NEWLETTER First Presbyterian Church of Croswell
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February, 2021
NEWLETTER
First Presbyterian Church of Croswell
Have I missed my chance to talk about the song Auld Lang Syne? I
know it is usually sung on New Year’s Eve, or Hogmanay in Scotland.
But seriously, especially because we are Presbyterians, we need to
look at this song, and see how it relates to us and our lives today.
First we must understand why this is important to us as
Presbyterians. Historians believe that Hogmanay celebrations were Prayer Request
elevated in importance after the banning of Christmas by the Scottish
Presbyterian Church in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Presbyterians have not always celebrated Christmas. Protestant Our Church Family
Reformation leaders were generally critical of the existing “feast and as we have our
saint days” of the Catholic Church. The reformation leaders, therefore Congregational
barred Christmas as a feast day. With the Scottish Reformation, a Meeting February
clear stand against the observance of Christmas was taken by the
21, at 1 pm via zoom.
Kirk (church) in 1560 and again in 1566.
Geneva, as one of the leading Protestant cities in the mid-1500s, had
abolished all feast and saints’ days prior to Calvin’s arrival there.
Calvin was expelled temporarily from the city. After Calvin’s recall to
the city, he wrote to Pastor John Halle in Berne on January 2, 1551,
that he “pursued the moderate course of keeping Christ's birth-day
as you are wont to do.”
The Second Helvetic Confession of 1566 recognized the celebration of
Christmas by the church. Yet, the Scottish Kirk did not, arguing that
there was no scriptural basis for December 25 as Christ’s birth date.
The debate over religious observance of Christmas was continued in
the American colonies by both Puritans and Presbyterians. Where the
Anglican Church was the official church of a colony — especially in
the South — Christmas was celebrated. But Christmas was not
celebrated in New England by the Puritans. Presbyterians did not
recognize Christmas wherever they lived. Christmas was therefore
essentially banned in Scotland for the best part of 400 years until the
1950s, not being recognized as a public holiday until 1958. So New
Year’s Day, or Hogmanay, took the place of wild boisterous
gatherings on Christmas.
Hogmanay is what Scots call New Year's Eve - 31 December - the big
night that marks the arrival of the new year. Its origins reach back to
the celebration of the winter solstice among the Vikings with wild
parties in late December.Now done with the history lesson, the words of Auld Lange Syne are as follows:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, / And never brought to mind? / Should
auld acquaintance be forgot, / And auld lang syne!
Chorus: For auld lang syne, my jo, / For auld lang syne, / We'll tak a cup o'
kindness yet / For auld lang syne.
And surely you'll be your pint stoup, / And surely I'll be mine, / And we'll tak a
cup o' kindness yet / For auld lang syne! Chorus
We twa hae ran about the braes, / And pou'd the gowans fine, / But we've
wander'd monie a weary fit / Sin' auld lang syne. Chorus
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn / Frae morning sun til dine, / But seas between
us braid hae roar'd / Sin' auld lang syne. Chorus
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere, / And gie's a hand o' thine, / And we'll tak
a right gude willie waught / For auld lang syne! Chorus
Don’t be surprised that it has words you don’t know. Auld Lang Syne was written
and is still often sung in Scots, a language of lowland Scotland. But the song has
something to say to us!
It is about two friends sitting together having a drink and remembering old times.
The first question is rhetorical. Should old friends be forgotten and not thought
about? The chorus is telling us to remember old times, let’s have a drink for old
times sake. The verses tell us to drink together, to remember running in the fields,
and sailing together as youths, but that time has passed. So friends should take
time to remember each other and have a good time.
We need to remember this. Our lives get so busy, we get involved in our own
situations, we don’t often take the time to sit back and reminisce with friends. This
month, let’s take some time, make a call to an old friend. Brew a cup of coffee, and
plan on being on the phone for a while. Enjoy your time, and know that you have
continued a friendship, touched and affected someone’s day as well as your own.FEBRUARY SCRIPTURE READINGS
February 7, 2021
Isaiah 40:21-31
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Mark 1:29-39
February 14, 2021
2 Kings 2:1-12
Psalm 50:1-6
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Mark 9:2-9
Ash Wednesday Congratulations to our
February 17, 2021 soon to be ordained
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 or
Isaiah 58:1-12 and installed Elders and
Psalm 51:1-17 Deacons
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
First Sunday in Lent Elder ordained – Annie
February 21, 2021
Genesis 9:8-17 Soule
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Peter 3:18-22 Installed – Randy Bales
Mark 1:9-15
Second Sunday in Lent
February 28, 2021 Deacon Ordained –
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Blessing Eboh
Psalm 22:23-31
Romans 4:13-25
Mark 8:31-38 or Mark 9:2-9Dates to Remember
FEBRUARY 2021
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Session Meeting 7 Bible Study 7 pm
pm via Zoom
14 Valentine’s Day 15 Presidents Day 16 17 Ash Wednesday 18 19 20
Transfiguration of the Ashes to Go 11 am – Bible Study 7 pm
Lord noon , 6:30 pm –
7:30 pm
21 Lent Week 1 22 Washington’s 23 24 25 26 27
Birthday (US)
Annual Congregational Voices from the Bible Study 7 pm
Meeting Cross 7 pm
1 pm VIA Zoom
28 Lent Week 2
First Presbyterian Church of Croswell
7 South Howard
Croswell, MI 48422
810-679-3352
Croswellpresbyterian.orgKIDS CORNER
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