'When the storms of life are raging': worship 4th Feb. 2024

WELCOME to our weekly online worship - I hope you find it a time of encouragement and spiritual nourishment. To access the service the WORSHIP LINK IS HERE 

Notices follow below...

CHURCH NOTICES/
Sun 11 Feb.: Pancake Sunday service - to help get us ready to enter the season of Lent, we'll be having a pancake breakfast before the morning service, through in the church hall. If you're able, do come along - bring some friends, as all are welcome. The doors to the church hall will open for 9.30, and after breakfast, the service will begin through in the worship space at 10.30am.

2024 Lent Book: Lent is a time for giving up or taking on, and this year, if you'd like to take on a Lent challenge, why not join in reading 'Loving my Neighbour' over the course of the season to help you on the spiritual journey?  The book costs £9.99 and is broken into weekly sections which have daily reflections for you to either start or end your day, or read over lunch, or whenever best suits your routine. If you’d like me to order you a copy, let me know by tomorrow evening (Mon 5th) and I can order a copy in time to give to you next Sunday before Lent begins.

Thurs. 8th Feb. 7pm: Kirk Session - a reminder to members of the Session that we have a meeting at 7pm on Thursday this week. Minutes and an agenda will be with you shortly.

God bless and have a good week.

'A fishy tale': worship for Sun 28 Jan.

WELCOME to worship where today we’re kind of having a light bulb moment in the middle of a storm at sea. 

To go straight to our YouTube channel click on THIS LINK

Notices follow below...

CHURCH NOTICES/ 
11 Feb.: Pancake Sunday - on the weekend before the season of Lent officially begins we’ll be opening the church doors for a pancake breakfast at 9.30am. This will be followed by our service of worship. Please do let people know – everyone’s welcome to come along… and let’s hope that it’s as successful as our Harvest breakfast was last year.
And, I’m hoping to catch up with folk to get this organised – so if you're able to help in some way, please do get in touch!

Lent book group: if you'd like to join a book group over Lent, do get in touch. It's essentially just a simple commitment to read a particular book over the season, as a wee chance for some spiritual nurture and growth. The book chosen for this year is 'Loving my Neighbour', published by BRF and you can ORDER A COPY HERE or, I'm happy to get a copy for you if you let me know by Mon 5th of February. The cost is £9.99. The book itself is divided into weeks, with each week written by a different author, and broken into daily readings. So, a good Lent discipline.

Thurs 8th Feb., 7pm: A reminder that there’ll be a meeting of the Session on Thursday the 8th of February, by zoom, and I’m hoping we can get an agenda and minutes out in due course to members of the Session.

'A man's a man, for a' that': worship for Sun 21 January

WELCOME to worship as we move further into the season of epiphany – the time in the church year
where we essentially do a little unwrapping of the message of Christmas. Last time we were together, we did a little unwrapping of Jesus.
This week, we explore the beginnings of his mission and ministry, picking up on Luke's account of the Beatitudes. 

The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE and should be available from about 4pm Sunday afternoon.

CHURCH NOTICES
Not many this week ...
Evening worship. Leadhills: Just to note that there will be no evening service this coming Sunday at Leadhills.

Lent Book Group: This year, Easter falls quite early – the 31st of March – and so, before that, we have Lent. And I’m wondering if there are any of you who might like to be involved in a Lent book group over the weeks leading up to Easter? Let me know, and I’ll look out some suggestions. The idea being that from the comfort of our own homes, we commit to reading a particular book together to accompany us over Lent. Via conversations over coffee, or phone, or even email, over the weeks, feel free to share your thoughts. Let me know if you'd like to be involved.

Pancake Sunday: One wee event to flag up that's coming up on the horizon, is Pancake Sunday on the 11th of February. Basically, a pancake breakfast before worship in the church building. For those of you worshipping online, if you want to join in the spirit of things, there's a very good excuse to rustle up some pancakes and enjoy them over worship!!

In the meantime, may you know God's presence with you through the week,
God bless

Nikki 

Lent Lego challenge: coming soon!

Hi everyone, just a wee heads-up about our upcoming Lego challenge that you can find across at our YouTube channel.
It starts on Monday the 15th of March and each day, apart from Sunday, running all the way to Easter, there'll be a story with an Easter theme, and a challenge to build a particular item from that story.
This is hosted by our new Community Outreach Worker, Angela Brydson. 
Are you up for the challenge?
We really hope so - and, we'd love to see photos of your amazing Lego constructions - you can send these along to Nikki at - minister.upperclyde@gmail.com
Below is an introduction to give you an idea of what we'll be doing...

Worship Sun 14 Feb: Love, actually

WELCOME/
Hello everyone and welcome once again to our time of online worship.
Given the date that Sunday falls on, St Valentine's Day, how could we do other than talk about love?
And, make sure to have your popcorn at the ready because faith goes to the movies in out sermon today - as we stand on the cusp of Lent, and think of God's love and the qualities of love as seen in 1 Cor. 13 we'll take a wee journey through the film 'Chocolat'...
The WORSHIP LINK IS HERE to take you across to our YouTube channel and below is some information about the upcoming season of Lent and some suggestions for the journey.

NOTICES/
Lent activity suggestions -
Lent is a season in the church year that gives us a concentrated space of time that we can set aside in order to help sharpen up our focus on God. It's often likened to a journey - we journey over the weeks of Lent towards Jerusalem, travelling with Jesus to those events in Holy Week and leading to Easter Sunday.
Traditionally, to mark Lent, the practice of giving up something, or taking something on, developed.
And, here at Upper Clyde, over the last few years, we've had both a daily and weekly set of options to help walk the Lenten pathway. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, Lent falls during Spring, so we can think of this time as an opportunity to do a little spiritual Spring cleaning.
Check back on the blogsite DURING THE WEEK - look along the tabs above the blog post and you'll find a tab specially dedicated to gathering our various Lent options, reflections, and spiritual tools - 'LENT 2021'
There'll be options for bakers, for outdoorsy folk, gardeners, for those unable to go outdoors, and even for lovers of Lego. Along with several book suggestions that you might find useful companions on the way.

Ash Wednesday -
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and falls on the Wednesday of this week - the 17th of Feb.
There will be a short service on our YouTube channel that will be available from 5pm on the day. It's always good to mark the start of a journey in some way, and so I trust our service will help to do just that. I'll put a link here or, if you've bookmarked/ subscribed to our YouTube channel, just head across anytime after 5pm.

Parish newsletter - Easter edition
Over the upcoming weeks, Dee, our magazine editor, will be looking for items of interest to include in what will be a smaller newsletter, rather than magazine [due to COVID-19 and not wanting to put folk at risk, and of breaking lockdown regulations]. If you have a favourite Easter themed poem, or a story to share, a favourite Easter hymn, or even a seasonal joke, do get in touch with Dee, she'd love to hear from you - you can do this via our 'contact us' feature on the right hand column, and these will be passed along to her. 

Have a good week, perhaps even a few pancakes on Tues, and blessings to you all as we move into Lent mid-week.
Take care
Nikki

40 Acts of Lent: Day 40 - Delivery

Act forty - Delivery by Michael O'Neill

Prepare to celebrate. You've done it, but He did it first.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship." 

                                                                                                              Romans 12: 1 (NIV)

We started 40acts this year talking about "intentional, uncomfortable, inconvenient, radical, contagious, over-the-top, joyful, and - most importantly - Christ-like generosity."
What has that looked like for you?

Along the 40-day journey, it was my 10 year-old son who taught me that Christ-like generosity was a living sacrifice.
Declan and I were spending a Saturday together. He still loves spending time with me and we were both looking forward to our day: breakfast followed by a haircut, then off to a local shop with a table tennis table to play on for free.

A woman with clear physical and learning disabilities arrived seconds before us.
She wanted to play, then turned to Declan and asked if he would play with her. I knew that more than anything he'd been looking forward to his time with me and table tennis was high on his wish list.

I was unprepared for his response.

Without looking at me, he smiled, shrugged his shoulders, said "sure", and proceeded to the open table with her. Eileen had the use of one arm, so serving was a challenge. When she did connect with the ball, it was to send it flying across the room . . . over and over again.
As he smiled and faced his worthy opponent, Declan was a living sacrifice.

What comes in to your mind when you hear the word sacrifice?

For thousands of years, forgiveness of sin required a blood sacrifice – the killing of an animal. All that changed when Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross. The cross changed everything.

We hear fewer and fewer references to 'sin' in the West. It's a word that jars our sensibilities and disrupts our individualistic tendencies. We want to be tolerant of others and we want others to be tolerant of us, so we downplay sin, and by extension, the sacrifice that frees us from it.

Yesterday we observed Good Friday, the crucifixion of Jesus, the blood sacrifice that, once and for all, offers forgiveness of sin and delivers us back to God, the Father, reconciled.
It cost Jesus everything. It cost us nothing.
But with it, comes an invitation to be a living sacrifice. The Apostle Paul speaks of this in Romans 12 when he urges us to offer our bodies to others as a living sacrifice.

On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank our writers - who often moved me to tears -for their vulnerability. And I would like to thank all of you who joined us from your phones, homes, classrooms, churches and offices for bringing life to Romans 12 this Lent.

Will you join me in being a living sacrifice and living lives of Christ-like generosity all year round?

Choose how to complete this act...

GREEN OPTION:
Spend five minutes reading Romans 12 today and be refreshed and re-inspired by the words.

YELLOW OPTION:
Think back over the last seven weeks.  What sacrifices have you made that could be repeated during this last day of 40acts in order to be generous to your neighbours?

RED OPTION:
What has your 40acts journey highlighted? Can you see patterns in the way you've used your time, talents and finances? What more could you do with them? Have you made temporary sacrifices in the last seven weeks that should become permanent?

40 Acts of Lent: Day 39 - testimony

Act thirty nine - Testimony by Bekah Legg
People keep their stories to themselves. But sharing stories can be a powerful way to connect with people, motivate them, and rouse them to action in their own lives. You're full of stories: many of them untold. Don't keep them – your stories, your 'testimonies' – to yourself.

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason 

for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."

                                                                                                                            (1 Peter 3:15)

I don't know about you, but the thought of sharing my faith with someone who doesn't already know God is pretty scary. I know it's important, I even pray for opportunities, but when the time comes, I've been known to be lost for words, or at least words that make much sense.
But the truth is, we don't need to have all the answers and we don't need to become master theologians. We just need to know our own story. There is nothing as compelling as your story, the twists and the turns, the moments when God changed everything. Your story is unique and no one can tell it quite like you.

My story is one of knowing God all my life, ignoring him for a while, and ending up in a disastrous marriage on the other side of the world before literally escaping to bring up two small children as a single mum. It's a story of being restored to the person I was intended to be and finding out what freedom in Christ really looks like.

To begin with it really wasn't something I wanted to talk about at all. But then I met a lady in the school playground who was going through a situation that I could understand. It was time to start talking.
Since then I've had my ears open for those moments when I may be able to contribute something useful, and I've learned that even some of the most mundane moments of my life will resonate with someone. Sharing our story with people can be frightening; opening ourselves up makes us vulnerable but it's the best way to connect, and if we will allow people to see how God has transformed our lives, perhaps we can help him transform theirs too.

Choose how to complete this act...

GREEN OPTION:
If you've never told your testimony, plan it out first. Try different lengths. For example: one that works like a trailer for the full movie. Or an extended version for that long conversation over a meal. Write them down, to focus your thoughts. But remember that listening is more important – your story is never more important than the person you're telling it to. And make sure you don't slip into Christianese.

YELLOW OPTION:
If you have a testimony in mind, pray for an opportunity to tell it.

RED OPTION:
Keeping your stories to yourself? Take a leap. Talk to your church leadership about ways you can share them with others. Get in touch with groups who could use someone with the experiences you have. Experienced and lived through injustice? Charities could find your story invaluable.

40 Acts of Lent: Day 38 - 'Wash day'

Act thirty eight - Wash Day by Andy Frost
Today's Maundy Thursday, the day when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. It was a simple act that said so much about service, humility, showing others their significance, and God's kingdom. So today, prepare to wash some (literal or symbolic) feet.

"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." 

                                                                                                                            John 13:14–15 (NIV)

The Passion Week is building to a crescendo. The day of the Passover has arrived. The Passover feast reminded the Jewish people of their story, their dramatic escape from captivity 1,500 years earlier. The salty water reminded them of their tears, the bitter herbs reminded them of the bondage and the unleavened bread reminded them of the hurry with which they had escaped Egypt.
And as groups shared this meal across Jerusalem, perhaps the question on the people's lips was
'When will God send another liberator, like Moses, to free us from Rome?'

The disciples sat with Jesus, going through the familiar patter of the Passover feast, when suddenly Jesus goes off script. He begins to redefine the bread and the wine as 'my body' and 'my blood'. And midway through the meal, Jesus does the unthinkable. He washes his disciples' feet.

In those days, with dusty and dirty, sewage ridden roads, people's feet needed to be cleaned. There were no socks, just sandals. And it was usually the job of the lowest servant in the household.
But that night, Jesus, their Lord and Teacher, ties a towel around his waist and begins cleaning between their toes. Can you imagine what must have been going through the disciples' heads?

It's in this instance we see so clearly that Jesus was not the kind of liberator they were expecting. He was not going to do battle with the kingdom of Rome but was going to usher in a very different kind of kingdom. And as he washes their feet, knowing that one of them will betray him and that the others will desert him, we see the humility of God.

Jesus says, 'I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.' (John 13:15 NIV)

Unbelievably, the disciples that night end up arguing over which of them is the greatest (Luke 22:24). They seem to have completely missed the point. How could they?
But then I feel that sense of conviction, that I, like those disciples, can too often miss the challenge of humility and service. This Maundy Thursday, let's do as Jesus has done.

Choose how to complete this act...

GREEN OPTION:
Keep it simple: offer to do the washing up or wash the windows. Or, learn to do something around the house that you might not normally have done for someone else.

YELLOW OPTION:
Offer to wash something a little more unusual – your neighbour's car, their wheelie bin, their patio.

RED OPTION:
Wash something really dirty for someone else. The kids' football boots might be caked with weeks' worth of mud. The pavement in your street might need a jet wash. There could be some obscene graffiti on a wall in your area. Go and scrub it off.

40 Acts of Lent: day 37 - 'content'

Act thirty seven - Content by Paul the Apostle
Contentment isn't easy to achieve, for all of us. On bad days we feel like we've got nothing. On good days we feel like we have the world to share. Today's challenge is a personal reflection: how can you be generous in every situation? Spend time looking to God to fulfil your needs or thank him for what you already have.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. 

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength".

                                                                                                            Philippians 4:12–13 (NIV)

So what is the secret of being content? Actually, it's not really a secret at all. Here's what I've learned that allows me to be content whatever my circumstances:

1. Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

2. Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the centre of your life.

3. Fill your minds and meditate on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

So why not take a leaf out of my book? Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realised. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Today's blog was written by Paul the Apostle (paraphrased and directly quoted from Philippians 4:4–14 The Message).
Choose how to complete this act...

GREEN OPTION:
Thank God for five things you're grateful for today, as a starting point.

YELLOW OPTION:
Look at your lifestyle. What do you consume which alters how you look at your own life? Do you read lifestyle magazines; spend lots of time on social media? And, if you use social media to only put up the best pictures and moments of your life, why not show some imperfection today? Be real; be honest. It can inspire others to do the same.

RED OPTION:
If you really struggle to find contentment and find yourself looking in loads of different places for fulfilment, spend time with God working on that, today. Try to spend that time in quiet and stillness.

40 Acts of Lent: day 36 - 'Habit'

We are nearly there in our 40 Acts journey over Lent. Before you launch into today's 'Act', 

take a moment to get comfortable, relax, and as you do, look back over these last 35 days of Lent.

Were there any 'aha!' moments?

What challenged you?

Why?

What did resonated the most?

Why?

And, always useful for feedback: if UCPC were to do this again over Lent,

would you make use of this tool for spiritual reflection?

And now, on to Act 36...

Act thirty six - Habit by Paul Oxley
Breaking a habit is a challenge, but creating a positive one can be even harder. The theory says it takes 21 repeat goes at making a habit stick. What generous action could you start turning into a chain of repeats, today?

"His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.'"

                                                                                                                         John 2:5 (NIV)
                   
The gap between dinner and bath time for our two girls (five and three) can either be a joy-filled hour of delight, or it can be a foretaste of the foul afterlife. The evening in question was becoming the latter.
Exasperated, I announced, 'It's dance time!' marched everyone into the lounge and searched online for suitable music for little girls to dance to. Though the beginning of the disco was slightly enforced by me, it wasn't long till we were all 'shaking it off' in serious style. The girls loved it!
Guess what we did the next night after dinner?

Yep. Danced.
And the next night. And the next. It's who we are now – it's what we do. Not every evening, but most. If you're ever invited for dinner at the Oxley house, bring your dancing shoes!

Were you to borrow my phone you'd notice the suggested music on my account is not what it used to be (nor what I'd like it to be); the computer chip has changed its understanding of who I am!
Reflecting on our last 35 acts this Lent, has there been a challenge which, though initiated under slightly forced pretences, brought great joy to you and others? Why not do it again?!

And then again.
And again.
Let it become what you do, who you are; allow it to shape how others understand you. Make it a habit, not an event.

I guess that having resolved to do this, you'll quickly hear a little whisper of doubt suggesting this new generous habit is silly and unimportant. When that happens, listen instead to the voice of Jesus, who always encourages us towards kindness and extravagant generosity. Then, as Mary said, 'Do whatever He tells you,' and shake it off!

Choose how to complete this act...
Just one option. Start today. What generous action from the last 35 days do you want to make a habit? Commit to putting this into practice regularly.

40 Acts of Lent: day 35 - Against the tide

Act thirty five - Against the Tide by Jan from the Mahabba Network
Following the crowd is easy, but it's not always a good thing. Especially when what's popular excludes people, or isolates the already lonely. Swimming against the tide is the biggest challenge. But trying it – even just giving it a shot – can be life-changing.

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ 

and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…"

                                                                                                    2 Corinthians 5:18 (NIV)
                 
It's the end of a lovely evening where a group of my friends and their children have gathered to mix batter, toss pancakes and sample a range of toppings whilst chatting and drinking tea. The washing-up done, people gather their children, get their coats and adjust their hijabs before leaving the house.

'Thank you so much; it's been really fun,' I exclaim, as we embrace goodbye.
'Yes,' says another, 'some of us have been here seven or eight years and we've never been invited to an English home before; thank you.'

Another day I stop to chat to the new (Somali) owner of a local eatery being refurbished. He tells me a little about his dream for the cafe and, as he warms to his theme of creating a new kind of meeting place, he describes a venue which will attract a wider, more diverse clientele.

'The trouble is the white people are just not integrating into this area,' he says, 'so anything we can do to change that will be positive.'
Never been invited? Not integrating? Who's keeping who at arm's length?

Jesus did something positive when he moved into the 'neighbourhood' (John1:14 The Message) and spent time with those not usually invited to the parties of the day. His life ended with arms outstretched in sacrificial surrender to the reconciling work of God. Now all are invited to step out of alienation from God and each other and into friendship with Love Himself. It's the ultimate triumph of friendship over fear.

In a culture which seems to thrive on negative perceptions and suspicion of difference, building friendships with people from other faith communities is one way we can do things differently. How will you swim against the tide of mistrust and fear? In which ways will you live out the message of reconciliation with which we have been entrusted?

Choose how to complete this act...
GREEN OPTION:
Have a think. Are there any situations where we're in danger of following the crowd? First stop is social media. Review last week's posts. Are we ungenerous in how we talk about others on Facebook and Twitter? Resist joining in for the sake of it especially if it might take you to narcissistic or gossipy places.

YELLOW OPTION:
Office gossip? Train delays making everyone grumpy with train staff? Collective moaning becoming a habit? Think about how you can turn against the tide. Or, something tougher: Who have you been pushing to the back of your mind during the 40acts challenges? Take the challenge to do good to that person today, even if you think they won't appreciate it.

RED OPTION:
Challenge ungenerous behaviours that damage communities, our country, and the world. For example? Well, are we locked into a worldly pattern of consumption? Thinking about how our shopping choices affect the world? Generous in the things we like and share on social media?

40 Acts of Lent: day 34 - 'Flow'

Act thirty four - Flow by Rachel Ridler
'Busy' is overtaking 'fine' as the standard reply to 'How are you?' There aren't enough hours in the day, you're rushed off your feet, you haven't the time. Most of us are guilty of making ourselves too busy. It's possible that the most urgent thing on our agenda should be slowing down and focusing energy on the people and things that matter. So, spend today going with someone else's flow.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. 

Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. 

Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. 

I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 

Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." 

                                                                                                  Matthew 11:28–30 (The Message)
             
Busy, busy, busy!  This is my normal reply to people when they ask about my week. As a mum to two, wife to one, part-time charity worker and many more things besides, there are never enough hours in the day.
But this July something came along that made me stop. A letter. Hand-delivered. The news it contained has changed my life since, pushing me out of my comfort zone. The news, you ask?  Well, the new high speed railway HS2 will be coming right through the brand new estate where I live. That's of course after the bulldozers have done their work.

This news is not the end of our world (even though it seemed so at the time!), but it has certainly made me appreciate my neighbours more. I pray for them more and seek opportunities to spend time with them (something I wanted to do before but never got round to). I now have an open door for other mums on the estate to drop in for play dates or cups of tea. I go round for Friday-night drinks with the other ladies even when I would rather be curled up in bed on my own. I even set up a Facebook group for residents to chat and share concerns and advice whenever they need it.

Before the letter came I was rushing from work to nursery and back again, never making the time to stop and connect with people. But since this news, I have taken every opportunity to talk to people in the street and stop looking at my watch or diary for my next appointment – now I go with the flow. It's like today's verse says: 'Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.' God's ways are unforced and natural, not diarised and regimented. If we can put aside our schedules, then we allow God to flow through us in incredible ways.

Choose how to complete this act...

GREEN OPTION:
If today is one of those days you've got no leeway on, earmark a future time for being flexible to others' needs.

YELLOW OPTION:
Have a quick catch-up with somebody. Phone a relative. Or take a colleague out for coffee. Take the opportunity to look around you as you go through your day, and see who you bump into that you could slow down for.

RED OPTION:
Make it happen. Whoever you've 'been meaning' to spend time with, today's the day (or afternoon or evening).

40 Acts of Lent: day 32 - 'Forgive - pt 2'

Act thirty three - Forgive (Part II)  by Alia Abboud
This is about following through on forgiveness. Forgiveness is tough, but once you've made a decision, it's significantly easier than dithering over the choice. With God's grace it can happen, but the hurt might not always disappear overnight. By showing forgiveness in a practical way you help to heal the wounds.

"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 (NIV)
         
If you've heard about the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) you'll know that there is a considerable negative history between Lebanese and Syrians, and that Syrian troops did not completely leave Lebanon before 2005. Before the Lebanese had time to forgive and forget painful memories, the Syria crisis started in 2011, and with it came an influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon, such that our country today has the highest per capita concentration of refugees in the world, with one in every four persons a Syrian refugee – 80% women and children.

Yet how does the church respond to the needs of this multitude of Syrian refugees when its congregations include people who were themselves, or members of their families were, hurt during the Civil War. God, in His wisdom, started working within us. A colleague of mine openly told her church: 'The best I can do is pray for them, but don't ask me to get involved! I still have not forgotten when at gunpoint my husband and I were lined up against the wall to be shot at. It's only through God's intervention that we're still alive.' Yet as she heard of what the Lord is doing in their lives, she went through a paradigm shift: 'God is revealing Himself in dreams and visions, miracles of healing, answered prayers to these people whom for years we considered to be the enemy! I want to be where God is at work.' And so she is today directly involved, both at her church and through LSESD*, in serving refugee children and families. *Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development

As LSESD we carry out our humanitarian response to the Syria crisis in partnership with local churches and community-based organisations. Each person involved has their own story to share of how God changed their heart. One young man, who had lost loved ones during the same war, shared that at the time he and his community had prayed that God may bring on Syria the same calamities that the Lebanese were going through. Yet, he told us, 'When the refugees started coming into our country, we rushed to their aid, for who can better empathise with them than us Lebanese who have been through it all?!' Today, he pastors one of our partner churches in Lebanon that is serving around 2000 refugee families.

God is working both within and through our churches in a magnificent way! All agree that as we serve the refugees, we're learning a lot of new things about God! God is teaching us how to forgive, and He is teaching us about Him through them.

Choose how to complete this act...
GREEN OPTION:
If you are still getting to grips with yesterday's act, spend today getting closer to forgiveness.

YELLOW OPTION:
Finding a practical way to show forgiveness starts with sincerely putting the other person first. There are two ways to approach this: (1) think, yourself, of a way to show forgiveness; (2) ask the person you're forgiving what might be a good start.

RED OPTION:
Give more than they deserve back. If you've forgiven someone, how do you actively demonstrate that with kindness?  

40 Acts of Lent: day 32 - 'Forgive' pt 1

Act thirty two - Forgive (Part I) by Amy Boucher Pye
Bitterness will eat at you. And it can be properly hard to let grudges go. If you're holding a grudge or a wound against someone who's hurt you in the past, make this Easter the time you find a way to forgive them. God says he'll give you strength to find compassion. In forgiveness, you not only set others free from a debt they owe you, but you also transform yourself – imagine what the world might look like if even half of us practised forgiveness like this.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

                                                                                                                              1 John 1:8–9 (NIV)

I once suffered a painful betrayal from a close friend, and it took me years to forgive her fully. I recount this story in my book The Living Cross, and although these big stories stick in our minds, perhaps equally important are our day-by-day acts of forgiveness that help to keep our souls clean. But we can find it hard to forgive those with whom we have regular contact, partly simply because they are so close to us, and we know them well – foibles and all. We can cling to the ways they have let us down or acted unkindly, but when we do, the unforgiveness builds up like a wall between us. And our hearts form a hard crust, bit by bit, each time that we fail to forgive.

Yet we don't have to live like this. We can ask God to dismantle these walls and dissolve that crusty layer as he helps us to forgive. Although we may not feel like forgiving, he can change our feelings. For forgiveness is an act of the will, which means we may not feel anything at all, but that doesn't mean God isn't working to bring freedom. He is.

How can we forgive? I suggest coming before the cross where Jesus died – this, the living cross – to name and then release each specific sin or wrongdoing there. We may be extending forgiveness to others, or we may be asking God to cleanse us. We wait, and we will receive from God his forgiveness and the power to forgive. We receive his gifts of love and new life. And we find that we are the one who has been set free from the prison of bitterness and unforgiveness.

Why not give it a go today?

Choose how to complete this act...
(today there are only two traffic light options)

GREEN OPTION:
If you're in a place where forgiveness is really hard, start by praying: 'Lord, I want to want to forgive.'

RED OPTION:
Do what it says on the tin. And if you find yourself gritting your teeth, God's grace will give you the strength to find compassion. Lean on him.

40 Acts of Lent: day 31 - 'Gulp'

Act thirty one - Gulp  by Charles Osewalt

Giving when it's comfortable is definitely an important part of our lives. But God didn't call us to only give when it's comfortable. Does our giving ever make us gulp or cause a sharp intake of breath?

"But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, 

and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, 

without neglecting the others."

                                                                                                                  Luke 11:42 (ESV)
   
Back in the days when I was teaching full-time, I was faced one morning with the sight of a 14-year-old boy quietly sobbing, his head on his desk. I gently asked him what the trouble was and he told me that he was being forced to leave his foster home after nine years. 'Why?' I asked. 'Because the subsidy they received wouldn't be paid any more,' he answered. He was devastated. Then he looked at me and said the words: 'Who will want to adopt a 14-year-old?'

'We'll adopt you,' came out of my mouth before a moment's thought.
'But I don't even like you,' he said.
'Well, I'm not that keen on you either,' I said. But I knew there and then that I would go home and speak to my wife, Priscilla, who already had her hands full bringing up our three children – all under the age of six – and explain to her what we needed to do.
She looked at me, took a deep breath and then she said, 'Let's take him.' And we did.

Jesus points out that the Pharisees give: they tithe; they are generous. They give people 'every herb'. But they are generous only to a point. No deep breaths, no big gulps: they stop when the giving hurts. They do what's required but they neglect justice and the love of God.

When you come to one of those 'big gulp' moments, you don't always know what the cost is going to be but you know it's going to be big – it might hurt a little or a lot – but God's love is big enough to take it.

Choose how to complete this act...
GREEN OPTION:
Look back at the list you wrote on day one. Is there anything you're holding back on that you could give right now?

YELLOW OPTION:
If it needs a bit of planning, get to work now. If it's money, you might not be able to give a 'gulp' sum away in one hit, but what if you put aside some each month? Then, at the end of the year, you could reach a significant amount. Start saving, set a goal.

RED OPTION:
Review your regular giving (or start in the first place) and challenge yourself to sacrifice so you can push your financial giving further.

40 Acts of Lent: day 30 - Step Out

Act thirty - Step Out by Ros Turner

That little voice in your head that tells you it's okay to hold back when you see an opportunity to step out for God. Today we're ignoring it.

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."

                                                                                                                 Philippians 4:5 (NIV)
 
It sometimes feels like I spend my life on buses and trains, travelling from one meeting to another. Most of the time it's just routine but sometimes, when I least expect it, God gives me a nudge and highlights someone He wants me to talk to. It's at that point I can choose to go with Him or ignore the prompt, but when I go with Him it's a real thrill!

So there I am during the last Tube strike, on a jam-packed bus full of frazzled people, and an elderly Sikh gentleman sits opposite me.
I sense God telling me to speak to him.
Now? When I'm running late for my meeting?
But I put away my phone and I smile. He smiles back. Maybe I can leave it there. But God has other plans. The stranger starts to talk to me and it turns out he's from India, from an area I'd spent time in, so I share my smattering of Hindi with him.
We swap names.

Mr Singh is delighted and we end up speaking about all sorts of things – his wife's death, his own battles with illness and his family's wish for him to live with them in the UK so they could look after him. He shares how much he misses his community back home but finds solace in the community at the Sikh temple and then speaks about one of the founding fathers, a guru who'd sacrificed his family life to pursue his faith. His next question is my God-given chance: 'Do you know anyone who has sacrificed like this man did?'

On that heaving bus, amid the noise and jostling, I said to him, 'Mr Singh, I do. I know someone who gave his very life as a sacrifice so that you and I could have life. His name is Jesus.' I told him about the miracles I'd seen when working with a church in India. I answered his questions and shared my faith with him. Mr Singh listened and so did the other passengers nearby.

We got off at the same stop and shook hands, exchanging blessings. I told him how wonderful it was to meet him and he thanked me and said that he could see God in me. We left it there and then I ran full pelt to make my meeting.

A chance encounter? There's no such thing in my experience, so even when you're feeling like you'd prefer to keep yourself to yourself, step out and God will be with you every step of the way.

Choose how to complete this act...
GREEN OPTION:
Share a bible verse on social media, or with someone in person.

YELLOW OPTION:
Really reflect on how you can be an everyday example of Jesus. Practise sharing your faith with others; brush up on simple tools to help share your faith. If you're stuck for a tool, why not try Two Ways To Live?

RED OPTION:
Pray for an opportunity to share your faith today and look out for it. Go find it.

40 Acts of Lent: Day 29 - Sign Up

Act twenty nine - Sign Up  by Josh Trinder
There are heaps of charities out there that are struggling: for volunteers, for fundraisers, or for financial support. And they could be in the heart of your community right now, looking for a hand. Take a look over the charities you know who are engaged in Christian mission. Find out if they're struggling, and take steps to help them in the way they need most.

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, 

God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

                                                                                                           1 John 4:11–12 (NIV)

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

                                                                                                           Mother Teresa

In March 2016, my wife and I volunteered for a housing resettlement project in the capital city of Sierra Leone. During the first week of our placement, we were encouraged to embrace the culture and adapt to our new surroundings, which was easier said than done. Our residence was situated in a gated compound, in the midst of a bustling slum community and market place.

I had an idea to raise awareness and funding for the charity through storytelling the lives of the village families. Even with the best intentions, developing personal relationships was a process that began by watching the children play football from our balcony. Waving hello felt great for a few days, but I had to get over my nervousness and take a step into their world. And all I needed to do was introduce myself to the kids below.

Listening and responding to the small ideas and nudges that we feel are gateways into encountering God. But we still need courage, and I needed it to meet the children.

Eventually I climbed down the dirt hill into the middle of their football pitch, and I suddenly found myself in a stare-off with dozens of boys and girls. I sensed curiosity and a hint of hostility as I waited for their approval. I introduced myself, hoping they would return the gesture. A moment later, their faces erupted with smiles and I made my first Sierra Leonean friends. After playing football and getting to know their names, a young man asked me why I was in their country. I politely answered his question, and he replied, 'I officially welcome you to my country, Sierra Leone.'  It was a beautiful moment that I won't forget.

Participating in local grassroots projects takes courage. Doing something uncomfortable or unfamiliar takes courage – but in that place, I believe God's love is most real.

Choose how to complete this act...
GREEN OPTION:
Find out about the organisations in your area. Spread awareness about a cause close to your heart: local or national.

YELLOW OPTION:
Could you fundraise for an organisation you feel passionate about?

RED OPTION:
Take a day's annual leave and put it to use with an organisation that needs help. Can you make an ongoing commitment and give up a couple of hours per week either in a local charity shop, foodbank, or project?

40 Acts of Lent: day 28 - foolish

Act twenty eight - Foolish by Adrian Plass
It's April Fools' Day and you're fresh out of new ideas. Don't skip the chance to get away with doing something outrageous: try putting a generous twist on April Fools' and do something surprising that's actually nice.

"God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, 

'He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. 

His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out.'"

                                                                                                        2 Corinthians 9:8–11 (The Message)
                       
April Fools' Day didn't exist when Jesus was here, but folk must have wondered sometimes. He said stupid things that could only be sick jokes or hopelessly inflated expectations.
Examples? What about saying a dead girl wasn't dead, but sleeping? Such a bad joke. Such an irresponsible statement to heartbroken parents. Stupid, eh?

Remember the widow of Nain? Devastated by her son's death. His heart went out to her. Fine, but look what he actually said.
'Don't cry.'
Don't cry? Appalling counselling technique. Absolute rubbish. Not funny, and not helpful.

What about his preposterous claim to have 'overcome death'?
Honestly! How disappointing when it ended in disaster.
Crucifixion. Dead. Gone.

Of course, all this would be true, except that Jairus' daughter did wake up, the widow's son was restored to life, and Jesus did rise from the dead, rescuing us in the process.

It's about the Holy Spirit, isn't it? It's about believing in a power that can make silly things mean something, a power that transforms foolish-sounding promises into gloriously unexpected reality. Bucket loads of divine generosity are available for needy people.
Let's ask God for enough courage and faith to get personally involved in the process of distribution.

Choose how to complete this act...
GREEN OPTION:
Lose your inhibitions and set out to make someone smile today.

YELLOW OPTION:
Feeling braver? Devise a generous surprise or do the generous thing no-one expects.

RED OPTION:
Like the psalmist, throw caution to the wind, give to the needy in reckless abandon.