Manna Dobo Artist

However i wanted to follow up on my last post. Manna Dobo is a quite outstanding artist and respected in her field of visual arts. We are so fortunate to have someone of her experience and talent teaching at Bo’ness Academy. Anyway not many people could come down to the church at the drop of a hat and paint such an outstanding piece of work in less than an hour. Here in this work Manna was responding to the mood of the church and the worship of the moment as she put together this painting. The interesting thing is that she painted it with a feather in her hand and her eye and her heart ‘tuned-in’ to worship. I’ve entitled the painting “Too Close for Comfort” not sure what the artist will think of my presumption in naming the painting. However it speaks to me of the God who comes closer to us than we can imagine. Sometimes it is an uncomfortable feeling like lips being burned with the coal from the alter, or depending on your next meal to arrive with ravens. Yes God can be found in the ordinary but too often the ordinary is too difficult for us to trust or even understand.If you look closely can you see the face of the crucified Saviour kissing the face that is at prayer?

If you have time listen to the replay of the service before it is replaced by the current one on Monday morning. It it mann speaks about the place of the feather in her hand while she paints. Its worth listening to and also worth the visual impact of seeking it all come together.

I think you can also pick it up for a longer time if you go to Sanctuary first’s website www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk The theme was finding God in the ordinary. What could be more ordinary than a feather, yet the artist in Manna saw that the feather speaks of flight and height, of prophets being fed and prophets being touched by winged seraphims with burning coals. It speaks of hope and for many people it is a reminder to lift themselves from where they are to where they might be.

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’m quite sure we need less of the kind of buildings we have and more creative spaces in which to engage with those who are seeking.

We need to continue to develop and explore new and different ways to communicate the message of the gospel. I’m convinced that the most effective way of faith sharing centres around building of Gospel Communities. Such communities exist not our of buildings but in relationship with each other.

Over the next few months I’m hoping to see a change in the way we do church in St Andrew’s Bo’ness. We’re going to explore different ways in which we can meet in small groups to learn how to become Gospel Communities. I know we’ve done this in the past many times, however on this occasion we’re going to be asking ” What are the marks of a Gospel Community?”

So I’m looking for a bit of discussion here. How about taking a moment and reflecting on the question and lets see what it is that marks out the Gospel Community? Why not check out the opening podcast on the home page of St Andrew’s Parish Church Bo’ness. www.standonline.org.uk

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.

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.

It was interesting to sit with some if his colleagues after the funeral and hear how their lives had been touched because of his passion for all things Bonessian. As always in these circumstances I find myself being given an opportunity to speak about the gospel. In the context if people losing their jobs and looking for security in the future. It was not the political conversation that offered hope but it was the message of the gospel. As I left the hotel I Became aware of the wonderful privilege we ministers have in being given opportunities to speak about practical Christianity.

Then it was back to writing material for Sanctuary First. Once again we’ve decided to stick with the theme we used last year at this time “The Cross Shaped Space” Its such an evocative theme not only does it speak of the crucifixion but it also points to the resurrection. Furthermore this theme allows us to explore the meaning of having a cross shaped space in our everyday lives. Isn’t it so important that we Christians understand how to interpret theology and work it out in our everyday practice. Talking about another kind of ‘practise’ I had lots of.fun on Friday when I met up with Iain Jamieson and we started to record a new version of ‘Preacher John’ the big surprise was discovering that Campbell Dye who played on the first track nearly 25 years ago had laid down keyboard parts in Winchester and then emailed them to Iain. Technology is just something else.

On Friday evening I had the privilege of speaking to over 120 men who are part of the “Larbert Christian Men’s Association” There is something about talking man to men. I think there is a great opportunity to engage men on topics that they feel deeply about. Engaging men with stories about adventure and risk and also challenging men to become more pro-active when it comes to faith sharing I guess was what my talk was about. The thing is the Vine Trust tag line “connecting people to change lives” is an excellent hook to tell inspirational stories. Above all introducing people to the true vine is the greatest connection of all. Whoever said being a parish minister is boring?

On another occasion on Good Friday i took to the streets and offered the public the opportunity to take the bread and the wine. I was taking the idea a step further, what does it mean to be a church without walls. A church that offers men and women on the street the healing symbols of forgiveness.

The question hanging over my actions was is this cheap grace? Am I by my actions demeaning the body and blood of Christ or could I by this very action be highlighting the communion service as a service of conversion and redemption? Am I encouraging in the words of Paul, men and women to be eating and drinking the bread and wine unworthily? The truth is I can’t look into the heart of a man or a woman even if they take communion in church. How do I know the state of a soul before Almighty God?

One thing I do remember a good number of people came forward and accepted the bread and wine. I have no doubt in my mind thatthey were were sincere and reverent as they approached to take the cup. Each in turn spoke of their faith in Christ. Many had tears running down their checks. This was not cheap grace. I wonder if non believers screen themselves. Perhaps many have more respect for the bread and wine than some might think.

In my experience, being involved in this action was everything that I believed about Jesus. God had come into our neighbourhood and the cross with all its power was once again being released on to the streets. The words of Jesus came to mind ” If I am lifted up I will draw all people unto me.” In a world where the visual language speaks louder than words Christ on the street in bread and wine spoke with great authority.

I don’t know what it is but there is something incarnational about sharing Communion on the street. It brings tears to my eyes. Perhaps we have locked up the most powerful symbols of the gospel for too long in our churches. Perhaps on the right occasions during the Christian festivals there is a place for the sacraments to be not only displayed but shared as a witness to the power of God come among us in Christ.

I’m looking to see what response will come from this post. I wonder if other ministers around the world might be willing to take Christ into the streets this year on Good Friday. If you are interested or want to discuss its merits feel free to add to the post. I’d love to see the story of Good Friday enacted on the streets of the world this year and what better way than communion. If your going to do it drop me an email or comment at the end of this post.

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

You’ll have noticed that I’ve been making one or two comments on the blog about the 400th Anniversary of the King James version of the Bible. Its actually been quite wonderful to begin to rediscover the shear wonder and magic of the language especially when it is read out loud in church. We’ve been doing this in St Andrew’s Bo’ness to highlight the 400th Anniversary of this particular version. Its a book that has literally changed the world. I guess this is the simply reason why Scots based, Bafta and Emmy award-winning film director Norman Stone has entitled his latest docudrama – “the book that changed the world.”

It is a superb, authoritative docudrama that celebrates the influence and significance that this particular version of the Bible has had on the English language. Its quite wonderful when you begin to hear about all the various events that are being organised around the country to celebrate the 400th anniversary which will take place on the 2nd May this year. I noticed this quote in the Scotsman last month. “Indeed, Britain is about to go Bible bonkers, with radio programmes and several television documentaries (presented respectively by Melvyn Bragg and Adam Nicolson, who has said that the KJB is “a kind of national shrine, built only of words”). Shelvesful of books (The Book of Books by Melvyn Bragg, for instance) are promised.”

Well I received a copy of Stone’s latest production as a gift the other day and I must admit that I was spell bound watching it last night. It is a masterful piece of historical storytelling, presented by The Lord of the Rings’ Gimli the Dwarf, John Rhys Davies. Its also interesting that the role of James V1 is played by RSAMD student, Andrew Rothney, Andrew plays the part convincingly and resembles James in looks.

I’ve been so impressed that I think I’ll have an evening in the Church perhaps on the 2nd May where we’ll celebrate the Anniversary by showing the film. I may even try to convince our local cinema the historic Hippodrome here in Bo’ness to put on a showing. I hope you enjoy the trailer.