No.139.    27th January

Hi,

Hope this finds you well.

At the risk of sounding like an old bloke, 'Where has January gone?' (I expect to be receiving a lot of complaints from old blokes for that...probably by fax.)
February is almost upon us and it starts with a bang with two things to get along to where we have special visitors  - I'll leave you to discover what they are below and hope to see you at both.

Sunday is Communion. Such a key event for Christians and a vital part of being in the fellowship at Maxwell.
Don Carson has an article about Communion and makes 6 key points:

• First, the Lord's Supper serves as a centre and symbol of Christian unity.
• Second, the Lord's Supper is a time to remember.
• Third, the Lord's Supper is a proclamation of Christ's death.
• Fourth, the Lord's Supper is a temporary ordinance.
• Fifth, it provides regular opportunity for spiritual and moral self-examination.
• Sixth, the Lord's Table can be dangerous.

Here is a wee excerpt...but if you have 15 mins it's a great read available here
In one sense, this is one of the most shocking paragraphs in all of the New Testament. There is Jesus, the night of his betrayal, the day before he goes to the cross, and he has to tell his followers — as he is about to die for them and suffer the most horrible shame and the curse of his Father — " Don't forget me. " But if we've been Christians for a while and know ourselves at all, we know how easy it is to forget. " Do this in remembrance of me."

Thanks to those who have contributed this week - always good to have more news of what is happening around Maxwell sent in.

Enjoy the Mag.

MB

 

  Sunday 29th January 2023

     Rev Scott Kirkland
     Bible passage: Isaiah  65.17-25
     with Communion 

 

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From the Manse

Dear Congregation,

Communion

The Lord has blessed us with the Gospel in His word but also visibly in the sacraments of Baptism and The Lord’s Supper.
The Kirk Session has decided that we should resume celebrating communion monthly. For ease of memory, we shall celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the last Sunday of each month (this may be the 4th or 5th Sunday).

Celebrating Chinese New Year At The Manse

We had planned a celebration of Chinese New Year in the church halls for perhaps one hundred and twenty local Hong-Konger neighbours. The idea would have been to share with home-made Chinese food (what we might call a Pot-Luck Supper). However, Church of Scotland Health and Hygiene rules would make this very challenging. So, Anita and I arranged a private celebration at the manse (with home-made Chinese food) for a limited number of neighbours and by direct invitation. About twenty five of us met together for a lovely celebration of the New Year! I began the evening with prayer and a blessing from the Scriptures.

Mischievous Fire

We are so grateful to our church tenants Ciprian and Alina for their prompt action in attempting to put out a fire at the rear of the halls. When it became  evident that the fire would not easily be extinguished by a fire extinguisher they rightly called the Fire Brigade who arrived promptly. It seems that plastic barriers located on our grounds were dragged to the stairwell at the rear of halls and set alight. There has been no damage to the building. We don’t know who started the blaze but it happened on one of the school strike days.
 

Giving For Work of Maxwell

We have been asked several times recently about how someone might give financially to the work of our congregation.
I thought it might be helpful to describe current ways to give.
 “Plate”: There is a wooden stand (we traditionally call a “plate”) at the door of the church. Offerings can be placed on the plate (money and cheques) on entry to or exit from worship.
Bank Details: Many of our congregation prefer to arrange standing orders through their bank so that they can maintain continuity of giving even if not present on a particular Sunday. (And sometimes we forget our wallets/purses!)
Account Name: Maxwell Mearns Castle Parish Church 
Sort code: 82 68 32 
Account Number: 20050219
Gift Aid: If we pay tax, we can sign up for the Gift Aid scheme. This means the church can receive 25% additional offering (tax back from the Government). In 2022 we received over £25,000 because most of us pay tax and have signed up for this. There will be a form at the door you can complete so that Gift Aid is received by Maxwell.
QR Code: We shall create a QR code soon so that you can use the code to be taken straight to Maxwell Mearns Castle Church giving page.

Warmest regards,
Scott

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When there are many words...

Having been immediately grabbed after the service by those keen to point out a couple of mistakes on the screen last Sunday morning I was reminded of the verse from Proverbs 10:19
"When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable"...but more heartened to see the image below and realise that I am not the only one:

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This Wednesday (1st)  7.15 - 8.15pm
1ST FEBRUARY
We have a special visit from Catherine who ministers amongst the Muslim communities in Spain with UFM ( Unevangelised Fields Mission)- always a fascinating and deeply impressive ministry to hear about and pray for.
Come along if you possibly can.

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Health, Healing, and Sufficient Grace

As the homegroups were considering 1 peter ch1 and how we deal with the ups and downs we face week by week, (often much of if coloured by ill heath or otherwise) this week this prayer from Scotty Smith chimed well. 

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 2). 

Heavenly Father, some of us will spend today at a hospital—planned or unexpectedly so. Some of us are in bed with a low-grade temp and a high-grade “yuckiness.” Some of us are physically fine, but are emotionally and mentally stretched and stressed. Others have awesome cells and sinews, but are in a state of serious soul-sickness—needing the Gospel of grace, more than chemo for cancer.

Father, we are profoundly grateful that every aspect of our being matters to you—body, spirit, soul, emotions, and mind. We also rejoice and rest in the good news that good health claims us in the Gospel; it’s not something we have to talk you into or pray for with the right formula. And we are ever-so-grateful that our resurrection body won’t need replacement joints, or even tissues for a runny nose.

Until the Day of perfect health, we will seek to take care of these “tents” in which we live (2 Cor. 5:1-5), because that honours you. Diet and doctors, sleep and play are themselves an exercise in godliness. We’ll also pray for supernatural healing, and will ask our friends to join us—for this honours you as well.

Father, however you write our stories, we will seek to love and trust you. If you are pleased to give us either instant or progressive healing, awesome, because that’s what we really want. But if you choose to give us “sufficient grace” instead (like Paul in 2 Cor. 12:7-12), we might (will) whine at first, but will be grateful forever. So Very Amen.

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Ladybird Book of Maxwell

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My own mentor Sinclair Ferguson is undertaking podcasts that last about 3 -6 minutes minutes on a variety of subjects. You can listen on the website, Spotify or you can read the transcript on the website. They are very short (about 5-7 mins) but hugely insightful. 
If you join me in these then you are plugging into them just a few days down the line as he started on January 2nd. (Sorry that I just found them.) The great thing is you have a bumper number to appreciate as you catch up to date.
Scott
 
Here is the first and from here you can subscribe for new ones (they are free) and also you can source the ones you have missed so far.
 

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Volunteering Opportunity in April

Can you support Glasgow City Mission?
They are looking for a group of volunteers for the week beginning Monday 17 April.  

Please read below and reply to the Maxwell office if you are willing to join us and we will compile a list:
Two volunteers are required each evening Monday to Friday from 6:00pm to 8:30pm.
You will come to the Ground Floor at 20 Crimea St, G2 8PW. You will join the team made up of staff and regular volunteers in running our Evening Drop-in, where we provide a hot and nutritious meal, conversation and community, and whatever help is required. We also facilitate a table discussion around a Bible passage. We are all about giving our guests a taste of Kingdom hospitality, so we are very excited to welcome volunteers from the wider Glasgow ‘church’.  
On arrival you will join our team meeting and be given a role for the evening (e.g., serving food, hosting a table, dishwasher). Coats and bags are locked away in a cupboard, although we advise not bringing any valuable items. Your team leader will tell you everything required of your role

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ERGC - Love your Neighbour Club 

Volunteers from Maxwell Mearns are out and about this Sunday delivering packs of essentials to families needing a helping hand at this time.
Please play for these families that the gifts would be well received and that meaningful connections can be made on the doorstep. Thankyou. 
(To find out more about this excellent ministry speak with Margo.)

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DATE FOR THE DIARY IN FEBRUARY

Dear Prayer Partners,
You are invited to spend a special evening at home with Bogi Kozma, our missionary in Budapest...

Take the opportunity to join Bogi in her home via Zoom for a first-hand, personal insight into her mission work and all that is going on in the lives of the Jewish people she is reaching. 
There will be time to interact with Bogi, as well as the opportunity for questions and answers about the gospel work she is engaged with among Budapest's thriving Jewish community. There will also be time to pray together for Bogi's ministry and her Jewish contacts.   

We would love to see you there! Please invite your friends, family, church members - and anyone else who may be interested - to join you.
Date: Monday 6th February 2023 from 8-9pm UK time (waiting room will be open from 7.50pm)
How to join: Register using the button HERE and Zoom meeting details will be sent a week prior to the meeting
If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact us at info@imjp.org or on 01865 887830

 

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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.   

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Car Parking

Can you help?
If you are able, please can you to start using the school car park again as we did pre-lockdown?
Numbers attending services are encouragingly high and it would be really helpful if those that are able could leave spaces in the main car park for those who have greater need.