Click here to view the embedded video.

Jennie McClure joining the band for their encore singing “The Cat” just added to the quirky arrangement that involved Marcus Ford and Martin Foster playing off each other. In all it was a marvellous evening and if you get a chance to attend the next concert don’t miss it.

I also wish to record my thanks to the members of the Committee who made the decision today. If the truth be told, I feel a bit like Peter, I’m thinking about the challenge of getting out of the boat and stepping into the water and I’m praying, Lord help me keep my eyes on you, or I’ll drown.

I wrote a song many years ago along with my song writing partners Iain Jamieson and Campbell Dye, it was all about stepping out and trusting. I have much to learn and find out about the job and no doubt I’ll make my fair share of mistakes but I’m looking forward to the opportunities that will come our way to serve together.

Step into the water

Your heart is beating fast and furious like a drum
And your throat is parched with a very dry thirst
Your time has come you can’t delay you must go
The tide is in, your time has come, go with the flow

Don’t second glance, this is your chance
Step intro the water
Don’t hesitate, you’ll be too late
Step into the water.

Your steps are slow, your faith is low, your on the edge
the fear of failure grips your soul and you turn to go
Yet from the sea adventure calls and mystery wins
the oceans vast your hook is cast love’s got to last

Don’t second glance, this is your chance
Step intro the water
Don’t hesitate, you’ll be too late
Step into the water.

Walk with hope discover faith on the edge of doubt
Don’t be afraid to be afraid, don’t shut love out
I have a friend and you have a friend
Who can walk on water
faith is the key, lesson are free, to walk on the sea

Don’t second glance, this is your chance
Step intro the water
Don’t hesitate, you’ll be too late
Step into the water.

Click here if you want to hear a blast from the mid 90s

Talking about tuning in if you can’t get down to St As tomorrow morning tune in on the internet www.standonline.org.uk It’s going to be a fantastic service. You’ll be amazed at some of the people you’ll see. I believe there are also a lot of free hugs being handed out. There is also young Tejay who is getting baptised and I believe there are a bunch of lions going to be hanging around the service.

The church is buzzing just now with the Valley FM Radio presenters in and out every hour and of course everyone is getting ready for the big day next Friday.

Back in the 60s I was unashamedly known as a Christian at school and I think I probably came over as a bit seriously minded Perhaps Sam felt that I’d appreciate the biblical sentiments in Dylan’s songs. However he got the message, he knew Dylan believed ” The Times Were Changing”

Tonight listening to the programme I was reminded of the power and influence of music. I have no doubt that Dylan changed the mindset of my generation or as some people believe he was a prophetic figure raging against the evils of capitalism and mindless state organised violence. The truth is I think people projected that description on to Dylan and i also think he found it a heavy burden to carry.

I recalled how good the feeling was in those days to be young and feel you can and need to make a difference in the world . I’m sure that many young people still have these same feelings and I hope those of us who are getting older never pour cold water over their enthusiasm. The greatest quality to bring about change in any organisation is enthusiasm. Yes I know we need many more qualities no doubt, but enthusiasm releases then potential of others to bring about change. I believe the Church needs to display such confidence to the world around. Our confidence in the Gospel can surely bring about change, when we allow ourselves to become the agents of change.

As a young Christian I truly believed that that we could change the world. Looking back however I can also see that I often missed the point that Dylan was singing about. I was more interested in talking about faith rather than putting faith into action. Its interesting to see how musicians have been used over the years to raise awareness that finally brings about change. Many years were to pass before another musician by the name of Bob would challenge me to move from merely talking about gospel charity to begin to be pro-active in bringing about gospel change through social action. Geldof in the mid 80s talking about the Ethiopian famine challenged me to do more. I think this evening was a reminder to me that each one of us can be the change but we need to step up to the plate and take on board the challenges.

As I write it is the eve of another General Assembly in Edinburgh. Over the next week many words will be spoken, but the greatest example of all will be that which is displayed in deeds of love. Proclamation Gospel is only ratified in the life and example of believers. It is my prayer that as the church meets for fellowship and encouragement and also to disentangle some very difficult points of view that we don’t miss this point. Lets make sure that we don’t mistake talking about things as being the same as actually doing things.

Here’s a song Iain Jamieson and myself wrote a few years ago while thinking about the challenges facing Christians inside and outside the church. How can we be relevant and faithful. Click on the orange title and you’ll hear the song.

01 feel Shut Out

Feel shut in
And I feel shut out
Give up
Can’t say now
And I won’t say when
Lonely

And its funny how the busiest life
Can feel so dammed empty
And I tell you now this empty soul heart is aching

For you let your children
Walk away from your door
For everyone that walked
There is a million more
You talk of your programmes visions and dreams
And I just want to scream

Have you room for love
Have you space for me
For I’m not like you you see
Don’t want no walls around me
Break them down

Feel kicked in
And I feel kicked out
Hurting
Can’t Forgive
Can you forgive
Sorry

And its funny how the busiest life
Can feel so dammed empty
And I tell you now this empty soul is aching

For you let your children
Walk away from your door
For everyone that walked
There is a million more
You talk of your programmes visions and dreams
And I just want to scream

Have you room for love
Have you space for me
For I’m not like you you see
Don’t want no walls around me
Break them down

I feel talked out
And I feel talked down
Useless
I can’t get by
Its all a front
Help me

And its funny how the busiest life
Can feel so dammed empty
And I tell you now this empty soul is aching

For you let your children
Walk away from your door
For everyone that walked
There is a million more
You talk of your programmes
Visions and dreams
And I just want to scream

Have you room for love
Have you space for me
For I’m not like you you see
Don’t want no walls around me
Break them down

Copyright Bogle/Jamieson

We visited St Andrew’s today. The town is getting ready for The Open which starts I believe on Thursday. I had a look out to see if I could recognise any famous celebrities – the thing is I wouldn’t know a celebrity anyway if I saw one on the street. St Andrew’s is usually full of all kinds of people who could quite easily be celebrities. It is really quite a cosmopolitan town. I suppose being a University community it attracts a wide range of people. Maybe every second or third person is a celebrity?

Anyway the weather was good and I was enjoying the sun streaming around me. I stopped at the corner where Holy Trinity Church stands and sat on a bench. Within a few moments a young woman appeared took out her guiltar and started struming. Could she be a celebrity – look closer, she was for me every bit a celebrity – totally brilliant!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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 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

I was speaking to someone at the end of last week. We ended up talking about the fact that God often uses the things in our lives that we are ashamed of to make us into better people. The cracks and the scars still remain but they make us more valuable.

I told the person this story. When I was a young minister i used to take my daughter out on some of my parish visits. One day an elderly lady gave SJ a present. It was a dolls cup and saucer, one that she had when she was a little girl. It must have been at least 80 years old.

Well we took it home and duly put it on a safe shelf in the house. SJ was warned it was something she should keep – it was really too fragile for play. Well one day she stood up on a chair grabbed the cup, and of course the whole thing came tumbling down fell on the floor and the saucer broke into pieces. You can imagine it was tears all round. We gathered up all the pieces and put them in a bag and forgot about them. A few months later i was relating to someone the story of the broken saucer. the lady told me that her father loved fixing things and she was sure he could piece together the saucer, which he duly did.

The story doesn’t finish there. I was telling the story as an illustration of God’s patience and kindness in one of my sermons. A member of the congregation, Ann Mahoney was taken on with the story and she wrote some words inspired by the sermon. When we were recording an album of songs another member of the congregation, Ian Walker wrote a tune to fit the words and Ian sang the song on the album. Well it doesn’t finish there. A year or two later I visited a member of the congregation who was in hospital nearing the end of his life. I noticed he had been listening to some music through his earphones. “So what were you listening to,” I asked. “The church praise album,” was the reply. He then continued, ” I’ve been playing the song, ‘Broken Lives Worth Mending ‘ over and over again all day. You’ve no idea the comfort I’m getting from it.” He continued, “Its such a comfort to think that God thought I was worth fixing”

And all that happened because i took SJ on a parish visit. Makes you think how all our lives are inextricably linked to each other and to God.

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.