Minister’s Letter – June 2018

I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber;
Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
(Psalm 121: 1-4 NIVUK)

“There are two seasons in Scotland. June and winter” (Billy Connolly).

As I write this letter for our summer congregational newsletter, I cannot help but feel that summer is already here. We have enjoyed an incredible transformation: we’ve gone from snow in April to temperatures of 25 degrees plus in May.  We can only hope that the Big Yin’s predictions don’t come true, and that our summer is over before we are even aware that it has begun!

Regardless of the weather, we are all preparing for summer. For the months of June to August, things seem to slow down. Organisations finish, people visit other parts of the world and we often make more time to enjoy hobbies and activities that are not work. This can be especially true of churches: during these months a kind of contented slumber falls, as groups and events pause for a summer break.

It is this kind of halting that caused Ministers across the land to often remark, “God doesn’t take a summer holiday!” Indeed, the LORD whom we love and serve, “neither slumbers not sleeps”, according to Psalm 121. Just because church activities take an often-well-deserved rest doesn’t mean God does! And thank goodness for that: our world is bad enough, never mind if God decided to take time off from looking after us!

The same is true of being a Christian. Following Jesus and serving God are not part-time things. We don’t get holidays from being a Christian. This is a calling which is to shape our whole life: mind, body and spirit. Just because church life is quieter doesn’t mean we take a break from living for God, sharing the Gospel, reaching out in Christian love. Just as God never sleeps nor slumbers, so our living out of our faith never stops.

The fact that we are to never stop serving God relates to some changes we are exploring at Clincarthill. Many of you will be aware of the proposal to change to the Unitary Constitution. I know this may seem like a rather dull thing, but it is my sincere hope that making this kind of change will enable more people to use their gifts and respond to this never-ending calling to serve God. We’re creating teams to enable people to serve where they feel gifted. I cannot give more detail in this letter, but the information is available: might I encourage you to seek this out, and find out how you can serve?

That being said, I know that not all of us are able to serve as we once did, and that’s ok: just as the church sometimes rests, so too do God’s people. Yet, we are still called to serve God, and there is something we all can and must do for God’s Church: pray! As such, can I suggest that, over the summer, you might pray for the following things:

• For the ministry of Clincarthill: that it would follow God’s plan and direction;
• For the people of Clincarthill: that we would hear God’s call, and use our gifts for Him;
• For me: as I seek God’s leading, and guide everyone as best as I can.

Thank you for your prayers, and may God bless you this summer,

Stuart