William
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Launch of ‘Look Well on these Skies’
March 6, 2016, was an exciting morning at Mayfield Salisbury, because at our morning services we launched the book produced by members of the congregation: ‘Look well on these Skies’ and every worshipper was encouraged to take a copy away with them to read and enjoy and also to take extra copies to pass around.The tone of the services was set by the words of Francis Collins, Director of the Human Genome Project & Director of the National Institutes of Health, USA, which were quoted on the front of the Orders of Service. ‘The God of the Bible is also the God of the Genome. He can be worshipped in the cathedral or the laboratory. His creation is majestic, awesome, intricate and beautiful – and it cannot be at war with itself…It is time to call a truce between the escalating war between science and spirit – a war initiated by extremists on both sides….science is not threatened by God and God is most certainly not threatened by science; He made it possible.’
The sermon was preached by Revd Professor David Fergusson, Principle of New College, University of Edinburgh, Gifford Lecturer.
Professor Fergusson said, ‘The book is remarkably rich in terms of its content, clarity and range of literary forms. It could not have been written by one person, and it shows the benefits of teamwork, cross-disciplinary collaboration and the editorial hand of those who can communicate effectively with wider audiences. Like the gospels, it also has the merit of being short and very manageable. So you can dip in and out of it, and return to it with profit. Its technical sections are clear and of course well informed, and these are supplement by poems, reading and reflections. I trust that it will be widely used by individuals and groups.’
He also stressed how science and faith ask different questions. ‘They offer different answers and have contrasting approaches. Why is there a universe at all? Is there a purpose to my being here? Why are loving God and my neighbour the two most important commandments? These are not scientific questions that can be dealt with by theory and experimentation. The ‘why’ questions are of another order and produce different forms of understanding. Science for its part has made spectacular progress in the last four centuries with the how questions – how does the universe work, how do human being come to be here, how do our bodies function.’ 
Later he mentioned Jonathan Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi, who was awarded the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion last week, and has written of what he calls the great partnership between science and religion, saying ‘Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together to see what they mean.' 
Professor Fergusson’s sermon is available in audio, video and text here.
The editor in chief of the book, Douglas Blackwood, summarized what the book is about in our parish magazine, ‘With contributions from very many members of our congregation, this booklet, through prose, poetry and illustrations, is a response to claims that religious beliefs have been overtaken by the amazing progress of science. Creation in Scripture, the
Big Bang, evolution, DNA and consciousness are all discussed. Other topics include how we keep the Bible at the heart of a scientific world view; suffering in an evolutionary world; and ways in which faith illuminates the science of climate change, organ transplantation and genetic modification.’This is further explained in the introduction to the book itself, which states: “It is fair to ask ‘Why another booklet on science and religion?’ when the topic is already so thoroughly
addressed by eminent theologians and scientists. The idea for this booklet emerged when members of Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, with backgrounds in teaching and research across a range of scientific fields, decided to respond to the ‘Scientists in Congregations’ initiative of the Templeton Foundation. In our largely secular culture, there is a deeply ingrained viewpoint that religious beliefs and practices are products of an earlier, less enlightened age that has been convincingly overtaken by science. The Scientists in Congregations project is timely in its aim of ‘seeking to encourage conversation about faith and science within congregations across Scotland’. The experience of each one of us has been that science sustains and deepens our Christian faith, contrary to the widely held perception of a head-on collision between science and the Bible.” 
The books are free of charge thanks to generous funding from the Templeton Foundation through ‘Scientists in Congregations Scotland’. They are available from Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church. Requests for hard copies should be made to 
The Very Revd Dr William James Gilmour McDonald
On Saturday, September 26, a group of pilgrims from Mayfield Salisbury enjoyed a very special day in Glasgow. It meant an early start for many as the coach left at 9.00am, but we were all aboard in good time, armed with an excellent pack of leaflets prepared by Lorna Souter, including a small booklet of prayers and reflections for use throughout the day. Lorna also led us in prayer before we left using some beautiful words of St Patrick, very apt as we were heading for Glasgow Cathedral: the 
church of St Mungo.
been a place of pilgrimage for many hundreds of years and still receives visitors from around the world. Many who come, however, often from the adjacent Royal Infirmary, come in need of a peaceful space. The box for prayer requests in the chapel of prayer is well used.
so much history, the prayers of all those who had gone before were almost tangible. 
nearby Museum of Religious Life and Art. Completed in the 1990s, this stands on the site of the original Bishop’s Castle. Here there are fascinating exhibits of artefacts and explanations covering all the major world religions, as well as a café where we could have lunch.
buildings which in the past surrounded the Cathedral. It is thus the oldest house in Glasgow still standing and is now a museum detailing its history. At its rear is a beautiful cloistered physic garden: the St Nicholas garden. This was a particularly peaceful spot where those of us who had chosen to have a picnic lunch could sit.
Our day of pilgrimage ended with a short talk by Scott on the life and ministry of Revd George Matheson, the well known Victorian minister, who is buried with other members of his family in the Necropolis. George Matheson was blind from his late teens but became a renowned preacher and author of many books. He is best known today for his hymn ‘O Love that wilt not let me go’, which we sang together at the close.
Many of us then walked up the hill to the Matheson family grave where Scott laid some flowers.
Our journey home was trouble free and we arrived back shortly after 6.00pm, tired but full of joy at having experienced so much in each other’s company. Friendships had deepened or new ones had begun, new places had been visited or familiar ones had provided new insights, sentiments echoed by the words from our pilgrimage pamphlet: ‘Pilgrimage is a spiritual journey to a sacred site. The travelling and the destination are inseparable ... It is in the action of travelling, of encountering the new and the unfamiliar, of allowing ourselves time and space away from the routine of everyday life that we receive insights and spiritual growth.’ (Oxford Diocese Pilgrimage Leaflet)
In 2 May 2015, the Right Reverend John Chalmers, the 2014-2015 Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, and Rachel Hutcheson, National Youth Assembly Moderator, joined forces and led by example. On that date, which fell just before Christian Aid Week, they climbed the Munro, Ben Lomond, in support of the Christian Aid challenge, which aims to raise £70,000 to mark Christian Aid's 70th anniversary year. The Moderators were encouraging congregations to climb Scotland's mountains and in so doing raise funds for Christian Aid.
complete the magical 70! Douglas and Ian have climbed Ben More, Assynt and Conival. Jean, Catherine and Michael have climbed Ben Chonzie. Angus, Pennie, Catherine, David, Honey, Pamela, Jean, along with Sunny, from the Chinese Evangelical Church, conquered Ben Nevis.
generations from the scourge of war which twice in a lifetime has brought sorrow to mankind: ‘Blessed are the Peacemakers’. An estimated 100,000 walkers per year, of all nationalities climb Ben Nevis and this memorial is the first thing they notice on reaching the top. The next thing that looms out of the mist there is the emergency refuge built to give shelter for those caught out in bad weather: peace and shelter at the top of the mountain.
On Saturday, May 23, 2015, about 40 of us from Mayfield Salisbury travelled by coach to Holy Island on a pilgrimage to Lindisfarne. After a brief stop at a cafe for delicious hot scones and coffee, time for a chat and for children to play, we continued our journey. We then stopped on the mainland to allow those who were going to walk the pilgrim way over the sands to Holy Island to leave, while those of us who preferred to attempt shorter walks once on the island were driven across the causeway: careful note having been taken of the tide times to make sure it was safe to do so, Holy Island being a tidal island!
The day was bright and sunny and there were many beautiful walks. Some chose to walk to the harbour, some to the castle, some to the ruins of St Cuthbert’s Priory. Others chose the shore line where there are many quiet stretches of sand and glorious peaceful views. All appreciated the beauty of this very special place, mindful of the words which our minister, Revd Scott McKenna, had written:
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