David's Blog

Please Pray - Midweek Message 17th June

Dear Friends,

This is a slightly different Midweek Message from recent ones but as I hope you will see a vitally important one.

You don’t need me to tell you these have been, and remain, strange times and we’re not exactly sure how, and when, they are going to end, or what life will exactly look like after  lockdown. However, Jesus taught his disciples to trust in the care and the overruling sovereignty of God the Father in such times when, for example, he told them: Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.(Luke 12.6-7)   With that, we also  believe that God is never thwarted by what seem like setbacks in the lives of his people but is always turning everything to the accomplishment of his sovereign and saving purposes, as Joseph recognised looking back over the setbacks and the suffering of his own life, not least that perpetrated by his brothers. He was able to testify to them: You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.  (Genesis 50:20) In the light of that, we believe God is at work in these trying Covid-19 affected days, in the lives of those who are his people (see for example 1 Peter 1.6-7, Acts 8.1-4, James 1.2-4) but also in those who are not yet his people. If nothing else, online services have meant a scattering of the seed of his Word further afield than our reach on Sundays and we know his Word will not return to him void but will accomplish that for which he sent it (Isaiah 55.10-11)  

With all that in mind, the elders have a had a couple of meetings recently to consider how we can best serve and keep in step with whatever God is seeking to do in these days in terms of fulfilling the mission we believe He has given us to be a church that ‘brings in, builds up and sends our followers of Jesus Christ to the glory of God’  Two particular matters have been on our minds. About these we have, as yet, reached no firm conclusions, hence the reason for this message and this request: please will you pray with us that God would, in his time, make plain his will for us in relation to:

1) Sunday Gatherings

a) Whenever we can open the church building again for Sunday gatherings, there are a number of practical issues that require to be addressed e.g. seating arrangements, health & safety matters, recording/livestreaming of services, etc – please pray for wisdom for the Preparation Group made up of some Session & Board members currently looking at these.

b) As important, if not more important, than the practical, is this question: are there any things we might do in relation to our Sunday Gatherings that might make them more accessible and helpful to anyone coming in for the first time who may have had an interest in Christ and the Christian faith aroused during this time? It is a good time to review all that we do, how and why we do it and for whom we do it. Maybe nothing requires changing but if so, we want to be sure of that.  So again, please pray with and for us.

2) Milton of Leys (MOL)

In the period immediately prior to lockdown, we had been running monthly gatherings in the school to which a number of families and individuals had been coming on a regular basis. We had also received the offer of piece of land on which a church building could be erected. This was the culmination of a number of years of praying, planning and making contact with MOL people through events like Holiday Club. This had all been instigated with the long-term plan, God willing, of planting a church in MOL. Lockdown has interrupted something of the momentum of this work.

Our view has been that 3 key elements are required for this goal of planting a church to be realised

1) a team of committed people who would form the core of a new church in MOL.  

2) a leader for the work with all the necessary energy to see the work through the stages involved in birthing the church.

3) the funds necessary to pursue the erection of the church building

As things stand at present:

Re- 1) notwithstanding the great number of people who have willingly played their part in enabling the monthly gatherings, we currently have 7 people who have definitely committed to being part of a future Milton of Leys congregation

Re-2) some of you will be aware that Farquhar has an underlying health condition which requires to be managed. These last 10 months have been particularly trying in that regard. He is currently on a week’s ‘sabbatical’ with a view to physical rest.

Re-3) we have not in earnest sought to address the challenge of the funds for a building, but we are aware that in the current climate this will not be our only financial challenge.

Looking back, we did not embark on the work in Milton of Leys naively or blindly, but rather believe we have sought at every stage to be prayerful and faithful, wanting to follow God’s lead so that , ultimately, if anything comes of this it will be to his glory and people will look on and say, the LORD has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes. (Psalm 118.23) However it would seem to us we have come to a crucial juncture, where once again we must cry out to God particularly in relation to these 3 things.

Would you therefore join with us in praying, in asking for his will to be done, his kingdom to come in MOL and that we might know clearly what it is he is asking of us in relation to that?

Would you ask him to provide the people, the health, the money and anything else that He regards as necessary for this to go ahead or to keep moving forward or  at least tokens that might indicate this work  remains as part of his purposes for us as a church? Or if not, make it clear that we need to pursue a different direction?

As I said we have not reached firm conclusions or made concrete decisions in regard to Sunday Gatherings or Milton of Leys. Rather, we find ourselves echoing Jehoshaphat’s prayer: We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you. (2 Chronicles 20.12). I also find myself recalling Jesus looking out with compassion on the crowds in Matthew 9, harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd and concluding the harvest is plentiful….  And then urging his disciples, Ask the Lord of the harvest….. (Matthew 9.36-38).  That is what we are asking you to do, please pray with us and for us to this Lord that his will in these things and for the sake of his saving purposes might be done.,

Thanking you for your fellowship in the service of God and his gospel,

David