Here I am it’s 1.45am in the morning and I’m taking part in the 24 hour prayer vigil here in the church. Already we’ve had a constant stream of people coming to pray. Some people might think it strange that people want to pray yet the truth is that more people pray than ever go regularly to church. There is an element of longing for more in all our souls whether we’re paid up believers or not.

There are a number of quite outstanding opportunities to stimulate our minds to think about the meaning of Christmas. The Labyrinth is really quite wonderful. If you have some time try and visit us here in person and go through the labyrinth experience. If you can’t log on to www.standonline.org.uk click on the green live video button that is along the top of the web page. It will take you to the church where the labyrinth is been streamed out live. You can chat with others on line and make your prayer requests.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I found the content of he Labyrinth quite challenging and inspirational. You are invited to think what it might be like if God were to ask you to go on a journey. A bit like the wiseman. They had to prepare for the journey. They had to step out in faith. They were reading the signs. So what are the signs that God is giving to you to convince you to make your journey.

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.

We had a look at two possible ships, each have their merits and their short comings. A bit like the rest of us. Anyway we’ll be leaving it up to the people who know more about these technical matters to help us as a Board of the Vine Trust make the right decision. Anyway I had a good day with Willie and Alec, we were glad to have Robert Thomson with us as our naval architect, but we were conscious that this would have been the occasion when we would have been leaning heavy on Tom Dunn to tell us what to do. However we are grateful to Robert Thomson who worked with Tom for his help and advice.

It was a wonderful boost and uplift to get back to the church at 1.00am and see the lights on and to go into the sanctuary and find people working and praying. This my friends is the stuff from which revivals develop. Anyway there was someone finishing off the murals and another who had just completed the Holy Spirit Mobile. No I don’t mean a phone to talk to God, we don’t need that, God has given us an inbuilt phone, jesus is the line provider. Have a look below the art work is really quite spectacular. I think it will enhance worship tomorrow. If you can’t be there join us on line at standonline

So what can I say get yourself down to Bo’ness St Andrew’s and feel the presence of God in the sanctuary it is truly amazing to share in this 24 hour prayer vigil. it looks as though the afternoon session linking prayer and art is going to be worth attending . If your around pop down between 2.00pm-4.00pm. If you can’t get here in person join us on the internet for the prayer vigil

Tomorrow is going to be a really special time we’re going to be having a Pentecost Celebration including Communion followed in the Afternoon with a Barbecue in the Church Garden and a Communion Service at 6.00pm.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I have no doubt that all these issues have a certain complexity about them however one cannot but feel a sense of compassion and empathy for Douad and his family. It might be interesting to reflect a little bit more on some of the issues. We’ll find ourselves when we do straying into theology, politics and issues of peace and justice. One thing I’m certain of we all have a duty to ensure that extremist where every they are found are not allowed to radicalise and polarise communities. When this happens it is people like Douad and their families who suffer.

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

One particular man stopped and said he was Jewish, then with a smile he added “we’ve been doing this long before you ever started” Its good to be reminded that Jesus wasn’t a Christian but in fact was a Jew. Others however did stop and share the bread and the wine on the street. For some it may well have just bread and wine, while for others it was an act of worship and thanksgiving. For some it was a transcendent moment on a busy Edinburgh street, buses passing by, others rushing to make deadlines, but for them , for those who stopped it was important.
I doubt if they will ever forget the two nameless ministers who shared bread and wine with them on the street, but more than that, they will not forget because they were remembering, with grateful hearts what it means to be thankful to the one who gave up his life to redeemed humanity. Did they understand it, you might ask? Do I understand it? Do you understand it?

The answer we all must give is no but somehow I get it. It rings true for me. It speaks at another level, it engages my mind, my emotions and my actions. It draws me to the place where I think about God in terms of the crucified. Perhaps the phrase that Luther used about God is startling and controversial, when he spoke of “the Crucified God” For Luther this phrase was the code that would open our understanding of the nature of God. He reminds us that the Christian can only speak of the glory,wisdom, righteousness and strength of God as they are revealed to us in the crucified Christ.

Luther saw the cross as a kind of riddle, in the same way as Samson saw the riddle of bees in the carcass of the dead lion. ” Out of the strong came forth sweetness” Luther wrote in these terms,” If God is present in the cross,then he is a God whose presence is hidden from us” Luther begins to unpack this idea when he quotes Isaiah, 45.15 ” Truly You are a hidden God!” Yet as Luther continues to gaze on the cross the hiddenness of God is revealed in the dereliction, and it is this dereliction that opens the way into God’s presence. He reflect that no one would dream of seeking God in the ‘disgrace,poverty,death and everything else that is shown to us in the suffering Christ” Yet somehow God is there hidden, yet revealed, for those who care to seek him.

I wonder if we have lost something of the shear anti-establishment attitude of the first Christians. We need to look and listen to the gospel stories through the eyes of Jesus. What he taught was often hidden, that is why he spoke in parables. Jesus would say they just can’t see it.

Perhaps we as followers of Jesus need to display more revolutionary characteristics. Do we need to be more active in living out the core values of the cross? Isn’t it such a challenging thing to turn the other cheek, to listen, to engage with those who would dearly love to see us wiped out.

Too often we Christians are content to speak of church membership but we are less inclined to speak about the person of Jesus. The thing is the most powerful of all the stories in human history is the story of Jesus and his amazing act of redeeming a lost and broken world. In other words his message speaks directly into the lives and hearts of each one of us 2000 years later. I think it was something of that power and significance that I began to understand a little bit better as we engaged with the symbols of the Gospel in the middle of a busy Edinburgh Street. The real church without walls was engaging effectively today on the streets of Edinburgh.

This Sunday will be interesting the Five O’clock service will have a new band leading worship and I also hear that the Boys Brigade will be leading part of the service. They will be looking at the Pharisees and be exploring the role they played in opposing the Jesus Revolution. I think it may turn out to be a very creative service.

i believe the food for the evening will catch the imagination as it did last week. What an amazing spread appeared. Huge thank you to all who made the service work. I’ve been trying to encourage those who attend to change their mindset regarding what to expect. The key thing that we all should experience is fellowship. You may not get the traditional sermon but what you will get is an opportunity to meet new friends regardless of your age. So come along next Sunday at 5.00pm and meet the Pharisees. How’s that for a line to get you out to church. I just heard that the folks over in Alloa had a great time using Sanctuary First Material . check out their comments at www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk

Could it be that we don’t challenge people the way that Jesus did. Are we preaching a Christianity that speaks of convenience rather than sacrifice. A Christianity that asks very little of those who attend. A faith that is consumer led. this week as many of you will know is the beginning of Lent. Jesus called his followers to the place of self denial and struggle. Too often we make excuses for those and for ourselves when it comes to living out faith. We try to make it easy for people to believe. the thing is the easier we make it the more w weaken the power of the gospel in the life of the believer. have a look at this little video clip. Someone sent me a series of these pictures over the internet a few years ago. I worked with Rae at Sanctus Media and this is what we produced from the series of pictures.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Last week at the evening service I was talking about the centrality of praise and adoration in the life of the Christian. I wasn’t so much talking about singing praise songs or listening to your favourite praise album. I tried to describe it as a sense of well being. It’s knowing all will be well when you have no evidence to substantiate the feeling. It is this sense of “well being” that praise nurtures in a person that makes the Christian an attractive person and wins admiration. It what “ Malcolm Gladwell idescribe as the stickiness factor in his Book entitled the “Tipping Point “

Gladwell seeks to describe what he believes brings about a mass movement. The message has to be sticky. It has to have a relevance for the people who are invited to engage with it. Freedom is such a sticky idea that once it has been experienced its almost impossible to shut it down. The recent uprisings in the middle east certainly bear witness to this amazing truth. So how can we as Christians understand the sticky aspects of Christianity.

I suppose we should ask ourselves what it is that is sticky about our church and about the message of the gospel? What is it that is sticky about praise? Do we have these sticky attributes in the way we present ourselves in our communities? I’m going to suggest that we need the following six sticky attributes if the church is going to grow and be effective.

The first sticky attribute must surely be Acceptance. Churches that are growing are churches that are following the example of Jesus and taking all comers. It used to be that churches gave off the impression that you had be be a fully paid up card carrying Christian if you wanted to participate in the life of the church. What many are discovering is that people come to faith because they have got involved with a church perhaps in some practical way. It is was the openness of the church to accept them that made all the difference. I know this is a truth that I’ve come to appreciate more and more. We find people outside the church community coming forward to volunteer with various aspects of our social outreach programme. The interesting thing is that before long we begin to see people of their own volition beginning to turn up at worship on a Sunday. The gospel is not just a doctrinal statement it is a living dynamic word that changes men and women from the inside out.

The second attribute is Relevance but you know what I’ll talk about that tomorrow.