Juniper Green 300 Community Service

18th November 2007

Juniper Green 300 Community Service on Sunday 18th November 2007 at 10.30am in Juniper Green Parish Church.

In preparation for the community service on November 18th Rev James Dewar sent out a questionnaire to many of those who had been closely associated with Juniper Green 300 to discover what important threads had been woven through the year of celebration. His questions were:

1. What have you learnt during JG300?
2. What surprised you during the year?
3. What made it special?
4. How can it be continued?

Jim also spent some time with pupils at Juniper Green school asking them similar questions. As you will see the service then reflected on some of the answers received.

ORDER OF SERVICE

Juniper Green 300 Service 18:11:07

Welcome and Intimations - Charles Godon
Call to worship: Psalm 105:1,2 - Jim Dewar
Hymn - 160 Praise my soul the King of heaven
Prayer and Lord's Prayer

Jim then explained that he had asked both the steering and Diggers group members to answer some questions, looking back on the year: what have you learned? What surprised you? What made the year special? He had also asked some children in the primary school similar questions in the week before the service. Jim then announced that there were 3 reflections that bring together some of these responses.

Reflection 1: Paige Phillips and Fiona Hales (PDF 20KB)
Song - He's got the whole world in His hands
Reading: Mark 12:28-34 - Bernard Povey
Reflection 2: Silvia Carpico and Bill Blair (PDF 20KB)

"The Same sun and the same moon" - the song was written by a Primary 5 class at the Primary school as part of their contribution to the School concert in the run up to gala week; Jim set it to some photos from the year of JG300 events and some older ones which were displayed as the song played.

In trying to give a flavour of worship 300 years ago, Jim thought of including an hour-long sermon and then another one and a service lasting more than 2 hours; but he discarded that idea; but he invited the congregation to sing a psalm that would have been sung 300 years ago and in a similar style.

Hymn - 81 I to the hills (sung unaccompanied)
Reflection 3: Liz Beevers and Richard Watt (PDF 30KB)
Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 - Karen Noble
Prayers -Douglas Buchanan and Cliff Beevers
Hymn - 530 One more step along the world I go

Jim then spoke about "The heart of the community" and his words can be read in the linked document (PDF 26KB).

Offering & Prayer of Dedication
Hymn - 516 We are marching (+ 2 vv)
Benediction

The congregation then moved into Hall 1 for coffee and biscuits.

There was much mingling, chatting and meeting of old friends in Hall 1. There was also a Tear Fund stall selling gifts for Christmas made in Third World countries.

As a postscript to the service the final question about how the year's activities can be continued was taken up at the final Steering group meeting of the year. The responses included: creation of much of the successful activities like talks, walks, Art in the Park, concerts, ceilidh, community service and parade to be organised within a gala week possibly every other year; through continued history projects and/or through other projects like the production of a leaflet, the erection of signs at either end of the village, maintenance of the website and continuation of the popular flower tub project under the auspices of the Village Association.

As this special year comes to an end there seems to be room for optimism that one if not all of the above approaches will lead to renewed vigour in village life over the next few years.