Category: Call to Prayer & Reflections

From The Rev Mark Slaney, Chair of Scotland Synod

December 2024

Dear brothers, sisters, siblings in Christ,

‘Hush before the LORD God, for the day of the LORD is near!’

Zephaniah 1 v.7 (Common English Bible)

‘Hush the noise‘ has been the theme of Advent resources for the Methodist Church this year and we’ve been invited to ‘hear the angels love-song and join in.’

I did a quick Google search for ‘John Wesley on silence’ and discovered the following:

 ‘John Wesley … believed that God waits for people to quiet themselves, as the world is full of noise and activity. Wesley believed that people are often rushed and hurried when they come to God, and that this makes it unlikely that they will hear God’s voice. He also believed that people who are caught up in the noise of the world lose touch with their inner selves.’

And, in contrast:

‘Stillness is not an easy concept in Methodism.  John Wesley was distrustful of the ‘doctrine of stillness’ or Quietism, which he encountered in the Fetter Lane Society around 1740. This was the notion put forward by the Moravian preacher, Philip Molther, urging members to wait passively for the gift of faith and to abstain from the means of grace until they had received it … Molther’s view of stillness caused John Wesley to separate from the Fetter Lane Society and, despite some lines in Charles Wesley’s hymns advocating waiting on God, the implicit ecclesiology forming in the 18th century fresh expression of Church called Methodism was activist.’

I pray that you will be blessed with some moments of hush, some hush-time over this Christmas and New Year period. Not just the quiet after the storm in which we might be rested and restored following the extra busyness of the festive season, but also the deeper peace that comes from resting in God and restored by eternal divine love.

There is a stark and empty hush or silence associated with loss and trauma. Such as the absence of a loved one or the shock of terrible news and experience, the destruction after the bombs fall. Whilst this is reality for many of us, it is not the hush that I seek to bless you with.

In my own prayer I am finding that God speaks less and is quiet more. Fr Richard Rohr writes: ‘Silence is the language of God, and the only language deep enough to absorb all the contradictions and failures that we are holding against ourselves. God loves us silently because God has no case to make against us. The silent communion absorbs our self-hatred, as every lover knows.’

This is not absence but rather the promise and presence of Immanuel – God with us.

God is love. You are loved and you are enough.

In his short commentary on Ephesians – ‘Sit Walk Stand’ – Watchman Nee offers us:

 ‘… Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE. Thus, Ephesians opens with the statement that God has ‘blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ’ (1.3) and we are invited at the very outset to sit down and enjoy what God has done for us …’

And this is Good News, isn’t it? ‘Peace on the earth, good will to all, from heaven’s all-gracious King! The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.’

Happy Christmas and Every Blessing for the New Year.

Yours in Christ,

MarkThe Revd Mark Slaney | Chair Scotland District & Shetland District

01786 445174 [Manse] 07986 950038 [Mobile]

4 The Meadows, Stirling, FK9 5AE

The Methodist Church in Scotland

Print version

Print version

General Election 2024

On behalf of the churches that we serve, we encourage Christians in Scotland to engage actively, constructively, and charitably in the democratic process of the General Election called for 4^th July 2024.

We pray:

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Maker of heaven and earth
And of all things visible and invisible.
We turn to you in search of wisdom for our times
And the assurance that, in all things,
You remain sovereign and ruler over all.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

You are sovereign and ruler over all
And so, in the discerning of who might best govern our nation,
We turn to you once more.
Grant to us, and to all who seek your will,
A desire to see good governance established
In the interests of all who inhabit these lands.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

You are concerned for the interests of all
And you deny to no one the dignity and integrity
That belong to all who are made in your image.
Grant to us a concern for all who stand on the margins of society
And the courage to affirm their dignity and integrity
And so to stand in solidarity with them.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

You stand in solidarity with us,
Even through Jesus Christ
Your Word made flesh who lived amongst us.
Grant to us the ongoing commitment to pray for, and to engage with,
Those who are elected to govern in our name
That we might see our society better reflect the Kingdom that is to come.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our pray

Signed:

• Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
• Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
• Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
• Sylvia Hinton, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
• Adwoa Burnley, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
• Colin Brown, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
• Callum Macleod, Moderator, Free Church of Scotland
• Lindsey Sanderson, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
• Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
• Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
• Ruairidh MacRae, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
• Rt Rev Kenneth Nowakowski, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London
• Rev Trevor Howard, Churches in Communities International

Print version

General Election 2024

On behalf of the churches that we serve, we encourage Christians in Scotland to engage actively, constructively, and charitably in the democratic process of the General Election called for 4^th July 2024.

We pray:

Lord our God, we give thanks to you
For your love endures for ever.
In the midst all that changes in this world,
May we hear your voice and know your presence.
Grant to us wisdom, that we might do what the Lord requires of us
And seek justice and mercy in our world, even as we walk humbly with our God.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord our God, you gift to us life
And the promise of life renewed.
We thank you for those who, in their daily work,
Seek to sustain the health of our nation.
May the renewal of the health of the people
Be to the fore in the considerations of those who seek to govern on our behalf.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord our God, you care for us
Even to the end of our days.
We thank you for those who, day by day,
Care for the most vulnerable in our society.
May the dignity of those who care, and of those who are cared for,
Be recognised and affirmed in the renewal of our society.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord our God, you are with us
Throughout all the days of our lives.
We share those days with all who are made in your image
And in the presence of the One who is the image of the invisible God.
Grant to us, and to all who seek the coming of your Kingdom,
A renewed desire to do what you require of us.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Signed:

• Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
• Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
• Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
• Sylvia Hinton, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
• Adwoa Burnley, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
• Colin Brown, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
• Callum Macleod, Moderator, Free Church of Scotland
• Lindsey Sanderson, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
• Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
• Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
• Ruairidh MacRae, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
• Rt Rev Kenneth Nowakowski, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London
• Rev Trevor Howard, Churches in Communities International

On behalf of the churches that we serve, we encourage Christians in Scotland to engage actively, constructively, and charitably in the democratic process of the General Election called for 4^th July 2024.

We pray:

Lord our God, you are the maker of heaven and earth
And in your image we are shaped
That we might care for creation
And for all that you have made.
May a deepening concern for the world we share
Shape our vision for the future that is to come.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Your presence is revealed through Christ
In the midst of all the places where people dwell,
And so we pray for the welfare of the city
And for all who dwell in the cities and towns of our nation.
May their concerns be heard and understood
That our towns and cities might flourish and prosper in these days.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

You promise renewal by your Spirit
To all whose hearts are open to receive,
And so we pray for the renewal of our rural communities
And for the islands of our nation.
May the voice of the islanders be heard
And the contribution of the land to our well-being be embraced.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Lord our God, you see the people of our nation
And understand the heart of their concerns.
Grant to all who stand for office
A desire to understand and to share those concerns.
May our Parliament shape our nation for the good of all
And may we see our society renewed, through Christ and by your Spirit.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Signed:

• Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
• Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
• Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
• Col. Sylvia Hinton, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
• Adwoa Burnley, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
• Rev. Colin Brown, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
• Rev. Callum Macleod, Moderator, Free Church of Scotland
• Rev. Lindsey Sanderson, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
• Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
• Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
• Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
• Rt Rev Kenneth Nowakowski, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London

General Election 2024

Print Version

On behalf of the churches that we serve, we encourage Christians in Scotland to engage actively, constructively, and charitably in the democratic process of the General Election called for 4^th July 2024.

We pray:

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
You send forth your Spirit into all the earth
That we might know you
And your will for all creation.
Grant to us knowledge that your will might be done
In the times in which we live.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

You rule over the nations
And call them to account
That they might better reflect your purposes
And your desire for all humanity to flourish.
Grant to us a concern for all who share in the life of our nation
That together we might flourish and prosper and grow.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

You call us to hear again the ancient words,
Engraved in the Central Lobby of Parliament:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
The builders labour in vain.
Grant that these words may continue to inspire
And to offer counsel to those elected to office.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

You call us to live
As citizens of the world that is to come
And so may we strive to see your Kingdom come
On earth as it is in heaven.
As good citizens, may we participate in our community
As you guide us so to do, through Christ and by your Spirit.

Lord, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

Signed:

• Rt. Rev. Dr Shaw Paterson, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
• Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
• Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
• Col. Sylvia Hinton, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
• Adwoa Burnley, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
• Rev. Lindsey Sanderson, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
• Rev. Dr Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
• Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
• Rev. Ruairidh MacRae, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
• Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
• Rt. Rev. Kenneth Nowakowski, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London
• Rev. Trevor Howard, Churches in Communities International

March 2024
Dear Friends
“And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases … In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed … they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” From Mark 1

Jesus had a lot going on, there was a lot to do and a lot of change coming – proclaiming the arrival of the kingdom is no small matter! In amongst that, Jesus took time to pray, simply to deliberately spend time in the presence of God. Lent encourages us to do likewise. There is plenty to do and there is much change coming. I wonder what Jesus prayed that morning? What is your prayer at this time?

Trying to discern God’s will in our lives and the life of the world is not easy. It can take time and patience. One of the changes the Methodist Church is testing is regarding online Holy Communion. For me it feels a bit of a strange idea, but I know how helpful and included others have felt.
As part of this journey the online Easter Day service will be led by Revds Marian & Phil Taylor and will include Holy Communion. Like all of our online services this will be recorded and viewed by different people at different times. I would encourage people to engage with this by preparing in advance with a little bit of bread and if you can, grape juice (but whatever you can use and feels appropriate – in Kenya, as a child, I remember Coca Cola being used as the only safe thing to drink!). Have the bread and wine ready as you engage with the worship and enter into the service as you would any other. Deliberate time spent in the presence of God, one another and the company of saints.
Practically this will allow all those who cannot attend on a Sunday to receive Holy Communion which is something to be celebrated. I will also be interested in feedback from people as to how they felt and what they think about it. And don’t forget to pray!

With love
Nick