Máire O’Kelly from the Church of the Three Patrons, Rathgar sent ECI the epistle:
Rev. Purvis Campbell, minister of Christ Church Rathgar (Presbyterian), is currently working with members on what is called the Renaissance Project. The aim is to reconsider what it means to be a member of the Christian church in this age of pluralism and change. Central to the vision is a desire to serve the whole community, not only those who identify as being religious; and certainly not simply members of our own small group. It is a privilege to be able to gather in a building which has shaped the skyline of Rathgar for over a century, and so the hope is to work more and more with local residents, shopkeepers, teachers and children, in order to respond to present needs.
In September 2018, Christ Church launched a series of public talks, Faith in Conversation. Six speakers, drawn from both church and academia, led discussionson topics such as human rights, identity, conscience, and the effect of secularization on contemporary religion. A new series will begin in September 2019.
At the beginning of May 2019, members of Three Patrons Church joined us for a 2 day celebration of creation called Not Just a 7 Day Wonder. This was designed as a mini-festival focused on the diversity of the planet, a reminder of the delicacy of its ecosystem, and of our responsibility for stewardship. We saw this as a time to contemplate the capacity – inherent in every human being – to enhance the integrity of the created world through art and music, technology and poetry, and wise husbandry of the earth’s resources.
Included in the programme for the weekend was an exhibition of art and poetry entitled Being Animal, by Lisa Kinsell and Celia Kenny, which was first shown in Smock Alley in December 2018. Lisa Kinsell is an artist whose work is rooted in her experience of living in the African Bush. Celia Kenny is a writer and lecturer in religion and theology, a Church of Scotland minister who is also on the Renaissance team of Christ Church Rathgar.
On behalf of all the members of Christ Church Rathgar, may I extend our thanks to the prayer team from Three Patrons who joined us on the May weekend. Our hope is that there will be many more times of collaboration and celebration.
Rev Dr Celia Kenny