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No.134            16th December

Hi,
Hope this finds you well.

Breaking the picket lines again this week the magazine has made it out once more...and there is lots going on to read about.

But first of all with Christmas hols approaching I was struck by a couple of lines from John Piper's daily email... we are looking forward to family joining us from various parts of the country (as many of you will be) so it resonated:
Do you feel restless for home? I have family coming home for the holidays. It feels good. I think the bottom line reason for why it feels good is that they and I are destined in the depths of our being for an ultimate Homecoming. All other homecomings are foretastes. And foretastes are good.
Unless they become substitutes. O, don’t let all the sweet things of this season become substitutes of the final great, all-satisfying Sweetness. Let every loss and every delight send your hearts a-homing after heaven.


"Unless they become substitutes" - such a timely warning as we enjoy so many of the blessings of a Christmas in Scotland.

Don't forget to check the pigeon holes across in the hall for Christmas Cards - you never know. 

Enjoy the Mag

MB

Who will you invite?


christmas phones

These images for the Christmas services, are available as images for you to use on your phones - great way of inviting someone and giving them all the details via text or WhatsApp. Just go to the church web page on your phone and download the one you want to use.

A Very Musical Christmas
choir pic

The Maxwell Christmas Choir - a full turnout for the final practice - despite the freezing conditions outside and the ‘slightly cool ‘ one inside!!
This promises to be a great evening of Christmas Carol singing, choir, solos and band pieces and a reflection from the Christmas story.


From the Manse

Dear Congregation,scott
It has been cold recently! As I type this letter there is a “yellow weather warning” for central Scotland. Snow is forecast!
However, we shall have a great nativity service on Sunday morning (18th) and a wonderful musical night at 7pm (18th). Let’s not be put off our gathering together by some passing inclement weather!

The forecast of snow got me thinking about where snow might appear in the bible.
After a little research, I was surprised to find that snow is mentioned numerous times in the bible. Though far from exhaustive research, I reckon snow is mentioned more than twenty times.
Sometimes it appears simply as a fact about the environment (“a snowy pit”). It can be used simply to describe the colour of a body-part (a hand with leprosy is white like snow). It is used theologically in several places to emphasise the God’s sovereignty over nature. And so on…

Three particular appearances in the bible struck me as especially significant.

The first, is found in Isaiah 55.10. Here, the effect of snow is compared to the effect of the preaching of God’s Word. As the snow (and rain) water the ground there is an inevitability of life sprouting up. So Isaiah says when God’s Word falls on a place, there will be fruit. God puts His will into place by His Word. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth,
making it bud and sprout…So my word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.

With all the reading, singing and speaking of God’s word, this Christmas, let us pray that there is a harvest.

The second use of snow in the bible which I think stands out is of Christ’s purity. The Lord in his purity is like that magnificent and beautiful blanket of snow that carpets the country landscape. Perfect. Pure. Utterly holy. Revelation 1:14 and Matthew 28.3 describe Jesus. 
The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

This description would not be appropriate for humanity.  Extending this metaphor of snow, I envision humanity like the snow once the traffic has done its dirty work. The result, that unpleasant grey slush. What a contrast.

The third use of snow in the bible which links to this slushy grey grimy humanity is found in Psalm 51.7 and Isaiah 1.18.
In Psalm 51.7, King David had sinned in adultery with Bathsheba, a married woman (and he is a married man) and arranged for her husband to die in battle. There is no purity here. The Lord sent the Prophet Nathan to confront David to bring him to repentance. David, is overwhelmed by his sin by comparison to the holiness of God.
David says… Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
David knows the holiness of God but also the enormous grace of God held out to guilty sinners who have no excuse but turn in repentance to the Lord.
The apostle John’s words echo this assurance of forgiveness;
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
That purity will render us as white as snow in his sight.
This is pretty much what Isaiah 1.18 says. Our slushy behaviour and rebellion against God turns out not to be “grey” but scarlet;
Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; 

C.S Lewis wrote with such creative imagination. In the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Mr Tumnus the faun, describing the sadness of Narnia says to Lucy;
“It is winter in Narnia,” …“and has been for ever so long…. always winter, but never Christmas.”
What a great expression; “always winter, but never Christmas”.

We do not know what weather accompanied the birth of Jesus. But with Christ and “Christmas” the cold is banished and there is warmth and brightness of hope, peace, joy and eternal life!

Warmest regards,
Scott

4th Sunday in Advent

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Sneak preview of this Sunday's slides??

Full story is here. 



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Happy Christmas from the children and staff at our Playgroup.


Messy Help!

Messy Christmas 2022
We are looking forward to welcoming families to church on Christmas Eve for Messy Church however we need a team of volunteers to make this happen.
We are looking for some people to help setting up between 1pm and 2pm, some people who could do refreshments (hot drinks, mince pies etc), some people to welcome and direct families and also some to be on activity stations. There is no requirement to have an art degree to lead these, just a willingness to chat to families while they engage in the activities and to tidy up the resulting mess! 
Speak to Pauline if you could help with the festive outreach!
Pauline Forster

Playgroup

playgroup photo

Fiona and I met earlier this year to discuss the Playgroup because the council is now funding places for 2-year olds to go to registered Playgroups. We prayed 10 years ago and decided that while we would retain the standards expected of a Playgroup we would not register as we wanted to have the freedom of being a Christian Church Playgroup. We therefore do not attract the funding and some parents moved their children to Playgroups where the council will contribute financially.

We have committed this to the Lord in prayer. The numbers have picked up. However, please pray with us that if it is the Lord's will the Playgroup thrive, that numbers continue to be healthy as we go into a new Session in January. 
A huge thanks to the staff of the Playgroup for the amazing work they do and for their faithful constancy. What a joyful team to be around!
Scott

Date for your Diary - 2023

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AN EVENING WITH IAN WHITE. 

Maxwell Mearns Castle Church 
7.30pm - Friday 3rd February
A great night of music followed by refreshments in support of the Inspiration Orchestra. Free entry with a collection taken on the night
Come and bring your friends! 
www.theinspirationorchestra.com


hoep for glasgow
this Christmas!

As you know we are supporting Hope for Glasgow this Christmas.

Our monetary gift will assist with their ministry for the R2R programme (Road to Recovery) which links individuals breaking free from addiction into local Church groups , women's groups which have started and hope to expand and a new addiction worker post commencing in January . Should you be eligible to gift aid , donation envelopes will be available from next weekend, as will HFG bank details if you wish to give directly through a bank transfer. Sort Code 08-92-99  Acc 65815722.You can note it is from Maxwell Mearns Castle Church.
Marlene Smith


Ladybird Book of Maxwell 

Ladybird book of Christmas sav

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 Safeguarding at Maxwell Mearns 

Safeguarding – Ensuring a Safe Church for All 

If you suspect or witness harm or abuse, or it is reported to you, you must immediately report it to one of the Safeguarding Coordinators:
Sue Anderson – 07970 261429 
Stewart Martin – 07766437216 
Elaine Taggart - 07746876280 


Pulse logo
The weekly prayer meeting will meet again in the New Year - look out for details
Wednesdays 
7.15pm - 8.15pm

All welcome.
pray now
Are you on the Pray Now WhatsApp Group? 

If you want to be added to the group to receive prayer news then simply ask Margaret and she will add your number to the list.

If you have a matter that you would like to be prayed about in this way, you can contact Margaret Boyd or Scott and they will organise for news to be sent out.