Many people know that I go to church. And not just any church- I go to Harvest Bible Chapel Glasgow. If you don't know this about me then you have probably been living under a rock. I hope that from the way I talk about my church you will know that it is unlike others- I was certainly intrigued upon my first visit.
Many churches boast of a fellowship that goes back hundreds of years. A history of serving their community and seeing countless marriages, baptisms and transformed lives entering and leaving through their doors. Most churches have spectacular buildings displaying amazing architecture and stained-glass windows. I sometimes wonder what would happen to those churches if the bricks and mortar were taken from them? Because that's what is happening to us.
Harvest is only a baby in comparison to these grandfather churches. It was planted only two and a half years ago by a handful of people led by a brave pastor and it has grown into a tender shoot. God has been so gracious in cultivating it and has done remarkable things in this short space of time. Harvest has found its home in the Graham Hills building at Strathclyde Uni in the centre of Glasgow. It has no stained glass windows, pews, or stunning arches. It doesn't even have a pulpit (as if Pastor Scott would use it anyway...) Nevertheless, this building has served us well as our wee home. But we are losing the lease in 4 weeks.
Jonny and I had a time of prayer last night for the building situation. We quickly found ourselves just giving thanks for our church and for everything that God has done through it. Harvest has taught Jonny and I a great deal and has supported us through our marriage nearly two years ago, the life threatening episode with my sister, and my recent decline in health. They have allowed us to use and nurture our gifts and have supported us through difficult times. We have been shown love in so many practical ways and have made so many close friends. Harvest has taught me about serving, giving, loving and humility and most of all, taught me about what it means to walk close to God.
All these things have not been dependant on the building. This is because the church isn't a building, it is the people. And so no matter where we end up we will still be the church. The other thing I love about my church is that we love a challenge. This is usually seen at Party with the Pastor during the games- but it is mostly because we want to fully rely on God's grace and marvel at His works. And so we are actually quite excited about what God is going to do in this, knowing that He is able to do more than we could ever ask or hope.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10v23-25.
Even though we will be moving, you should still visit us wherever we are!
www.vimeo.com/27713001
This is my church.
Thursday 22 March 2012
Friday 2 March 2012
This is what I know.
I'm sitting here tonight after a morning of hydrotherapy (physio in a swimming pool.) I was only in for about half an hour doing things like walking from one side of the pool to the other and performing wee squats etc. Extremely basic, and extremely slow. I felt quite good afterwards, I had achieved a great deal and felt quite energised. But I think I can now honestly say I am dying...
...Ok that is a bit dramatic, but I am certainly hurting. It's not even the achy muscle type that you kind of enjoy because you know it means you're on your way to having a body like Megan Fox (it could still happen!) It's a lot deeper than that and has sucked the energy right out of me. It's the kind of pain which has made me terrified to exercise; although I've always been a gym-o-phobe... However, I will go back next week and persevere with it because I'm hoping that it'll make a difference.
My pain is pretty much constant. For the people who see me on a regular basis, I'll more than likely be feeling sore when I'm with you. Whether it's walking about the shops, or sitting eating cake- although I must stress that it is not the cakes fault I am sore...so there is absolutely no need to withhold cake from me. Thankyou.
Being in pain all the time is exhausting, and it changes a lot in your life. My ability to do the things I once loved (go long walks, shop for hours, wear high heels), the relationships I have (my ability to lift my nephew and get on the floor and play with him) and my job too. I don't know what to expect with the future now and to be honest, I find that totally poo.
So someone like me who professes to have a very profound faith in God can cause onlookers to ask where God fits in with it all. Has He forgotten me or stopped caring about the fact that I feel sore today? Well, I read a tremendous quote in a book a month or two ago and I am constantly calling it to mind.
...Ok that is a bit dramatic, but I am certainly hurting. It's not even the achy muscle type that you kind of enjoy because you know it means you're on your way to having a body like Megan Fox (it could still happen!) It's a lot deeper than that and has sucked the energy right out of me. It's the kind of pain which has made me terrified to exercise; although I've always been a gym-o-phobe... However, I will go back next week and persevere with it because I'm hoping that it'll make a difference.
My pain is pretty much constant. For the people who see me on a regular basis, I'll more than likely be feeling sore when I'm with you. Whether it's walking about the shops, or sitting eating cake- although I must stress that it is not the cakes fault I am sore...so there is absolutely no need to withhold cake from me. Thankyou.
Being in pain all the time is exhausting, and it changes a lot in your life. My ability to do the things I once loved (go long walks, shop for hours, wear high heels), the relationships I have (my ability to lift my nephew and get on the floor and play with him) and my job too. I don't know what to expect with the future now and to be honest, I find that totally poo.
So someone like me who professes to have a very profound faith in God can cause onlookers to ask where God fits in with it all. Has He forgotten me or stopped caring about the fact that I feel sore today? Well, I read a tremendous quote in a book a month or two ago and I am constantly calling it to mind.
Exhibit A- Cupcakes which are perfectly harmless for sore bodies.
Thursday 1 March 2012
How good it is to be loved by you...
My thoughts today have been provoked by an article in the Sun newspaper. The article was about a couple of former Oxford University research associates who argued that the right to kill newborn children should be legalised. There isn't really much point in me elaborating on their claims as there is nothing that could have possibly helped them justify it. I often wonder why seemingly intelligent individuals come out with stuff like this. You sometimes wonder if they desire to go against all human morality in order to come across as being enlightened to some sort of notion that we are not smart enough to realise. Why is it so uncool to follow our conscience these days (and unltimately, God) and constantly try and second guess what our instinct and knowledge of right and wrong would tell us?
The part that stung me most about this article was the fact that they used disability as the example for slaughtering a child. This is a complete bone of contention with me when they use disabled children to justify things like abortion and now this. I am not claiming having a disabled child is easy and without its burdens and heartache- believe me, I have seen every facet of difficulty you could come up against. But since when does a disabled child equate to second best? And since when does it mean they do not deserve basic human rights? And since when does it mean they are not a completely precious creation, deserving of love and life? The article states that they should be allowed to kill a child if they put an 'unbearable burden' on their family or society. What?? How can you predict how much of a burden a child can be when they are minutes old? And yes, families have expressed in the past that having a disabled child can be a burden, but never unbearable. On the contrary the love these parents display can only be described as unconditional.
I always find this kind of thing hard to get my head around since children like these have been responsible for so many blessings I have received in my life. I also get very angry at this kind of thing because never once in my 8 years of working with disabled children have I came across one who is judgemental, or prejudiced, or pushes me aside because I have red hair, a sizeable nose or because I'm not a size 8. (Don't get me wrong, they have brushed me aside if the games I want them to play are mince. lol) These children can still make you laugh, make you feel loved and special and can still make you tilt your head to the side and sigh because they are so damn cute.
But this is the point, why is it about what these children can do for us? How they make us feel? How they will contribute to the family? Or how good looking or easy they will make our lives? The newpaper article stated that the academics (loose term) claimed that "the interests of actual people over-ride the interest of merely potential people. Since non-persons have no moral rights to life, there are no reasons for banning after-birth abortions". (The Sun, 1/3/12)
What makes us so important that we can decide the mortality of a child? Having a child, knowing a child or working with a child is about what we can do for them, not the other way around. Isn't this the complete reflection of the way God is with us? Our relationship with God isn't about how great we are or the Great things we can do. Our salvation hangs on the fact because we weren't, Christ died for us. I was completely dead in my trespasses and useless and sinful, yet God took me as His. What Grace! How can we reject any child when they don't deserve it, when God doesn't reject us when we completely deserve it?
How can we treat a human life as disposable and completely meaningless when the creator of the universe finds little old me (and you) so completely precious. Did you know when God First loved you? Before the universe was made. Did you know who was with you and formed you and loved you when you were a seemingly 'meaningless' ball of cells in your mothers womb? Your heavenly father.
The part that stung me most about this article was the fact that they used disability as the example for slaughtering a child. This is a complete bone of contention with me when they use disabled children to justify things like abortion and now this. I am not claiming having a disabled child is easy and without its burdens and heartache- believe me, I have seen every facet of difficulty you could come up against. But since when does a disabled child equate to second best? And since when does it mean they do not deserve basic human rights? And since when does it mean they are not a completely precious creation, deserving of love and life? The article states that they should be allowed to kill a child if they put an 'unbearable burden' on their family or society. What?? How can you predict how much of a burden a child can be when they are minutes old? And yes, families have expressed in the past that having a disabled child can be a burden, but never unbearable. On the contrary the love these parents display can only be described as unconditional.
I always find this kind of thing hard to get my head around since children like these have been responsible for so many blessings I have received in my life. I also get very angry at this kind of thing because never once in my 8 years of working with disabled children have I came across one who is judgemental, or prejudiced, or pushes me aside because I have red hair, a sizeable nose or because I'm not a size 8. (Don't get me wrong, they have brushed me aside if the games I want them to play are mince. lol) These children can still make you laugh, make you feel loved and special and can still make you tilt your head to the side and sigh because they are so damn cute.
But this is the point, why is it about what these children can do for us? How they make us feel? How they will contribute to the family? Or how good looking or easy they will make our lives? The newpaper article stated that the academics (loose term) claimed that "the interests of actual people over-ride the interest of merely potential people. Since non-persons have no moral rights to life, there are no reasons for banning after-birth abortions". (The Sun, 1/3/12)
What makes us so important that we can decide the mortality of a child? Having a child, knowing a child or working with a child is about what we can do for them, not the other way around. Isn't this the complete reflection of the way God is with us? Our relationship with God isn't about how great we are or the Great things we can do. Our salvation hangs on the fact because we weren't, Christ died for us. I was completely dead in my trespasses and useless and sinful, yet God took me as His. What Grace! How can we reject any child when they don't deserve it, when God doesn't reject us when we completely deserve it?
How can we treat a human life as disposable and completely meaningless when the creator of the universe finds little old me (and you) so completely precious. Did you know when God First loved you? Before the universe was made. Did you know who was with you and formed you and loved you when you were a seemingly 'meaningless' ball of cells in your mothers womb? Your heavenly father.
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me...
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me...
Psalm 139v13-18
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