VINE TRUST
We were at a brilliant Barbecue on Saturday in aid of raising funds for the work of the  Vine Trust This was a real heavy duty barbe! Steaks all round! I believe they were bought at the auction in the Roxburghe Hotel last January. So the meat was put to good use to earn more money for the Trust.

I’d like to say huge thanks to Gordon Stewart and his team of helpers  for putting on an excellent event. Of course the weather helped to make it an outstanding weekend.

Anyway here is a preview of the latest Vine Trust Video. We hope to get copies of this out to all the congregations within the next few weeks. Let me know what you think. If you’d like a copy contact the Vine Trust Office or drop me an email. Yes its another great production from SANCTUS MEDIA LTD

SANCTUS MEDIA

Talking about Sanctus Media, I had quite a creative day today working on the material to fill the new Sanctuary First website. We’re hoping to launch this new venture within the next few months however we need loads of content on the website to attract potential users to return on a daily basis. the theme i chosen for the first month is “Faith and Mystery” I think it is a rich seam to develop over a month. The following four topics with be discussed on a weekly basis.

1. The mystery of God
2. The mystery of Creation
3. The mystery of the Church
4. The mystery of Worship

I’ve made a start on the topic of the Mystery of God. part of the structure is to have a daily prayer based on the weekly topic and daily Bible readings centred around the theme. We hope to offer worshippers the opportunity to comment and reflection the weekly topic. Then one a month everyone will have the opportunity to meet together and share in an event centred around the theme of the month. If anyone feels they’d like to get involved with the creative writing side of this project please get in touch.

BOGLE’S PARAPHRASE

I will give you all the strength you need. I myself will even help you. In fact I will hold you up with my own hands. Isaiah 41.10

  THE NATIONAL GATHERING

Lots of things are happening around the church this week. I guess we’re not any busier than normal but it seems that way. The staff of SANCTUS MEDIA are working flat out getting ready for the General Assembly. Rae has just managed to produce a DVD with over three and half hours of footage on it all relating to the 2008 National Gathering. Its well worth a watch, indeed I think you will be able to order it on line from our Sanctus Media web page within the next couple of days.

Talking of getting busy, I’m struggling to keep up with the Discipleship 40 Challenge but I’m not going to give up I’m going to be a pilgrim and press on. So if you get invited by me to take part in a challenge please humour me so that I can complete it. I just wrote another seven challenges this evening. Those of you who are ahead of the game will be delighted to know that there are more challenges coming,your way.

A DAY OF PRAYER

One amazing challenge  is the day of prayer taking place in the church this Saturday. We hope its going to be a wonderful creative and restful day for those who decide to come along and pray. there are many different facets to prayer. We hope to introduce people to different methods. I notice Rae and Adam have been working on a prayer tree.  They’ve taken a branch of a tree and sprayed it with gold paint. They’re getting it ready to be changed from a dry branch to a prayer tree branch. When people come on Saturday they will be able to write on a piece of paper and attach it to the branches like leaves. We got a good write up last week in the Bo’ness  Journal about the Prayer day so let’s hope we get a good turn out. i believe the church is going to be open from 10am-6pm

Here is a short video highlight of tat memorable Summer way back in 2000. We toured round Scotland in a period of 6 days and connected with hundreds of people as we took our multimedia service into cathedrals and churches. Our idea was that we needed to raise funds to get our media project off the ground. in Bo’ness.

Its amazing that 9 years on we have SANCTUS MEDIA working out of the church as a media production company as part of our congregation’s ministry.

This week we will be streaming the General Assembly out live to the world. And to think it all started with a Bike Ride. If someone looked up the minutes of the Assembly for the year 2000 I think they’d find it mentioned. I was trying to get sponsorship for the ride. Who knows where technology will take us in the next ten years. let’s hope that SANCTUS MEDIA can continue to be a servant to the church throughout Scotland.

One of the most memorable evenings was the night we played in Glasgow Cathedral. I think there must have been about 400 people turn up that night. Recently i met someone who told me it was such a meaningful service. we had an opportunity for people to respond. I remember thinking the queues would never end as people came forward for anointing with oil and to receive a stone. It would be great to hear from anyone who was there that evening. What were your thoughts?

I think this idea could be resurrected and tried out again next Summer. Scotland is just a fantastic place to cycle if the weather is good. If you were cycling that week as part of the Challenge let’s hear from you.

This is a post to encourage all the 40 Day Discipleship Challengers. Don’t beat yourself up if you’ve missed one or two of the text messages. Remember some of the suggestions will take time to put into practice. We’re all here to support and help each other not to lay guilt trips on one other. I have a few to catch up with myself and I intend to follow them up.

Life has been quite busy over the past few days and I must confess I enjoy getting a chance to chill out on a Friday evening. The thing is when your a minister the weekend is the time that you begin to wind your self up as you prepare for the Sunday services. Most ministers in the Church have one service to prepare, however because we have kept our Evening Service it means two sermons have to be written.

So when everyone else is winding down on a Saturday my mind is usually reflecting and compiling the sermon. I’ve tried having it all prepared by Wednesday, but you know what, I found when it came to Sunday it felt as though I was heating up last weeks dinner. I guess for my style of preaching I like to have the ideas current in my head. It doesn’t mean to say that the sermon is a last minute rush, I like to plan all the themes and Bible readings well in advance. I guess I just like pulling it all together on Saturday morning and evening and checking it over again on Sunday morning.

Next week is going to be a pretty full one with the General Assembly starting on Wednesday morning. This is the first time they have moved the Assembly to start midweek. Our team from Sanctus Media of course will be there streaming the Assembly out as usual. So if you go to the Church of Scotland web page you’ll be able to get live coverage and even a summary of the days events. However I believe the controversial case concerning Scott Rennie will not be streamed out on the web.

We are living in challenging times and all of us who are in leadership in the church have a responsibility to seek the unity of the church. This is not to say that we cannot speak out our mind clearly, but it does mean that we need to be measured in the language we use. The media just love it when clerics get angry with each other and they love making the angry people look ridiculous. My advice to everyone taking part in the debates concerning homosexuality is this, don’t allow yourself to be made into a caricature regardless of the point of view you hold. Remember we all claim to be part of God’s family. You will never win your opponent over by making him or her look small. You will never change the mind of someone you disagree with if you don’t spend time in their company listening to them. And yes it is possible for friends to disagree. Indeed non of us in the church are enemies, and if Jesus commands us to love our enemies, surely he expects us to be loving to each other, even if that involves discipline.

I well remember Alan MacDonald when he was Moderator commending the Commissioners to go for a coffee with someone who had a completely different theological perspective. Make a friend of someone who holds a differing viewpoint. Most people know that I have a pretty conservative view of what is appropriate behaviour when it comes to sexual orientation, however I feel it is right and courteous to listen and learn from those who have a different view. I have discovered from experience over the years that there is a great deal of fear that seems to come over people when we are confronted with issues and people who challenge our understanding of the truth.

You know what when the debates are going on in the Assembly Hall I’ll be whispering under my breath ” Perfect love casts out all fear”

I pray that what ever happens non of us will be gripped by fear but that the love of God will be spread abroad in our hearts. Difficult choices means that we will never all agree on specifics especially when it comes to sexual orientation. Those of us who hold to more traditional viewpoints need to realise that the world around has adopted a different view on this issue. It is not enough to simply quote scripture. The secular world has moved the whole debate on to the point where many no longer believe there is an issue to debate. We need to explore perhaps with others who hold a more liberal view say on homosexuality, where it is they draw the line of appropriateness, for they will have a line. Especially when it comes to other relationships of a sexual nature within family units. The question then has to be asked by all of us, why is it that we find one type of relationship among the sexes appropriate and another inappropriate? What is it that makes a sexual relationship inappropriate? When we find the answers to these questions we may well be able to express ourselves more clearly to one another. And perhaps realise that a loving relationship is not enough to establish appropriateness.

Writing the journal was easier than I thought it would be. I was reflecting on some of the people I met today. All members of the Church of Scotland but with completely different ideas regarding the shape of the church. How easy it is for us to want Jesus to make us feel comfortable.

Oh yes you’ll be going for a walk with Jesus at some point today. I mean those of you who have signed up for the C 40 challenge ( text Bible 40 to 80806  you’ll get your instructions) Anyway lookout for the Jesus connection today. John Eldridge, in  Walking With God”, lays out an inspiring book in which he gives so many practical tips in how to keep your journal up.

Believe me Jesus will just turn up today in the converstion and invite you to go for a walk with him.  it might mean you take your leave of someone, because he’ll be standing waiting for you on the outside of the circle. Just think how cool that is going to be. Your going to be able to spend quality time with Jesus.  The one thing to remember is to be sure to listen to him. Let him do the talking. there is a brilliant story in Luke 24.15 where it says the disciples were disappointed they were on the way home they thought jesus had ignored them. Something happened Jesus turned up and spent the rest of the day with them.  that meeting changed their lives and their faith. So make sure you take your time out today to go for the walk. Our verse today says “Jesus drew near to them” You know something he is closer to you right now than you can ever imagine.

I’m not sure what happened last night. When making my post I lost the article entitled ” Discipleship Challenge”. So here it is back again. This is material which will be part of the Sanctuary First service on Sunday evening. The last time I made this post James invited me to set a 40 day challenge as part of the response to this article. Having considered his suggestion I’m going to rise to the Challenge. If you text on your mobile the word BIBLE 40 I will text to your mobile if you so desire a challenge that will be designed to help you grow in your Christian experience. You’ll receive your first text on Monday 4 May the cost will be £1.50 per week. Sorry we can’t keep the freebees going. I intend to use the blog over the next forty days to reflect upon the actions in which you will be invited to take part. I also hope that this will generate a considerable amount of interest and comment.

The article below is based on Christ inviting us into the desert place - to the place of testing, not so that we can fail but rather so that we can be toughened up to face the many difficulties that present themselves to us in our lives. Here is the audio version that people will hear on Sunday on the MP3 players. It is an edited version of the meditation below. I want to say a big thanks to Alec shuttleworth who came over during the week to record it, and of course thanks to Rae for her editorial skills. Both Rae and Alec added to the meditation. a lot Oh and James make you comment again so that we can get folks taking up the challenge! AUDIO

Come with me
Leave all this behind
Just for a short time

I know what your thinking
What is this place?
Where am I going?

I’m going to help you to
take the discipleship challenge

I heard you say you wanted to move to a new place
You said you wanted to find a cross shaped space in your life
`I wonder if you really meant what you prayed

I know you’re very busy
Watch your footing
There’s a huge
Chasm on your left
Lots of loose stones
Falling debris
Its easy to drop
Ideas
Hopes
And even dreams
In this place
Once they fall over the edge
They’re gone

Can I say something to you
When you move round the corner
I will have to leave you on your own
Look I’ll be with you
But you won’t see me

You have to face your own struggle
You know there is a voice of evil in this place
Within you
When it speaks you can choose to obey it
Or challenge it
If you do nothing
You will end up obeying the voice

Keep your eyes on the path
Don’t try to see my face
We will meet one day
But Its my feet
you need to look after at the moment
Feet washing is something I’m into
Just follow my footprints.

Come closer
I want you to hear this
I don’t want you ro misunderstand.

There are basically three fundamental temptations
And I suppose seven deadly sins
These are common to every human being
In life – its as simple as that
You humans are not all that complicated
I made you I should know
Funny complete things often come in 3s and 7s

Anyway
You have choices to make
It boils down to
Popularity
Wealth
And
Love of self
Discipleship is all about
Serving others and denying self interest

Do you know the problem with most relationships?
People love themselves
Their image
Their look
Their sexuality
Their singleness
Their definition as sexual beings
The greatest denial of love
Is to make love to yourself
It is to exclude the other
The greatest lie is to believe
You must love yourself first
Before you love another
The truth is if you love yourself
You will leave no room to love another

Discipleship turns everything on its head
Makes for an upside down world
It suggests its only when you love another first
That you come to love the self
You know It sounds impossible to love someone
You don’t know – but its not
True love is not based on knowledge
Its based on unconditional acceptance
To truly love is to make that someone
An indispensible part of your being
It is to deny self love
And embrace service
It is to lose yourself and find your meaning
In caring for an unknown child
An unknown beggar
An unknown person

Your about to turn the corner
Get ready to make
Your choices

Just found the amazing iPhone function that allow you to take xray pictures. How cool is that! Now in case you don’t believe me here is the proof.

I’d like to thank everyone for all their messages of good will. I’ve been quite touched by the kindness of my friends and family. I also appreciate how a number of elders have stepped in to help out with pastoral duties including conducting a funeral. We are so blessed at St Andrew’s with people who step up to the plate when required.

Its so frustrating not being able to use both hands. This morning for instance, what a scramble I had trying to butter a piece of toast. Trying to have a shower was easier with the plaster. You see there is no plaster on the arm now just a big bandage and a sling. Its also a lot more painful now that the wires are in place. Hopefully that will settle down before I venture up to Aiemore on Sunday.

Talking about broken bones, here’s a song from Soustarr recorded a few years ago reflecting on the plight of being wounded. Broken Bones

I’ve been working on the sermon for church later today. There is going to be a bit of a tie up between the morning service and Sanctuary First. I’ve been reflecting upon that great little text in 1 Corinthians 16.9 where Paul says this ” a great door of opportunity has opened up for me, but i face many adversaries. I going to be encouraging every one of us to make the most of our life opportunities. We can’t live our lives in regret. never can we live our lives in fear. Too many people over the years have held back from the call of God on their lives because they could only see the obstacles rather than the opportunities. So tomorrow will be “Open Door Sunday”

I think the evening service has the potential to be really interesting. One of the themes we will be looking at is the living dead that inhabit the church. Here’s a sample of the material we’ll be reflecting upon.

A scene of first aid - blue lights flashing emergency noise soundtrack - someone being brought back to life. Paramedics flat on the ground - receiving the breath of life from a passer by. The point is that the church is facing an emergency. The scene depicts the struggle for the Christian who is slipping back into the world. The church is called to be like the rescue ambulance seeking to strengthen Christian life. However the church is dying no longer able to carry out rescue missions.The passion for renewal and revival is now outside the church in the most unexpected places. God is Emerging in the lives of people who would normally pass by.

GET REVIVED OR DIE? - ALBERT BOGLE
(The actor pacing up and down looking at the audience then at the paramedic flat on her back Desperation can be detected from the voice)

They’ve got to wake up!
You better wake up!
So much to do
It’s absolutely ludicrous
I can’t believe what I’m doing
I can’t believe what I’m saying
I can’t believe what I’m seeing
This is a crisis.

Religion is dead
Church is dead But I,-
We need something to believe in

Imagine
Para medics being resuscitated
By the patients
If you where told that
You’d laugh in disbelief
But we’re living in an upside down world
How did the church get into this state?
Something happened!
Something terrible is happening
The world has gone crazy
And the Church with it

Oh what ever happened to you?
Why have you stopped talking?
Why have you stopped explaining?
Why have you stopped believing.?
It was your job to bring us back to life
To bring us hope
Salvation
Meaning and purpose
But you lost
Your heart
Your passion
You got side tracked
into alternative programmes
You stopped believing people were sick
You became sick yourself
believing lies
You got caught up in a counterfeit world

You’ve got to wake up
Start coughing
Breathing
O Please just start
Living again
Loving again
Singing again
Caring again
Healing again
Believing again

I’m the outsider here
I’m not into rescue
I need to be rescued
I’ve got my own problems
My own plans
But people like me need help
Children need love

Don’t look at me like that
You look dead
I’m not like you
I’m the outsider here
I’m not a Church
I can’t do it your way
I’m into relationships
I like it minimalist
Not too complicated
O Please wake up
Strengthen the things that remain

Song - Bob Dylan – From the “Slow Train Comin” - When You Gonna Wake Up

I was telling you all how I enjoyed Christmas. i was especially impressed by the latest ministry that is being developed out of the church. the Puppet People.  thanks to Hugh O’Brien and his inspiration earlier on this year we now have our very own little puppet ministry.  I think they did a brillant job of Christmas Day have a look and tell me what you think? Puppet People So I’m now looking forward to the next presentation. I’m hoping we’ll be able to use this group to make the children’s address come to life on a Sunday.

SANCTUARY FIRST

Believe it or not this Sunday evening we’ll be putting on the Sanctuary First service. The theme this month is “A WAKE UP CALL” the service is going to be based around the passage in Revelation 3. This is the letter to the church at Sardis.  This community finds itself being rebuked because it is something its not. I always think this is such a challenge to all of us who try to keep the church relevant. We need to be careful that we are not simply promoting programmes to look busy rather than being engaged with effective ministry. Here is the opening part of the liturgy. Its meant to cause you to think. I’m posting it as a kind of trailer, perhaps to coax you to come along or at least loh=g in on the net next Sunday at 7.00pm

“Music playing to reflect  imminent danger. On the screen the clock is ticking. There is an interplay between the world on the screen and the ticking clock. Finally the music stops and all that is heard is the ticking of the clock.  Then  suddenly an alarm breaks the silence!”

A WAKE UP CALL

Narrator Speaks
We’re on the edge of disaster .
We’re facing economic, ecological, spiritual and moral bankruptcy.
We watch on like people in a dream.
We’re asleep.
We’re snoring
Ignoring
The clock ticking
We only have one life
And we sleep through it
And we gamble with it
Like poker players in a game
We each hold a hand
We throw away the best cards
In search of the charmed suit
Only to find we hold a busted Flush

But we dream on

This post is going to be all about lights at Christmas. Its truly wonderful how a candle can light up the darkness. I know it sounds like stating the obvious but to me it is always full of wonder. I think to myself so where did the darkness go? Of course its still there but the light has brought another dimension so that your eyes see things that otherwise would be hidden. Every Christmas there is always something or someone I see in a new light.

WE SEE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Last night I wa at the Dockers Welfare Social Club to listen to the Songwriters Christmas Song Competition. It was a great night organised by Stephen of “We See Lights“. It was great to hear a load of new Christmas songs. If you want to hear what some of them sounded like click here

CHRISTMAS LABYRINTH

I think the labrynth at St Andrew’s Parish Church Bo’ness is one of the most spectacular Christmas Light experiences you will ever come across. It was written by Maggie Lane who was our probationer minister during Christmas 2006.  A team of people still run with it and have created quite a wonderful Christmas encounter. It was designed to encourage us to make a journey to follow the star like the wise men of old to find the child i the manger who is the Saviour of the world.

there will be different stations for you to stop at on the journey giving you an opportunity to participate, to think, to pray.  Music will accompany you on your journey. You will be given an MP3 player to guide you through   your journey. the journey can be done 15 minutes or it can take you longer depending on how long you choose to stay at each station.

Word has got out this year and I believe we had a a good number of people going through the experience yesterday. So if your reading this and you can get over to Bo’ness between 2pm-4pm and 6pm -8pm today then I believe it will be an experience you’ll remember for a long time.  The thing I find encouraging about this is to see  people of all ages going through the labyrinth. If I  can get a hold of one of the tracks from the MP3 player I include it in my next post.

On other thing, I said I’d mention something about the other projects in India. take a moment to pray for those who suffer from the dreaded disease of leprosy.  Mount Zion Church in Chennai have been helping a group of people who suffer from leprosy who live together in a colony outside the city. Its about 40 miles from their church but they go every second week with food and money to help them. Last year you may recall we had an appeal in the town of Bo’ness to send them blankets.  Please keep this group of people in your prayers this Christmas. We sent £400.00 on Monday for the support of this community. A small amount but it wil go a long way to feed people with rice this Christmas.