Hear the Word; keep the Word; pass the Word on.
Morningside United Church is using the lectionary chosen by ‘Spill the Beans’. It’s an opportunity to write on something different from the RCL. Here’s the draft for Sunday 12th January 2025
Category Archives: Edinburgh
Human Rights Day of Action On Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Guest blog from Nourish Scotland:
Join the #BringBackTheBill Human Rights Day of Action On Tuesday, 10 December 2024, we are calling for action at the Scottish Parliament to demand the reintroduction of the Scottish Human Rights Bill.
The #BringBackTheBill Human Rights Day of Action isn’t just about raising awareness -it’s a powerful call to action. Organisations across Scotland are urging the Scottish Government to prioritise the Scottish Human Rights Bill, ensuring that rights are protected for all.
#OurRightsOurFuture is more than just a slogan – it’s a rallying cry for change.
Organisations, community groups, grassroots organisations, students, and individuals are all invited to join us on this important day to create a future where human rights are a priority in Scotland.
About the Scottish Human Rights Bill
The Human Rights Bill for Scotland aims to enshrine everyday human rights into Scots law, with special protections for women, disabled people, and racial minorities. It guarantees rights such as adequate living standards (including food, housing, and clothing), the highest attainable health, fair work conditions and pay, a healthy environment to live in, education, family protection, social security, and cultural participation.
Under the Bill, devolved public bodies would be required to take account of human rights in their decisions and ensure no one falls below a certain level of each right that is needed for dignity. They must also demonstrate progress in improving rights for all, prioritising those in the worst situations, using maximum available resources.
The Bill strengthens accountability by creating new pathways for human rights complaints and underpinning our legal rights, while empowering oversight bodies like the Scottish Human Rights Commission and the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
Calling on Scottish MPs
We also call on all Scottish MPs to pledge their support for the Scottish Human Rights Bill in their upcoming manifestos. #BringBackTheBill is a movement to build a fairer, more just future for Scotland.
Let’s march together, stand up for what’s right, and make this happen.
- Date: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
- Time: 10:00 – 14:00 GMT
- Location: Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh
- More information is available via Eventbrite
Together, we can make a difference. Let’s #BringBackTheBill
Ss Ninian and Triduana Bronze Award
Ss Ninian and Triduana RC Church, Edinburgh received their Bronze award earlier this year. The assessors noted that the parish is active in making the link between faith, justice and creation. They were also impressed by their garden transformation, restoring their garden to an eco-garden, incorporating a sitting area for social/quiet space, a meadow area, and a pond area.
Their church garden revamp included:
- New benches installed from repurposed pews
- 5 swift boxes added
- A pond created from a repurposed old school sink
- Water butt installed from a repurposed grey bin
- Bug hotel created from a repurposed old shopping trolley
- Winter home for frogs and bulbs added by local school children
- Leaf mould pile created
- Plants added from cuttings from parishioners gardens
- Introduced ‘No Mow May’
- A peace pole installed at the front
Well done to everyone involved.
Environmental Survey for Congregations
Augustine United Church (Edinburgh) recently designed and distributed an environmental survey for members of their congregation. They have kindly shared their survey with us for others to adapt and use in their own Eco-congregations. Feel free to download and edit the survey for use in your church.
The Work that Reconnects
The A+E project at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh invite you to join them for a series of 5 workshops in October and November: The Work that Reconnects.
Over the 5 workshops participants will be guided through the Work’s spiral of practices: Gratitude, Honouring Our Pain for the World, Seeing with New Eyes/Ancient Eyes, and Going Forth.
These workshops are open to anyone currently involved in addressing the climate and ecological crises in any way and/or who wish to become more active.
First workshop, Monday 14th October 7pm. Details of the course and booking information can be found on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-work-that-reconnects-a-series-of-5-workshops-tickets-1012742408807
To find out more about the work of the A+E project at St Mary’s Cathedral, visit their website https://www.cathedral.net/community/eco-cathedral or read the recent article from Creative Carbon Scotland: https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/the-story-of-an-embedded-artist/
The Climate Change Blame Game – 31st August
The Eco-group from St Ninian’s Episcopal Church, Comely Bank Edinburgh, would like to invite you to their upcoming event.
The Climate Change Blame-Game: an overview of why global warming is proving so intractable.
DATE: Saturday 31st August at 10.30am
LOCATION: St Ninian’s Church – 40 Comely Bank Edinburgh EH4 1AG
SPEAKER: Rev’d Dr David de Pomerai.
Associate Priest at St Ninian’s Comely Bank SEC, retired academic teaching in genetics and bioethics at Nottingham University, Honorary Fellow in Science & Religion at New College, Edinburgh University.
EVENT DESCRIPTION: Climate change is often described as a “wicked problem” – or even “super-wicked”. ‘Wicked’ – not in the sense of ‘evil intent’ (though that can come into it), nor yet in the colloquial sense of ‘amazing’ (though some of its ramifications deserve that epithet) – but rather in the sense of ‘knotted, intractable, multifaceted and defying easy solutions’. Back in the 1980s, a ban on CFCs largely healed the developing hole in the atmospheric ozone layer. But we can’t simply ban carbon dioxide, which sits at the centre of far too many cycles – most of which are natural and essential, though they have become distorted through human influence. Despite the scientific consensus that climate change is real, despite even the clear evidence that it is happening already, progress towards curbing our carbon dioxide emissions has at best been halting and of limited effectiveness. This event, which will outline some of the obstacles to progress, will last for an hour to an hour and a half including discussion over light refreshments.
REGISTRATION: All are welcome but registration in advance appreciated to facilitate catering – please email admin@sncb.scot
Invitation to join an Omnivores Research Project – Central Belt
In partnership with the SRUC, Nourish Scotland is running a scoping study that investigates people’s views about their least-worst options for reducing meat intake in their diets. This study will help shape a three-year SRUC research project that starts in the Autumn 2024.
They are looking for a diverse range of people (age, dietary requirements and preferences, and other demographics) in the Central Belt of Scotland. To participate in this study, you would have to be:
1. someone who eats meat (not just fish) on a regular basis, as part of your normal diet
2. prepared to take part in a full-day workshop that will take place in person in the Central Belt (likely to take place in early June) AND
3. committed to keep a food diary for about a week in the run up to the in-person workshop.
Nourish can cover travel expenses (within limits, within the Central Belt), and £25 (a small contribution to your favourite meal perhaps!).
The discussions in the workshop will be focused roughly around these questions:
– What do people know about the case for reducing meat in our diets, and what, in this, do they care about?
– What do people know about meat replacements?
– What are people willing and unwilling to substitute for meat in their diet i.e. for which meals and under what conditions (taste, cost, availability, skills, time and effort, etc.)?
If you are interested in participating in this study, or have a question about this before you decide, please contact miesbeth@nourishscotland.org.uk to receive an application form by Thursday 2nd May.