Hi,
Hope this finds you well.
The anniversary of things grinding to a halt is being remembered and reflected on this month - Pauline has passed on some reflective thoughts for us to work through. And I thought it was also good time to read again Sandra McN's great little poem which will transport you back to the church hall. You better have a hankie at the ready.
I've mentioned a new book for teens (and others) below - it's new from Rebecca McLaughlin and there is an extract you can link to. It's a 10 min read but well worth it - and I hope it encourages you to get this book for any teens you know. But when it comes to something for you to read this week the prize goes to Tim Keller - a really stunning bit of writing from Keller. He had just finished a book on how to face death, from his 45 years of pastoral ministry experience, when he was told of his own pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Find some time to sit down and consider his words. Click
here. to read Growing My Faith in the Face of Death.
I've been reading an, ahem, 'approaching Easter' book...some would call it Lenten but, well you know. Anyway, the thing that gets me each day is the prayer. There are a couple of examples below. I'm really hopeless at prayer, and these short prayers help me get started. See what you think.
Don't forget it's Home Groups this week!
Enjoy the Mag.
MB
From The Manse
Starter Prayers
Playgroup
The Hall
Glasgow City Mission
Roadmap for Reflection
Quotable
Wonder Walk 6
and more!
Dear Congregation,
Our Stated Annual Meeting will be held this Sunday 21st March at 12.30pm by Zoom. Unfortunately, because of COVID restrictions this will be our second S.A.M by Zoom. We have already emailed you Zoom codes from the office and they should now be in your possession. Please contact the office if this is not the case.
With the email containing the Zoom codes, we also distributed last year’s minutes, the budget for 2021 and some key pages from this year’s Audited Annual Accounts. The full accounts are on the Church Website and you will find a link to these on the Home Page. We hope you can join us on Sunday to hear reports from this most unusual year of church life.
We still believe we shall be opening the premises for worship with one another physically present on 28th March. This will be confirmed by the First Minister on 23rd March. The data still seems to be going the right way! A matter for prayer. However, with only fifty worshipping places available, can I encourage you to follow the link on our website Home Page to Eventbrite and register your desire to worship (there is also a link below in the notice about registration). We shall have an additional service on Good Friday from 7 pm-8 pm. We shall continue to live stream all services online.
Many thanks to all who expressed concern about my cancer diagnosis last year. As a number of you know, I had a month of radiotherapy and I am still receiving injections which will continue for another year or so. I know many of you have been praying for me and your words of encouragement have been so uplifting for both Anita and me. Anita and I are thankful to God for your support. We have been on the receiving end of the blessed care and concern you give to one another so frequently in times of need.
I had my first review with the oncologist this week. As a snapshot today, it could hardly have been better. However, I will need to be monitored over the months (and years?) to come. As you can imagine we are so grateful to the NHS staff for their care, you for such prayerful support and behind all of this, the Lord.
I would greatly value your continued prayers to the end that I can minister with some effectiveness as I manage the ongoing side effects of the treatment. Perhaps this will be a good thing for the ministry because Paul reminds us all “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12.9). Maybe my ongoing physical weakness will be no bad thing!
Warmest regards,
Scott
SAM meeting this Sunday
This meeting is open to all members of the Congregation and provides a chance to nominate and vote for individuals to join the Congregational Board for a three-year term of office. Nominations, which need a Proposer and Seconder, should emailed to Jack Geddes at jgeddes0802@gmail.com or any Elder before the meeting.
Further information from Lorna Hamilton 0141 571 3884 or Jack Geddes 07714 983075
Registering To Worship
BOOK NOW
The Eventbrite link is now open to register for worship from 28th March through the Sundays of April. Click HERE
Those who are on AV, door duty and assisting in worship need to register also please.
We shall have a cut-off for registering for Sunday worship at 11pm on the Thursday before worship.
Please note that the restrictions on crossing Local Authority boundaries do not change until 26th April
From David Thomson's Lent with Luke
'Frankly Lord, it was easier when we had less
I didn't believe it at the time
But now we've got more money, more status...
Teach me Lord
Still to depend on you
And build your kingdom
Not bigger barns for me
Fool that I am
Lord, what we know not, teach us; what we have not, give us; what we are not, make us; and all for your name's sake.
Here I am Lord,
Send me!
I will go Lord, where you...
Where?
Oh.
I hadn't thought that...
I hadn't really thought.
It's a good job
You're praying for me,
Good Lord.
The Hall.
A shared space where tea is made at the end of things.
Where ancient strings hang from high windows
And the blinds go up and down.
Here we come.
Sunday morning after church –
You are welcome to join us in the hall for tea or coffee:
Watery warmth in white teacups
Angled close to a fluttering spill,
While intent faces beneath thick make up
Share life and care,
Sipping together.
Children, beneath the canopy of wavering cups,
Are free in a forest of legs:
Hiding and chasing.
A passage for rites:
See the new baby come to join us.
Watch him grow.
One of us, another one of us.
Week on week,
A life in time lapse.
Ceilidhs and parties happen here –
Suddenly we are together:
Flashing past in a reel,
Flung in a set on the floor,
Fast light feet and clumsy spinning…
Hilarity at incompetence in fun,
And the music,
And the dance,
And the sparkles swept away
As, with shoes in hand,
We tiptoe out into the darkness
Wearing someone else’s jacket.
Together we grow towards death,
Held together by sharing today.
And afterwards…
The rest of us will be here
For tea and sandwiches
Taken together,
Soothing throats
Aching with memory.
A wide broom sweeps the floor.
Please leave the hall as you would hope to find it.
Hand on the door handle,
I peer into the empty space,
Where life is lived where we can see it.
Sandra McNicol (2013)
Our Playgroup is still unable to open due to restrictions for unregulated groups. We are keeping in touch with our families and are running an Art for Easter competition for all ages up to Primary 7. - get your entries in this weekend! We would appreciate prayers for restrictions to soon be lifted and definite dates given for us to plan and be able to welcome back children and families.
Fiona, June, Heather and Gloria.
The UK will be holding a day of reflection on March 23rd to mark the anniversary of COVID 19 in our nation. It is a time to remember all that we have lost over the last year, but also a great opportunity for self-reflection.
This family roadmap resource is full of questions you could share and discuss as a family, as a couple or even with friends online or distanced in a garden!
Glasgow City Mission are one of the charities who will benefit from the Virtual Kiltwalk on 23-25 April. As this is a virtual event you can tailor your challenge, or activity, to you or your family and friends as long as it’s within the Covid guidelines.
As this is 2021, one of our volunteers is walking 21 miles, cycling 21 miles and then swimming 21 lengths of his local baths. If this doesn’t suit you why not climb a mountain, trampoline, walk, jog, run, have a family treasure hunt or play 21 games of chess. Whatever suits you.
All those who participate and raise funds for the Mission will have 50% added to their total by the Tom Hunter Foundation, what an incentive! In addition each participant will receive a bespoke Glasgow City Mission Kiltwalk t-shirt.
If you are interested in fundraising for Glasgow City Mission please follow this link - where details of how to get involved and register can be found. Remember when registering to select “Glasgow City Mission” as your charity.
If you have any questions please contact Jack Geddes 07714 983075.
10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
A couple of years ago Rebecca McLaughlin wrote 'Confronting Christianity' - a really excellent look at questions which need thought through as we live out our faith in a post Christian Scotland.
She has now used her skills to write a version for young people - it says Teens on the cover but I reckon it will be very good for anyone from 13 - 30...the Harry Potter quotes go down well with that lot!
Here's some blurb...buy one for any young person you care about. Crossways has an extended extract here which is really worth taking a look at and will give you a feel for the approach of the book.
You can buy it here. Or as a download on Kindle.
How can we believe the Bible is true? Why can’t we just agree that love is love? Isn’t Christianity against diversity?
Going to school, hanging out with friends, or scrolling through social media feeds, teenagers are sure to face real challenges to faith in Jesus Christ. And whether you consider yourself a Christ follower or not, these questions can seem like deal breakers.
Backed by state-of-the-art research, personal stories, Harry Potter illustrations (warning: spoilers!), and careful biblical study, this book doesn’t dodge tough questions. Instead, it invites teenagers to ask their hardest questions about Christianity and to find surprising, life-giving answers.
Q31. What do we believe by true faith?
We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Wednesday at 7.15pm - 8.30pm
The Scottish Bible Society have created a Wonder Walks series for Lent and Easter.
Click
here for WALK # 6
As we lead up to Easter use these to help you focus on God when you are out for a walk or in your garden. On each map you will find something to read from the Gospel of Mark, questions to think about, games to play, and ideas to pray about. You don’t need to prepare anything in advance, just download your map and head off for your weekly Wonder Walk!
We'll include each walk in the magazine or visit the SBS website.
SPRING HARVEST 2021 - 4th to 8th April,
It will be strange again this year not to be sending our team to Spring Harvest with David Cameron as Chief Steward as in a normal year!
SH will be going online with ‘Unrivalled: Why we worship’ and will be exploring why we worship, which starts with who we worship. Every new challenge we face brings a new opportunity to tune into God and join in with his mission. Whatever comes our way, our God is unchanged, our God is unshakeable, our God is Unrivalled and we will worship him. It’s the perfect time to consider how and where we worship, whether on our own, together, all the time and everywhere, in singing, in silence, in service and in the soundscape of our whole lives. If we need to discover some different ways of worshipping together, we will!
Spring Harvest Home is far more than online teaching and worship. Using a new platform, it's the first Christian event of its kind in the UK. It's exciting, interactive, family-friendly and a brilliant shared experience!
Tickets at £55 from the Spring Harvest web page will access all the brilliant content online, both live and on demand until the end of April. You can access Spring Harvest Home on two devices (laptop, desktop or smartphone)
Sue
The Kirk Session has been encouraging us to build into our lives a desire to share the Gospel in a simple way with friends and family. To this end, we are being encouraged to use “The Word One To One” material.
Let’s all try and find one person to open John’s Gospel with. Remember to share online by zoom or by some other platform, you can download the exact same booklet. Simply go to our website; www.maxwellmearns.org and press the “Church Life” tab > then press the “Reaching Out” tab and scroll to the bottom of the page. You see all 11 booklets listed and available for download.
Speak to Margo McN if you would like to see a copy of a booklet.