Category: Call to Prayer & Reflections

When my children were smaller, we would visit The Science Museum in London, a place that I too had visited as a child. I’m pretty sure I enjoyed these excursions every bit as much as they did. This museum offers a rich mixture of interactive exhibits for visitors to explore with their senses of touch, smell, hearing, sight, and even on occasion taste.

After being able to involve the senses in learning, visitors to the museum left with knowledge, memories, and joy. Learning was a delight, one punctuated by peals of laughter and giddy giggles, rapt expressions of awe and wonder, and smiles and nods of understanding. To see children’s (and adults’) minds so engaged in the learning process was worth every hour spent on the train.

Revisiting the same exhibits several times always felt fresh and new, thanks to the unique nature of shared experience and sensory encounter. I miss those days, but I have not left them behind entirely. I still ride carousels and play in fountains, gasp at fireworks and swing as high as I can go. I refuse to hang out on the side-lines of life when there is so much to taste, see, and experience.

The lessons this week make me wonder why we so often relegate faith to life’s side-lines, treating it like a visit to a stuffy antique store or art museum rather than a multi-sensory life experience.

How often do we come to communion, receive the bread, and taste Jesus with childlike wonder? Do you smell the wine as well as taste it? Do you find yourself drawn to image and light and pattern? What would you think if I invited you to dip both hands in the baptismal font and splash your face to remember your baptism?  Do you mouth the words of the hymns for fear of sounding off-key, or do you sing with the gusto and abandon of a five-year-old?

This week’s lessons really struck me as visual, auditory, tactile, and participatory. Elijah eats and drinks to gain amazing strength for his journey. The psalmist tells us to taste and see that God is good. In the epistle to the believers at Ephesus, Paul urges them to be imitators of God–childlike and loving–practicing the marks of discipleship as modelled by Christ himself. In John’s gospel we learn that Jesus is the bread of life, and when we consume the bread and wine at communion, we share in Christ’s gift of grace that will continue into eternity.

This is heady stuff, not stuffy facts. We are part of something truly amazing, a carousel ride that is out of this world, an interactive fountain of baptismal grace, and a hope that will not cease. Discipleship should be fun as well as challenging. We have good news to tell and share that is wilder, woollier, and more wonderful than any museum experience. Yep, it’s the real deal for real life for all eternity. It doesn’t get much cooler than that. This Sunday–and every day of the week–let us taste and see that God is good.

Rev Nik Wooller

8th Aug 2021

Print Version

“Beware of Imitations!” We are, no doubt, aware of the saying and the implication that we should steer clear of that which is a copy of the real thing. Indeed, in many cases that is wise advice as certain imitations are but a pale shadow of the real thing. On the other hand, we see how a child learns by example and by imitating the behaviour of others. If the example is a good one, the behaviour that follows as a result of imitation will likewise be good.

In the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians, we are urged to become imitators of the good. Indeed, we are urged to ‘be imitators of God’. As those who, by the grace of God, have received the gift and seal of the Holy Spirit, we are called to ‘live in love, as Christ loved us’. As we do so, we become ‘imitators of God’ by the way in which we forgive others, ‘as God in Christ has forgiven’ us. (Ephesians 4: 25-5:2)

We pray:

Gracious God,
In Christ you offer to us forgiveness
And you seal us by your Spirit.
Grant to us that we might become
True imitators of the way of love revealed in Christ
And so represent you to the world.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious God,
In Christ you offer to us forgiveness
And you seal us by your Spirit.
Grant us strength
To put aside all that does not reflect your life
And to learn the ways of kindness and forgiveness.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious God,
In Christ you offer to us forgiveness
And you seal us by your Spirit.
Grant us wisdom
To always build up that which is good
And to bring healing in a broken and divided world.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious God,
In Christ you offer to us forgiveness
And you seal us by your Spirit.
Grant us integrity
To always speak the truth
And to offer words that are gracious to those who hear.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious God,
In Christ you offer to us forgiveness
And you seal us by your Spirit.
Grant to us that, at the last,
We have become true imitators of the way of love revealed in Christ
And so represented you to the world.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

• Lord Wallace, 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
• Rev. Dr David Miller, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
• Rev. Neil MacMillan, Moderator, Free Church of Scotland
• Rev. Paul Whittle, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
• Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
• Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
• Rev. Thomas R. Wilson, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
• Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
• Adwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
• Rev. Ruth Turner, District Superintendent, British Isles North District, Church of the Nazarene
• Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
• Bishop Francis Alao, Church of God (Scotland)/Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland (MECTIS)
• Rev Fred Drummond, Director, Evangelical Alliance (Scotland)

Musings from the manse

What signs point you to Jesus? If you’re like many people you look for signs that might emerge from a Cecil B. DeMille production–large, grandiose, cinematic visions of the Divine presence. Thunder, raging storms, brilliant sunsets, mighty winds may come to mind. Maybe the signs you envision are rare glimpses into the divine nature such as a baby’s first cry, the dawn breaking at an Easter sunrise service to the sound of singing or standing on a mountaintop gazing into the distant valley below.

The reality of our life on earth is that we don’t spend much time on mountaintops; most of our days are spent traveling the plains and dusty roads of daily routine and responsibility. Where are the signs pointing you to a gracious and loving saviour when your house is a wreck and you’re dog tired from a hard day of work or when the bills keep piling higher, when your health deteriorates and you feel lost and alone. Where in the world can you see the One who sustains you, who saves you, who never leaves you–not even in the worst and most chaotic train wrecks life can throw at you?

Here’s a hint: think small and simple. Jesus is found in the ordinary and everyday stuff of life. This week’s gospel reading reminds us of that. John points to Jesus in simple signs of bread and water. Yes, bread and water say a lot about Jesus’ identity and presence, not only in the sacraments of baptism and communion but in daily life.

So the next time you feel lost and alone and in need of some direction that will point you to Jesus, remember that you don’t have to look very far. You’ll find signs of God in each raindrop and every tear. You can see God and hear hope in the joyous play of children in a lawn sprinkler on a hot summer day. You may hear signs of Jesus in the gentle lapping of water as you stroll along a lakeshore, or remember a sign of your baptism whenever you fill a glass of water from the tap.

When you are hungry for a sign, take a walk past your local bakery and smell the fresh, yeasty scent of rising dough. Next time you bite into freshly buttered toast, take it as a sign of God’s daily provision and care. And when you gather with your brothers and sisters around Christ’s table for a bit of bread and wine, be assured of the real presence of your Lord.

Miracles and wonders need not happen in the clouds. All creation is sacred and each moment infused with the divine. Bread and water are wonder enough. Look closely and you will see signs of God incarnate at work in the world and at work in you.

Rev Nik Wooller

1st August 2021

Print Version

‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’

The words of the Gospel resonate in the hearts of all who have searched for spiritual sustenance in a dry land. They are words spoken to those who searched for Jesus and could not, at first, find Him. They are words spoken to those who are ‘looking for Jesus’. On finding Him, Jesus speaks to them of the ‘bread from heaven’ and in turn they ask: ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ In response, Jesus says: ‘I am the bread of life.’ (John 6: 24-35)

It is to those who continue to seek the presence of Jesus in a dry land that He offers Himself as the ‘bread from heaven’. We stand with those who sing:

‘Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,
Feed me till my want is o’er.’

We pray:

Gracious Father,
Who gives to us bread from heaven,
Hear us when we hunger
And cry out to the One who is the bread of life.
Renew us by Your gift and restore us by Your presence.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious Father,
Who gives to us bread from heaven,
Hear the cry of all who hunger this day
And who long for the gifts that renew and restore life.
Renew our concern for Your Creation and for all who inhabit the earth.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious Father,
Who gives to us bread from heaven,
Hear us when we thirst
And long for living water.
May all who thirst drink deep from the rivers of living water.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious Father,
Who gives to us bread from heaven,
Hear the cries of those who long for clean water
And who live in parched lands.
May all who thirst find living water for daily life.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Gracious Father,
Who gives to us bread from heaven,
Hear our cry to the One
Who is the bread of life:
Give us this bread always.
Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Signed by:

• Lord Wallace, 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
• Rev. Dr David Miller, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
• Rev. Neil MacMillan, Moderator, Free Church of Scotland
• Rev. Paul Whittle, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
• Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
• Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
• Rev. Thomas R. Wilson, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
• Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
• Adwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
• Rev. Ruth Turner, District Superintendent, British Isles North District, Church of the Nazarene
• Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
• Bishop Francis Alao, Church of God (Scotland)/Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland (MECTIS)
• Rev Fred Drummond, Director, Evangelical Alliance (Scotland)

This week’s gospel lesson (Mark 6:14-29) has had me thinking about choices and consequences. John the Baptist made the hard choice to be a truth teller and lost his head because of it. Herod Antipas made a silly promise at a dinner party and ended up having to deliver the head of John the Baptist on a platter in order to save face.

On the surface these situations may seem far removed from what most of us face in daily life, but I wonder if things are really all that different. If this is true, am I more like Herod or John the Baptist; am I a truth teller or someone caught up in all the trappings of power and prestige?

I suppose there’s a little of both characters in my constitution depending on the situation. I strive as a Minister to be a truth teller and to be fearless in my proclamation and living. Yet, there is still a lot of Herod in me. I am a daughter of privilege just by the fact that I am a white female living in the United Kingdom.

I have work, a wonderful place to live, plenty of good food, clean water, transportation, and more than enough clothes and possessions. I am wealthier than ninety-plus percent of all the world’s people.

To what ends would I go to “protect” that privilege? What would I really be willing to sacrifice in the name of justice and equity? Am I willing to speak truth in love–even if the truth exacts a high price from me personally or, worse yet, from those whom I love?

I think of the many brave men and women of every generation who have made hard choices and suffered the consequences for those choices, who chose justice over saving face and dishonour above honour.

Would I be willing to do likewise? I know what Jesus calls me to do. The gospel is clear about that, and it doesn’t take a Theological degree or a vocational call to figure it out.

The simple fact is that every single choice you or I make in life is either a choice for good or ill. Oh sure, the outcome and ripple effect may not be clear at the time, but do not be fooled; there is a price to be paid by someone, somewhere.

What we eat, what we buy, what we choose not to buy or consume, whether we speak out for right and truth or remain silent it all makes a difference. It kind of boggles my brain to ponder it all but ponder such things we must.

As Christians, people who bear the name of Christ, we must take seriously the command to love our neighbours as ourselves 24/7, not just when it is convenient or when someone is watching us.

Or in the words of Micah 6:8, “. . . and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

There is always a cost to being prophetic, even today – but that doesn’t mean we should avoid it. But approach with care, there is a danger, a risk, of self-righteousness – of assuming that we have got it right, that we have the answers, of comparing our supposed ‘innate goodness’ over and against those we might challenge. And that is why Jesus taught humility and love – so that our words and actions might always be proportionate, and our motives sincere and true.

And the key for us all is: who or what rules our motives and actions?

May Christ truly be the centre of who we are, and all we do and say.

Rev Nik Wooller

11^th July 2021