense of humour, and many great doughnuts!!
As we proceed to explore how we interpret and implement the new guidelines, what we do about registration and accreditation, we will miss the wisdom of Anne’s down to earth comments on so many things. Thanks Anne from us all.

Isabel Whyte
Chaplain
Queen Margaret Hospital
Dunfermline

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