The Rev Philip Doddridge DD (1702-1751) was one of the most significant dissenting ministers in the first half of the eighteenth century. Among other things he was the author of the Advent carol ‘Hark the glad sound! The Saviour comes’. This short reflection by Rev Dr David Steers, minister of the First Presbyterian (Non-Subscribing) Church, Dunmurry, looks at Philip Doddridge and his hymn in the context of Advent. Jack Steers plays the hymn on the trumpet.
Illustration of Philip Doddridge, engraving by George Vertue after Andrea Soldi, National Portrait Gallery. Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Three illustrated talks on the History of the Bible given at First Dunmurry (NS) Presbyterian Church in October and November 2022. Available to view in three parts on video.
The History of the Bible Part 1
The Formation of the Bible
Click on the video above to see Part One
Title page of the first edition of the American Revised Edition of 1901, once owned by Rev Alexander Gordon
The History of the Bible Part 2
The Translation of the Bible
Click on the video above to see Part Two
God speaks to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Medieval carving in the Chapter House, Salisbury Cathedral
The History of the Bible Part 3
The Interpretation of the Bible
Click on the video above to see Part Three
Revised Version of 1885
Medieval Biblical Interpretation. The Last Judgement, St Thomas’s Church, Salisbury
Service of prayer from First Dunmurry NSP Church, Friday, 9th September
At the time of writing the coffin of Her Majesty the Queen is lying in state in Westminster Hall and many thousands of people are queuing in order to be able to pay their last respects. Special services have been held all over the country in the last week and at First Dunmurry (NS) Presbyterian Church we held a short service of prayer and reflection on Friday, 9th December. An edited audio recording of the service can be heard by clicking on the video above. Allen Yarr is the organist.
Below are some images from the lying in state in Westminster Hall.
Pallbearers carry the Queen’s coffin into Westminster Hall
A short service was held on the arrival of the Queen’s coffin
With the Imperial State Crown atop the coffin the Queen is guarded by members of the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals
Earlier in the week, on Monday, 12th September a very moving service of thanksgiving for the life of the Queen was held in St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh. Below are some images from that occasion.
The coffin is brought in to the Cathedral
The sermon was delivered by the Moderator of the Church of Scotland
The ancient Crown of Scotland, part of the Honours of Scotland, is placed on the Royal Standard of Scotland
Services of thanksgiving for the life of the Queen were also held in Belfast and Cardiff.
The service at St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast
I shall not die, but live, and shall the works of God discover. The Lord hath me chastised sore, but not to death giv’n over. O set ye open unto me the gates of righteousness; Then will I enter into them, and I the Lord will bless. This is the gate of God, by it the just shall enter in. Thee will I praise, for thou me heard’st and hast my safety been.
Translation of Psalm 118 v.17-21 which was sung in Scots Gaelic by Karen Matheson at the service in St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.
Your enjoyment of the world is never right, till every morning you awake in Heaven: see yourself in your Father’s palace; and look upon the skies, the earth, and the air as celestial joys: having such a reverend esteem of all, as if you were among the angels.
Thomas Traherne
One of the beauties of Dunmurry is not just the gardens and grounds that surround the church but the variety of animal and bird life that lives there. Louise Steers has been busy filming many of the birds, animals and insects that live there and we have two videos that consist of Louise’s films and photographs of them accompanied by music provided by John Strain on the organ at Ballee. Among the animals you can expect to see in Part One are robins, blue tits, blackbirds, a thrush, grey squirrels, a mouse, ladybirds, a speckled wood butterfly and a peacock butterfly.
Dunmurry Garden Wildlife Part One
Click on the video above to see some of the birds, animals and insects that live in the gardens round the First Presbyterian (NS) Church, Dunmurry. Medley played by John Strain on the organ at Ballee Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church.
Dunmurry Garden Wildlife Part One
The second of two films featuring some of the birds, animals and insects that live in the gardens round the First Presbyterian (NS) Church, Dunmurry. All pictures are by Louise. In this case the accompaniment is by John Strain on the organ at Ballee playing God speaks to us in bird and song, For the beauty of the earth, and God who made the earth.
Click on the video above to see Part Two. The video includes forty-two images featuring: blue tit, female chaffinch, male chaffinch. starling, thrush, shieldbug, lacewing, bumblebee, carder bumblebee, hoverfly, ladybird, peacock butterfly, speckled wood butterfly, grey squirrel, hedgehog, wood pigeon, blackbird, magpie, fledgling blue tit, male bullfinch, great tit, robin.
Louise also has her own animation channel (InkLightning), which includes animation like this short video:
Recorded for the Sunday after Easter including reflection on the dawn service held on the village green by Dunmurry Churches Together. With Jack Steers on the trumpet playing Easter Hymn (Jesus Christ is risen today). With a reading from Luke ch.4 v.13-35. Click on the video above to see this reflection.
Lord of the Emmaus Road…walk with us Lord, listen to our story, and let us hear your story, straight from the empty tomb.
The Service of Installation at Dunmurry on Saturday, 26th March was a wonderful occasion and thank you again to everyone who took part and everyone in the Church who made the event possible. You can read a full report of the service with pictures on the First Dunmurry blog here.
Some of the participants after the service outside the McCleery Hall
There is a full audio recording of the service:
and also an online recording of the Statement of Principles and Objects:
Unfortunately the Moderator of Presbytery, Rev Stephen Reain-Adair, was prevented from being present by a positive test for Covid. We wish him a full recovery and thank the Very Rev Robert McKee who stood in as Moderator at the last minute.
The flowers in the Hall reflected the colours of the national flag of Ukraine and thank you to Elma McDowell and her team for their work in the Hall and the Church.
A retiring collection for the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has raised £460.
We continue to pray for Ukraine and offer up our Reflections on the situation in Ukraine created by the invasion by Russian forces.
At Dunmurry we organised a collection of warm clothing, non-perishable food, medical supplies and toiletries to send to Ukrainian refugees in Poland. The response from the church and wider community was heartening. In the space of a week two van loads of goods were sent but we are aware that this is only the start of the crisis; the number and needs of refugees will only increase, the difficulties faced by so many people inside Ukraine and now exiled outside the nation’s borders will grow. There will be a need for considerable action by governments in the West.
Collection for Ukraine at Dunmurry
This week’s Reflections
Our March Reflections look at Nation shall not lift up sword against nation (Isaiah ch.2 v.4), particulalrly in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Led by Rev Dr David Steers at Dunmurry the organist is John Strain (Ballee Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church) who plays the hymn Lord of all Hopefulness.
In our prayers we include the ‘World Peace Prayer’:
Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth; lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust; lead me from hate to love, from war to peace. Let peace fill our heart, our world, our universe.
So far in February we have had two online Reflections which look at verses from Matthew chapter 6; Look at the birds of the air, and from Psalm 46; Be still and know that I am God. But the call to still ourselves in the presence of God and an awareness of the natural world around us are both routes to closer engagement with the divine. There are different ways to centre ourselves in a way that leads to deeper communion with God.
I am very pleased too, to have images of birds taken by Graham Bonham which feature in the video, some of which are reproduced here.
Sparrow. Photo by Graham Bonham
Look at the birds of the air
February Reflections: Look at the birds of the air Rev Dr David Steers First Presbyterian (Non-Subscribing) Church, Dunmurry Pianist: Allen Yarr Hymn: ‘For the beauty of the earth’ Bird photographs all taken and kindly provided by Graham Bonham
Snowdrops, Ballee. Photo by Sue Steers
Be still and know that I am God (available after 8.00 am on Sunday, 13th February)
In the month of January 2022 we have uploaded four new short video Reflections to our YouTube channel. These cover Epiphany; the installation of the Rev István Kovács as the new bishop of the Hungarian Unitarian Church in Kolozsvár, Transylvania, Romania; the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; and Psalm 8. John Strain and Allen Yarr provide music. The Reflections are by Rev David Steers and Jennifer Miles provides a reading. The picture at the top of the page and the thumbnail for the fourth video are images taken remotely from the camera on the International Space Station. The videos can be seen below.
January 2022 Epiphany
Hungary and Transylvania
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
When I look up to the night skies (available from 8.00 am on Sunday, 30th January)
velvethummingbee 