This is a brief account of the programme with links to the various presentations
FRIDAY 13th SEPTEMBER
Everyone arrived safely, registered, enjoyed a cup of tea or coffee and then headed into the conference hall where Dr David Bagnall, Associate Rector of the church, welcomed us. Then Bishop Paul Ferguson, Anglican Moderator, introduced our first speaker.
SESSION ONE : ‘Pebbles in the Loch: A Jig through the Main Tenets of Scottish Church History with reference to some Aspects of Relations between Church and State’, a presentation by the Very Rev Canon Dr Emsley Nimmo from Aberdeen which you can read if you click here.
After Lutheran Evening Worship and a lovely Buffet Meal we were visited by members and staff of
THE IONA COMMUNITY who told us about the Community, its story and its work world-wide today. Members told us what belonging to the Community meant to them personally, and they led us in singing and closed with Iona-style worship. You will find a brief account of their visit in the October 2024 issue of The Window.
SATURDAY 14th SEPTEMBER
We began with Anglican Morning Prayer according to Common Worship with 100% attendance! Then we moved to
SESSION TWO : ‘What Luther’s Theology of the Two Kingdoms has to Offer Today’, a lively account by the Rt Rev George Samiec, Chair of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in England. You can find it by clicking here
After coffee came
SESSION THREE : ‘Prayers in New Culture : Divergent Impact of Secularism in Liturgical Renewal’, by the Rev Prof Dr Merete Thomassen of Oslo University. Her presentation can be found if you click here
After a buffet lunch we were free to explore the city. The conference centre was close to he Castle, the Museum and Art Galleries, and there was a Whisky Experience just over the road, and plenty of shops, parks and gardens, so everyone seemed happy! Then came
SESSION FOUR : ‘The Establishment of the Church of England – Help and Hindrance?’ by our Anglican Co-Moderator, Paul Ferguson. He has provided his presentation and extended notes and quotations for you to enjoy if you just click here.
Paul had to change hats very quickly after that! He is a very fine organist and in the church he accompanied our singing of a number of favourite Lutheran and Anglican Hymns, and a short rehearsal of the congregation’s parts in the Common Service which was to be our closing Eucharist on Tuesday. This celebration of hymnody had been arranged by Dr Richard Stephenson and was greatly enjoyed.
We were all free after that to find food and refreshment in the city.
SUNDAY 15th SEPTEMBER
The morning was spent worshipping with the St John’s congregation. They have a very fine choir and we enjoyed ‘cathedral-like’ Morning Prayer with hymns and anthem, followed by a sung Eucharist at which our Anglican President preached. You can find his sermon by clicking here
The afternoon included a visit to St Giles’ High Kirk, the Church of Scotland ‘Cathedral’ in the old city. There a guide named Robin told us something of its history and after that we were free to look round or go and explore more of the city.
SESSION FIVE : ‘Glory to God in the High Street’ by a minister at St Giles, the Rev Sigrid Marten, who had offered to come to meet us and explain a little of St Giles’ role in the city and with the Scottish Parliament.
We enjoyed a splendid Scottish Meal in the Conference Hall provided by local chefs – Haggis (vegetarian for those who wanted it) neeps and tatties, (swede and potatoes) followed by lovely desserts. Then it was time for
SESSION SIX : ‘Your Will be Done on Earth as in Heaven : The Prophetic Church in Polarising Public Space’, by Dr Kathryn Lohre from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can read her presentation if you click here.
MONDAY 16th SEPTEMBER
After Lutheran Morning Worship we moved into
SESSION SEVEN : ‘State and Territorial Churches: Comparative Reflections’ by the Rev Prof Dr Charlotte Methuen of Glasgow University is availableif you click here
Coffee Break was followed by
SESSION EIGHT : ‘Perplexing Issues in our Two Churches’ : this was led by our Lutheran Co-Moderator, the Rev Dr Jaakko Rusama, and the Rev Dr David Bagnall of St John’s. Jaakko’s presentation is ready for you if you click here and you can read David’s if you click here
Everyone went out into the city after that to find their own lunch before returning for
SESSION NINE : ‘Church Life in Restless Europe: Bordering Russia Today’ by our Lutheran President, the Rt Rev Jana Jeruma-Grinberga from Latvia. You can see what she had to say by clickng here
There were six ‘seminar groups’ on offer during the rest of the afternoon and we could visit up to four of them.
1. ‘How the Anglican Lutheran Society began’ was an opportunity for those who were not at our Annual Meeting in March to enjoy Tom Bruch’s account of events leading up to the creation of our Society.
2. ‘Rethinking the Petrine Ministry’ – David Carter asked is it possible that the papal ministry as exercised by Pope Francis might become acceptable to the whole Christian community?
3. ‘Living with integrity in a multi-faith neighbourhood’ – Karsten Dierks wants to work with the Muslims in his neighbourhood to combat racism and Nazism. But how do we do it?
4. ‘Multi-faith Prayer - and how to do it’ – Andy Roland on approaches to multi-faith prayers.
5. ‘Anglicans and Lutherans in Alsace: Putting the Reuilly relationship into action’ : John Murray described his participation in the life of the Lutheran church in his village in Alsace and how Anglicans are trying to give more substance to the Reuilly Relationship between French Protestant Churches and the Anglican Churches of the British Isles.
6. Ecumenical Links with Southwark Cathedral : Frances Hiller spoke briefly about the Cathedral’s ecumenical links locally with St Olav’s Norwegian Church and St George’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, and in Europe with Rouen and Bergen Cathedrals.
Evening worship was from the Church of England Book of Common Prayer, and then it was time for
The Conference Dinner. We had some very distinguished guests, but it was a very unusual dinner which you can read about in the October 2024 issue of The Window.
TUESDAY 17th SEPTEMBER
We began by meeting round tables to reflect on the conference. We all had a feedback form to complete and then we discussed the future of the Society – how we feel it should develop and what topics we thought we might suggest for forthcoming Annual Meetings and conferences. Then we went into the church for
THE FINAL EUCHARIST. This followed the Lutheran Common Service, the Celebrant being Bishop Jana Jeruma-Grinberga and the Preacher Bishop David Hamid. You can read his sermon here
We then dispersed. Some went home and some stayed on longer to visit some of the sights in Edinburgh, to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia or to go on a mammoth day-trip on Wednesday around as much of Scotland as possible, taking in Glen Coe, the Great Glen, Ben Nevis, Loch Lomond where there was a boat trip but no-one saw the Monster, the Trossachs, Pitlochry and back via the Forth Bridges.
Click here to find one member’s reflection on the whole conference experience.
