REV. DR. ROSIE McGEE, CHURCH OF SCOTLAND

 

                                                                               

                                              I met Rev. Dr. Rosie McGee today (15 May 2022) at

                                                               Broughton St,.Mary's

                                            She is an enlightened minister of the Church of Scotland

Note added 17 October 2022: Dr. McGee recently demitted her position as minister at St. Andrews and St. Georges West in quite unclear circumstances and with different reports from the ministers at Broughton St. Mary's and Greenside Churches (which are planning to merge). It is now a bit less obvious as to whether St. Andrews and St. George's West will join the merger.

                                       STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN (VIDEO)

                                      TAG ARCHIVES (ST. ANDREWS AND ST.GEORGES WEST)

                                                                               

                                                                                    

                                      TAKING TALENTS TO IONA COMMUNITY

Posted February 12, 2015 in Featured News

Northern Ireland and the Isle of Iona are separated by only 145 miles, as the crow flies. Yet to travel between the two is a journey of about 330 miles and involves going via the mainland of Scotland and two ferry rides. For the Rev. Dr. Rosie Magee, such a circuitous route is familiar. She’s taken over 25 years to go from her hometown to her neighboring country by way of several years of overseas development work and a lengthy stop in the United States. Yet that time has helped shape her for what lies ahead.

Magee, a PC(USA) pastor, has been the chaplain of Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA, for more than five years. Wilson College is a small, liberal-arts college affiliated with the PC(USA). In the middle of February, the Northern Ireland native will embark on a new ministry with the Iona Community. The Iona Community is located off the west coast of Scotland in the inner Hebrides. Founded in 1938, it is a global Christian ecumenical community working for peace and social justice, rebuilding of community and the renewal of worship.

The Iona Community is headquartered in Glasgow with resource centers on the island of Iona. There are residential full-time staff as well as volunteers and housing for the close to 90 guests per week who come to Iona between March and November.

She’ll be the Island Centres Director, which entails providing strategic leadership and management for the two residential centres and ensuring services in the Abbey Church reflect the values and vision of the Iona Community. Magee will oversee the hospitality, finances, volunteering and programming that occurs at the Abbey and Macleod Centres while also coordinating with the main office in Glasgow. Magee was invited to apply for the position and was offered the job in December. To say God was at work during this time would be an understatement.

“God’s role in this is primary, and I’m thankful for that,” said Magee, who has been an associate member of the Iona Community since 2009. “My pattern in recognizing God’s leading is that I’m usually the last to know. Likewise, with this position. It was other people who, through my interactions at Iona, thought of me when this job became open. They saw something in me that perhaps I wouldn’t have even thought of for myself. They thought I would be a good fit.”

Magee originally relocated to Ithaca, N.Y., in 1999. After spending three years in New York, she moved to central Pennsylvania and in 2005 began studying at the Lancaster Theological Seminary. She was auditing classes there and had no intention of becoming an ordained pastor since she “was raised in a religious tradition which does not recognize female ordination,” Magee said. “I was slow in catching on that this might actually be God’s will.

“I was between work permits and began taking classes at Lancaster Theological Seminary,” she continued. “Then the director of admission approached me about being a full-time student. I did not start out on the ordination track but about a year later I switched to the M.Div course. I had wonderful support and mentorship in terms of leading me towards the realization that God’s call was to go into ordained ministry.”

After graduating from Lancaster Seminary in 2008, Magee began full-time ministry at Wilson College as the school’s chaplain in 2009.

“It became clear in the fall of 2014 that my time in the United States was probably drawing to a close from a visa perspective, so getting this email was as timely as it was unexpected and certainly gave me pause for thought,” Magee said.

That opening was for the Island Centres Director.

Magee, a PC(USA) pastor

“The Iona Centres are not billed as retreat centers. They are actually places of engagement and living in community,” said Magee. “We work together and worship and learn together. People from all over the world come to Iona to experience the vision of the Iona Community and take it back to their home communities.

“It’s about that experience of being in community and the rhythm of community life and a common focus. … While of course there’s a spiritual individual journey going on for each guest, there’s just as much emphasis placed on the communal journey.”

While she’s looking forward to her new opportunity, Magee’s leaving behind a place and a country that has helped her get to where she is now.

“I love being at Wilson,” she said. “I love being the chaplain here; it is a fabulous community. I have a whole mixture of emotions, but I do sense God’s call in this move, the same way I sensed God’s call in coming to Wilson. From that perspective, my main task is to be faithful in following that call. I’m excited, there’s some trepidation in there, too, but the overall sense is one of anticipation for what lies ahead.”

Magee was ordained at the Second Presbyterian Church of Carlisle before being installed at Wilson College. She has served on the Committee on Ministry in the Presbytery of Carlisle for the past three years.

“I have been very blessed and consider myself very much a child of this presbytery,” she said. “Obviously I wasn’t born and brought up here, but I came under care in this presbytery and was ordained and installed here within its bounds. I do not have standing within the Church of Scotland at this time, it’s just so wonderful that I am going to be able to be a member-at-large, a member-at-very-large I guess, of the Presbytery of Carlisle.

“I am very grateful to the presbytery for their support over the years. I’ve also had financial support from the Synod of the Trinity recently as I studied for my D.Min. This is one of the joys of being in a tradition which places such an emphasis on relationships and connectionalism.

                                     GERMAN AND SCOTTISH CONGREGATIONS COMBINE

THE STREAM OF BEAUTIFUL BODIES a poem by Tom Leonard

                                                       

                                                                                      

                                                                                  

                                                THE STREAM OF BEAUTIFUL BODIES

                                                       by Tom Leonard

                                                     In denial for first half of my life

                                                     Stupendous fantasies unfulfilled.

                                                     Hit by social double whammy.

                                                     Made me go all clammy

                                                    

                                                     Came out at thirty-five 

                                                     In scary hypomania.

                                                     Born again 

                                                     Down deep in Rod's; 

                                                     Men galore,

                                                     Like a crazy movie for ever more

                                                      

                                                      Now home-ridden, I've lost that lustful urge

                                                      But at least I can sit straight upright in my armchair

                                                      And contemplate the past stream of beautiful bodies

                                                      In their various diversities,

                                                      Conjure up angels behind masks;

                                                      And the ghosts of old Madison,

                                                      And  think about the fine ladies of my eternity .

                                                                               

     

                                                  

                                                                                

                                                                               

                                                                  

                                                             

                                    

                                                   

WITHOUT GUILE A poem by Tom Leonard

                                                                 WITHOUT GUILE

                                                                   by Tom Leonard

                         

                            To beguile is to deceive

                            Like some Apostolic leaders do.

                             If you wish to speak without guile,

                             Like dear Bartholomew in India did,

                            Then do so while being caring to others,

                             On some just and worthy cause,

                             Without cunning, or fear of consequence to yourself.

                             And the just will listen, while the unjust recoil.

                             You will achieve your Kingdom of Heaven,

                             While others sprawl.

                                                 BARTHOLOMEW THE APOSTLE

                                                    

                                                        DOMINICANA

We may safely surmise, then, that Jesus was speaking of Bartholomew when he uttered the words, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile.” 

GAVIN STEWART, EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS. UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE

                                                            IN PREPARATION

                                                                            

                                                                            

                                       GAVIN STEWART, UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE

I am interested in applied research synthesis (combining scientific information to inform policy). My research focuses on applying evidence-based methods to trans-disciplinary problems relating to sustainable development and food security. I also work on specific applications in healthcare, environmental and social science domains. Methodological work focuses on validating existing methods and developing new techniques for evidence synthesis (by means of systematic review and meta-analysis), and evidence contextualization (by means of decision and systems analysis). I collaborate with others to disseminate the methodologies of evidence-based practice across disciplines reflecting a belief in generic methods for evidence-based x (EBX). I hate p values and am a passionate advocate of both meta-analysis and open science. I am a co-author of the Handbook of Meta-analysis in ecology and evolution which provides a good starting point for those new to complex evidence synthesis.

I am an elected member of the Society for Research Synthesis Methods and associate editor of its journal, Research Synthesis Methods. I am the co-chair and senior editor of the Campbell Collaboration food security group; associate editor for PeerJ; statistical editor for the Cochrane Pain and Palliative Care Group.

 Outside of research synthesis, I enjoy fell/ultra running, mine exploration/rescue, gardening (particularly dwarf rhododendrons, arctic-alpines, and vegetables) and drinking beer and whisky. 

My >100 publications are listed on google scholar and available on research gate

Contributions by subject area

Biodiversity

 

Conservation Biology

 

Ecology

 

Ecosystem Science

 

Plant Science

 

Statistics

 

Clinical Trials

 

Epidemiology

 

Evidence Based Medicine

 

Agricultural Science

 

Environmental Sciences

 

Soil Science

 

Aquaculture, Fisheries and Fish Science

 

Biogeography

 

Marine Biology

 

Evolutionary Studies

 

Science and Medical Education

 

Science Policy

 

Biosphere Interactions

 

Genetics

 

Coupled Natural and Human Systems

 

Natural Resource Management

ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a United Nations initiative aimed at tackling the most important global issues. Hundreds of millions of people don’t have enough food to eat; plant and animal species are becoming extinct at unprecedented rates; women still earn less than men and have fewer rights; and the gap between rich and poor continues to grow.

SYNTHESIZED MUSIC BY CAMERON WATT

 

Stochastic Composition

Inbox

Cameron Watt	1:53 PM (4 hours ago)
to me

The Note of Challenge: Programme Note

This is my first major work to make use of stochastic synthesis techniques. Stochastic synthesis was pioneered by Greek-French composer Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001), who described his algorithm in the book Formalised Music, which was first translated into English in 1971. Xenakis also argued for combining stochastic synthesis with natural sounds.

The stochastic sounds in The Note of Challenge were created using a computer programme called Stochos, (meaning ‘aim’ or ‘guess’) which I wrote in the Python programming language. The programme allows the user to set the parameters of a stochastic wave, which undergoes random transformations within a given frequency and amplitude range at each iteration. I initially wrote Stochos to only support customisable discrete probability distributions, but further coding allowed me to incorporate continuous distributions such as the normal distribution and the triangular distribution, as well as permitting trigonometric functions on random variables. Currently I am working on writing code to support a parabolic distribution.

The process of stochastic synthesis works as follows. We begin by selecting a number of breakpoints for the waveform, which has to be at least two (I find that 5 is an interesting number). Each breakpoint is defined by a pair of duration and amplitude values, which are modulated by random walk over a number of iterations. We select a frequency range of our choice. The wider the range, the greater the potential change that is possible in that parameter. Then, by a rate conversion, we determine the values for a pair of elastic barriers whose function is to confine the random walks within the specified range. The purpose of the random walks is to alter the durations of the breakpoints stochastically at each iteration. A similar procedure is applied to the amplitude values, which are confined to a range between -a and a, where a is a value between 0 and 1. The elastic barriers operate on the random walk such that they reflect excessive values back into the barrier range. If the lower bound of the random walk is, say, 30, and the random walk outputs a value of 27, then the elastic barrier function will return 33. The same logic applies to the upper bound - if the upper bound is 55, and the output of the random walk is 59, the elastic barrier function returns 51. Finally, after the computation of the ordinates and abscissa of the waveform’s breakpoints at each iteration, the breakpoints are linked by linear interpolation. Currently the Stochos programme is still being developed, and in future I may work with a more experienced computer programmer to debug the programme and make it idiot-proof. 

The Note of Challenge (linked below) is a work in progress which is missing one piece: namely, bagpipes. The reason for incorporating bagpipes into a stochastic work comes from the production process, in which I listened to Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man at a very low volume relative to the rest of the mix. I felt apprehensive about what the outcome would be if I had simply opted to sample the famous trumpet part at this point, and as such I have decided that bagpipes would be a suitable instrument with which to achieve the high-pitched tone colour that would complement the electronic part. It remains to find a piper who is willing to collaborate with me. If anyone wants to hear the electronic part, I recommend listening with headphones as laptop or smartphone speakers won’t allow you to hear the sub bass which is an integral part of the composition.

https://soundcloud.com/cameron-watt-771640064/the-note-of-challenge/s-WU8pGM0rKSt?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Thank you for reading!

- Cameron Watt

...

ANDALUSIAN GIRL a poem by Tom Leonard

                      

                                                               ANDALUSIAN GIRL

                                                                   By Tom Leonard

                         

                                                       Dedicated to Hasna BenHadi Chekh

                                                                       

                                            Out of Malaga,

                                           Cross the Med from Ceuta,

                                           Spanish by birth,

                                           Yet Moorish by ancestry,

                                           Shades of ancient Carthage

                                           Bundle of energy

                                           Sells plush clothes in Embro's lush new shopping centre

                                           Runs the gauntlet of Zara's escalators

                                           As she pleases customers from floor to floor

                                           Then off on Route 66

                                           To tend to sick relatives

                                           In the towers that stretch to the sky,

                                           Hyacinth is Manat and Alilat combined

                                           A Goddess of Luck and Fortune so refined.

                                                                         

WHEN MY EYES FLUTTER, a poem by Tom Leonard

 

                                                                            

                        When my eyes flutter,

                        I see the delectables 

                        Coming through the back of my head.

                        When my eyes cunningly avert themselves

                        Their fragrance flows free;

                        This has always been and will for ever be,

                        Till I fall apart, limb by limb.

                         God created sweaty bodies

                         Tapering into lusciousness,

                          In their divine image, did they.

                          God created the dominant ready to treat me like a flea        

                          And then to cast me aside as if I'd never been.

                          God created the submissive ready to lie for me,

                          God created lust, I am not ashamed of lust

                          Cos it helps me to love all humanity.

                          At least my eyes flutter honestly.