March 2023 Revival
My heart was warmed when I heard news of a gentle spiritual revival which began a couple of weeks ago at Asbury University in the USA. It grew out of an evening service when a handful of students remained to pray. One of the staff described what was happening, saying it was a quiet weeping and sobbing as people repented of their sin.
Whether or not this continues or spreads, those students will never forget the way the Holy Spirit moved among them as they prayed.
Repentance is a key feature in any revival or spiritual awakening. When God draws near in this way the very nature of his holiness, brings our sin into stark contrast and reminds us of our need for forgiveness. We see this in the life of Isaiah, who seeing a vision of God and angels singing Holy, Holy, Holy said, “‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’ Seeing the holy presence of God, Isaiah was immediately struck by his own failings. He felt the weight of his sin, and sensed he was ruined, exposed and found wanting. Yet as the bible so often reveals, God is quick to forgive those who cry out to him. We read, Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’” (Isaiah 6:5–7)
Jesus highlighted the ministry of the Holy Spirit by teaching his disciples, “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:” (John 16:8) Notice, he does not condemn us, but convicts us so we have opportunity to repent. The aim is to save us from our sin so we can know the joy of salvation and be changed to live a godly life.
In the last few weeks the Holy Spirit has been reminding me of the verse from Revelation where Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20) I pray this may be for us a season of revival and awakening, like that at Asbury University, where the Holy Spirit draws near and Jesus knocks firmly, even loudly at the door of the lives of our friends and neighbours.
Let us earnestly pray that revival and spiritual awakening may come among us and throughout the world. “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.” (Psalm 85:6–7)
God bless you
John Malcolm
Whether or not this continues or spreads, those students will never forget the way the Holy Spirit moved among them as they prayed.
Repentance is a key feature in any revival or spiritual awakening. When God draws near in this way the very nature of his holiness, brings our sin into stark contrast and reminds us of our need for forgiveness. We see this in the life of Isaiah, who seeing a vision of God and angels singing Holy, Holy, Holy said, “‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’ Seeing the holy presence of God, Isaiah was immediately struck by his own failings. He felt the weight of his sin, and sensed he was ruined, exposed and found wanting. Yet as the bible so often reveals, God is quick to forgive those who cry out to him. We read, Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’” (Isaiah 6:5–7)
Jesus highlighted the ministry of the Holy Spirit by teaching his disciples, “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:” (John 16:8) Notice, he does not condemn us, but convicts us so we have opportunity to repent. The aim is to save us from our sin so we can know the joy of salvation and be changed to live a godly life.
In the last few weeks the Holy Spirit has been reminding me of the verse from Revelation where Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20) I pray this may be for us a season of revival and awakening, like that at Asbury University, where the Holy Spirit draws near and Jesus knocks firmly, even loudly at the door of the lives of our friends and neighbours.
Let us earnestly pray that revival and spiritual awakening may come among us and throughout the world. “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.” (Psalm 85:6–7)
God bless you
John Malcolm
FEBRUARY 2023 LOVE - THE GREATEST MOTIVATOR
Love is the greatest motivator in the life of the church; love for God and love for our neighbours. The love of Christ inspires us.
The bible reminds us, God is love and We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:16 & 19) As I look back on my life I recall many experiences of God’s love for me. I remember the overwhelming sense of God’s love filling me when I was six years old; God’s love when as a young man I was crashed into by a drunk driver; and God’s love experienced among family and friends.
The Apostle Paul wrote, Christ’s love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14). Having experienced God’s love for us, we find it compelling, not in a coercive sense, but with a sense of abounding joy and delight. It prompts us, pushes us, pulls us, and provides the strength to persevere in loving kindness towards others. God’s love tops up the tank of life, enough for us and enough to share with others. Love is the fuel that keeps us going. Love helps us discern how we can do good for people in our lives provides the strength to do it.
As the holidays come to an end, our church family returns to a new year of faith-life together. Underlying all we will do this year is our love for God and for our neighbours. I encourage you to join us at church as we celebrate the love of God, and to take part in the life of the church as we share God’s love with others.
We recognise that in Auckland, following the Covid lockdowns and now the extreme flooding, we and the people of our community need God’s love more than ever.
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)
God bless you
John Malcolm
The bible reminds us, God is love and We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:16 & 19) As I look back on my life I recall many experiences of God’s love for me. I remember the overwhelming sense of God’s love filling me when I was six years old; God’s love when as a young man I was crashed into by a drunk driver; and God’s love experienced among family and friends.
The Apostle Paul wrote, Christ’s love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14). Having experienced God’s love for us, we find it compelling, not in a coercive sense, but with a sense of abounding joy and delight. It prompts us, pushes us, pulls us, and provides the strength to persevere in loving kindness towards others. God’s love tops up the tank of life, enough for us and enough to share with others. Love is the fuel that keeps us going. Love helps us discern how we can do good for people in our lives provides the strength to do it.
As the holidays come to an end, our church family returns to a new year of faith-life together. Underlying all we will do this year is our love for God and for our neighbours. I encourage you to join us at church as we celebrate the love of God, and to take part in the life of the church as we share God’s love with others.
We recognise that in Auckland, following the Covid lockdowns and now the extreme flooding, we and the people of our community need God’s love more than ever.
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)
God bless you
John Malcolm
december 2022 good news!
Good news! We have found Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus. I’m not kidding – we found them! I had heard rumours about them when I first came to Greyfriars ten years ago, but not having seen them with my own eyes I soon forgot about them. Diana mentioned them to me a couple of weeks ago. Apparently, they had been found deep in the basement of the church when we did a spring clean a few months ago. So, this week Diana took Maggie and I to see them, and sure enough there they were, in all their glory (well perhaps looking a little worse for wear). We brought them to the hall, unpacked them and set them up on the stage as part of our Advent and Christmas display.
They had originally been gifted to us, having been part of a mall nativity scene. Those who have been at Greyfriars for years will probably recognise them. Somehow, they had been lost. Well, not so much lost, as safely stored away in a place no one could remember.
It occurred to me that this may be symbolic of the Christmas story in the lives of many in our community, a vague awareness of something lost, a nostalgia, a longing, but fading in the memory.
My prayer is that this year, perhaps by a serendipitous event, a spring clean of old memories or a moment of spiritual awareness; people will remember, go looking and rediscover the real Christmas story. The story of God’s love, Joseph’s faithfulness, Mary’s courage, the angel’s song, the shepherds surprise and the wisemen searching – all focused on the baby Jesus.
If you are looking for something special this Christmas, he can be found in the manger, in the arms of Mary, in the hearts of those who love him.
“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:4–7)
Merry Christmas!
God bless you
John Malcolm
They had originally been gifted to us, having been part of a mall nativity scene. Those who have been at Greyfriars for years will probably recognise them. Somehow, they had been lost. Well, not so much lost, as safely stored away in a place no one could remember.
It occurred to me that this may be symbolic of the Christmas story in the lives of many in our community, a vague awareness of something lost, a nostalgia, a longing, but fading in the memory.
My prayer is that this year, perhaps by a serendipitous event, a spring clean of old memories or a moment of spiritual awareness; people will remember, go looking and rediscover the real Christmas story. The story of God’s love, Joseph’s faithfulness, Mary’s courage, the angel’s song, the shepherds surprise and the wisemen searching – all focused on the baby Jesus.
If you are looking for something special this Christmas, he can be found in the manger, in the arms of Mary, in the hearts of those who love him.
“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:4–7)
Merry Christmas!
God bless you
John Malcolm
november 2022 god's plan
My personal bible reading today was the well-known passage from Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) At the time this was written it was such an outrageous statement that one of the leaders, Shemaiah, called Jeremiah a maniac posing as a prophet and demanded he be reprimanded. The reason for his indignation was that Jerusalem had been conquered by the Babylonians, with the youngest, strongest and most able people taken into exile to serve their captors. In his estimation, Jeremiah’s words about prospering and making themselves at home was to deny the dreadful reality of the situation they were in. You can understand Shemaiah’s point of view, and it must have been very difficult for those who had been humiliated in captivity to see any good in what was happening.
However, Jeremiah was right, and it was God’s plan to allow his people to prosper even when they were in exile. As the Apostle Paul made clear, God is able to make use of all and any situations for the good of his people (Rom 8.28)
A right understanding of God’s desire to prosper his people is foundational to the hope which Christians enjoy. At any particular moment in time, our circumstances may shout at us with Shemaiah’s perspective, God cannot possibly use this for our good. Indeed, some captives in exile would have died, never having seen or understood how God could have been at work through this dreadful event. However, as people of faith we are to align ourselves with Jeremiah’s perspective on history rather than Shemaiah’s.
I recall one of the past moderators of the PCANZ saying of God, history is His-Story. I really don’t understand how God is at work in our current world events. It is a puzzle to me. But I am confident it remains His-Story. The writer of Hebrews addresses this by describing people like Enoch, Sarah and Noah who were in situations beyond their own understanding, and yet God was working in them and through them. He began by writing, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) Faith is the ability to look beyond our present circumstances, and while not denying the reality of these, to know that God is unfolding His-Story for our wellbeing. The resurrection of Jesus, God breaking the power of sin and death, underlines His-Story, speaking to us of hope and life.
At present I am dipping into a book which I recommend to you, God For Us by Abbey Ross Hutto. Some of these themes have been influencing my preaching recently. One chapter is God for the Hopeless. Others are God for: the sceptics, the lost, the wanderers and the desperate. People who are in the midst of shame, betrayal, or affliction, who are weighed down or overwhelmed may find it difficult to believe that God is for us, that God has plans for us, for a hope and for a future. But it is true, and by faith we can begin to grasp this.
Therefore, find hope and strength in the light of the resurrection and in the words of Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God bless you
John Malcolm
However, Jeremiah was right, and it was God’s plan to allow his people to prosper even when they were in exile. As the Apostle Paul made clear, God is able to make use of all and any situations for the good of his people (Rom 8.28)
A right understanding of God’s desire to prosper his people is foundational to the hope which Christians enjoy. At any particular moment in time, our circumstances may shout at us with Shemaiah’s perspective, God cannot possibly use this for our good. Indeed, some captives in exile would have died, never having seen or understood how God could have been at work through this dreadful event. However, as people of faith we are to align ourselves with Jeremiah’s perspective on history rather than Shemaiah’s.
I recall one of the past moderators of the PCANZ saying of God, history is His-Story. I really don’t understand how God is at work in our current world events. It is a puzzle to me. But I am confident it remains His-Story. The writer of Hebrews addresses this by describing people like Enoch, Sarah and Noah who were in situations beyond their own understanding, and yet God was working in them and through them. He began by writing, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) Faith is the ability to look beyond our present circumstances, and while not denying the reality of these, to know that God is unfolding His-Story for our wellbeing. The resurrection of Jesus, God breaking the power of sin and death, underlines His-Story, speaking to us of hope and life.
At present I am dipping into a book which I recommend to you, God For Us by Abbey Ross Hutto. Some of these themes have been influencing my preaching recently. One chapter is God for the Hopeless. Others are God for: the sceptics, the lost, the wanderers and the desperate. People who are in the midst of shame, betrayal, or affliction, who are weighed down or overwhelmed may find it difficult to believe that God is for us, that God has plans for us, for a hope and for a future. But it is true, and by faith we can begin to grasp this.
Therefore, find hope and strength in the light of the resurrection and in the words of Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
God bless you
John Malcolm
october 2022 prayerfully pursuing the presence of god
When God promised to bring the people of Israel back from captivity, he spoke through the prophet Jeremiah saying, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.’” (Jeremiah 31:25) I wonder how many of us need the gentle rain of the Holy Spirit to fall on us refreshing our souls? As many of you know, here at Greyfriars we are taking time to focus on strengthening the spiritual lives of our church family. Recently we encouraged you to put your “spiritual roots” deep into the living water which Jesus provides.
Last month I encouraged you to pray for “spring growth” This month I encourage you to pursue the presence of God through prayer. It is helpful to consider prayer as a journey to the heart of the Father, the likeness of the Son and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The most profound answer to prayer is not a yes, no or wait to a request we might make, but to understand God desires us to experience his presence dwelling in our lives.
I recently read, It is nearly impossible to overemphasise how crucial prayer is to the pursuit of the mission of God. It is the fuel for mission. This applies not only to mission, our service to God, but also to spiritual life, our relationship with God. Prayer is the fuel for spiritual life. It is impossible to develop a spiritual life without prayer. It is through prayer we invite the refreshing rain of the Spirit and the tender mercies of God to minister in our lives. We cultivate our experience of God and our awareness of God’s presence through prayer.
If prayer is such a fuel, are you, or we as a church, running on empty, perhaps even running on fumes?
Imagine a person or church filled to the brim and overflowing with prayer; prayer for each other, prayer for each aspect of our lives, and prayer for all those, young and old, in our church family to experience and enjoy the presence of God. How rich a blessing that would be! We would not only find refreshing for ourselves, but we would also find it pressed down, running over into our laps and overflowing for the refreshment of others. Prayerfully pursuing the presence of God would spiritually renew and enliven us.
In the month ahead I invite you to pray that God would lead you on a journey of prayer to the heart of the Father, the likeness of the Son and the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17–19)
God bless you
John Malcolm
Last month I encouraged you to pray for “spring growth” This month I encourage you to pursue the presence of God through prayer. It is helpful to consider prayer as a journey to the heart of the Father, the likeness of the Son and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The most profound answer to prayer is not a yes, no or wait to a request we might make, but to understand God desires us to experience his presence dwelling in our lives.
I recently read, It is nearly impossible to overemphasise how crucial prayer is to the pursuit of the mission of God. It is the fuel for mission. This applies not only to mission, our service to God, but also to spiritual life, our relationship with God. Prayer is the fuel for spiritual life. It is impossible to develop a spiritual life without prayer. It is through prayer we invite the refreshing rain of the Spirit and the tender mercies of God to minister in our lives. We cultivate our experience of God and our awareness of God’s presence through prayer.
If prayer is such a fuel, are you, or we as a church, running on empty, perhaps even running on fumes?
Imagine a person or church filled to the brim and overflowing with prayer; prayer for each other, prayer for each aspect of our lives, and prayer for all those, young and old, in our church family to experience and enjoy the presence of God. How rich a blessing that would be! We would not only find refreshing for ourselves, but we would also find it pressed down, running over into our laps and overflowing for the refreshment of others. Prayerfully pursuing the presence of God would spiritually renew and enliven us.
In the month ahead I invite you to pray that God would lead you on a journey of prayer to the heart of the Father, the likeness of the Son and the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17–19)
God bless you
John Malcolm
september 2022 let us pray
I enjoy spring. It is a season of promise. The days grow longer and warmer. Buds form and tender shoots emerge. Initially, winter may try to hold us with a chilly breeze or fingers of grey cloud, but its grip is soon loosened. New life will not be constrained, seeds will germinate, and flowers will begin to open.
Our church needs a new season, an infusion of life, the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit to lift our spirits. We need to emerge from the valley of the shadow of death into the green pasture, quiet waters, and to feel the warmth of God’s love upon our backs. As a step towards this I encourage you to pray.
I encourage you to use September as a time of concerted prayer. You can pray for yourself and your loved ones, but I particularly ask you to pray for our church family:
I suggest you clip this prayer from the “Messenger” and use it as a bookmark in your bible or place where it will catch your eye and remind you to pray. Perhaps you could copy it and use it as the background or screensaver on your phone or computer.
The early Christians devoted themselves to prayer and we would do well to follow their example (Acts 2.42) Someone has been said, If the Church is ever to get on its feet ,it must first get on its knees.
To encourage our prayerfulness during September we will have a prayer meeting prior to the Sunday service, meeting at 10am in the library (beginning Sunday 11 September). Perhaps you could arrive a little early on Sunday mornings and join us as we pray?
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
God bless you
John Malcolm
Our church needs a new season, an infusion of life, the gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit to lift our spirits. We need to emerge from the valley of the shadow of death into the green pasture, quiet waters, and to feel the warmth of God’s love upon our backs. As a step towards this I encourage you to pray.
I encourage you to use September as a time of concerted prayer. You can pray for yourself and your loved ones, but I particularly ask you to pray for our church family:
- For a fresh touch from God.
- For a new season of life.
- For buds of spiritual growth to blossom.
- For ……
I suggest you clip this prayer from the “Messenger” and use it as a bookmark in your bible or place where it will catch your eye and remind you to pray. Perhaps you could copy it and use it as the background or screensaver on your phone or computer.
The early Christians devoted themselves to prayer and we would do well to follow their example (Acts 2.42) Someone has been said, If the Church is ever to get on its feet ,it must first get on its knees.
To encourage our prayerfulness during September we will have a prayer meeting prior to the Sunday service, meeting at 10am in the library (beginning Sunday 11 September). Perhaps you could arrive a little early on Sunday mornings and join us as we pray?
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
God bless you
John Malcolm
august 2022 mission inspired by god - fulfilled by us
Parish Council is leading the church on a year of mission to build the spiritual health of each person in our Greyfriars church family. Our aim is to help our church family and church mission become increasingly spiritually fruitful.
Please accept this as a personal invitation to be part of the process.
Recently in church I asked you to spend a little time in the presence of God, reflecting on the current year and asking yourself:
since January -
1) what have I learned about God?
2) what have I learned about myself?
This is the first step in the journey of faith we are taking together in the year ahead. As we reflected on the parable of Jesus (Luke 13:8), we discovered this nurturing act, to dig around the spiritual roots of our lives so as to improve our spiritual fruitfulness. Our hope is to be like the person described in the Psalms, “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 1:3) And, tending to the roots we … “will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,” (Psalm 92:12–14). Fresh, fruitful and flourishing. Such a church is a good place to be, a loving nurturing fellowship, a safe place for us and others to grow.
As we move into this year of mission the Parish Council will help us attend to the basics of our spiritual lives. To do this we encourage you to attend church regularly either onsite or online. We want each of us to have our spiritual roots in the life of this church so as to foster an increasing sense of belonging. If you are reading this, you belong!
Belonging is more than attendance, it is involvement. To help you become more involved we encourage you, if you are not already doing so, to find a small way you can contribute to the life of our church. Finding a way to invest yourself spiritually in church life will enhance your sense of belonging. We understand, especially for those who are new to church life, it can take time to discover where you fit in. Feel free to try several ministries or teams to see where your heart and skills can make a difference. We have all sorts of opportunities (too many to list) for you to connect with on Sundays or in our weekday ministries.
Parish Council want us to build on our spiritual strengths to foster “teams” where ordinary people can do the extraordinary because of who we are in Christ. We aim to be a church of teams so everyone has support (is not left alone) and so each of us can be involved with our skills, gifts and interests. Much of the strength of our church is found as God inspires our teams and groups. Our recent parish review indicated among our strengths are:
Parish Council also desires to see us improve the quality of our Christian witness. Our witness is enhanced as the light of Christ shines in us. If we are flourishing and fruitful, as described in the Psalms, we are more likely to be attractive witnesses. Together, we can provide an example of life that inspires faith in others.
This is not committing us to do more! Rather it is asking us to approach what we already do with a missional heart. In summary it is … A year of mission – digging around the spiritual roots of our lives – finding a small way to contribute – building on our strengths – and improving the quality of our Christian witness. Such a church will better reflect the love of God to the wider community, a beacon of light. I hope this inspires and engages you, so you can join us wholeheartedly as we seek to fulfil the mission God has called us to.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)
God bless you
John Malcolm
Please accept this as a personal invitation to be part of the process.
Recently in church I asked you to spend a little time in the presence of God, reflecting on the current year and asking yourself:
since January -
1) what have I learned about God?
2) what have I learned about myself?
This is the first step in the journey of faith we are taking together in the year ahead. As we reflected on the parable of Jesus (Luke 13:8), we discovered this nurturing act, to dig around the spiritual roots of our lives so as to improve our spiritual fruitfulness. Our hope is to be like the person described in the Psalms, “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 1:3) And, tending to the roots we … “will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,” (Psalm 92:12–14). Fresh, fruitful and flourishing. Such a church is a good place to be, a loving nurturing fellowship, a safe place for us and others to grow.
As we move into this year of mission the Parish Council will help us attend to the basics of our spiritual lives. To do this we encourage you to attend church regularly either onsite or online. We want each of us to have our spiritual roots in the life of this church so as to foster an increasing sense of belonging. If you are reading this, you belong!
Belonging is more than attendance, it is involvement. To help you become more involved we encourage you, if you are not already doing so, to find a small way you can contribute to the life of our church. Finding a way to invest yourself spiritually in church life will enhance your sense of belonging. We understand, especially for those who are new to church life, it can take time to discover where you fit in. Feel free to try several ministries or teams to see where your heart and skills can make a difference. We have all sorts of opportunities (too many to list) for you to connect with on Sundays or in our weekday ministries.
Parish Council want us to build on our spiritual strengths to foster “teams” where ordinary people can do the extraordinary because of who we are in Christ. We aim to be a church of teams so everyone has support (is not left alone) and so each of us can be involved with our skills, gifts and interests. Much of the strength of our church is found as God inspires our teams and groups. Our recent parish review indicated among our strengths are:
- Scripture is explored in relevant life-giving ways
- People enjoy a strong sense of community and welcome
- We are intentional about growing our faith
- There is a sense of God at work among us
- We prioritize ministry for our children and young people
- Children and young people are seen, heard and included in our church family
- We have a clear sense of mission and a mission plan; aligning our resources to enable mission beyond ourselves
Parish Council also desires to see us improve the quality of our Christian witness. Our witness is enhanced as the light of Christ shines in us. If we are flourishing and fruitful, as described in the Psalms, we are more likely to be attractive witnesses. Together, we can provide an example of life that inspires faith in others.
This is not committing us to do more! Rather it is asking us to approach what we already do with a missional heart. In summary it is … A year of mission – digging around the spiritual roots of our lives – finding a small way to contribute – building on our strengths – and improving the quality of our Christian witness. Such a church will better reflect the love of God to the wider community, a beacon of light. I hope this inspires and engages you, so you can join us wholeheartedly as we seek to fulfil the mission God has called us to.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)
God bless you
John Malcolm
JULY 2022 together in christ
Why, on a Sunday morning, would anyone change out of their comfy pyjamas, leave the convenience of livestreaming on their Wi-Fi connected device and the warmth of their living room, to gather in a church building? I was recently at a meeting of church leaders who were considering this. In today’s changing and challenging circumstances how do we foster togetherness, create community, helping people connect with God and each other on Sunday? It made me think about the changing patterns of church attendance which I try to represent below.
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Until 2019 people would attend church by gathering inside the church building. This had been the normal pattern of church life for many years. When meeting together people would participate in worship, catch up with friends, and welcome guests and visitors. This allowed relationships to be formed and maintained as people networked through direct personal engagement with each other. This was a gathering where people experienced the service corporately among friends. This freedom to meet and network enabled the mission and outreach of the church, with large gatherings for holiday programmes, the light party and the like.
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In 2020-21 the normal patterns of gathering were disrupted. We spent significant time in lockdown, and no one gathered inside the church building. We connected online via Zoom. We were more limited in our participation. It was difficult to play music on Zoom and we couldn’t join in congregational singing. Although we could meet following the service in chat rooms, we couldn’t easily catch up with a specific friend or have a conversation with them. Neither could we share in the hospitality we would previously have enjoyed at church with morning tea or lunch. Within Zoom we were an isolated bubble, maintaining services but the mission of the church was seriously curtailed. Then we faced the increasing issue of zoom fatigue and some became reluctant to meet on Zoom.
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Now, in 2022, we have something different again. While attendance at onsite services is increasing, there is still a remnant remaining online. Those online can see what is taking place in the church, but those in the church can’t see them. Neither can those online see each other. Those who gather at the church can join in congregational worship, singing and enjoying fellowship together. They can chat, interact, and re-establish relationships. We are beginning to share in hospitality over morning tea. Because more of us are together, we are able to resume some aspects of our mission and outreach. However, this is tempered because with some still not onsite, others are carrying a larger burden, with fewer volunteers available.
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Undoubtedly, the zoom services of 2020-21 were invaluable in a crisis, and the livestreaming of 2022 is providing a real connection for those still unable to attend in person, but the most fulfilling spiritual relationship is found as the church family gathers onsite. One of the challenges we face today, while respecting that a few people cannot safely gather in a crowd and that we all from time to time might need to isolate for a week or two, is to encourage the majority to return onsite. Hence the question I began with.
I suspect as a church we have a hybrid future, with a large percentage of people onsite while a smaller number remain online. We value the presence of both groups. We want to do our very best to make the livestream experience of church meaningful for those who connect from home, while recognising the richest spiritual experience of church is found in the presence of the church family onsite. God has created us as social beings, describing us as his flock. I am concerned that while online church is a helpful substitute for a season, over time people might find themselves like an ember removed from the fire, which loses its heat. Deeply rooted Christians of strong faith may glow brightly for quite some time, but what about those whose faith is not so well established. I wonder if people who come to faith online can fully experience the richness of fellowship until they come onsite. I cannot really imagine the experience of a person who becomes a Christian online without the personal experience of being physically present with others meeting together. I heard one pastor speak of a conversation he had with a person who had come to faith during lockdown and who asked, What is it like when Christians sing together in worship of God?
There are many advantages of gathering onsite with the family of faith. It is easier to exercise your spiritual gifts among the fellowship than it is when isolating at home. The nature of the Christian faith is that we need each other for spiritual growth, as iron sharpens iron (Prov 27.17). Onsite there are more opportunities to participate in the mission of the church. The bible teaches the church is a body made up of many parts and when we are together, we are able to take an active part in the body. When you are missing, we miss you and we miss the contribution you make (Eph 4.16). It is easier to fulfil the “one another’s” of scripture when we are with one another. How do we love one another if we seldom see each other? We are more likely to encourage others in the faith when we are meeting together (Heb 10.24-25). Our unity as we gather is a witness to God’s love for us and to the validity of Jesus’ mission (John 17.23). Further, imagine when a non-Christian attends a church service for the first time in his or her life, a person seeking God and exploring what the church has to offer and you are not there to greet them.
I ask you to reflect on the togetherness found in the early church, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44–47) God blesses unity and togetherness (Ps 133). And I invite us all to pray for each other, asking God to guide us together, removing barriers, obstacles, and mindsets that may be keeping us apart. Let us strive in unity to be built up together to the glory of God. “And in him (Jesus) you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)
God bless you
John Malcolm
I suspect as a church we have a hybrid future, with a large percentage of people onsite while a smaller number remain online. We value the presence of both groups. We want to do our very best to make the livestream experience of church meaningful for those who connect from home, while recognising the richest spiritual experience of church is found in the presence of the church family onsite. God has created us as social beings, describing us as his flock. I am concerned that while online church is a helpful substitute for a season, over time people might find themselves like an ember removed from the fire, which loses its heat. Deeply rooted Christians of strong faith may glow brightly for quite some time, but what about those whose faith is not so well established. I wonder if people who come to faith online can fully experience the richness of fellowship until they come onsite. I cannot really imagine the experience of a person who becomes a Christian online without the personal experience of being physically present with others meeting together. I heard one pastor speak of a conversation he had with a person who had come to faith during lockdown and who asked, What is it like when Christians sing together in worship of God?
There are many advantages of gathering onsite with the family of faith. It is easier to exercise your spiritual gifts among the fellowship than it is when isolating at home. The nature of the Christian faith is that we need each other for spiritual growth, as iron sharpens iron (Prov 27.17). Onsite there are more opportunities to participate in the mission of the church. The bible teaches the church is a body made up of many parts and when we are together, we are able to take an active part in the body. When you are missing, we miss you and we miss the contribution you make (Eph 4.16). It is easier to fulfil the “one another’s” of scripture when we are with one another. How do we love one another if we seldom see each other? We are more likely to encourage others in the faith when we are meeting together (Heb 10.24-25). Our unity as we gather is a witness to God’s love for us and to the validity of Jesus’ mission (John 17.23). Further, imagine when a non-Christian attends a church service for the first time in his or her life, a person seeking God and exploring what the church has to offer and you are not there to greet them.
I ask you to reflect on the togetherness found in the early church, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44–47) God blesses unity and togetherness (Ps 133). And I invite us all to pray for each other, asking God to guide us together, removing barriers, obstacles, and mindsets that may be keeping us apart. Let us strive in unity to be built up together to the glory of God. “And in him (Jesus) you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)
God bless you
John Malcolm
june 2022 a cloud of witnesses
Quite often when watching a sporting final on TV, the camera will zoom into the crowd and focus on a former player, one of the greats of the game, who had come to watch their old team play and to add their support and encouragement to the present-day players. In a similar way the author of Hebrews listed some of the greats of the faith and then wrote, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1–2) It seems the writer of Hebrews was thinking of an event like the Olympic games where previous champions would look on from the stands as the current crop of athletes competed on the field of play.
In recent weeks significant people associated with Greyfriars have died. Paul McKinney was part of the parish for twenty-six years and served as an elder for five years, Mike Legg served as an elder from 1973 and as Session Clerk until 2001, and Margaret MacBean grew up in Greyfriars, becoming the Sunday school superintendent in 1962 and then the first woman elder in 1984. Just a little earlier in the year Dawn Maxwell, who had served as the minister’s secretary in the church office, also passed away. Each of these people were faithful servants of God, who have left us an example of godly living. I think we could add their names to the list of saints the writer of Hebrews mentions.
The idea in the bible is the faithful who have completed their race, now watch those of us who are still running the race. Their example is meant to spur us on, to encourage us to throw aside anything that would hinder us, and to help us focus on the finish line where Jesus, the pioneer of our faith, waits to greet us. I sometimes think of those faithful servants of God. I find their example encourages me.
I suppose some of us have only a few more laps to go, while many still have a long run ahead of them. We don’t know the duration of this race for us, but we are all encouraged to run it well. As the Apostle Paul wrote, Run in such a way as to gain the prize. The aim here is not to be the first to cross the finish line, but to run the whole race faithfully. How are you doing in this race of faith? I hope you find the idea of the saints of old cheering you on encouraging. Could we be as faithful in our service as they were? What might you learn from them, endurance, kindness, generosity?
Let us continue faithfully in this race so we too may say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7–8)
God bless you
John Malcolm
In recent weeks significant people associated with Greyfriars have died. Paul McKinney was part of the parish for twenty-six years and served as an elder for five years, Mike Legg served as an elder from 1973 and as Session Clerk until 2001, and Margaret MacBean grew up in Greyfriars, becoming the Sunday school superintendent in 1962 and then the first woman elder in 1984. Just a little earlier in the year Dawn Maxwell, who had served as the minister’s secretary in the church office, also passed away. Each of these people were faithful servants of God, who have left us an example of godly living. I think we could add their names to the list of saints the writer of Hebrews mentions.
The idea in the bible is the faithful who have completed their race, now watch those of us who are still running the race. Their example is meant to spur us on, to encourage us to throw aside anything that would hinder us, and to help us focus on the finish line where Jesus, the pioneer of our faith, waits to greet us. I sometimes think of those faithful servants of God. I find their example encourages me.
I suppose some of us have only a few more laps to go, while many still have a long run ahead of them. We don’t know the duration of this race for us, but we are all encouraged to run it well. As the Apostle Paul wrote, Run in such a way as to gain the prize. The aim here is not to be the first to cross the finish line, but to run the whole race faithfully. How are you doing in this race of faith? I hope you find the idea of the saints of old cheering you on encouraging. Could we be as faithful in our service as they were? What might you learn from them, endurance, kindness, generosity?
Let us continue faithfully in this race so we too may say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7–8)
God bless you
John Malcolm
may 2022 creating community
First Zoom service, 29 March 2020
I was pleased we were able to celebrate our Good Friday and Easter Sunday services onsite. The harshness of hammering nails into the cross on Good Friday contrasts with decorating the cross with flowers on Easter Sunday. One remembering our sin was nailed to the cross and the other the signs of life recalling Jesus rose from the dead. It is good to return onsite for our services. The office seemed quiet when the church was not firing on all cylinders. There was still plenty to do, but the buzz of people coming and going was missing. The vibrancy of spiritual life seemed subdued without the happy chatter of people attending the various ministries. But this will change as more people return to the services and as our ministries recommence.
On 5 June it will be Pentecost, the time we remember the Holy Spirit being poured out on the early disciples. More than any other day in the church year, this marks the birth of the church, when the first disciples were empowered to undertake the mission Jesus had given them. As we approach Pentecost I see this as a time for us to reaffirm our faith, step out in the power of the Holy Spirit and re-establish the life and mission of the church.
While returning onsite isn’t like the flick of a switch, I hope people will return without too much delay. However, I don’t think we will just pick up where we left off. That would be to overlook the toll COVID has taken on us personally and as a church. Each one of us has a story of our experience; times of isolation, concerns for family who have been ill, conversations with relatives who took a different stance on vaccines, weddings or funerals we were unable to attend, and the thing no one missed - rush hour traffic. Some of our church family have not been back onsite since August last year, a significant period of time that should be acknowledged. We need to recognise these unusual circumstances have to some degree reshaped us. I think, having returned onsite, our initial focus needs to be relational, to recreate community, and reconnect with each other. Simply being together as a church family will be restorative.
The early church created community as “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42) I am confident we can find similar devotion in the months ahead. At this season in our church life we particularly need to be devoted to fellowship, fostering relationships and renewing our friendships as we begin to gather onsite.
There is a richness to the identity, life and calling of the church we can easily overlook or take for granted. We get bogged down when we could be soaring like eagles. As good as it has been to be able to hold services online, it has perhaps been like church in 2-D when our souls long for a 3-D experience. Online can’t give us the rich sense of fellowship we enjoy when we hear the voices of our church family unite to sing praise to God, the spiritual presence of heads bowed in prayer, when we can shake a hand, give a hug, chat over a cup of tea or enjoy a meal together. So, through May, I will use my Sunday messages to focus on church life. I hope this will lift and encourage us as we reconnect and build momentum together. I pray that over the next few months, each of us will be spiritually strengthened and invest time reconnecting with our church family as we seek to Create Community together.
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:29–31).
God bless you
John Malcolm
On 5 June it will be Pentecost, the time we remember the Holy Spirit being poured out on the early disciples. More than any other day in the church year, this marks the birth of the church, when the first disciples were empowered to undertake the mission Jesus had given them. As we approach Pentecost I see this as a time for us to reaffirm our faith, step out in the power of the Holy Spirit and re-establish the life and mission of the church.
While returning onsite isn’t like the flick of a switch, I hope people will return without too much delay. However, I don’t think we will just pick up where we left off. That would be to overlook the toll COVID has taken on us personally and as a church. Each one of us has a story of our experience; times of isolation, concerns for family who have been ill, conversations with relatives who took a different stance on vaccines, weddings or funerals we were unable to attend, and the thing no one missed - rush hour traffic. Some of our church family have not been back onsite since August last year, a significant period of time that should be acknowledged. We need to recognise these unusual circumstances have to some degree reshaped us. I think, having returned onsite, our initial focus needs to be relational, to recreate community, and reconnect with each other. Simply being together as a church family will be restorative.
The early church created community as “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42) I am confident we can find similar devotion in the months ahead. At this season in our church life we particularly need to be devoted to fellowship, fostering relationships and renewing our friendships as we begin to gather onsite.
There is a richness to the identity, life and calling of the church we can easily overlook or take for granted. We get bogged down when we could be soaring like eagles. As good as it has been to be able to hold services online, it has perhaps been like church in 2-D when our souls long for a 3-D experience. Online can’t give us the rich sense of fellowship we enjoy when we hear the voices of our church family unite to sing praise to God, the spiritual presence of heads bowed in prayer, when we can shake a hand, give a hug, chat over a cup of tea or enjoy a meal together. So, through May, I will use my Sunday messages to focus on church life. I hope this will lift and encourage us as we reconnect and build momentum together. I pray that over the next few months, each of us will be spiritually strengthened and invest time reconnecting with our church family as we seek to Create Community together.
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:29–31).
God bless you
John Malcolm
april 2022 resurrection and wisdom
Christians serve two gods, who are husband and wife – this was a misunderstanding in the Greek speaking world when Christianity first began to spread. I recall being surprised when told this by my New Testament lecturer and it sounded strange to me. I wondered, How could the gospel message be so misconstrued?
The confusion happened because: 1) Greeks had a pantheon of gods and were used to the idea of many gods acting in human ways, being married and having children; and 2) the early Christians emphasised two foundational ideas, the Greek wording of which led to some confusion: Resurrection and Widsom.
An interest in wisdom was in the DNA of the Greeks with their philosophers and teachers. These people hearing the news of Christianity for the first time thought that the female god’s name was Sophia – which in Greek means wisdom, and that her husband’s name was Anastasios – which in Greek means resurrection. The good news about the resurrection of Christ and the wisdom of God were at the heart of the Christian message.
We catch a glimpse of this in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Corinth where he wrote, “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” (1 Corinthians 1:22–23) Resurrection and Wisdom are at the centre of the gospel which points to Jesus, who is both the power of God (seen in his resurrection) and the wisdom of God. The gospel news of what Jesus has done continues to be a stumbling block in our time. Some people question the wisdom of God’s plan for salvation, wondering how Jesus’ death makes sense, while others question the resurrection, doubting that Jesus was raised from the dead.
I cannot help but be moved by the story and events of Easter. I feel the shame of my sin, and the sorrow of knowing my beloved Saviour took it upon himself on the cross. I feel the wonder of hearing the news of the women who found the tomb was empty. And I thrill at the first appearances of the risen Lord, knowing he has conquered death.
I hope, as we approach Easter, you will find your spirit moved as you consider the gospel story and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. I pray we will each sense the power of God at work in us. I invite you to take a moment today to be still before God and then to reflect on what the Easter story means to you.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour,” (Titus 3:4–6)
God bless you
John Malcolm
The confusion happened because: 1) Greeks had a pantheon of gods and were used to the idea of many gods acting in human ways, being married and having children; and 2) the early Christians emphasised two foundational ideas, the Greek wording of which led to some confusion: Resurrection and Widsom.
An interest in wisdom was in the DNA of the Greeks with their philosophers and teachers. These people hearing the news of Christianity for the first time thought that the female god’s name was Sophia – which in Greek means wisdom, and that her husband’s name was Anastasios – which in Greek means resurrection. The good news about the resurrection of Christ and the wisdom of God were at the heart of the Christian message.
We catch a glimpse of this in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Corinth where he wrote, “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,” (1 Corinthians 1:22–23) Resurrection and Wisdom are at the centre of the gospel which points to Jesus, who is both the power of God (seen in his resurrection) and the wisdom of God. The gospel news of what Jesus has done continues to be a stumbling block in our time. Some people question the wisdom of God’s plan for salvation, wondering how Jesus’ death makes sense, while others question the resurrection, doubting that Jesus was raised from the dead.
I cannot help but be moved by the story and events of Easter. I feel the shame of my sin, and the sorrow of knowing my beloved Saviour took it upon himself on the cross. I feel the wonder of hearing the news of the women who found the tomb was empty. And I thrill at the first appearances of the risen Lord, knowing he has conquered death.
I hope, as we approach Easter, you will find your spirit moved as you consider the gospel story and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. I pray we will each sense the power of God at work in us. I invite you to take a moment today to be still before God and then to reflect on what the Easter story means to you.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour,” (Titus 3:4–6)
God bless you
John Malcolm
MARch 2022 The church
How would you define, describe or explain what the church is and what it does?
What ideas or images come to mind when you think of the church?
What have you missed about church as it was before COVID arrived?
What have you enjoyed about church online?
What do you hope church will be like once we get past the Omicron peak?
During the history of the church, it has at times endured persecution, famine, plagues and wars, while at other times has enjoyed favour, flourished and had significant influence. Whatever has befallen the church it has always retained its devotion to Christ and the core values of worship, discipleship, fellowship, outreach and service (Acts 2.42-47).
A book I am reading speaks of the church as God’s beloved, called into existence by him to gather in worship. It describes the church as saints, members of God’s family, and as a multitude which makes us part of something bigger than we imagine. It portrays the church as a flock God cares for, a body where everyone has an important part to play and as gospel partners with work to do. (A Place to Belong, Megan Hill, 2020) Do any of those images resonate with you? Which do you find most challenging?
I have been encouraged by how well we as a church have adapted to change over the last couple of years. We have nimbly moved online, found new ways to connect, learned how to operate new technology, all the while caring for each other and experiencing new forms of worship, including that Jesus is present during communion even when we are all meeting in our own homes.
When we return onsite, the new normal may look quite like the old normal, holding to the centuries-old Christian values; and yet look different, adapting the shape of our activities to reflect the changes we have been through. I fully expect we will still pray together, worship together and even have the occasional potluck meal together. But given our recent experiences, what could we do better or differently that would enrich our worship, strengthen our fellowship, and enable us to connect more with the community around us?
The church we belong to is amazingly resilient. In the eyes of the Lord, the Church is his beautiful beloved bride. All of us filled with the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, gifted, equipped and empowered by him. Each of us holding out the word of life, freely passing on the good news of the gospel to anyone who cares to receive it. Together a family, sisters and brothers, who gather in faith.
With all that in mind I am looking forward to how God might guide us in the days ahead.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21)
God bless you
John Malcolm
What ideas or images come to mind when you think of the church?
What have you missed about church as it was before COVID arrived?
What have you enjoyed about church online?
What do you hope church will be like once we get past the Omicron peak?
During the history of the church, it has at times endured persecution, famine, plagues and wars, while at other times has enjoyed favour, flourished and had significant influence. Whatever has befallen the church it has always retained its devotion to Christ and the core values of worship, discipleship, fellowship, outreach and service (Acts 2.42-47).
A book I am reading speaks of the church as God’s beloved, called into existence by him to gather in worship. It describes the church as saints, members of God’s family, and as a multitude which makes us part of something bigger than we imagine. It portrays the church as a flock God cares for, a body where everyone has an important part to play and as gospel partners with work to do. (A Place to Belong, Megan Hill, 2020) Do any of those images resonate with you? Which do you find most challenging?
I have been encouraged by how well we as a church have adapted to change over the last couple of years. We have nimbly moved online, found new ways to connect, learned how to operate new technology, all the while caring for each other and experiencing new forms of worship, including that Jesus is present during communion even when we are all meeting in our own homes.
When we return onsite, the new normal may look quite like the old normal, holding to the centuries-old Christian values; and yet look different, adapting the shape of our activities to reflect the changes we have been through. I fully expect we will still pray together, worship together and even have the occasional potluck meal together. But given our recent experiences, what could we do better or differently that would enrich our worship, strengthen our fellowship, and enable us to connect more with the community around us?
The church we belong to is amazingly resilient. In the eyes of the Lord, the Church is his beautiful beloved bride. All of us filled with the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, gifted, equipped and empowered by him. Each of us holding out the word of life, freely passing on the good news of the gospel to anyone who cares to receive it. Together a family, sisters and brothers, who gather in faith.
With all that in mind I am looking forward to how God might guide us in the days ahead.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21)
God bless you
John Malcolm
FEBRUARY 2022 TURN YOUR EYES TOWARD JESUS
“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.” (Psalm 8:1)
Our God is amazing, full of grace and mighty in power. His name is majestic in the earth, in the wonder of creation. We see His creative power in the variety of life around us, flowers in bloom, trees in fruit, birds in flight – all attest to His majesty. His glory is seen in the heavens, the brightness of the sun, the orbiting moon and the far galaxies in the night sky.
God is worthy of our praise. Especially so when we have tasted His goodness and mercy. We who have the joy of salvation should amplify this praise, joining our voices with those of the angels who adore Him. Perhaps there is a song of praise that moves your heart in worship – then sing. Find ways to allow your soul to soar to Him in praise. Take a moment to listen to the sea, to the wind or to bird song. Perhaps tonight, if the sky is clear, just stand outside under the stars and behold the wonder of the night sky.
As we come to the end of the holiday season and begin to look at the year ahead, I invite you start the new year as we ended the last one - with our focus on God and praise in our hearts. Turn your eyes towards Jesus; remember again the goodness of the Lord so your heart may rejoice and gladness may wash over you.
Our God is amazing, full of grace and mighty in power. His name is majestic in the earth, in the wonder of creation. We see His creative power in the variety of life around us, flowers in bloom, trees in fruit, birds in flight – all attest to His majesty. His glory is seen in the heavens, the brightness of the sun, the orbiting moon and the far galaxies in the night sky.
God is worthy of our praise. Especially so when we have tasted His goodness and mercy. We who have the joy of salvation should amplify this praise, joining our voices with those of the angels who adore Him. Perhaps there is a song of praise that moves your heart in worship – then sing. Find ways to allow your soul to soar to Him in praise. Take a moment to listen to the sea, to the wind or to bird song. Perhaps tonight, if the sky is clear, just stand outside under the stars and behold the wonder of the night sky.
As we come to the end of the holiday season and begin to look at the year ahead, I invite you start the new year as we ended the last one - with our focus on God and praise in our hearts. Turn your eyes towards Jesus; remember again the goodness of the Lord so your heart may rejoice and gladness may wash over you.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full, in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace
Look full, in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace
May God richly bless you
John Malcolm
John Malcolm
DECEMBER 2021 take time this christmas
The seasons of the Christian year invite us to step aside from our normal routines and consider the bigger rhythms of life. Not what is in your schedule for the day, month, or year, but the rhythms of the decades and centuries. At times we are captivated by the urgency of the moment. We can stand so close to a small problem that it looms large, and it is all we can see. I certainly don’t mean our present concerns are trivial, but “this too shall pass”. The seasons of Advent and Christmas are bigger than our momentary issues and if we enter into the spirit of what they offer, they can bring a different perspective to our lives. Advent and Christmas have been celebrated for centuries, by generations, through wars, financial collapse, weather events and even pandemics. Advent reminds us of Hope, Joy, Peace and Love. It is quickly followed by Christmas and the wonderful reminder that Christ was born, Emmanuel, God with us!
I have been reading two interesting books recently; The Idea Book by Fredrik Haren and A Minute to Think by Juliet Funt. Both of these books suggest we need to hit the pause button and make space for creativity. Given, in Auckland, we have spent 107 days in lockdown you might assume we had an abundance of time on our hands for reflection, but that is not the case. Lockdown has been a disruption, not a relaxing holiday. I felt a check in my spirit when hearing Fredrik and Juliet speaking, and I realised I had not been making space for creative reflection. It inspired me to get their books and do something about it.
Advent and Christmas help us make space by allowing us to approach life differently. During these seasons you have permission to wear silly hats at the table, buy frivolous gifts, sing nonsense songs like Snoopy’s Christmas, and eat too much. God gives us permission to pause saying, “Be still, and know that I am God;” (Psalm 46:10). The modern approach to Christmas is to give us an artificial deadline we rush to meet. The ancient approach is to take time to reflect and put our lives into spiritual perspective. Rather than allowing urgency to take us captive to its demands, we should aim to take time captive by using it for creative stillness.
“If only”, you say. If only I had time. Making space in my day is a luxury I don’t have. I understand. I know there are people, situations, pressures that put demands on your life. But what if all those demands eventually crush you or drain you, leaving you emotionally, mentally and spiritually empty? Juliet Funt suggests we all have a yearning for space and offers the idea of a strategic pause. What would happen if on the way home from work you just pulled into a quiet street and parked there for five minutes? What would happen if at lunchtime you got up from your desk and walked outside for a moment of calm?
Perhaps you could apply this creative pause to Advent remembering God invites us to be still. Take five minutes over the next four days and on each day pause to reflect on one of the advent themes. You might close your eyes for a moment and allow your mind to drift. You might like just to take a moment to breathe and relax. You could ask yourself, what inspires my hope, when was I last joyful, where do I find peace, how do I express or receive love? Perhaps if you take five minutes, use the last thirty seconds to tell God what you have been thinking and ask Him to help you share the Hope, Joy, Peace and Love you have found in Him.
Melanie and I wish you all a joyful Christmas and a happy New Year.
God bless you
John Malcolm
I have been reading two interesting books recently; The Idea Book by Fredrik Haren and A Minute to Think by Juliet Funt. Both of these books suggest we need to hit the pause button and make space for creativity. Given, in Auckland, we have spent 107 days in lockdown you might assume we had an abundance of time on our hands for reflection, but that is not the case. Lockdown has been a disruption, not a relaxing holiday. I felt a check in my spirit when hearing Fredrik and Juliet speaking, and I realised I had not been making space for creative reflection. It inspired me to get their books and do something about it.
Advent and Christmas help us make space by allowing us to approach life differently. During these seasons you have permission to wear silly hats at the table, buy frivolous gifts, sing nonsense songs like Snoopy’s Christmas, and eat too much. God gives us permission to pause saying, “Be still, and know that I am God;” (Psalm 46:10). The modern approach to Christmas is to give us an artificial deadline we rush to meet. The ancient approach is to take time to reflect and put our lives into spiritual perspective. Rather than allowing urgency to take us captive to its demands, we should aim to take time captive by using it for creative stillness.
“If only”, you say. If only I had time. Making space in my day is a luxury I don’t have. I understand. I know there are people, situations, pressures that put demands on your life. But what if all those demands eventually crush you or drain you, leaving you emotionally, mentally and spiritually empty? Juliet Funt suggests we all have a yearning for space and offers the idea of a strategic pause. What would happen if on the way home from work you just pulled into a quiet street and parked there for five minutes? What would happen if at lunchtime you got up from your desk and walked outside for a moment of calm?
Perhaps you could apply this creative pause to Advent remembering God invites us to be still. Take five minutes over the next four days and on each day pause to reflect on one of the advent themes. You might close your eyes for a moment and allow your mind to drift. You might like just to take a moment to breathe and relax. You could ask yourself, what inspires my hope, when was I last joyful, where do I find peace, how do I express or receive love? Perhaps if you take five minutes, use the last thirty seconds to tell God what you have been thinking and ask Him to help you share the Hope, Joy, Peace and Love you have found in Him.
Melanie and I wish you all a joyful Christmas and a happy New Year.
God bless you
John Malcolm
NOVEMBER 2021 we are family
We are a church family. Like all families there are different views and opinions among us. Our differences are not what define us. Rather, the love, unity, and faith we find in Christ; and the presence of the Holy Spirit, are what join us together in our Heavenly Father’s family.
In every family there are circumstances that hinder or foster unity. As family we choose to love each other, to extend grace to one another and to seek the well-being of all. COVID‑19, particularly the Delta strain, has introduced significant health issues and challenges to our world. In Auckland, we have come to a moment of transition where it is likely as we ease restrictions COVID will spread more readily. Our prayer is that the high rate of vaccination will help suppress the spread. If not, then the next two or three months may place medical and support staff at increased risk of contracting the disease. It could also put our health system under strain.
We have come to a moment where care is required as we try to balance the various needs in our church family. We know that opinions over the use of vaccines have potential to divide. First and foremost, we choose to love each other and to do our best to fulfil the words of Jesus, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’” (John 13:35) Our challenge is how to care for all; the young who can’t be vaccinated, the elderly vaccinated who have other vulnerabilities, those who are unvaccinated, and those who feel unsure about leaving the shelter of their homes.
Given our circumstances there are no easy options. We are all affected by this pandemic. We have a duty of care because we are “our brother’s keeper” and we do have responsibility for our choices, not just to our church family, but also to the wider community. Decisions over the use of vaccines can only divide us if we forget to love each other, let go of love, or choose not to love. In love we are doing our best to make provision for all to join in worship by having our services both online and onsite. In love we respect each person whatever their decision regarding vaccines, choosing not to judge, but to remember we are one in Christ.
Parish Council gave careful consideration to our decisions to meet onsite using the vaccination pass, seeking to find a way forward for the health and safety of all. These are decisions made for this season of transition when COVID is still spreading in the community, and we hope the need for them will be short lived. We pray for grace and understanding as we navigate the changing circumstances. The decisions Council has made were not to discriminate or divide but to protect as we take careful steps towards being able to have all the church family safely meeting together in fellowship.
In this time of transition let us choose to show grace and love to all members of our church family. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.” (Romans 13:8)
God bless you
John Malcolm
In every family there are circumstances that hinder or foster unity. As family we choose to love each other, to extend grace to one another and to seek the well-being of all. COVID‑19, particularly the Delta strain, has introduced significant health issues and challenges to our world. In Auckland, we have come to a moment of transition where it is likely as we ease restrictions COVID will spread more readily. Our prayer is that the high rate of vaccination will help suppress the spread. If not, then the next two or three months may place medical and support staff at increased risk of contracting the disease. It could also put our health system under strain.
We have come to a moment where care is required as we try to balance the various needs in our church family. We know that opinions over the use of vaccines have potential to divide. First and foremost, we choose to love each other and to do our best to fulfil the words of Jesus, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’” (John 13:35) Our challenge is how to care for all; the young who can’t be vaccinated, the elderly vaccinated who have other vulnerabilities, those who are unvaccinated, and those who feel unsure about leaving the shelter of their homes.
Given our circumstances there are no easy options. We are all affected by this pandemic. We have a duty of care because we are “our brother’s keeper” and we do have responsibility for our choices, not just to our church family, but also to the wider community. Decisions over the use of vaccines can only divide us if we forget to love each other, let go of love, or choose not to love. In love we are doing our best to make provision for all to join in worship by having our services both online and onsite. In love we respect each person whatever their decision regarding vaccines, choosing not to judge, but to remember we are one in Christ.
Parish Council gave careful consideration to our decisions to meet onsite using the vaccination pass, seeking to find a way forward for the health and safety of all. These are decisions made for this season of transition when COVID is still spreading in the community, and we hope the need for them will be short lived. We pray for grace and understanding as we navigate the changing circumstances. The decisions Council has made were not to discriminate or divide but to protect as we take careful steps towards being able to have all the church family safely meeting together in fellowship.
In this time of transition let us choose to show grace and love to all members of our church family. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.” (Romans 13:8)
God bless you
John Malcolm
october 2021 future church
Perhaps dealing with the present uncertainties COVID is enough to think about. If making it through the next few weeks or months is all you can manage, then don’t read any further, I don’t want to stretch you beyond what you can cope with. But I am beginning to wonder: what next? I am thinking beyond how do we get back on site to how do we get back on track with our church life and mission.
Usually in October I begin to cast my mind into the next year when people have returned from their summer holidays. I consider how to start the new year, events, gatherings and themes. Normally, it is quite easy, because each year is pretty much like the one before, the cycle of summer holidays, the beginning of the school term, the University semester, leading into Easter … and so on. However, COVID-19 has disrupted normality. As we transition from elimination to suppression of COVID we are in uncharted waters. No one knows when we will be able to return onsite. In light of such uncertainty, rather than making minor adjustments to the way things normally are, we need to adapt to a changing situation. It is hard to envisage the future when looking through the fog of COVID.
Despite the uncertainty of this present moment, there will come a time AC, “after covid”. By that I don’t mean COVID will magically disappear, it will still be around, just not at the forefront of our thinking. It will not drop off the radar, but it will begin to fade into the background noise of life. It may take six months or three years, but there will come a time when life is more settled and the rate of change less disruptive.
At that future time the way we undertake our mission as a church may have changed but the heart of the mission will remain the same; the call of God to take the love of Christ into the community by the power of the Holy Spirit. The bible speaks of our hope in Christ being like an anchor for the soul. The rope of faith that fastens us to that anchor passes right through the fog of COVID, out the other side and even onward into eternity. Undoubtedly, we will get through this and find, yet again, God is faithful.
How do you envisage our church life this time next year, or the year after that?
We will still love children, and so provide safe places for them to learn about God and live out their faith. We will still be committed to helping young people grow in faith and pursue a godly life. We will still be committed to being an intercultural church, building relationships with people of diverse cultures.
If that is the future we hope for, what will God do to get us there? What is God stirring within your heart? What yearnings is He awakening in your spirit? What can we be doing to journey through the fog in this present moment, so as emerge from the pandemic ready to engage in our mission together?
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8) The God of our yesterdays is here with us today and will be with us as tomorrow comes. However thick or disorientating the fog of COVID may seem to us today, our God sees through it. Holding fast to Him we will find our way in life and in mission together.
God bless you
John Malcolm
You may like to take a moment to reflect on the words of this song, God of our Yesterdays
Usually in October I begin to cast my mind into the next year when people have returned from their summer holidays. I consider how to start the new year, events, gatherings and themes. Normally, it is quite easy, because each year is pretty much like the one before, the cycle of summer holidays, the beginning of the school term, the University semester, leading into Easter … and so on. However, COVID-19 has disrupted normality. As we transition from elimination to suppression of COVID we are in uncharted waters. No one knows when we will be able to return onsite. In light of such uncertainty, rather than making minor adjustments to the way things normally are, we need to adapt to a changing situation. It is hard to envisage the future when looking through the fog of COVID.
Despite the uncertainty of this present moment, there will come a time AC, “after covid”. By that I don’t mean COVID will magically disappear, it will still be around, just not at the forefront of our thinking. It will not drop off the radar, but it will begin to fade into the background noise of life. It may take six months or three years, but there will come a time when life is more settled and the rate of change less disruptive.
At that future time the way we undertake our mission as a church may have changed but the heart of the mission will remain the same; the call of God to take the love of Christ into the community by the power of the Holy Spirit. The bible speaks of our hope in Christ being like an anchor for the soul. The rope of faith that fastens us to that anchor passes right through the fog of COVID, out the other side and even onward into eternity. Undoubtedly, we will get through this and find, yet again, God is faithful.
How do you envisage our church life this time next year, or the year after that?
We will still love children, and so provide safe places for them to learn about God and live out their faith. We will still be committed to helping young people grow in faith and pursue a godly life. We will still be committed to being an intercultural church, building relationships with people of diverse cultures.
If that is the future we hope for, what will God do to get us there? What is God stirring within your heart? What yearnings is He awakening in your spirit? What can we be doing to journey through the fog in this present moment, so as emerge from the pandemic ready to engage in our mission together?
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8) The God of our yesterdays is here with us today and will be with us as tomorrow comes. However thick or disorientating the fog of COVID may seem to us today, our God sees through it. Holding fast to Him we will find our way in life and in mission together.
God bless you
John Malcolm
You may like to take a moment to reflect on the words of this song, God of our Yesterdays
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SEPTEMBER 2021 footprints in the sand
You may be familiar with the poem Footprints in the Sand. It has the warm image of two sets of prints on the beach as Jesus walks with us, and then the dismay of a single set of prints followed by the question where were you when I needed you most? To which Jesus replies "those were the times when I carried you."
It struck me this morning, after more than five weeks in lockdown – this is a time when there is only one set of footprints in the sand.
We may feel we are walking alone, but in reality; Christ is carrying us through times of anxiety, confusion and uncertainty.
Be encouraged in your faith for He:
“… is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.””
(Zephaniah 3:17)
“… is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
(Ephesians 3:20–21)
“… is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
(2 Corinthians 9:8)
After such a lengthy lockdown, and with the uncertainty of days ahead, I encourage you with truth you already know well.
Our God is faithful.
Our Lord Jesus is near.
The Holy Spirit has been given to us and fills us with the presence of the living God.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
God bless you
John Malcolm
It struck me this morning, after more than five weeks in lockdown – this is a time when there is only one set of footprints in the sand.
We may feel we are walking alone, but in reality; Christ is carrying us through times of anxiety, confusion and uncertainty.
Be encouraged in your faith for He:
“… is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.””
(Zephaniah 3:17)
“… is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
(Ephesians 3:20–21)
“… is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
(2 Corinthians 9:8)
After such a lengthy lockdown, and with the uncertainty of days ahead, I encourage you with truth you already know well.
Our God is faithful.
Our Lord Jesus is near.
The Holy Spirit has been given to us and fills us with the presence of the living God.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
God bless you
John Malcolm
september 2021 fear and faith in times of covid
Fear is a reasonable human reaction to danger. At times fear can be irrational, but when confronted by a world-wide pandemic, where there is no “cure”, where the progress of the disease isn’t fully understood, treatments are still being developed and many are dying, fear is a rational response.
While fear might be the immediate response to danger, it is not a position Christians stay in for long. Christians are able to process danger through the lens of God’s sovereignty and God’s love; taking a balanced view with faith and wisdom.
We are not the first generation to face a medical emergency such as a pandemic. I was interested when my attention was drawn to the response of Martin Luther when he faced a deadly outbreak of bubonic plague in 1527. Many fled the city in fear, but he stayed. He wrote … “Therefore I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. … See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.”
Luther trusted in the sovereignty of God by praying for divine protection. This was not all he did, as if the injunction to have faith in God meant that other actions revealed a lack of faith. Not only did Luther pray, he also fumigated, purified the air, took medicine and provided medicine to others. He isolated, avoiding places and people where his presence wasn’t required, seeing this as both protecting himself and others from infection. Luther did not want to cause anyone else to die because he was negligent.
It appears Luther used both faith and common sense. He trusted both in God and in the advances of medicine available in his day. Unlike those today who brazenly refuse the vaccine because they believe God will protect them, Luther took the medicine that God had providentially made available. He considered to do otherwise was foolhardy and tempting God.
It gets under my skin when I read headlines like the one recently in Stuff, COVID: 19 Mark of the Beast or manna from heaven? Christianity’s vaccine issue. It reported one pastor who thinks the vaccine might be the “mark of the beast”. It also mentioned other prominent church leaders who would not get vaccinated. This is foolhardy and irresponsible when there are many stories of anti-vaxxers having “deathbed conversions”. Realising their predicament, they express regret at not having the vaccine, and with their final breath encourage their family members to get vaccinated. I watched the video of one social media influencer who said she wanted to do more research before getting the vaccine. Sadly, her research was done first-hand on her hospital bed as she died.
Although Luther avoided people where he was not needed, he courageously went to the people and places where his presence was required. Indeed, he opened part of his home as a clinic for the sick. Fear did not cause him to flee from those who were ill, rather God’s love motivated him to help people. His faith didn’t require him to reject medicine or preach that others should reject it. Rather godly wisdom guided him to take appropriate precautions and to give the sick such medicines as were available.
I think we can learn from Martin Luther who was wise enough to take the medicine and courageous enough to help others without fear.
I encourage you for your own health and for the good of others to take the vaccine. In this way we will be in a better position to care for others who might need our help. It may also give increased confidence to the vulnerable members of our church family if they know that we have done all we can to protect each other, ready for when we can meet together again.
Philippians 2:4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.
God bless you
John Malcolm
https://www.ifyc.org/article/martin-luthers-pandemic-advice-goes-viral-500-years-later
https://biologos.org/common-questions/should-christians-get-vaccinated
While fear might be the immediate response to danger, it is not a position Christians stay in for long. Christians are able to process danger through the lens of God’s sovereignty and God’s love; taking a balanced view with faith and wisdom.
We are not the first generation to face a medical emergency such as a pandemic. I was interested when my attention was drawn to the response of Martin Luther when he faced a deadly outbreak of bubonic plague in 1527. Many fled the city in fear, but he stayed. He wrote … “Therefore I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. … See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.”
Luther trusted in the sovereignty of God by praying for divine protection. This was not all he did, as if the injunction to have faith in God meant that other actions revealed a lack of faith. Not only did Luther pray, he also fumigated, purified the air, took medicine and provided medicine to others. He isolated, avoiding places and people where his presence wasn’t required, seeing this as both protecting himself and others from infection. Luther did not want to cause anyone else to die because he was negligent.
It appears Luther used both faith and common sense. He trusted both in God and in the advances of medicine available in his day. Unlike those today who brazenly refuse the vaccine because they believe God will protect them, Luther took the medicine that God had providentially made available. He considered to do otherwise was foolhardy and tempting God.
It gets under my skin when I read headlines like the one recently in Stuff, COVID: 19 Mark of the Beast or manna from heaven? Christianity’s vaccine issue. It reported one pastor who thinks the vaccine might be the “mark of the beast”. It also mentioned other prominent church leaders who would not get vaccinated. This is foolhardy and irresponsible when there are many stories of anti-vaxxers having “deathbed conversions”. Realising their predicament, they express regret at not having the vaccine, and with their final breath encourage their family members to get vaccinated. I watched the video of one social media influencer who said she wanted to do more research before getting the vaccine. Sadly, her research was done first-hand on her hospital bed as she died.
Although Luther avoided people where he was not needed, he courageously went to the people and places where his presence was required. Indeed, he opened part of his home as a clinic for the sick. Fear did not cause him to flee from those who were ill, rather God’s love motivated him to help people. His faith didn’t require him to reject medicine or preach that others should reject it. Rather godly wisdom guided him to take appropriate precautions and to give the sick such medicines as were available.
I think we can learn from Martin Luther who was wise enough to take the medicine and courageous enough to help others without fear.
I encourage you for your own health and for the good of others to take the vaccine. In this way we will be in a better position to care for others who might need our help. It may also give increased confidence to the vulnerable members of our church family if they know that we have done all we can to protect each other, ready for when we can meet together again.
Philippians 2:4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.
God bless you
John Malcolm
https://www.ifyc.org/article/martin-luthers-pandemic-advice-goes-viral-500-years-later
https://biologos.org/common-questions/should-christians-get-vaccinated
september 2021 god is love
Covid testing queue, Otara. David White, Stuff
I wonder if we tend to go through life with the illusion of control but then events like the current lockdown reveal our fragility and powerlessness. How do you feel when you see the empty shelves at the supermarket or queues at a Covid testing station? Covid is a disease we cannot see, is easily transmissible and has serious consequences for many who catch it. An illness, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, financial challenges … reveal how tentative our control on life is. If we are not as in control as we sometimes think, what can we truly rely on?
I invite you to read and reflect on the following verses. Perhaps read them three or four times, putting the emphasis on different words each time.
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:16–18)
Which word or words stand out for you – God, love, fear, rely, confidence ….?
God is love – this is one of the foundational truths of the Christian faith. So much of what we read in the bible highlights the importance of love… For God so loved the world… We love because he first loved us… love your enemies… love each other as I have loved you... now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love….
If God is love, and we can rely on the love God has for us, then surely this must impact our lives, our attitudes, and our actions. If God is love, then we needn’t fear God or judgement. Indeed, if God is love, then rather than fear we can have confidence before God. The writer goes so far as to make God and love almost inseparable saying, Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. It is not that love is God, but love is evidence of God’s presence within a person’s life. Perhaps even more remarkable is the idea that as God lives in us, “ his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:12) What does it mean to you that in some way God’s love is made complete in your life?
God’s love is not contingent on us, we are not the source of this love, we do not control it, neither is it dependent on our circumstances. God’s love remains firm, true, unchanging and dependable. As the Apostle Paul wrote, nothing …. “in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35–39)
As we wait in our bubbles, praying for the current outbreak of Covid to pass, perhaps anxious and knowing so much is beyond our control, we can rely on the unfailing love God has for us.
May God bless you richly
John Malcolm
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge ….” (Ephesians 3:17–19)
I invite you to read and reflect on the following verses. Perhaps read them three or four times, putting the emphasis on different words each time.
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:16–18)
Which word or words stand out for you – God, love, fear, rely, confidence ….?
God is love – this is one of the foundational truths of the Christian faith. So much of what we read in the bible highlights the importance of love… For God so loved the world… We love because he first loved us… love your enemies… love each other as I have loved you... now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love….
If God is love, and we can rely on the love God has for us, then surely this must impact our lives, our attitudes, and our actions. If God is love, then we needn’t fear God or judgement. Indeed, if God is love, then rather than fear we can have confidence before God. The writer goes so far as to make God and love almost inseparable saying, Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. It is not that love is God, but love is evidence of God’s presence within a person’s life. Perhaps even more remarkable is the idea that as God lives in us, “ his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:12) What does it mean to you that in some way God’s love is made complete in your life?
God’s love is not contingent on us, we are not the source of this love, we do not control it, neither is it dependent on our circumstances. God’s love remains firm, true, unchanging and dependable. As the Apostle Paul wrote, nothing …. “in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35–39)
As we wait in our bubbles, praying for the current outbreak of Covid to pass, perhaps anxious and knowing so much is beyond our control, we can rely on the unfailing love God has for us.
May God bless you richly
John Malcolm
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge ….” (Ephesians 3:17–19)
august 2021 wheelchair questions or armchair questions?
Do we approach the problem of suffering, with armchair questions or wheelchair questions?
Christopher Ash in his book Job: The Wisdom of the Cross wrote, We ask them as armchair questions if we ourselves are remote from suffering. We grapple with wheelchair questions …when we ourselves, or those we love, are suffering. In the book of Job, it seems Job is asking wheelchair questions while his friends are giving armchair answers. Job’s questions are asked through tears and trusting faith. His are the questions asked from the hospital bed, the homeless shelter and the food kitchen.
Job is a book for times such as these COVID times we are living through. It is like an old, perhaps neglected signpost that points us in the right direction, using ancient wisdom to address modern needs. I have been learning a great deal as I prepared the Sunday messages from Job, and I admit to struggling with the approach this book has to suffering. Job is short on answers and long on questions. Around 95% of this book is poetry full of ideas and images that a first glance seems to do more to stretch the mind than heal the heart. As a person who is used to getting super quick answers from Google, I find it frustrating that Job makes me work hard, doesn’t give a definitive answer, but with wisdom points beyond itself.
People who ask wheelchair questions deserve more than a quick armchair answer. The book of Job doesn’t give trite answers to burdensome questions, rather it invites us to take time to go deeper, for our imaginations to explore poetic imagery, and to ask our “impertinent” questions of God. There can be many armchair answers for why bad things happen to good people and these may shine a measure of light into the darkness of suffering. However, the comfort of Job is more to be found in wisdom than in knowledge, and more specifically in an intimate relationship with God.
I find it interesting that in the heart of this book Job realises his need for a mediator to represent him before God, and at the end of the book, God appoints Job as the mediator who will represent and restore his wayward friends in their relationship with God. “So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly.” (Job 42:8) Here, with the sacrifice of cattle and intercession for his friends, Job points towards the ministry of Jesus Christ who would sacrifice himself for us, and even pray for us from the cross, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ (Luke 23:34) I hope you hear the echo of God’s care for us in Jesus’ words from the cross, My servant Jesus will pray for you and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly.
In one sense, Jesus left his armchair existence (heavenly throne) to enter our wheelchair existence (experiencing human life) so he could mediate for us with God. So, the answer to the question of suffering is found in God entering human suffering and in our relationship with Jesus the suffering servant. Whereas Adam and Eve sacrificed their relationship with God to gain knowledge, Jesus sacrificed his life, through suffering, to enable our lost relationship with God to be restored.
The book of Job invites us on a journey, through poetic imagery to consider the question of suffering. Ultimately it points us to the mediator, Jesus and his suffering upon the cross. … for without Jesus the book of Job will be but “the record of an unanswered agony.” (Christopher Ash) God answers questions that trouble us and ministers to us in our suffering by taking our hand, walking through life with us and comforting us with His presence.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4)
God bless you
John Malcolm
Christopher Ash in his book Job: The Wisdom of the Cross wrote, We ask them as armchair questions if we ourselves are remote from suffering. We grapple with wheelchair questions …when we ourselves, or those we love, are suffering. In the book of Job, it seems Job is asking wheelchair questions while his friends are giving armchair answers. Job’s questions are asked through tears and trusting faith. His are the questions asked from the hospital bed, the homeless shelter and the food kitchen.
Job is a book for times such as these COVID times we are living through. It is like an old, perhaps neglected signpost that points us in the right direction, using ancient wisdom to address modern needs. I have been learning a great deal as I prepared the Sunday messages from Job, and I admit to struggling with the approach this book has to suffering. Job is short on answers and long on questions. Around 95% of this book is poetry full of ideas and images that a first glance seems to do more to stretch the mind than heal the heart. As a person who is used to getting super quick answers from Google, I find it frustrating that Job makes me work hard, doesn’t give a definitive answer, but with wisdom points beyond itself.
People who ask wheelchair questions deserve more than a quick armchair answer. The book of Job doesn’t give trite answers to burdensome questions, rather it invites us to take time to go deeper, for our imaginations to explore poetic imagery, and to ask our “impertinent” questions of God. There can be many armchair answers for why bad things happen to good people and these may shine a measure of light into the darkness of suffering. However, the comfort of Job is more to be found in wisdom than in knowledge, and more specifically in an intimate relationship with God.
I find it interesting that in the heart of this book Job realises his need for a mediator to represent him before God, and at the end of the book, God appoints Job as the mediator who will represent and restore his wayward friends in their relationship with God. “So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly.” (Job 42:8) Here, with the sacrifice of cattle and intercession for his friends, Job points towards the ministry of Jesus Christ who would sacrifice himself for us, and even pray for us from the cross, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ (Luke 23:34) I hope you hear the echo of God’s care for us in Jesus’ words from the cross, My servant Jesus will pray for you and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly.
In one sense, Jesus left his armchair existence (heavenly throne) to enter our wheelchair existence (experiencing human life) so he could mediate for us with God. So, the answer to the question of suffering is found in God entering human suffering and in our relationship with Jesus the suffering servant. Whereas Adam and Eve sacrificed their relationship with God to gain knowledge, Jesus sacrificed his life, through suffering, to enable our lost relationship with God to be restored.
The book of Job invites us on a journey, through poetic imagery to consider the question of suffering. Ultimately it points us to the mediator, Jesus and his suffering upon the cross. … for without Jesus the book of Job will be but “the record of an unanswered agony.” (Christopher Ash) God answers questions that trouble us and ministers to us in our suffering by taking our hand, walking through life with us and comforting us with His presence.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4)
God bless you
John Malcolm
JULY 2021 COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
What a strange month it has been! Je Cheol made quick arrangements to accompany Ji Hoon to Brisbane to help him settle into a new job, Lia has found a new job and has resigned as office manager; we still have a vacancy for a youth leader, and our building project is in the hands of Presbytery for a decision. Added to this were our concerns over the possibility that the highly transmittable Delta variant of COVID might spread from Wellington. Plenty there to weigh us down!
On the positive side, the New Zealand cricket team won the inaugural World Test Championship! We have passed the “shortest” day which means we will slowly get more sunshine hours. And I have had my first jab of the Pfizer vaccine. Each of these cheered me up!
In each of our lives there are a mix of challenges and joys. These don’t always balance each other out to make life manageable. Often the joys seem fleeting, while the difficulties seem to linger. Recent times in our world have been particularly challenging with the great loss of life due to COVID-19. At present North America is suffering from a “heat dome” bringing record breaking temperatures, deaths from the heat and oddly, flood warnings because of the high rate of snow melting.
This week I listened to the BBC podcast Just One Thing with Dr Michael Mosley. This episode was called Count Your Blessings and suggested that our health and wellbeing will improve if we practise gratitude. The host recommended that each night you should write a list of three things which happened during the day for which you are grateful. I fell asleep part way through the podcast but heard enough to get the idea. Apparently, there is scientific evidence that an attitude of gratitude, counting our blessings, will help us feel better and may actually rewire our brains with lasting effects.
There may well be scientific evidence that gratitude is good for you, it is also very biblical. “A cheerful heart is good medicine ….” (Proverbs 17:22) “… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This verse says not just to be thankful for blessings, but thankful in all circumstances. This goes further than the podcast suggestion to write down three good things that happened, it also includes thankfulness when the circumstances are not so good. We may not be happy about our circumstances, but if we find a way to trust God through them, we can turn from despondency and blame to thankfulness. If being grateful for blessings is good for us, imagine the difference it could make if we could develop a more positive attitude to our challenges and disappointments.
In our sermon series looking at Job we find him taking quite a surprising approach to the most difficult of circumstances. Job worshipped God despite the ordeals he faced and humbly said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.’” (Job 1:21) Job is not wearing rose tinted glasses and making the best of a bad situation. Job is not in denial; he knows full well the extent of his loss. Yet somehow Job trusts God enough to praise him in the face of great hardship. I invite you to join us on Sunday mornings as we learn from the book of Job and consider the themes of suffering, wisdom and trusting God.
I also encourage you, whatever your situation in life, to give thanks in all circumstances.
God bless you
John Malcolm
On the positive side, the New Zealand cricket team won the inaugural World Test Championship! We have passed the “shortest” day which means we will slowly get more sunshine hours. And I have had my first jab of the Pfizer vaccine. Each of these cheered me up!
In each of our lives there are a mix of challenges and joys. These don’t always balance each other out to make life manageable. Often the joys seem fleeting, while the difficulties seem to linger. Recent times in our world have been particularly challenging with the great loss of life due to COVID-19. At present North America is suffering from a “heat dome” bringing record breaking temperatures, deaths from the heat and oddly, flood warnings because of the high rate of snow melting.
This week I listened to the BBC podcast Just One Thing with Dr Michael Mosley. This episode was called Count Your Blessings and suggested that our health and wellbeing will improve if we practise gratitude. The host recommended that each night you should write a list of three things which happened during the day for which you are grateful. I fell asleep part way through the podcast but heard enough to get the idea. Apparently, there is scientific evidence that an attitude of gratitude, counting our blessings, will help us feel better and may actually rewire our brains with lasting effects.
There may well be scientific evidence that gratitude is good for you, it is also very biblical. “A cheerful heart is good medicine ….” (Proverbs 17:22) “… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This verse says not just to be thankful for blessings, but thankful in all circumstances. This goes further than the podcast suggestion to write down three good things that happened, it also includes thankfulness when the circumstances are not so good. We may not be happy about our circumstances, but if we find a way to trust God through them, we can turn from despondency and blame to thankfulness. If being grateful for blessings is good for us, imagine the difference it could make if we could develop a more positive attitude to our challenges and disappointments.
In our sermon series looking at Job we find him taking quite a surprising approach to the most difficult of circumstances. Job worshipped God despite the ordeals he faced and humbly said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.’” (Job 1:21) Job is not wearing rose tinted glasses and making the best of a bad situation. Job is not in denial; he knows full well the extent of his loss. Yet somehow Job trusts God enough to praise him in the face of great hardship. I invite you to join us on Sunday mornings as we learn from the book of Job and consider the themes of suffering, wisdom and trusting God.
I also encourage you, whatever your situation in life, to give thanks in all circumstances.
God bless you
John Malcolm
june 2021 faith in a world of suffering
God Answers Job from the Whirlwind by William Blake
It is hard to read the COVID news from India. Perhaps I shouldn’t look at it anymore. Maybe denial, hiding my head in the sand would be a safer option. The scale of loss is unimaginable. Reading or listening to the stories of people going from hospital to hospital to find a bed for a sick relative, from pharmacy to pharmacy to find medicine or searching for a tank of oxygen is heart breaking. Perhaps the saddest news is that of bodies floating down the Ganges. The unclaimed, unnamed, are washing up on riverbanks because their family didn’t have the means of paying for a cremation or burial.
The unfairness of life can slap us in the face, break our hearts or just nibble around the edge of our lives, making us uncomfortable and ill at ease. At times it is the suffering of others, over there, far enough away to provide a buffer to the harsh realities. But sometimes it strikes close to home, unavoidably reaching my family or even myself. What are we to make of this? How are we to deal with it?
The story of Job is a story of great suffering, but it doesn't provide any easy answers. Job wrestles with questions and struggles through suffering that makes no sense to him. He didn’t deserve this, he could discern no reason for it. His mistaken friends accuse him of sin he hadn’t committed. As an innocent victim he cried out to God, for what must have seemed like an eternity of pain. Yet God remained silent. When God finally broke the silence, it was not to answer Job’s questions, or our questions about suffering. God asks Job, “‘Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Although Job was in the midst of real suffering, it is as if God says to him, You don’t know what you are talking about. Then God challenges Job, Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.” (Job 38:2–3), Rather than holding God to account for suffering and evil, God holds Job to account for his ignorance and folly.
Job could not possibly comprehend the range of God’s knowledge or the depth of God’s wisdom. Without that neither Job nor anyone else could begin to unravel with mystery of suffering, the problem of evil or the wisdom of God’s plan. Job couldn’t see that one day God himself would enter our world of suffering, a child born in a manger to die on a cross. Fully human, fully divine Jesus alone would take hold of the root cause of all suffering and take it upon himself to the cross. The cross of Jesus Christ was the beginning of the end of human suffering.
We like Job are unable to understand our suffering, but our advantage is we are able to see the cross, the empty tomb and hold to the promise of Jesus that he will return. We know on that day he will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Until then we have confidence that he is working all things for good for those who love him.
God bless you
John Malcolm
The unfairness of life can slap us in the face, break our hearts or just nibble around the edge of our lives, making us uncomfortable and ill at ease. At times it is the suffering of others, over there, far enough away to provide a buffer to the harsh realities. But sometimes it strikes close to home, unavoidably reaching my family or even myself. What are we to make of this? How are we to deal with it?
The story of Job is a story of great suffering, but it doesn't provide any easy answers. Job wrestles with questions and struggles through suffering that makes no sense to him. He didn’t deserve this, he could discern no reason for it. His mistaken friends accuse him of sin he hadn’t committed. As an innocent victim he cried out to God, for what must have seemed like an eternity of pain. Yet God remained silent. When God finally broke the silence, it was not to answer Job’s questions, or our questions about suffering. God asks Job, “‘Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Although Job was in the midst of real suffering, it is as if God says to him, You don’t know what you are talking about. Then God challenges Job, Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.” (Job 38:2–3), Rather than holding God to account for suffering and evil, God holds Job to account for his ignorance and folly.
Job could not possibly comprehend the range of God’s knowledge or the depth of God’s wisdom. Without that neither Job nor anyone else could begin to unravel with mystery of suffering, the problem of evil or the wisdom of God’s plan. Job couldn’t see that one day God himself would enter our world of suffering, a child born in a manger to die on a cross. Fully human, fully divine Jesus alone would take hold of the root cause of all suffering and take it upon himself to the cross. The cross of Jesus Christ was the beginning of the end of human suffering.
We like Job are unable to understand our suffering, but our advantage is we are able to see the cross, the empty tomb and hold to the promise of Jesus that he will return. We know on that day he will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Until then we have confidence that he is working all things for good for those who love him.
God bless you
John Malcolm
may 2021 the measure of success
Not long ago at a meeting of ministers, a colleague who was contemplating his retirement said he felt like a failure. He reflected on his circumstances, saw the dwindling attendance and questioned the value of his ministry. Of course, this questioning is not limited to ministers, all Christians wrestle with questions about our walk of faith including, what ranks as success or failure in Christian life?
What measure do we use to determine success or failure?
Too often we are influenced by our culture and how society measures success. The metrics of our age, friends on Facebook , followers on Twitter, or likes on Messenger are not necessarily helpful when assessing the value of our lives.
Rico Tice says, Failure is being successful at the things that don’t matter. I found this an interesting and challenging idea. What does matter in life? Do we find ourselves investing our time in diversions and losing focus on the things that do matter?
How do we know what matters? I was helped as a young man when I read, The Measure of a Man by Gene Getz. He looked at Paul’s pastoral letters and identified attributes like faithfulness, wisdom, generosity, and holiness as indicators of Christian maturity. As we read the bible, we find that these attributes are what matter to God, and are what Jesus taught by word and example. Are we being “successful” in these things?
Another way to think of this is to ask, who are we trying to impress? Who is the audience we are playing to? In an interesting twist, when Jesus was in the temple, he drew the attention of his disciples, not to the rich who were throwing large amounts into the treasury, but to the poor widow who put in only a few pence. I think others would have overlooked her and been more impressed with the success of the rich who were able to give so much. But Jesus looked past the outward riches to the woman who had trusted God with all she had left in the world. Here Jesus gives us an insight into what impresses God. Rico Tice writes, Hearing your Creator and Father say, “Well done” – that’s all that ultimately matters, isn’t it? In this story, it seems Jesus is quietly saying well done to the poor widow who placed her trust in God.
What is success in God’s eyes? The prophet Micah states that God has made this plain. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) Justice, love, mercy and humility – how well are we doing with these? Peter writes that a focus on these attributes helps us to achieve the character and actions God desires for us. “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5–8) In these attributes we find the true measure of a successful life. When the time comes, a Christian who focuses on these will undoubtedly hear the commendation of God, Well done you good and faithful servant.
I encourage you to take a little time today to reflect on what really matters in life and to consider how you might be able to succeed in what really matters.
God bless you
John Malcolm
What measure do we use to determine success or failure?
Too often we are influenced by our culture and how society measures success. The metrics of our age, friends on Facebook , followers on Twitter, or likes on Messenger are not necessarily helpful when assessing the value of our lives.
Rico Tice says, Failure is being successful at the things that don’t matter. I found this an interesting and challenging idea. What does matter in life? Do we find ourselves investing our time in diversions and losing focus on the things that do matter?
How do we know what matters? I was helped as a young man when I read, The Measure of a Man by Gene Getz. He looked at Paul’s pastoral letters and identified attributes like faithfulness, wisdom, generosity, and holiness as indicators of Christian maturity. As we read the bible, we find that these attributes are what matter to God, and are what Jesus taught by word and example. Are we being “successful” in these things?
Another way to think of this is to ask, who are we trying to impress? Who is the audience we are playing to? In an interesting twist, when Jesus was in the temple, he drew the attention of his disciples, not to the rich who were throwing large amounts into the treasury, but to the poor widow who put in only a few pence. I think others would have overlooked her and been more impressed with the success of the rich who were able to give so much. But Jesus looked past the outward riches to the woman who had trusted God with all she had left in the world. Here Jesus gives us an insight into what impresses God. Rico Tice writes, Hearing your Creator and Father say, “Well done” – that’s all that ultimately matters, isn’t it? In this story, it seems Jesus is quietly saying well done to the poor widow who placed her trust in God.
What is success in God’s eyes? The prophet Micah states that God has made this plain. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) Justice, love, mercy and humility – how well are we doing with these? Peter writes that a focus on these attributes helps us to achieve the character and actions God desires for us. “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5–8) In these attributes we find the true measure of a successful life. When the time comes, a Christian who focuses on these will undoubtedly hear the commendation of God, Well done you good and faithful servant.
I encourage you to take a little time today to reflect on what really matters in life and to consider how you might be able to succeed in what really matters.
God bless you
John Malcolm
APRIL 2021 canceled or forgiven?
Woke culture’s lack of forgiveness only destroys its own voices."
I was interested to read this recent article in Stuff in which Verity Johnson recalled being told, Be careful what you put online - it will be with you for life. Nowadays people are finding some of their things they posted in their youth are coming back to haunt them. What interested me in this article was her reference to redemption, and her concern about the lack of forgiveness being offered. She cited the example of Alexi McCammond who had to resign as editor of Teen Vogue, because of racist comments she posted ten years ago when she was seventeen years old.
Cancel culture is very quick to judge. When a person rises to prominence, it seems others trawl through their old posts looking for comments that might be used against them. When something is found, condemnation is instant. Retrospective application of modern woke standards to comments made in the past overlooks the possibility of change and gives no credit for good behaviour. Even our judicial system allows criminals to have a “clean sheet” if they have had no convictions in the past seven years. But how do you get a clean sheet when your old online comments are easily found?
The condemnation of prominent people who have posted views that are clearly wrong seems to overlook the fact that everyone falls short, we are all guilty. As I read the article, I recalled Jesus telling people not to judge and saying, ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)
At its best being woke brings helpful insights into injustice and intolerance. At its worst it appears to lack grace. Seeking justice, it becomes unjust. Woke-ness appears to be “un‑Woke” to its own shortcomings and therefore unable to achieve its own high ideals.
The good news of the gospel is that God has been practising cancel culture long before this generation! God forgives! We read, “He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13–14) Rather than cancelling us, God forgives and cancels the charges against us. When we ask Jesus to forgive us, our sin is dealt with. So the bible boldly states, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) and “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God will never go trawling through our past sins to condemn us because when God forgives it is complete forgiveness with the old gone, and we have a new beginning.
This Easter I invite you to take time to reflect on the fulness of forgiveness which is found in Jesus Christ and to thank Him for it.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1)
God bless you
John Malcolm
I was interested to read this recent article in Stuff in which Verity Johnson recalled being told, Be careful what you put online - it will be with you for life. Nowadays people are finding some of their things they posted in their youth are coming back to haunt them. What interested me in this article was her reference to redemption, and her concern about the lack of forgiveness being offered. She cited the example of Alexi McCammond who had to resign as editor of Teen Vogue, because of racist comments she posted ten years ago when she was seventeen years old.
Cancel culture is very quick to judge. When a person rises to prominence, it seems others trawl through their old posts looking for comments that might be used against them. When something is found, condemnation is instant. Retrospective application of modern woke standards to comments made in the past overlooks the possibility of change and gives no credit for good behaviour. Even our judicial system allows criminals to have a “clean sheet” if they have had no convictions in the past seven years. But how do you get a clean sheet when your old online comments are easily found?
The condemnation of prominent people who have posted views that are clearly wrong seems to overlook the fact that everyone falls short, we are all guilty. As I read the article, I recalled Jesus telling people not to judge and saying, ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3)
At its best being woke brings helpful insights into injustice and intolerance. At its worst it appears to lack grace. Seeking justice, it becomes unjust. Woke-ness appears to be “un‑Woke” to its own shortcomings and therefore unable to achieve its own high ideals.
The good news of the gospel is that God has been practising cancel culture long before this generation! God forgives! We read, “He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13–14) Rather than cancelling us, God forgives and cancels the charges against us. When we ask Jesus to forgive us, our sin is dealt with. So the bible boldly states, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12) and “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God will never go trawling through our past sins to condemn us because when God forgives it is complete forgiveness with the old gone, and we have a new beginning.
This Easter I invite you to take time to reflect on the fulness of forgiveness which is found in Jesus Christ and to thank Him for it.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1)
God bless you
John Malcolm
MARCH 2021 RESTARTING THE YEAR
BBQ Church 14 Feb 2021
We have already had two practice starts this year, so we should be good at restarts as we return to on-site services this week. We are so used to lockdowns we are able to change tack faster than an America’s Cup yacht, as happened recently when at 9pm on Saturday 20 February we had to quickly arrange to meet the following morning on Zoom.
I enjoyed being together as a church prior to the lockdown and really enjoyed our first BBQ Church on 14 February. I was looking forward to the next two BBQ churches and Breakfast church, and was very disappointed when we had to cancel them. Because of what we have missed I feel our combined communion service and posh morning tea will be extra special (Sunday 21 March).
Karl Vaters, in his book The Church Recovery Guide, writes: Online church is real church, but it is not enough church. Online zoom church is a blessing in the circumstances, but we all know there are aspects of church life it can’t reproduce. Last week’s service was very real with people sharing their favourite bible verse. It was a real blessing to be given insights into how meaningful the bible is for them. Yet we know there could have been more to experience if we had been on-site. Zoom doesn’t allow us to connect in the way physical presence does.
There have been times in history when the church has been a dispersed people, but the norm is to meet together. At heart we are a gathered community, a family that comes together around the Lord’s table, to worship, to enjoy fellowship and to serve alongside each other. We see the importance of gathering in the early church as they met in the temple and it is underlined by the promise of Jesus, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”” (Matthew 18:20) Vaters writes, We can only stay apart so long. We need each other’s physical presence to receive the emotional and spiritual nourishment from which to serve. God has given us each other as a gift. God has formed the church like a body of many parts where each person is needed and has a role to play.
I hope you have been missing the deeper connection of being together as a church and that you are looking forward to being together again in worship. In just three weeks’ time we have the celebration of Easter. Last March we went into the first lockdown and met online for our Easter services. We lost the opportunity to be together on Good Friday, carrying the cross and participating in the tactile hammering to symbolise nailing our sin to the cross. Neither were we able to decorate the cross on Easter Sunday symbolising Christ’s victory over death.
My prayer is, having experienced lockdowns, we might have a better appreciation of the privilege we have to meet as a church family this Easter.
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” (Psalm 84:1–2)
God bless you
John Malcolm
I enjoyed being together as a church prior to the lockdown and really enjoyed our first BBQ Church on 14 February. I was looking forward to the next two BBQ churches and Breakfast church, and was very disappointed when we had to cancel them. Because of what we have missed I feel our combined communion service and posh morning tea will be extra special (Sunday 21 March).
Karl Vaters, in his book The Church Recovery Guide, writes: Online church is real church, but it is not enough church. Online zoom church is a blessing in the circumstances, but we all know there are aspects of church life it can’t reproduce. Last week’s service was very real with people sharing their favourite bible verse. It was a real blessing to be given insights into how meaningful the bible is for them. Yet we know there could have been more to experience if we had been on-site. Zoom doesn’t allow us to connect in the way physical presence does.
There have been times in history when the church has been a dispersed people, but the norm is to meet together. At heart we are a gathered community, a family that comes together around the Lord’s table, to worship, to enjoy fellowship and to serve alongside each other. We see the importance of gathering in the early church as they met in the temple and it is underlined by the promise of Jesus, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”” (Matthew 18:20) Vaters writes, We can only stay apart so long. We need each other’s physical presence to receive the emotional and spiritual nourishment from which to serve. God has given us each other as a gift. God has formed the church like a body of many parts where each person is needed and has a role to play.
I hope you have been missing the deeper connection of being together as a church and that you are looking forward to being together again in worship. In just three weeks’ time we have the celebration of Easter. Last March we went into the first lockdown and met online for our Easter services. We lost the opportunity to be together on Good Friday, carrying the cross and participating in the tactile hammering to symbolise nailing our sin to the cross. Neither were we able to decorate the cross on Easter Sunday symbolising Christ’s victory over death.
My prayer is, having experienced lockdowns, we might have a better appreciation of the privilege we have to meet as a church family this Easter.
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” (Psalm 84:1–2)
God bless you
John Malcolm
FEBRUARY 2021 FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS
Over the last twelve months we have been bombarded with challenge, change and all the uncertainty which accompanies COVID-19. At the start of what may be another challenging year – how is your soul, your spiritual life? Are you weary, worried and worn, or are you enlivened, encouraged and excited about the year ahead? Are you somewhere in between, watching, waiting and hoping for the best?
In the story of Queen Esther, she faced a challenge that required courage and faith. Her uncle spurred her on saying And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)
Given our present circumstances, the phrase, for such a time as this, has been rattling around in my mind. I don’t think many of us have known such a time as this. I don’t think many of us were prepared for such a time as this. Perhaps more than any other time in our spiritual lives, this is a time when our faith is put to the test. A time when what we truly believe rises to the surface. A time when who we are spiritually is revealed.
Recently I read, God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called. You may not feel qualified for such a time as this, but God calls you, just as surely as he called Esther, for such a time as this. Look closely at the great characters of the bible and you soon discover they were rather ordinary people who God called. It was only God’s call, empowering and guidance, that enabled them through faithful obedience to serve God in their circumstances.
Do you remember Esther’s response to her challenge? She called on people to fast and pray. She knew she was not qualified in her own strength for the task, so she turned to God. Our souls can be strengthened through prayer, our spiritual lives nourished, and our faith can find new resilience.
The Apostle Paul understood that he, like other Christians, was not up to the task in his own strength. He constantly depended on God in order to do the work and to live the life God called him to. He wrote, I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). He spoke of God encouraging him, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, he didn’t see his own weakness as an obstacle, rather he concluded … For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
2021 – in such a time as this, we are called by God to live as his children and to fulfil his will. We will have many opportunities to serve God this year, to worship, to pray, to deepen our fellowship with one another, and to invite people to join us. We may not feel we are up to this, but as God strengthens us, we will be ready to live … in such a time as this.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
God bless you
John Malcolm
In the story of Queen Esther, she faced a challenge that required courage and faith. Her uncle spurred her on saying And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)
Given our present circumstances, the phrase, for such a time as this, has been rattling around in my mind. I don’t think many of us have known such a time as this. I don’t think many of us were prepared for such a time as this. Perhaps more than any other time in our spiritual lives, this is a time when our faith is put to the test. A time when what we truly believe rises to the surface. A time when who we are spiritually is revealed.
Recently I read, God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called. You may not feel qualified for such a time as this, but God calls you, just as surely as he called Esther, for such a time as this. Look closely at the great characters of the bible and you soon discover they were rather ordinary people who God called. It was only God’s call, empowering and guidance, that enabled them through faithful obedience to serve God in their circumstances.
Do you remember Esther’s response to her challenge? She called on people to fast and pray. She knew she was not qualified in her own strength for the task, so she turned to God. Our souls can be strengthened through prayer, our spiritual lives nourished, and our faith can find new resilience.
The Apostle Paul understood that he, like other Christians, was not up to the task in his own strength. He constantly depended on God in order to do the work and to live the life God called him to. He wrote, I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). He spoke of God encouraging him, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, he didn’t see his own weakness as an obstacle, rather he concluded … For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
2021 – in such a time as this, we are called by God to live as his children and to fulfil his will. We will have many opportunities to serve God this year, to worship, to pray, to deepen our fellowship with one another, and to invite people to join us. We may not feel we are up to this, but as God strengthens us, we will be ready to live … in such a time as this.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
God bless you
John Malcolm
december 2020 I LOVE THE CHRISTMAS STORY
Theo reading his Bible, aged 4
I love the Christmas story, it can bring tears to my eyes. Surprise, humility, vulnerability, danger. The unexplainable, the unbelievable, the unexpected. Human weakness and human strength. Unlikely heroes, an unscrupulous villain, unconscionable cruelty. Divine intervention. A story of love.
It is not just any story; it is a story that changed my life. While I was still a small boy, I came to understand these events happened for me. Not that I am anyone important, a fact which adds to my delight. It is a story that happened for all humanity, even for the least of us. It happened for me, and that is what brings a tear to my eyes – God loves even me. Jesus was born for me, he lived for me, he died and rose for me. He ascended for me so I could ascend to him. And this is also for you.
This story might be endearing to me, but it would probably remain obscure ancient history, if not for the fact I have met the central character – Jesus. This might sound strange – how can anyone have met a person who died 2000 years ago?
I read an interesting article where, from a totally secular perspective, a reviewer considered a book by an anthropologist seeking to explain religious experience from a human perspective. “Rather than presuming that people worship because they believe, we ask instead whether people believe because they worship.” I say "human perspective" because the article really didn’t allow for the existence of a supernatural God behind religious experience. If there is no God, then religious experience is simply generated by humanity. However, if there is a supernatural God, then we must consider religious experience quite differently.
I am also reading Is Jesus History? (John Dickson) There may be debate about what Jesus did and what it all meant, but there is no doubt from an historical perspective that Jesus really lived. Belief in the historicity of Jesus is not confined to those who follow him, it is accepted as historical truth by professional historians. John Dickson points out, there are entries on the person of Jesus in standard reference works in the disciplines of ancient history and classics. These include the Oxford Classical Dictionary, Cambridge Ancient History, the Cambridge History of Judaism and Brill’s New Pauly: Encyclopedia of the Ancient World. Each volume treats the existence of Jesus the teacher, healer and martyr as beyond doubt. (John Dickson).
Historically Jesus did exist, the question is, does he still exist? Again, the question boils down to the possibility of a supernatural God. If such a God exists then the possibility of Jesus rising from the dead is very real, if God doesn’t exist then Jesus is long gone!
Meeting Jesus was and is for me a spiritual experience. I haven’t seen him with my eyes or touched him with my hands, but he has touched my life, leaving such a deep impression on my soul that I have met him and know him. I have known him for over fifty-five years. This is why the Christmas story moves me deeply. It is a story about my lifelong friend, Saviour and Lord. I hope you are moved by the Christmas story this year, and like me you enjoy the company of Jesus who was born on earth for us and for our salvation.
“He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:5–7)
Melanie and I wish you all a Merry Christmas.
God bless you
John Malcolm
It is not just any story; it is a story that changed my life. While I was still a small boy, I came to understand these events happened for me. Not that I am anyone important, a fact which adds to my delight. It is a story that happened for all humanity, even for the least of us. It happened for me, and that is what brings a tear to my eyes – God loves even me. Jesus was born for me, he lived for me, he died and rose for me. He ascended for me so I could ascend to him. And this is also for you.
This story might be endearing to me, but it would probably remain obscure ancient history, if not for the fact I have met the central character – Jesus. This might sound strange – how can anyone have met a person who died 2000 years ago?
I read an interesting article where, from a totally secular perspective, a reviewer considered a book by an anthropologist seeking to explain religious experience from a human perspective. “Rather than presuming that people worship because they believe, we ask instead whether people believe because they worship.” I say "human perspective" because the article really didn’t allow for the existence of a supernatural God behind religious experience. If there is no God, then religious experience is simply generated by humanity. However, if there is a supernatural God, then we must consider religious experience quite differently.
I am also reading Is Jesus History? (John Dickson) There may be debate about what Jesus did and what it all meant, but there is no doubt from an historical perspective that Jesus really lived. Belief in the historicity of Jesus is not confined to those who follow him, it is accepted as historical truth by professional historians. John Dickson points out, there are entries on the person of Jesus in standard reference works in the disciplines of ancient history and classics. These include the Oxford Classical Dictionary, Cambridge Ancient History, the Cambridge History of Judaism and Brill’s New Pauly: Encyclopedia of the Ancient World. Each volume treats the existence of Jesus the teacher, healer and martyr as beyond doubt. (John Dickson).
Historically Jesus did exist, the question is, does he still exist? Again, the question boils down to the possibility of a supernatural God. If such a God exists then the possibility of Jesus rising from the dead is very real, if God doesn’t exist then Jesus is long gone!
Meeting Jesus was and is for me a spiritual experience. I haven’t seen him with my eyes or touched him with my hands, but he has touched my life, leaving such a deep impression on my soul that I have met him and know him. I have known him for over fifty-five years. This is why the Christmas story moves me deeply. It is a story about my lifelong friend, Saviour and Lord. I hope you are moved by the Christmas story this year, and like me you enjoy the company of Jesus who was born on earth for us and for our salvation.
“He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:5–7)
Melanie and I wish you all a Merry Christmas.
God bless you
John Malcolm
november 2020 a christ-centred life
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 57.1
COVID, elections, financial challenges, storms, floods, droughts, fires and even a close encounter with a small asteroid – there has been plenty to grab our attention recently. Such are the shifting sands of this world, its worries and concerns. We, and the people of our world, are being tossed around on waves of heightened uncertainty and instability.
It is at times like these that we find our shelter under the wings of God, that God is our refuge and strength, an anchor in the storm and a sure foundation.
We speak of Greyfriars as being a Christ-Centred church. Jesus is at the heart of all we do. We look to him as our Lord and Saviour. We listen to him and seek to understand his teaching. We trust in him and follow him.
Having Christ at the centre gives us a particular way of looking at personal, and world events. We take a Christ-Centred view of life, trying to see things in the light of who Jesus is and what he teaches us.
Taking a Christ-Centred view is not always easy. We tend to look at events and engage in life as we encounter it, reacting as best we can in the moment. A Christ-Centred response requires us to be reflective, to learn and apply the teachings of Jesus, to be prayerful, humble, and obedient to the Holy Spirit. This is not necessarily our first reaction or our natural way of responding. This invites us to look at life differently, to act in love, to be faithful, to show compassion, to seek justice and show mercy. It challenges us not to see the world as spiralling out of control or even as controlled by flawed global leaders, but as a world that is lost, and as people God is seeking to redeem. The faults and fractures, the eruptions and commotions of this world reveal brokenness which God seeks to heal.
Jesus taught us to pray to our heavenly Father saying, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done … Being Christ-Centred is to be focused on God’s kingdom and God’s will. This is a shift in worldview that requires a rational faith based on our knowledge of God and a willingness to act in the interests of God’s kingdom. We don’t have a detailed map for this, but we do have clear markers, the spiritual mountain peaks of Jesus’ teaching: the Great Commandment, the Great Commission, the Sermon on the Mount, and the spiritual example of Jesus' life, including his death and resurrection. The narrow path we take may not always be obvious, but the ascension of Jesus points us to the end point, his promised return and eternity with God.
I invite you to take a moment today, not focusing on the news or the podcasts of current events, but on the good news and the God-cast of the bible to help you refocus on His Kingdom and His will. As we each do this we will find our strength and help from God for this present moment.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1–3)
God bless you
John Malcolm
It is at times like these that we find our shelter under the wings of God, that God is our refuge and strength, an anchor in the storm and a sure foundation.
We speak of Greyfriars as being a Christ-Centred church. Jesus is at the heart of all we do. We look to him as our Lord and Saviour. We listen to him and seek to understand his teaching. We trust in him and follow him.
Having Christ at the centre gives us a particular way of looking at personal, and world events. We take a Christ-Centred view of life, trying to see things in the light of who Jesus is and what he teaches us.
Taking a Christ-Centred view is not always easy. We tend to look at events and engage in life as we encounter it, reacting as best we can in the moment. A Christ-Centred response requires us to be reflective, to learn and apply the teachings of Jesus, to be prayerful, humble, and obedient to the Holy Spirit. This is not necessarily our first reaction or our natural way of responding. This invites us to look at life differently, to act in love, to be faithful, to show compassion, to seek justice and show mercy. It challenges us not to see the world as spiralling out of control or even as controlled by flawed global leaders, but as a world that is lost, and as people God is seeking to redeem. The faults and fractures, the eruptions and commotions of this world reveal brokenness which God seeks to heal.
Jesus taught us to pray to our heavenly Father saying, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done … Being Christ-Centred is to be focused on God’s kingdom and God’s will. This is a shift in worldview that requires a rational faith based on our knowledge of God and a willingness to act in the interests of God’s kingdom. We don’t have a detailed map for this, but we do have clear markers, the spiritual mountain peaks of Jesus’ teaching: the Great Commandment, the Great Commission, the Sermon on the Mount, and the spiritual example of Jesus' life, including his death and resurrection. The narrow path we take may not always be obvious, but the ascension of Jesus points us to the end point, his promised return and eternity with God.
I invite you to take a moment today, not focusing on the news or the podcasts of current events, but on the good news and the God-cast of the bible to help you refocus on His Kingdom and His will. As we each do this we will find our strength and help from God for this present moment.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1–3)
God bless you
John Malcolm
october 2020 in the doldrums
yacht stuck in the doldrums
We can’t go on meeting like this! Well, actually we can if we need to, but it is so good to know we can once again begin meeting together at church.
When we return on 4 October we will have had a total of seventeen at home zoom services this year. Zoom is really good. I believe it is a blessing from God that we can meet for services online, but we all know it is not the same as meeting on-site at church.
Recently I found myself in the doldrums. I was becoming a bit moody without realising it. Perhaps some of you have experienced something like this during lockdown. For me, the straw that broke the camel’s back was cancelling our children’s holiday programme. I have, in part, spent the last month looking at the near horizon, hoping this time we can proceed but having to cancel yet another church activity. We had to cancel Messy church, the school holiday programme, and the cultural lunch and concert. We have had to postpone the choir, the AGM, the membership service and our Redemptive Family workshop.
I often speak of our church as a ship set sail. However, this year it feels to me like we have been in the doldrums - the old nautical name for an area of calm sea in the Atlantic ocean where sailing ships can be stuck for days with no wind. For much of this year our church has been in the doldrums: becalmed, adrift, unable to chart our course. Many of the familiar landmarks - mainly music, playgroup, men’s tea, and church seasons Easter and Pentecost - have remained beyond the horizon. This year we had planned to develop our mix-zones and be invitational, reaching out more into the community but instead we have been forced by COVID to spend time at home and to be physically distanced.
I suppose my doldrums was a form of grieving for what has been lost and being disorientated because the familiar routines were out of sync.
I had been praying about this, but my prayers felt like I was wrestling with God, why this, what is happening now, how do I make sense of it, how does this fit into your will? Bev Shepherd wrote, God does not commit to answer our questions, but instead he promises us his presence. Aside from anything else, this promise marks us out as his people and orientates us in a time of disorientation. (https://licc.org.uk/ Navigating Transition)
Even as we sail the uncharted waters of COVID-19, not being able to gain our bearings or catch the wind, we have the comfort of knowing that God our guide, our ever-present helper knows the way and we can trust him. As people of faith we can find strength in the words “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:3–5)
God bless you
John Malcolm
When we return on 4 October we will have had a total of seventeen at home zoom services this year. Zoom is really good. I believe it is a blessing from God that we can meet for services online, but we all know it is not the same as meeting on-site at church.
Recently I found myself in the doldrums. I was becoming a bit moody without realising it. Perhaps some of you have experienced something like this during lockdown. For me, the straw that broke the camel’s back was cancelling our children’s holiday programme. I have, in part, spent the last month looking at the near horizon, hoping this time we can proceed but having to cancel yet another church activity. We had to cancel Messy church, the school holiday programme, and the cultural lunch and concert. We have had to postpone the choir, the AGM, the membership service and our Redemptive Family workshop.
I often speak of our church as a ship set sail. However, this year it feels to me like we have been in the doldrums - the old nautical name for an area of calm sea in the Atlantic ocean where sailing ships can be stuck for days with no wind. For much of this year our church has been in the doldrums: becalmed, adrift, unable to chart our course. Many of the familiar landmarks - mainly music, playgroup, men’s tea, and church seasons Easter and Pentecost - have remained beyond the horizon. This year we had planned to develop our mix-zones and be invitational, reaching out more into the community but instead we have been forced by COVID to spend time at home and to be physically distanced.
I suppose my doldrums was a form of grieving for what has been lost and being disorientated because the familiar routines were out of sync.
I had been praying about this, but my prayers felt like I was wrestling with God, why this, what is happening now, how do I make sense of it, how does this fit into your will? Bev Shepherd wrote, God does not commit to answer our questions, but instead he promises us his presence. Aside from anything else, this promise marks us out as his people and orientates us in a time of disorientation. (https://licc.org.uk/ Navigating Transition)
Even as we sail the uncharted waters of COVID-19, not being able to gain our bearings or catch the wind, we have the comfort of knowing that God our guide, our ever-present helper knows the way and we can trust him. As people of faith we can find strength in the words “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:3–5)
God bless you
John Malcolm
september 2020 values vs self-interest
What is the relationship between self-interest and values? This and similar questions have been rattling around in my thoughts all week.
This question is very pertinent when we consider our self-interests and values in light of how to act and behave as a community with the spread of COVID-19. The panic buying we have seen may reflect the dominance of self-interest over values.
My interest was piqued when I listened to a podcast in which Tony Blair was discussing the relationship between self-interest and values. While the two may often be aligned it was suggested at times self‑interest will be given precedence over values.
Can something be in our self-interest if it compromises our values? Does our self‑interest shape our values or do our values shape our self-interest? Are our values optional extras, nice to have if we can afford them, but set aside if costly? Is self-interest our default setting?
What gives value to our values? Why these values and not others? Are values a bit like a pick and mix sweet shop where we might choose something one day but not another? Is there any consistent reason for our values or are they not much more than a whim?
The values of many western nations are linked to a shared Christian heritage aligned to what were understood to be the values of God’s Kingdom. These values gave shape to our society, its laws, norms and common interests. What happens to a nation (or a person) that undermines these values or is set adrift from them? What happens in a society that can no longer assume or appeal to common values – does self‑interest prevail? Does self-interest pull us further away from each other into increasingly polarised positions? Part of our modern problem is while our society may have a number of good values, the rope that held us to them has frayed or been cut and we are no longer firmly anchored to them. This leads us to issues such as the upcoming referendums on euthanasia and cannabis use.
Christianity looks beyond an individual’s values or those of a community/nation to find its values in the person and nature of God. Christians face the challenge of allowing their lives to be shaped by God’s values and God’s interests (your will be done …). Part of the struggle for both new and older Christians is that God will constantly challenge us to change our thoughts, speech and behaviours to conform to the values of his kingdom.
What happens when God brings important values to our lives that don’t necessarily seem to align with our self-interest, such as when we read the “one another verses”: love one another, forgive one another, even submit to one another? How do we respond to the command, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3–4)
How will we as a church show values of love and kindness as we begin to move and mix with others following the lockdown? How will we act responsibly, not just to shield ourselves from this disease, but also to act in the interests of others? I invite you to take a moment to consider the values that shape your life and to reflect on what it might mean for you to act in the interests of others.
God bless you
John Malcolm
This question is very pertinent when we consider our self-interests and values in light of how to act and behave as a community with the spread of COVID-19. The panic buying we have seen may reflect the dominance of self-interest over values.
My interest was piqued when I listened to a podcast in which Tony Blair was discussing the relationship between self-interest and values. While the two may often be aligned it was suggested at times self‑interest will be given precedence over values.
Can something be in our self-interest if it compromises our values? Does our self‑interest shape our values or do our values shape our self-interest? Are our values optional extras, nice to have if we can afford them, but set aside if costly? Is self-interest our default setting?
What gives value to our values? Why these values and not others? Are values a bit like a pick and mix sweet shop where we might choose something one day but not another? Is there any consistent reason for our values or are they not much more than a whim?
The values of many western nations are linked to a shared Christian heritage aligned to what were understood to be the values of God’s Kingdom. These values gave shape to our society, its laws, norms and common interests. What happens to a nation (or a person) that undermines these values or is set adrift from them? What happens in a society that can no longer assume or appeal to common values – does self‑interest prevail? Does self-interest pull us further away from each other into increasingly polarised positions? Part of our modern problem is while our society may have a number of good values, the rope that held us to them has frayed or been cut and we are no longer firmly anchored to them. This leads us to issues such as the upcoming referendums on euthanasia and cannabis use.
Christianity looks beyond an individual’s values or those of a community/nation to find its values in the person and nature of God. Christians face the challenge of allowing their lives to be shaped by God’s values and God’s interests (your will be done …). Part of the struggle for both new and older Christians is that God will constantly challenge us to change our thoughts, speech and behaviours to conform to the values of his kingdom.
What happens when God brings important values to our lives that don’t necessarily seem to align with our self-interest, such as when we read the “one another verses”: love one another, forgive one another, even submit to one another? How do we respond to the command, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3–4)
How will we as a church show values of love and kindness as we begin to move and mix with others following the lockdown? How will we act responsibly, not just to shield ourselves from this disease, but also to act in the interests of others? I invite you to take a moment to consider the values that shape your life and to reflect on what it might mean for you to act in the interests of others.
God bless you
John Malcolm
AUGUST 2020 a work in progress
We are a work in progress.
As someone has said, Be patient, God hasn’t finished with me yet! Growth, change, development, and maturity are needed in a church family. This is why we have focused this year on being a redemptive family. Becoming a member of God’s family can take place very quickly as we put our trust in him. However, taking on the family resemblance, to become Christ like, takes a lifetime with ups and downs, advances and setbacks that can all seem a little disordered and messy.
Imagine a child taken into the care of a new family slowly learning what is expected in this family, at times rebelling, making mistakes, feeling awkward but having a growing awareness of the love and patience of the new family to help them feel at home. We are human, changing behaviors and attitudes takes time. Imagine a family made up of many adoptive children from all sorts of backgrounds, with different issues, strengths and weaknesses all in this together and you have a picture of the church.
Some become discouraged when they look at the church and see its (our) imperfections. This is true for people looking from the outside, who might point to the moral failure of church leaders, highlighting their hypocrisy. It is true for some looking from the inside who may have been hurt by the actions and attitudes of people from whom they expected better.
At times humanity excels in goodness but often we see just how messed up and messy our lives can be. Anxiety, anger, pride, insecurities, wounds, regrets … (insert your weakness or waywardness here). We have all said things that, even as they are spoken, we wish we could take back. At times we have reacted from our pain, lashed out disproportionately or simply been mean-spirited. As one author puts it Christians are lumpy-bumpy people, and he might have added we also have a few sharp edges. This is what it is to be human, even when we are beginning to change. Of course, we should have high expectations of Christians, church leaders and churches, but not to the point of expecting perfection or forgetting God hasn’t finished with us yet.
Christians (and churches) are spiritual construction zones. God is chipping away at our imperfections and the floor of his workshop is messy and dusty. There are piles of rubble from our old ways lying around which we sometimes try to reclaim and reuse. There are occasional holes and gaps as God replaces the shoddy workmanship of our past with stronger spiritual materials. The bible speaks of the renewal of your mind (Rom 12.2), receiving a new heart and spirit (Ezek 36.26) of being born again (John 3.8) and of being transformed by degrees (2 Cor 3.18). None of these happen easily or instantly. Much of it is hard work and may require a furnace to refine us (Isaiah 48:10) or a gardener to prune us (John 15.2).
One day, at the big reveal, the curtain will be pulled back and the beauty of what God has been working on will be displayed. In the end God promises to make all things new, but we are not there yet, and it shows.
This gradual process of change towards holiness and godliness is called sanctification, becoming saintly. There are many examples in the bible, Jacob the deceiver, Rahab the prostitute, David the adulterer, Thomas the doubter, Paul the persecutor and many more, who having messed up, grew up, matured and changed.
If you are not perfect yet, don’t despair, be patient and invite God to carry on changing you. If you are looking at the church and you are disappointed with what you see, get real about the mess and look beyond the rubble to the restoration God is working on.
In the month ahead, to help with the growth and change of our church, we will be picking up themes from the Redemptive Family course and reminding ourselves we are a family of faith, love, and service; a family which grows by sharing the good news about Jesus.
God bless you
John Malcolm
As someone has said, Be patient, God hasn’t finished with me yet! Growth, change, development, and maturity are needed in a church family. This is why we have focused this year on being a redemptive family. Becoming a member of God’s family can take place very quickly as we put our trust in him. However, taking on the family resemblance, to become Christ like, takes a lifetime with ups and downs, advances and setbacks that can all seem a little disordered and messy.
Imagine a child taken into the care of a new family slowly learning what is expected in this family, at times rebelling, making mistakes, feeling awkward but having a growing awareness of the love and patience of the new family to help them feel at home. We are human, changing behaviors and attitudes takes time. Imagine a family made up of many adoptive children from all sorts of backgrounds, with different issues, strengths and weaknesses all in this together and you have a picture of the church.
Some become discouraged when they look at the church and see its (our) imperfections. This is true for people looking from the outside, who might point to the moral failure of church leaders, highlighting their hypocrisy. It is true for some looking from the inside who may have been hurt by the actions and attitudes of people from whom they expected better.
At times humanity excels in goodness but often we see just how messed up and messy our lives can be. Anxiety, anger, pride, insecurities, wounds, regrets … (insert your weakness or waywardness here). We have all said things that, even as they are spoken, we wish we could take back. At times we have reacted from our pain, lashed out disproportionately or simply been mean-spirited. As one author puts it Christians are lumpy-bumpy people, and he might have added we also have a few sharp edges. This is what it is to be human, even when we are beginning to change. Of course, we should have high expectations of Christians, church leaders and churches, but not to the point of expecting perfection or forgetting God hasn’t finished with us yet.
Christians (and churches) are spiritual construction zones. God is chipping away at our imperfections and the floor of his workshop is messy and dusty. There are piles of rubble from our old ways lying around which we sometimes try to reclaim and reuse. There are occasional holes and gaps as God replaces the shoddy workmanship of our past with stronger spiritual materials. The bible speaks of the renewal of your mind (Rom 12.2), receiving a new heart and spirit (Ezek 36.26) of being born again (John 3.8) and of being transformed by degrees (2 Cor 3.18). None of these happen easily or instantly. Much of it is hard work and may require a furnace to refine us (Isaiah 48:10) or a gardener to prune us (John 15.2).
One day, at the big reveal, the curtain will be pulled back and the beauty of what God has been working on will be displayed. In the end God promises to make all things new, but we are not there yet, and it shows.
This gradual process of change towards holiness and godliness is called sanctification, becoming saintly. There are many examples in the bible, Jacob the deceiver, Rahab the prostitute, David the adulterer, Thomas the doubter, Paul the persecutor and many more, who having messed up, grew up, matured and changed.
If you are not perfect yet, don’t despair, be patient and invite God to carry on changing you. If you are looking at the church and you are disappointed with what you see, get real about the mess and look beyond the rubble to the restoration God is working on.
In the month ahead, to help with the growth and change of our church, we will be picking up themes from the Redemptive Family course and reminding ourselves we are a family of faith, love, and service; a family which grows by sharing the good news about Jesus.
God bless you
John Malcolm
july 2020 love comes from god
What if, instead of starting from the assumption that human beings are thinking beings, we started from the conviction that human beings are first and foremost lovers? (Jamie Smith “You Are What You Love”)
What you make of that statement? Should we as Christians approach our faith primarily as lovers rather than as intellectuals? This was an idea we delved into recently at our Sunday evening Converse series.
I have always been intrigued by the two bold statements made by the Apostle John; God is light and God is love. (1 John 4.16 & 1.5) He states “… love comes from God.” (1 John 4:7).
As we look at the bible, we see a marvelous love story played out as God pursues fallen humanity with his love. The greatest expression of that love is found in Jesus. And so we read perhaps the most well-known and deeply theological verse of the Bible “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
We also have the amazing Song of Songs that begins with these passionate words, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out.” (Song of Solomon 1:2–3) In this book we not only see human passion on display but also see this as an image of God's love for his church which in the New Testament is spoken of as the bride of Christ. When we are in love, we long to spend time with the one we love. We plan to meet, we try to make time for “dates”, we give this priority simply because being together is a delight. Does his name thrill us? Are we alert, listening for him and seeking him?
Love is a great motivator. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “For Christ’s love compels us …” (2 Corinthians 5:14) We are much more inclined to act out of love than out of duty. I find it interesting following Peter’s denial of Jesus, when Jesus spoke to reinstate him he did not ask Peter, Do you believe in me rather he asked, Peter, do you love me? (John 21.15) To heal Peter’s heart, Jesus appealed to his heart. Jesus understood it was love that would sustain Peter and compel him in his life and mission.
Today, if Jesus asked you, do you love me, how would you reply? Does that love draw you to Jesus, to make time for him in prayer and bible reading? Does that love compel you to loving service? How will you express your love for Jesus today?
God bless you
John Malcolm
What you make of that statement? Should we as Christians approach our faith primarily as lovers rather than as intellectuals? This was an idea we delved into recently at our Sunday evening Converse series.
I have always been intrigued by the two bold statements made by the Apostle John; God is light and God is love. (1 John 4.16 & 1.5) He states “… love comes from God.” (1 John 4:7).
As we look at the bible, we see a marvelous love story played out as God pursues fallen humanity with his love. The greatest expression of that love is found in Jesus. And so we read perhaps the most well-known and deeply theological verse of the Bible “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
We also have the amazing Song of Songs that begins with these passionate words, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out.” (Song of Solomon 1:2–3) In this book we not only see human passion on display but also see this as an image of God's love for his church which in the New Testament is spoken of as the bride of Christ. When we are in love, we long to spend time with the one we love. We plan to meet, we try to make time for “dates”, we give this priority simply because being together is a delight. Does his name thrill us? Are we alert, listening for him and seeking him?
Love is a great motivator. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “For Christ’s love compels us …” (2 Corinthians 5:14) We are much more inclined to act out of love than out of duty. I find it interesting following Peter’s denial of Jesus, when Jesus spoke to reinstate him he did not ask Peter, Do you believe in me rather he asked, Peter, do you love me? (John 21.15) To heal Peter’s heart, Jesus appealed to his heart. Jesus understood it was love that would sustain Peter and compel him in his life and mission.
Today, if Jesus asked you, do you love me, how would you reply? Does that love draw you to Jesus, to make time for him in prayer and bible reading? Does that love compel you to loving service? How will you express your love for Jesus today?
God bless you
John Malcolm
june 2020 THE blessing
Soon after we moved out of lockdown I made a trip into the church office to catch up on a few things I haven’t been able to do at home. I went up to the seat beside the church on Mt Eden Road and sat there for a few minutes of prayer. Many of you know I try to do this regularly, but obviously during the lockdown I haven’t gone there to pray. What you may not know is the prayer I mostly pray is the Aaronic Blessing. I look towards each car, bus, bike and truck, even at people walking by and because the vehicles are so many and move so quickly I generally just pray one line of this prayer, then move my eyes to the people in the next car and say the next line.
The Aaronic Blessing is the ancient priestly blessing which God commanded Aaron to use when blessing the people of Israel. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron and his sons, “This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: ‘ “ ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.’ ”” (Numbers 6:22–26)
God said, This is how you are to bless, and so this blessing is unique. By giving this blessing God has shown that His desire is to bless us. These words have been used for thousands of years over many generations. With each of my children, when they were first put into my arms moments after their birth, I quietly prayed this blessing over them. It is likely these words were said at your baptism, that of your parents and of your grandparents. It is likely you have prayed them and sung them.
You may have recently heard a new version of this called The Blessing. Members of churches all across the UK sing this as a blessing over their nation. I have found it deeply moving in these COVID times to be reminded that God desires to bless us, our families, our nation and world. I invite you to listen, first of all to hear this as God’s blessing to you and your family. Then perhaps to listen again, this time singing along as your prayer for blessing for our community, nation and world.
I think the reason I find this so moving is because the words express the heart of God to bless us. As we listen or sing along, our hearts are drawn near to God’s heart of blessing, and we echo the words of blessing as we use them to bless others. In these unprecedented times for our generation, we need God’s blessing more than ever.
God bless you
John Malcolm
The Aaronic Blessing is the ancient priestly blessing which God commanded Aaron to use when blessing the people of Israel. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron and his sons, “This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: ‘ “ ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.’ ”” (Numbers 6:22–26)
God said, This is how you are to bless, and so this blessing is unique. By giving this blessing God has shown that His desire is to bless us. These words have been used for thousands of years over many generations. With each of my children, when they were first put into my arms moments after their birth, I quietly prayed this blessing over them. It is likely these words were said at your baptism, that of your parents and of your grandparents. It is likely you have prayed them and sung them.
You may have recently heard a new version of this called The Blessing. Members of churches all across the UK sing this as a blessing over their nation. I have found it deeply moving in these COVID times to be reminded that God desires to bless us, our families, our nation and world. I invite you to listen, first of all to hear this as God’s blessing to you and your family. Then perhaps to listen again, this time singing along as your prayer for blessing for our community, nation and world.
I think the reason I find this so moving is because the words express the heart of God to bless us. As we listen or sing along, our hearts are drawn near to God’s heart of blessing, and we echo the words of blessing as we use them to bless others. In these unprecedented times for our generation, we need God’s blessing more than ever.
God bless you
John Malcolm
may 2020 church - but not as we know it
I remember many years ago there was a spoof song making fun of the TV series Star Trek. One line in the song had Mr Spock singing, It’s life Jim, but not as we know it. Perhaps under lockdown we could sing, It’s church John, but not as we know it.
There is debate taking place among some Christians as to whether online Sunday church services are really church. Certainly, it is not church as we have known it in the past. Some people are refusing to call what happens on Sunday morning a church service and instead refer to it as chapel. Some worry that, in a society that was becoming increasingly isolated before COVID-19, this will add pace to individualism and to people staying in their bubbles even when the need to do so is past.
This lockdown allows us to reflect on what we mean by church and to consider what we appreciated about our services BC (Before Corona). We can also think about what are learning and can take forward into services when we are able to meet together again.
Because the church is “a people” we can be flexible and adapt to new circumstances. The church doesn’t adapt its beliefs, but we can easily adapt to new forms of worship as the need arises. The church has done this over many centuries in many different situations. Some of the trimmings we take for granted as “normal” church life, were not part of church life in the past. The early church had no buildings or pulpits. Under various regimes the church has gone “underground” with no formal meetings, no paid ministry, and often very little access to the bible. There have been times when the church has been a small remnant as well as times when it has held the majority.
One outcome of the lockdown may be that we, as a church, are refined and reshaped so we emerge stronger. “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7) Perhaps God is pruning us so we can become more fruitful. “‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. … every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1–2) If God uses the lockdown to reveal the genuineness of our faith and prunes us to be even more faithful, then something good can come from this terrible time.
There are obvious benefits of having church online. I was speaking with Presbyterian ministers today who have found, as we have, increased attendance at online services. We are reconnecting with people who are housebound or who haven’t attended our services recently. We have all been able to “visit” families in their homes, seeing some great creativity from our children and young people. Brady Shearer says, this is taking the timeless message of Jesus and sharing it through timely mediums. I wonder if the IT specialists who wrote the code for Zoom could have imagined, through God’s providence, that it would be a timely medium for the gospel to be proclaimed and the church to meet?
It may not be as we know it, it may lack some important elements of worship, but it definitely is “church” when God’s people gather online or in person in His name. I invite you to reflect and consider – what have we gained by meeting online, that we want to continue into the future?
God bless you
John Malcolm
There is debate taking place among some Christians as to whether online Sunday church services are really church. Certainly, it is not church as we have known it in the past. Some people are refusing to call what happens on Sunday morning a church service and instead refer to it as chapel. Some worry that, in a society that was becoming increasingly isolated before COVID-19, this will add pace to individualism and to people staying in their bubbles even when the need to do so is past.
This lockdown allows us to reflect on what we mean by church and to consider what we appreciated about our services BC (Before Corona). We can also think about what are learning and can take forward into services when we are able to meet together again.
Because the church is “a people” we can be flexible and adapt to new circumstances. The church doesn’t adapt its beliefs, but we can easily adapt to new forms of worship as the need arises. The church has done this over many centuries in many different situations. Some of the trimmings we take for granted as “normal” church life, were not part of church life in the past. The early church had no buildings or pulpits. Under various regimes the church has gone “underground” with no formal meetings, no paid ministry, and often very little access to the bible. There have been times when the church has been a small remnant as well as times when it has held the majority.
One outcome of the lockdown may be that we, as a church, are refined and reshaped so we emerge stronger. “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:7) Perhaps God is pruning us so we can become more fruitful. “‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. … every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1–2) If God uses the lockdown to reveal the genuineness of our faith and prunes us to be even more faithful, then something good can come from this terrible time.
There are obvious benefits of having church online. I was speaking with Presbyterian ministers today who have found, as we have, increased attendance at online services. We are reconnecting with people who are housebound or who haven’t attended our services recently. We have all been able to “visit” families in their homes, seeing some great creativity from our children and young people. Brady Shearer says, this is taking the timeless message of Jesus and sharing it through timely mediums. I wonder if the IT specialists who wrote the code for Zoom could have imagined, through God’s providence, that it would be a timely medium for the gospel to be proclaimed and the church to meet?
It may not be as we know it, it may lack some important elements of worship, but it definitely is “church” when God’s people gather online or in person in His name. I invite you to reflect and consider – what have we gained by meeting online, that we want to continue into the future?
God bless you
John Malcolm
april 2020 not forsaken
It is very strange to be approaching Easter and not have the joy of our Good Friday procession through Mt Eden, or decorating the cross at Epsom on Easter Sunday. I am thinking of ways we can acknowledge the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord while separated from each other and unable to enter our church buildings.
In a small way our separation allows us to better appreciate the Diaspora of the ancient Jewish people who were separated from their loved ones when taken into exile. We have been dispersed to the comfort of our own homes. While this lockdown is inconvenient, it isn’t permanent. It will only be only weeks (perhaps months) in duration, not the seventy years the Jewish people endured before some of them could return to their place of worship.
Perhaps this separation also invites us to consider more deeply what it meant for our Lord Jesus to be separated from his Heavenly Father as he died on the cross, saying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) If this was all that the Psalm said, we might rightly conclude Jesus was forsaken by God at the time of his greatest need; but read on and you will find this is a Psalm of great faith rather than great rejection.
Psalm 22 honestly addresses suffering, “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.” (verse 7) “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.” (verses 14–15) There is no denying the agony of Jesus on the cross or the agony expressed by the Psalmist. No wonder Jesus’ mind turned to this Psalm as he was dying. It expressed his predicament, his pain, his thirst and his bones pulled out of joint by his torturous death.
This Psalm is realistic but not pessimistic. It doesn’t brush real pain under the carpet, but it does connect it to faith, truth and hope. As the Psalm progresses it changes gear and hits a different note. “You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honour him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” (verses 23–24) The Psalmist begins by asking why have you forsaken me, but in trusting faith recognises that God is there in the suffering; he hasn’t hidden his face, rather he has listened to the cry for help. If we dwell on verse one, we miss seeing the complete picture of faith “… future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!” (verses 30–31) This is a great statement of faith – he has done it – it is finished!
In the strange times we find ourselves in: at home, isolated and with fear about how COVID‑19 may affect us and our families, we might ask God, Why have you forsaken me? This is quite a reasonable question to ask; but to ask from faith, not from despair. We can find spiritual strength in this Psalm which wells up into praise for our God, “From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfil my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live for ever!” (verses 25–26) Even in these days, those who seek the Lord will praise him, find him faithful and be satisfied.
Find courage, find strength, find hope – Jesus died for us and has risen! Even his question on the cross points us to confidence in God and compels us to lift our voices in praise to him.
May you and all who you love be blessed this Easter season.
God bless you
John Malcolm
In a small way our separation allows us to better appreciate the Diaspora of the ancient Jewish people who were separated from their loved ones when taken into exile. We have been dispersed to the comfort of our own homes. While this lockdown is inconvenient, it isn’t permanent. It will only be only weeks (perhaps months) in duration, not the seventy years the Jewish people endured before some of them could return to their place of worship.
Perhaps this separation also invites us to consider more deeply what it meant for our Lord Jesus to be separated from his Heavenly Father as he died on the cross, saying, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) If this was all that the Psalm said, we might rightly conclude Jesus was forsaken by God at the time of his greatest need; but read on and you will find this is a Psalm of great faith rather than great rejection.
Psalm 22 honestly addresses suffering, “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads.” (verse 7) “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.” (verses 14–15) There is no denying the agony of Jesus on the cross or the agony expressed by the Psalmist. No wonder Jesus’ mind turned to this Psalm as he was dying. It expressed his predicament, his pain, his thirst and his bones pulled out of joint by his torturous death.
This Psalm is realistic but not pessimistic. It doesn’t brush real pain under the carpet, but it does connect it to faith, truth and hope. As the Psalm progresses it changes gear and hits a different note. “You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honour him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” (verses 23–24) The Psalmist begins by asking why have you forsaken me, but in trusting faith recognises that God is there in the suffering; he hasn’t hidden his face, rather he has listened to the cry for help. If we dwell on verse one, we miss seeing the complete picture of faith “… future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!” (verses 30–31) This is a great statement of faith – he has done it – it is finished!
In the strange times we find ourselves in: at home, isolated and with fear about how COVID‑19 may affect us and our families, we might ask God, Why have you forsaken me? This is quite a reasonable question to ask; but to ask from faith, not from despair. We can find spiritual strength in this Psalm which wells up into praise for our God, “From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfil my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live for ever!” (verses 25–26) Even in these days, those who seek the Lord will praise him, find him faithful and be satisfied.
Find courage, find strength, find hope – Jesus died for us and has risen! Even his question on the cross points us to confidence in God and compels us to lift our voices in praise to him.
May you and all who you love be blessed this Easter season.
God bless you
John Malcolm
march 2020 lockdown
“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)
At this moment, as I look out my window, I can see a rainbow, a sign of God’s promise, a reminder that God is with us and has not forgotten us. His promise is to hold us by the hand, as he speaks to our fears and to assure us, he is here to help us.I encourage you to take God’s hand, to find strength and comfort from him “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28) When we are in God’s hands we are in safe hands.
I think we all knew the announcement to shelter at home would come soon. Even so, I was shocked to hear it. At the end of the day our city will become eerily quiet and our normally busy motorways will be free of traffic. It may take us a few days to grasp what this means. At first it might seem like a weekend, a long weekend. But one where you can’t go for a coffee with friends, for a trip to the beach or to the movies.
How do we, as a church, foster community in a situation like this?
I received the meme above from Herman and Elsie who are part of our Epsom church family, reminding me it is the building, not the church that is closed. You are the church! You are to remain open. Today we need to think of new ways of being open, open to God, open to our church family and open to those around us. Our God is a God of openings …
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7–8)
“Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,” (2 Corinthians 2:12)
“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” (Revelation 3:8)
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
Our nation may be in lockdown, but God is not in lockdown. God’s hands are not tied, heaven is open for business as usual and he promises to help us.
God bless you
John Malcolm
At this moment, as I look out my window, I can see a rainbow, a sign of God’s promise, a reminder that God is with us and has not forgotten us. His promise is to hold us by the hand, as he speaks to our fears and to assure us, he is here to help us.I encourage you to take God’s hand, to find strength and comfort from him “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28) When we are in God’s hands we are in safe hands.
I think we all knew the announcement to shelter at home would come soon. Even so, I was shocked to hear it. At the end of the day our city will become eerily quiet and our normally busy motorways will be free of traffic. It may take us a few days to grasp what this means. At first it might seem like a weekend, a long weekend. But one where you can’t go for a coffee with friends, for a trip to the beach or to the movies.
How do we, as a church, foster community in a situation like this?
I received the meme above from Herman and Elsie who are part of our Epsom church family, reminding me it is the building, not the church that is closed. You are the church! You are to remain open. Today we need to think of new ways of being open, open to God, open to our church family and open to those around us. Our God is a God of openings …
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7–8)
“Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,” (2 Corinthians 2:12)
“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” (Revelation 3:8)
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
Our nation may be in lockdown, but God is not in lockdown. God’s hands are not tied, heaven is open for business as usual and he promises to help us.
God bless you
John Malcolm
march 2020 coronavirus
This is one of the few times in my life the word surreal is not being misused. People interviewed on TV seem lost for words and almost in shock. News headlines, video of empty streets in world capitals, empty shelves in shops, and people fighting over, of all things, toilet paper. Prime Ministers and Presidents are appearing regularly on TV flanked by scientists and health officials. Ministers of finance are promising billions of dollars to help businesses and individuals cope. Manufacturers are adjusting their production lines to make respirators and hand sanitiser. While we sadly watch the numbers of people infected rising. It is like a dystopian Hollywood movie.
One microscopic virus has brought the world to its knees in a matter of months. It has slipped behind our defences and seemingly turned back the clock to an age we thought we had left behind. This is a crisis never before experienced in our lifetime, when disease is rampant and we are withdrawing into the isolation of our homes.
I find myself hungry for news, to hear what is being done, to try and understand the scale of the problem. But every time I look it seems to grow exponentially.
Have you noticed what is missing?
Leaders appearing on TV have scientists and medics at their side (rightly so) but where are the chaplains, pastors and priests? Cure for bodies is clearly needed, but how is the care of the soul being addressed? How are spiritual needs being met? Where is the call to prayer?
People are turning to supermarkets and to pharmacies, but are they turning to God?
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
I encourage you to take time to pray. Pray, not as we do in times of comfort and ease, but pray prayers forged in times of trouble. Lift prayers shaped by the real and obvious needs of our world. Pray with faith, courage and perseverance.
I include below a prayer from the Denison Forum.
“Prayer for a Pandemic” by Dr Cameron Wiggins Bellm of Seattle, Washington:
May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have had to cancel our trips
Remember those that have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country,
Let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,
Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.
Amen.
God bless you
John Malcolm
One microscopic virus has brought the world to its knees in a matter of months. It has slipped behind our defences and seemingly turned back the clock to an age we thought we had left behind. This is a crisis never before experienced in our lifetime, when disease is rampant and we are withdrawing into the isolation of our homes.
I find myself hungry for news, to hear what is being done, to try and understand the scale of the problem. But every time I look it seems to grow exponentially.
Have you noticed what is missing?
Leaders appearing on TV have scientists and medics at their side (rightly so) but where are the chaplains, pastors and priests? Cure for bodies is clearly needed, but how is the care of the soul being addressed? How are spiritual needs being met? Where is the call to prayer?
People are turning to supermarkets and to pharmacies, but are they turning to God?
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
I encourage you to take time to pray. Pray, not as we do in times of comfort and ease, but pray prayers forged in times of trouble. Lift prayers shaped by the real and obvious needs of our world. Pray with faith, courage and perseverance.
I include below a prayer from the Denison Forum.
“Prayer for a Pandemic” by Dr Cameron Wiggins Bellm of Seattle, Washington:
May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have had to cancel our trips
Remember those that have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country,
Let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other,
Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors.
Amen.
God bless you
John Malcolm
march 2020 kindness
A number of years ago one of our children innocently posted a photo of Melanie and me on Reddit. It went viral, with over 300,000 views. There were a few positive comments but mostly hundreds of negative, rude and often vulgar posts. It seemed some people had nothing better to do than to ramp up the torrent of abuse and take perverse pleasure in vilifying people they didn’t know and would never meet. Behind the veil of anonymity people felt free to express the worst of their inner thoughts. Who are you when no one else is looking and you can say whatever comes to mind?
The death of Caroline Flack, a celebrity in the United Kingdom, has been met with calls from politicians and others for people to be kind to each other. Caroline Flack had been a victim of online abuse. Her death is raising questions about how people treat each other. In a world where it is possible to insult and bully people using the anonymity of the internet and where public opinion can easily turn against you in hateful invective, kindness is sorely needed.
I listened to politicians discussing this situation and promising to bring in legislation to enforce online behaviour. Recently Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook CEO) said social media firms should not decide what counts as legitimate free speech.
The problem with the views of politicians and social media executives is that you cannot legislate kindness. They may be able to police outward behaviours, but they can’t change the human heart. They might be able to programme computer algorithms to identify hate speech but they can’t programme humans to act kindly. It seems society tries to tackle the presenting problem but has no ability to deal with its source. Nor do they recognise the underlying problem for what it really is – sin! No amount of appealing for people to act from an inner human goodness is of any help if the inner self is not really that good.
Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Because God is kind, our relationship with him begins to transform us inwardly so kindness grows from within. We also have a part to play. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12–14) This speaks not just of kindness, but of many other positive attributes we need to see growing in ourselves and in the people around us.
Kindness is both an attribute that grows in us because of our relationship with God, and an attribute we must choose to put on. How do you decide what clothes to put on for the day? Are you highly organised with colour co-ordinated outfits ready to go? Do you spend time the night before thinking about what to wear? Or do you just go to the wardrobe in the morning and find yourself dithering and unable to make up your mind, maybe just selecting whatever comes to hand?
I believe our lives would be better if we started the day taking a moment to consciously decide to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
God bless you
John Malcolm
The death of Caroline Flack, a celebrity in the United Kingdom, has been met with calls from politicians and others for people to be kind to each other. Caroline Flack had been a victim of online abuse. Her death is raising questions about how people treat each other. In a world where it is possible to insult and bully people using the anonymity of the internet and where public opinion can easily turn against you in hateful invective, kindness is sorely needed.
I listened to politicians discussing this situation and promising to bring in legislation to enforce online behaviour. Recently Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook CEO) said social media firms should not decide what counts as legitimate free speech.
The problem with the views of politicians and social media executives is that you cannot legislate kindness. They may be able to police outward behaviours, but they can’t change the human heart. They might be able to programme computer algorithms to identify hate speech but they can’t programme humans to act kindly. It seems society tries to tackle the presenting problem but has no ability to deal with its source. Nor do they recognise the underlying problem for what it really is – sin! No amount of appealing for people to act from an inner human goodness is of any help if the inner self is not really that good.
Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Because God is kind, our relationship with him begins to transform us inwardly so kindness grows from within. We also have a part to play. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12–14) This speaks not just of kindness, but of many other positive attributes we need to see growing in ourselves and in the people around us.
Kindness is both an attribute that grows in us because of our relationship with God, and an attribute we must choose to put on. How do you decide what clothes to put on for the day? Are you highly organised with colour co-ordinated outfits ready to go? Do you spend time the night before thinking about what to wear? Or do you just go to the wardrobe in the morning and find yourself dithering and unable to make up your mind, maybe just selecting whatever comes to hand?
I believe our lives would be better if we started the day taking a moment to consciously decide to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
God bless you
John Malcolm
FEBRUARY 2020 REDEMPTIVE FAMILY
It has been a difficult time for the Royal Family recently. The announcement from Harry and Meghan that they wanted to step back from royal duties and to forge a financially independent future seemed to come as a surprise. News headlines spoke of a crisis in the Royal Family.
I suppose this goes to show is that every family, regardless of “rank”, has its challenges. Family dynamics, relationships and expectations bring stress and strain whoever you are. We all know families who struggle in one way or another. We might know of, or personally experience, tensions in our family life. Most of us do this without the spotlight of the media shining on us, but because of our common humanity we all experience pain, regret, sadness rejection and uncertainty. Family life isn’t always easy.
This month at Greyfriars we will begin exploring what it means to be a “Redemptive Family”.
I am inspired by Jesus as I read, Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:34–35) Jesus gave his followers special status. This great privilege was understood by the early church and expressed by Paul who said, … “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:14–16). When we follow Jesus, we become God’s children, part of God’s family. We then have the opportunity to join with others working as a spiritual family and learning about the dynamics of life in God’s family. Being family isn’t always easy, it can be a steep learning curve, but it holds great joy and fulfilment that really adds to our lives.
As we work through the Redemptive Family course, we will consider how to be a spiritually healthy family engaged together in the mission of God. We will discuss the purpose God has given us to witness to his goodness and how to foster redemptive relationships with people in our community.
One small practical step as a redemptive family would be to give priority to attending our BBQ church evenings and perhaps inviting a friend or neighbour to come along. A relaxed BBQ will give us the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and give people on the fringe of church life a chance to meet us around the table.
I look forward to what we will discover together through the Redemptive Family course and to seeing how this helps shape our church life in 2020.
God bless you
John Malcolm
I suppose this goes to show is that every family, regardless of “rank”, has its challenges. Family dynamics, relationships and expectations bring stress and strain whoever you are. We all know families who struggle in one way or another. We might know of, or personally experience, tensions in our family life. Most of us do this without the spotlight of the media shining on us, but because of our common humanity we all experience pain, regret, sadness rejection and uncertainty. Family life isn’t always easy.
This month at Greyfriars we will begin exploring what it means to be a “Redemptive Family”.
I am inspired by Jesus as I read, Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:34–35) Jesus gave his followers special status. This great privilege was understood by the early church and expressed by Paul who said, … “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:14–16). When we follow Jesus, we become God’s children, part of God’s family. We then have the opportunity to join with others working as a spiritual family and learning about the dynamics of life in God’s family. Being family isn’t always easy, it can be a steep learning curve, but it holds great joy and fulfilment that really adds to our lives.
As we work through the Redemptive Family course, we will consider how to be a spiritually healthy family engaged together in the mission of God. We will discuss the purpose God has given us to witness to his goodness and how to foster redemptive relationships with people in our community.
One small practical step as a redemptive family would be to give priority to attending our BBQ church evenings and perhaps inviting a friend or neighbour to come along. A relaxed BBQ will give us the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and give people on the fringe of church life a chance to meet us around the table.
I look forward to what we will discover together through the Redemptive Family course and to seeing how this helps shape our church life in 2020.
God bless you
John Malcolm