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.

Recently I’ve been reflecting upon the whole notion of confidence.  We mere mortals need to be more humble as we pass through time into eternity. Especially those of the evangelical kind. Sometimes we can act as though we know everything, or we can give that impression. We leave no room for doubt or those who might want to question.

Dare I say it, I’m sure when growing up I was even part of that merry band. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we cannot speak of what we have come to understand with a certain amount of confidence. Peter  in his epistle tells us to be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have deep within us.

I’m simply saying we need to remember, we don’t see or understand the complete picture. We  only see through a glass darkly, as Paul says in Corinthians 13. Anyway here are some musing on the topic. While You read  have a listen to ” Gabrel’s Oboe, “Gabriel’s Oboe” from the Mission. I find this piece of music has a wonderful reassuring quality saying all will be well.

TIME ETERNITY ON THE TANNOY

To be standing in the midst of chaos

Like a traveller passing through the night

To feel there’ll be no tomorrow

If you don’t get on the next flight

An announcement on the tannoy

Tries to re-assure your mind

But the voice is so familiar

You  could be listening to yourself

To be walking in the midst of protest

Like a prophet fool of doubt

To know there will be a judgement

Even if the Jury’s out

Then you read a headline in the newspaper

Of what you dreamt the night before

And it sounded so familiar

Like the opening of a door

To be stumbling on the edge of freedom

Like a blind man gaining sight

To take one step forward

And begin dancing in the light

And a voice like a thousand rivers

Roars a welcome not yet heard

And etermity spins in silence

Leaving time to close the door

Great to read the posts on the blog about the various perceptions of Jesus. I must confess I didn’t relate the partying Jesus to the last supper. It seemed to me that Michele was talking about the general disposition of Jesus. I don’t recall her inferring that the passover encounter was a great party event. I thought she was talking about the many festivals that are reflected in Judaism and she was suggesting that we could learn from these festivals. As Easter approaches we could do well to begin to find ways in which we can celebrate our redemption, forgiveness and reconciliation to God. I think i am trying to encourage us all to view lent from the perspective of the resurrection.

It is great to have the comments and to hear the various perspectives on our Cafe cChurch. Talking about celebration and music and noise. The band “We See Lights” has been rehearing in the bedroom above my study all weekend. Its the price you pay for encouraging a son to be a musician. Actually I quite enjoyed it inspired me to write the sermon.

Tomorrow morning their off the Toronto to play in a Scottish Music Festival. So lets wish them a safe journey and much success want a listen click here Why not leave them a message on their wall.

Over the last few days I’ve been under a bit of pressure to get the CWW Report finished to be included in the Annual Reports that are given to the General Assembly. I ‘ve also been working with Rae to finish off the material for Sanctuary First. Anyway tonight’s service went really well. Here is a sample of one of the clips we used. Rae and Lauren did a great job working under pressure to produce this little film.

The theme tonight was all about laying down burdens and picking of the cross and following Jesus. I’m told 27 people signed up for the support text to help them follow Jesus. I tell you more about it tomorrow. Meanwhile I hope you enjoy this video from the service. Video

I find the whole idea of God engaging with our world so believeable yet unbelievable. But I the more you think about everything the more you find yourself asking the question. “So why am I here? What is my life all about? ” And you know something, there is a longing within us all to discover that kind of purpose.

I think it was Augustine that said “Credo ut inteligam” I believe in order to understand. This for me, is the secret to knowing the purpose of your life. Taking a step of faith. Beginning to believe that God is, rather than believing that God is not. Both position require you to take a stance of faith. One is absolutely exciting the other is depressing.

Anyway here is a meditation I wrote about 5 years ago for Christmas.  It was the forerunner to some of our “Word on the Street” meditations.video In this meditation we are invited to consider that God is closer to us all than we might think. Indeed his word his presence is all around us. In the words of Eugene Peterson, “God has indeed moved into our neighbourhood”

Here is the rub have we recognised and responsed to his presence? How we do that is uniquely different. Just as we’ve all been made uniquely different. I do think when you make the move of faith you begin to understand the purpose and you begin to see a pattern to your life.

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!

I must say that I was delighted with the First Minister’s performance on the BBC last night raising funds for the Children in Need  Appeal. Its thanks to a lot of high profile people and many ordinary folks all getting together that money can be raised that will make a difference in communities throughout the UK.

We have a lot for which I’d like to thank the BBC Children in Need Appeal. Last year they gave us an award of just under £90,000 to set up our Children and Family work. I’m delighted to say that this project which is now called “Bounce Higher” its beginning to take off. Yes it still has to bounce even higher, but we are seeing the benefits of the project in the lives of some of our children.

Our key worker Andrea Woollard is beginning to make some excellent contacts, grow volunteers and also set up a number of exciting groups. Recently Andrea has started to work with some of the teenagers in the Academy alongside our Youth Worker Lilias Snedden. She is engaging with a youth bereavement initiative, and also with a group to boost confidence and self esteem.

All this is beginning to pay off with the recent establishment of another new group in the church called the Morning Club. This gives young people an opportunity to pop in for breakfast and a chat before they go to school. We are also offering a pick up service for those kids that live just that bit beyond walking distance. Please remember this work in your prayers its always challenging to keep funding in place to ensure that the work continues

ST ANDREW’S DAY IS GIFT DAY!

Over the years as a congregation we have been given some wonderful opportunities to serve God and this year has been no exception. Our work at a local national and international level continues to grow. I’m going to ask every member of the congregation to make a special effort to be at church on Sunday 30th November its St Andrew’s Day and the Kirk Session has agreed we should also make it our Annual Gift Day.

We are hoping to make this a special day in the life of the congregation. There will be something for everyone that day at church. We want everyone to make an effort and wear something tartan. We are going to fly the St Andrew’s Flag from the church steeple, and we are also going to have two baptisms that day. So trust ne the church will be busy get down early for your seat.

I’m going to ask all the various ministries in the church to prepare displays in the hall on the 30th, so that we can all see the various areas in which we serve the world as a congregation. God has opened some amazing doors for us in the area of Social Outreach.

We are now working in four distinct areas. We have this year opened up the Shalom Counselling Service, led at the moment by one of our elders Mrs Margaret Young. There is the Children and Families work now known as the Bounce Higher Project which has been funded by Children in Need. This work is progressed by our key worker Andrea woollard. Andrea is developing links across the community in providing general support and encouragement to a wide group of people, while offering one to one support to those families who require her specialist advice.

The Tuesday Club continues to carry out valuable work among those who are encountering the stresses and strains of memory loss. And of course the youth Work which has been operating under the acronym SAMYP ( St Andrew’s Multimedia Youth Project, is about to take on a new identity as we reshape our youth ministry programme. Our multimedia ministry is going to take on a new identity through a not for profit company to be called SANCTUS MEDIA UK.

The new Unitary Constitution has been agreed by the Kirk Session and Deacons’ Court and willcome before the congregation to be ratified on the 23rd November. This is all to enable us to become more effective as we prepare to develop our ministry in the coming years.

It will be a great time to encourage us all to give to the Social Outreach Ministry of the Church. Each year we have a special appeal to support some aspect of the work of the church. This year we are making our appeal to support our Social Outreach programme.

So I do hope that perhaps you will be able to come on that Sunday and enjoy the service. When it comes to the evening of the 30th November we are going to have a St Andrew’s Supper in the Church, we hope to make it a Praise Ceilidh. It will be a great night. We will be inviting friends of the family of St Andrew’s and it will be a chance to meet up with people you haven’t seen for a long time. I’m looking forward to seeing some of our past probationers and also congregational members who have moved on. So mark the 30th November in your diary and make it a real St Andrew’s Day.

HOMECOMING 2009

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.

We had a most interesting meeting tonight at Alpha in the Inchyra Hotel. We were considering the topic of prayer. We all agreed that we’d try and support each other over the next two weeks as we explore the purpose and meaning of prayer in our personal lives. The group will not meet next week so we hope to keep in touch through this blog. So where does one start if you want to develop a prayer life? I’ve found that the Psalms in the Bible often act as a kind of prayer book from which you can explore a relationship with God. The psalmists for me seem to cover all kind of topics and they help me address some of the major doubts and worries and short comings in my life. Anyway here is a prayer I found which certainly pertains to me.

O Lord God,

merciful and mighty:

Help those whom I have neglected to help;

Set aright those I have caused to stumble;

Visit those I have neglected to visit;

Bring back those whom I have led astray;

Cheer the hearts of whom I have made sad;

Draw with the cords of love those for whom my love has grown cold;

Save them all,

O Lord have mercy on me the chief of sinners,

lest after I have preached the gospel to others

I myself should be cast away

Hear me, O Father for the sake of Christ my Lord

Unknown author