Minister Elect

Well.....really gone done it now! This afternoon the very lovely people of Aberlour Parish Church elected me as their new minister. No longer simply the parish by the river but the parish that we will move to and I will serve.

Its been quite a journey - as I told the people of Aberlour on accepting their invitation - Aberlour is not where I thought I might end up when I began training 4 and a bit years ago. BUT it feels just so right and I am very, very excited about the future.

Yesterday as I was preparing the final and bits and pieces for this evening I was sent a wee note from my dear friends Doug & Lesley - they pointed me in the direction of 1 Peter 5:1-7 - wonderful, wonderful words of encouragement and guidance. I particularly like verses 6 & 7:

"So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you."

I carried these with me this morning.



So now there will be lots to organise - lots of plans to make and see through. But today is for celebrating - celebrating being the right person, in the right parish, at the right time, with the right people.

Faithful One

Faithful One so unchanging
Ageless One You’re my rock of peace
Lord of all I depend on You
I call out to You, again and again
I call out to You, again and again

You are my rock in times of trouble
You lift me up when I fall down
All through the storm
Your love is the anchor
My hope is in You alone

Not sure why it is that song lyrics are speaking to me at the moment. But this morning travelling to the office I put on one of the Best Ever Worship Song CDs, and belted out some Be Thou My Vision etc at full blast as I sped (at legal speeds) through the glorious sunshine and north east hills. Then this song came on - these words are simple but powerful.

Faithful, unchanging, ageless, rock, anchor, hope - this is indeed the Lord I know.

And today as I looked around the scenery of where I live - I can see him everywhere. I love the Moray/Banffshire area - it is simply beautiful. Especially at the moment - everything is basking in sunshine and the fields are lush with new life. When I see God's creation like this - I ponder yet again - how can they say there is no God? Can't they see him? - there! and there! and look there!!!

(pic is not of the glorious weather we are having today - but it is of the route I take to the office - I have 'borrowed' it from the Moray Council website)

Take this moment

Take this moment, sign and space;
take my friends around;
here among us make the place
where your love is found.

Take the time to call my name,
take the time to mend
who I am and what I’ve been,
all I’ve failed to tend.

Take the tiredness of my days,
take my past regret,
letting your forgiveness touch
all I can’t forget.

Take the little child in me,
scared of growing old;
help him here to find his worth
made in Christ’s own mould.

Take my talents, take my skills,
take what’s yet to be;
let my life be yours, and yet,
let it still be me.

We sang these verses this morning in church accompanied by the band that I play in. The words resonate with me tonight. It was our monthly All Age Worship and also the designated worship service for a brass music festival. It fell to me to lead the worship and I did so along with playing in the band.

I have been part of this band since I was wee - as I told everyone when introducing the band, when I joined the band my legs barely touched the floor when I sat in my chair!! (So I have been a part of the band for a long, long time!!!!)
The band have never heard or seen me 'do what I do.' And I think this was why I was more than a little apprehensive about the service - I didn't get to sleep until after 3am last night.

But you know, this was one of the best services I have ever led. It all went very smoothly - the band played well, everyone engaged with what was going on and there was a real sense of the Holy Spirit moving in the church.

There was something special about today - I was nervous - not something I am often bothered with these days. But as I travelled home I realised that actually, maybe worship leading is one of my strengths after all. I have always thought that perhaps my gift was in community engagement and outreach - but I have come to realise that during leading worship I come alive. As I have become more confident, I have also become more animated, more fluid, more passionate.

Today was special....and now I am tired and a little emotional but exhilarated, motivated, excited. God does amazing things...and today was one of them.

Take my talents, take my skills,
take what’s yet to be;
let my life be yours, and yet,
let it still be me
Amen!!

I come to the garden alone

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

I’d stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

C. Austin Miles

We sang these beautiful words at our evening service last night. My supervisor had used the words during a funeral yesterday. I had not heard them before but I was touched by them. Its an old fashioned hymn - if you want to hear the tune that goes with it you will find it here.

The words of the refrain speak to me of the very personal relationship we each have with God. As we walk with our Lord no one call tell us what that relationship is like; no one can tells us what it should be; it just is. And that means we each experience it in a different way. There may be commonalities but there most certainly will be a uniqueness to each relationship.

My prayer for this moment is that we can all acknowledge our differences but rejoice in our commonalities. We have a Lord that loves each and everyone of us - with all our individual eccentricities. None of us perfect - ALL of us Rag dolls - broken and bent.

Amen

The photo above is of our front garden - taken a few years ago.

Awesome love

Was reading ASBO Jesus today and came across a reference to the following poem. I did a bit of cyber hunting and found it here. It's a poem about love, about God's love...

BTW the cartoon on ASBO Jesus is pretty cool too.

"... There are so many kinds of awesome love,
I bless them all:

Love of kindred for their kin
Love of lover for their mate
Love of country for the native
Love of land for the explorer

Love of the labourer for his work
Love of the scholar for her truth
Love of the artist for the muse
Love of the preacher for the word
Love of the disciple for the way
Love of the mystic for their God

There are so many kinds of awesome love,
We need them all:

Love of the beloved, love of the friend,
Love of the stranger, love of the needy

Love of the woman for the man
Love of the man for the woman
Love of woman for her woman
Love of the man for his man

There are so many kinds of awesome love,
Why must we set one above the other,
Say some are worthy and other base?
Why must we choose one love
When we need all the kinds we can get?

There are so many kinds of awesome love:
The love that knocks you off your feet
and sets you to desperate things
The love that is gentle and kind
and swells the compassionate heart
The love that is joyous and life-giving
and keeps you singing for days
The love that is steadfast and loyal
and sits out long nights of pain

Young, jocular love
Old, wise love
Rich, extravagant love
Poor, pitiful love
Strong, encouraging love
Vulnerable, wounded love
Passionate, sensual love
Free, philial love
Fiery, prophetic love
Self-emptied, contemplative love

There are so many kinds of awesome love,
I bless them all ..."

"So Many Kinds of Awesome Love"
by Nicola Slee