Just back from Sanctuary First. the theme was all about moving from one space ro another . It was about helping us see that the way to  bring about change in the life of the church is to be prepared to make the appropriate sacrifice.

Although it was a Bank Holiday weekend we were delighted to have a number of friends join with us in the worship.  We were pomoting the C40 programme. this is our made up Discipleship programme. So if you want to join the Challenge text  Bible 40 to the following mobile number 80806. When you do this it will cost you £1.50 per week. I hope you join in he challenge and then return to tis blog with yourown questions and answers. So look out for the first C40 post tomorrow morning.

I’m hoping to get a new picture up on the blog maybe this week. But you know something they tell me its going to snow tonight. So maybe `I should wait another week. Its good to begin to hear feedback about the Lenten Groups that started up and also that others are finding the texting service encouraging. I’ve been thinking we need to make church a welcoming and engaging experience. So I’m thinking about offering coffee and doughnuts to the congregation as they come in on a Sunday and making iit available all through the service. You want a coffee you get up and pour one out. I know it happens in other cultures . I wonder what our people in St As would make of it?

I’m convinced that we all need to enjoy our lives more as Christians. Discipleship is not just about struggling with the struggle. Surely its also about enjoying the company of the people God brings into our lives. Its often as we journey together struggling together that our lives are sharpened and honed by each other’s trials and disappointments. I’m kind of turning lent on its head this year encouraging everyone in the congregation to get involved with a little bit of hospitality. I’m looking forward to Sunday evening this week. We’re going to base out evening service around food hospitality good stories and friendship. I’m also going to use Michele Guinesss’s book entitled “The Heavenly Party” I think there has been a lot of sad things happened to friends in the congregations and its worth making church a place of celebration and joy. So if your up for recovering a fun filled life changing experience be at church this Sunday evening. Better still if you want to bring a dish of food you’ll be welcomed and even hugged.

Its the second day in the new year and war seems to be round the corner for the Palastinians and the Israelis. Have a look at this Rueters web page my heart goes out to such people caught up in the middle of years of mistrust and injustice on both sides.

I’m wondering where Tony Blair is in all this? I thought he was the special emissary in the middle east? I haven’t heard his name mentioned once in the news. I wonder of Israel and Hamas are escalating all this because they will find themselves brought round the bargaining table when Barack Obama is sworn in as President of the USA later on this month?

I’m sure if the Palestinian homeland question could be resolved and Israel’s right to exist agreed, we would see a huge shift in the whole relationships between East and West. I often think that we’ve not moved on a great deal over the years. We are still fighting over who own and controls land.

Meanwhile here’s a song from Bono PEACE ON EARTH

Recently you may have picked up on the news that the Vatican have forgiven John Lennon for the comments he made as a young man about Jesus. He said that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. This was in the mid 60s and I remember as a teenager thinking :Aye your right” I never took it as a slight on Jesus I just took it that it was meant to be a point of information. Anyway John is rehabilitated. Not that I think he would lose any sleep over the issue. Lennon was an interesting man. A seeker, a thinker and a hater of all that was hypocritical. And no doubt like the rest of us a walking contradiction. One thing he was passionate about was world peace. Each Christmas his “War is over song always reminds me that there are wars happening everywhere but seldom reported. Have a look at this Christmas video and meditation.

Lets pray for all those who find themselves caught up in a war zone. Think of children and young mothers innocent but paying the consequences. Remember young soldiers who also find themselves the victims of war. Today I believe Alexander Lucas was buried, he was the 126th British soldier to be killed in the Afghanistan conflict.

So what an amazing idea that God in Jesus came into our world as the Prince of Peace. If only human kind would learn to talk out their differences rather that blow up their young men. Lennon may not have been a believer in the traditional sense but perhaps he believed more about Jesus than you “imagine” Jesus on the other hand might not believe in the some of the things that his more traditional followers promote. When Lennon invites us to “imagine there’s no religion too” You know what, I think Jesus would be into that as well. He never had many fans among the religous leaders of his day!

We’re getting all geared up to start shooting the St Andrew’s Christmas Movie. This year the script has been written by Iain Jamieson and it looks pretty good. Anyway over the next few weeks the blog is going to take on a Christmas look just to get you all into the frame of mind for Christmas.

So to begin with, I thought I might encourage you to think about Christmas from a different perspective h have a listen to this short story written by Iain Jamieson and narrated by Alec Shuttleworth. Its got a an interesting angle on the character of Joseph. I enjoyed it and hope you do too. Click

Alec’s also working with us on t Christmas movie. Quite a few good ideas in this story. Let me know what you think. there must have been something quite wonderful about Jesus. He was good comp[any to be around. You know something he still is. What is that Paul says “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”

Today has been an interesting day. It was really very touching to see so many people turn up to place their crosses in the little Garden of Remembrance at the church. People of all ages took part in the service. It was truly moving to hear people tell their stories about their crosses. Over the next few days I hope that many more people will come to the church and put crosses in the Garden. I hope that all this will help breathe new life into our Sunday Remembrance Service.

And while we placed our crosses in a garden, across the ocean millions of Americans were making their way to the polling booths to place their crosses in the 2008 Presidential Election. What an historic election it will be if Obama becomes the first black president of the USA. And as I watch the BBC it looks as though Obama is indeed going to win. It is said that the economic crisis has favoured the Democrats. Certainly many people will be now looking to the new President to do something to bring about change in our world.

While Obama is a Christian his father was a Muslim and I believe he has a half brother who is living in a shanty town in Kenya. So there will be a president in the White House who has a very different background from President George Bush. It is this Afro-American who may be the one who will begin to bring together the races of the world. Lets hope the Americans who placed their cross beside this man wlll be vindicated by his term of office. Yet everyone needs to be aware that change is a painful experience to go through and that there are great dangers in placing our hopes and dreams in one person alone. I remember the electorate here in UK voted Tony Blair into power with great enthusiasm however at the end of his term people couldn’t wait to see the back of him.

The Lord’s Prayer has much to teach us about the character and nature of God. Recently I’ve been thinking how relevant the phrase “forgive us our debts’ is for all of us as we approach Christmas. Here’s a video we made a couple of years ago. It has something to say to us in the middle of a credit crunch or should I say recession. ForgiveUsOurDebts.mov

Very shortly the Scottish Government will launch their big tourist idea for 2009. Its called “The Homecoming”. They’re hoping for rich exiled Scots to return in their droves next year from all over the world.

It might prove to be a more challenging idea than first expected, now that the ecomomic down turn is almost certain to effect the jobs of many people. Personally I can’t see Americans making the trip when their stocks and shares portfolios have hit rock bottom.

CHURCH AGENDA STRENGTHENED

However I do think this is a wonderful opportunity for the churches to connect with their partners in the developing world and invite them to Scotland in 2009. We’re hoping to bring over some of our friends from India during 2009. It maybe that the Government doesn’t get the tourist trade, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if the churches got a spiritual boost from the shear enthusiasm of our Christian brothers and sisters from around the world.

Going home isn’t always an easy thing. For many there are too many sad memories. Using this theme as a mission statement for the churches may be more challenging that I first thought. However it may do us all the world of good to reflect on the idea of home.

At the end of the day I’m convinced that we all want a place, a person, a community, a hope, we can call home. Of course the idea still remains uncomfortable as we think of the hundreds of Scots marooned in cities all over the world, addicted to alcohol and drugs, for them there is no homecoming. Perhaps the churches should be challenging government about such a topic. How could we work together to bring the broken back home. If we can spend Billions on saving the banks maybe we need to be thinking about the cost of saving individuals.

GOING HOME ?

Going home?

He smiled,

I wish,

but, I’ve a shift to finish.

Going home?

I’d need to say sorry

I’d never be accepted.

There’s no room for me

I’ve burnt my bridges

Too much has been said

Too little done to mend the hurt.

Mention home

My stomach turns

I feel crowded

smothered

afraid.

Which home?

My mother’s home

My father’s home

I’ve had many homes.

The question unsettles me

makes me sad.

It reminds me of something

I’ve lost but never had.

Faith.

It could be easy to get depressed when you read about the current economic crisis. I must confessed I’m a bit of a current affairs junkie. It might be the Irish bit in me. I find it fascinating that Peter Mandelson is back in the Cabinet. It is reported that he and the Prime Minister have resolved their differences and are now going to work together for the good of the country. It is stories like this one that makes the old adage ” a week it a long time in politics” believable. Certainly in the political world Mandelson is seen as a shrewd operator only time will tell if this appointment has been a successful.

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Viewing all this from a theological perspective there is something either foolish or faithful about this story. There is a part of me that wants to believe in the full of faith bit. Its about friends who became enemies who have become colleagues again. Both men have taken a big risk, I wish them well if for nothing else, I like the principle of people making moves to be reconciled to each other.

I wrote about structures a few weeks ago. I think we need to realise that changing the structures alone, will not change the church. Tomorrow night at Kirk Session will be quite an important evening. The Kirk Session re-structing group will be reporting back. The plan is that they will give out the papers for the future structure and we will agree a date when we can meet in conference to discuss the implications. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to fire us up so that the structures we put in place support the mission and calling of the church rather than hamper it.

Its all very exciting. Kirk Session agreed that we look at how we manage our various projects and come back with a strategy as to how we manage them in the future. We’ll be looking for a decision in principle tomorrow night to go ahead and launch our new media company, as a not for profit trading company. This will deal with all the additional work that we have been carrying out of the past years. When Kirk Session have heard all the details and approved them we’ll give out more details.

Anyway these are exciting times here at St Andrew’s. Tonight was quite a special evening. It was great to have a joint praise night with our friends from the Apostolic Church. The next one will be 19 October when we hope to be welcoming Erica and lorna back home after their 15 month trip around the world.

This will be a great evening to hear new songs and to celebrate all that God has been doing in the lives of Soultouch. So pass the word around. It would be great if we could have the church full that evening.