Message from our Locum – Iain MacLeod – June 2016

It is just three weeks since I started at ClincarthillParishChurch and there are a few things that instantly stood out for me:

  • The beautiful stain glass windows, particularly on a sunny day
  • The attentiveness of the congregation to the spoken word
  • The many talented leaders and musicians in the congregation

You were blessed as a congregation by Joan Kilpatrick’s ministry over the last eighteen months and for me that will be a hard act to follow.

It is my privilege, however, to journey with you over the coming months as you continue to await the arrival of a new full-time minister. Waiting is never easy and, if you are anything like me, you will be impatient for your new minister to arrive.

Having waited for buses and trains over the last year as I have travelled back and forth to Edinburgh, I have watched expectantly as the digital displays promised a bus’s arrival in 11 minutes, 10 minutes and so on until the point of arrival. I clearly remember one day when the digital display stopped at 7 minutes, and although the bus arrived on schedule, it was an anxious and much longer wait than I had anticipated. Maybe you feel a bit like that, and my arrival on the scene just highlights the fact that things are taking longer than you expected.

The Bible speaks a lot about waiting. It speaks about waiting for God and his plans to unfold. Some waited patiently and others cried out “Don’t keep us waiting much longer, O God.”  Which of these folks are you most like?

There are two Bible verses that stand out for me, the first is “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. (Psalm 62:5). This is an encouraging verse, as it reminds us that God’s plans and purposes are worth waiting for and as such we should expect great things from Him.

The second phrase says “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” Ecclesiastes 11:4 (Living Bible) This reminds me that we ought not to wait till everything is in place or perfect before we get on with the work God has called us to. The world around us is in desperate need and sometimes we just need to reach out to the community around us, no matter how inadequate we feel. Thankfully, when God calls, He also equips.

I look forward to working with you, for however long, and trust that you will know God’s blessing upon you as you wait for His purposes to unfold.

Iain MacLeod