It’s strange isn’t it?
We all do it.
We make excuses
I mean we use our
Perceived weakness
Like a barrier
to keep people out.
To hide from ourselves.
We use
the things
the feelings
the attitudes
we have inherited
to define us.
Then we say
Sorry I can’t
I’m hopeless
I’m different from you
I’m not educated
I’m poor
I ‘m schizophrenic
I’m homosexual
I’m single
I’m married
I’m just a partner
I’m working
I’m tired
I’m not in charge
I’d love to but ..
I can’t

Its strange isn’t it
Something
Clicks and you
Simply change
You do something
You go out on a limb
You make a promise
You give something away
That’s what I did
I literally gave my poverty away
I opened my purse
I gave all I possessed to God
I can still hear it clinking in the box
Two little pennies
I had no more excuses left
I gave my weakness away
I walked through
A cross spaced shape
Into freedom.

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

Click here to view the embedded video.

SANCTUARY FIRST

Believe it or not this Sunday evening we’ll be putting on the Sanctuary First service. The theme this month is “A WAKE UP CALL” the service is going to be based around the passage in Revelation 3. This is the letter to the church at Sardis.  This community finds itself being rebuked because it is something its not. I always think this is such a challenge to all of us who try to keep the church relevant. We need to be careful that we are not simply promoting programmes to look busy rather than being engaged with effective ministry. Here is the opening part of the liturgy. Its meant to cause you to think. I’m posting it as a kind of trailer, perhaps to coax you to come along or at least loh=g in on the net next Sunday at 7.00pm

“Music playing to reflect  imminent danger. On the screen the clock is ticking. There is an interplay between the world on the screen and the ticking clock. Finally the music stops and all that is heard is the ticking of the clock.  Then  suddenly an alarm breaks the silence!”

A WAKE UP CALL

Narrator Speaks

We’re on the edge of disaster .

We’re facing economic, ecological, spiritual and moral bankruptcy.

We watch on like people in a dream.

We’re asleep.

We’re snoring

Ignoring

The clock ticking

We only have one life

And we sleep through it

And we gamble with it

Like poker players in a game

We each hold a hand

We throw away the best cards

In search of the charmed suit

Only to find we hold a busted Flush

But we dream on

This new project has the ability to become an amazing presence on the web. Will you pray for it as we begin to make onnection around our presbytery to begin with and then take it further afield. If you think this is something you’d like to know more about why not pop over and see us on Sunday . It starts at 7.00pm but we’re serving food at 6.30pm. We’re hoping to launch our Twitter Prayerline for the whole church at the Sanctuary First Service this Sunday.

UNITARY CONSTITUTION

This Sunday we’re going to have a special meeting of the Kirk Session and the Deacons’ Court to look at a new structure out of which to organise ourselves as a church. At the last Kirk Session, Session agreed to allow , St Andrew’s Multimedia Youth project (SAMYP ) to morph into a new not for profit company which is going to be known as SANCTUS MEDIA LTD. We’ll be looking for some folks to invest in this new outreach project.This will allow us to bring together our our fur social outreach programmes under the leadership of our new associate minister whenever they arrive. These include the Shalom Counselling Service which operates out of the Kinglass Health centre two afternoons per week. The Bounce Higher Programme which focuses on children and families. The Youth Work lead by Lilias and her team and of course the Tuesday Club our award winning programme wich has just received a certificate of excellence from the Care Commission

WORLD WITHOUT WALLS

Over the next few weeks we’re going to be missing Rae and Adam from the staff as they go off to India to visit our partners. This will be an opportunity for them to see the work and report back on the progress of the various projects we support. As Rae and Adam leave we’ll be delighted to welcome home Erica and Lorna from thier 15 month tour of all our World Without walls partners. Please remember us in your prayers