Author: feefsmall

Today is Palm Sunday, join with us for Church at Home today. Kids activities, music, reading and a message from our Pastor, Brian Talbot.

The times we are passing through just now provide an opportunity to reflect on what is really important in our lives. There will be some things we saw previously as important, but now we want to give them a lesser place in our priorities.

By contrast, some people and activities may have been neglected and now we are in a place where we want to readjust our schedules to reflect different preferences as to what really matters. In the Gospel of Luke there is a very brief summary account of a time when Jesus spent some precious hours with friends He greatly valued. Notice what took place on that visit in Luke 10:38-42.  

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ⁴¹ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’

It is not a complex story. It could easily have happened in many of our homes today. Some of us by temperament prioritise ‘being’ – reflecting and meditating on things. Others, by contrast, see so much that needs to be done and get frustrated at others who don’t see the need to give a hand. The ‘doer’ thinks that if everyone was like the other person who appears to be more chilled about life that nothing would ever get done! There can be truth in such a thought! However, we can use busyness as a means to avoid thinking about issues we ought to address. This choice is not sustainable over the long-run.       

In Luke 10:38-42 Jesus is pictured enjoying some precious time off with some of His closest friends in a village near Jerusalem called Bethany. In that home were two sisters Martha and Mary. They both loved Jesus to be in their home, but by temperament they were so different. Martha the activist by nature wanted the home to be presentable and the dinner that day one of the best she could produce. Mary by contrast simply wanted to spend time with Jesus. In this time of crisis some of us may be under intense pressure and working longer hours than we would like. Others, by contrast, unable to do our regular activities have much more time on our hands. We will learn more about ourselves as we experience our new daily routines.

Most of all though, we must remember that Jesus placed ‘being’ ahead of ‘doing’ in our priorities; who we are and the character qualities we are developing is even more important than the things we do.  By all means let us do the best we can to make this world a better place, but may we never neglect the priority of time with God. To give out to others requires us to recharge our ‘spiritual batteries’ so as to have something to give. We neglect that at our peril over the longer-term. 

A song for reflection by John Greenleaf Whittier Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?² When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. ³ Though an army besiege me my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. ⁴ One thing I ask from the Lord,this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in his temple. 

⁵ For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. ⁶ Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at His sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to theLord. ⁷ Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. 

⁸ My heart says of you, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face,Lord, I will seek. ⁹ Do not hide Your face from me, do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Saviour. ¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. ¹¹ Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

¹² Do not hand me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. ¹³ I remain confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

The Psalms are definitely one of the key places Christians turnto when life goes wrong. Many of these songs were written in or after times of crisis and the author, here King David Israel’s greatest king 3,000 years ago, unpacks what they had experienced with a view to encourage those singing the song or reading its words to put their trust wholly in God.

Here the Psalm is by David, but we cannot be certain as to when he wrote it or the exact circumstances through which he was passing at the time. The words do speak for themselves and the point he is making is fairly clear – so why not take time to read slowly through this Psalm. I hope at the end of that you can share David’s confidence in God.

1.A declaration  The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1) David here is very clear that ultimately the circumstances were beyond his control. This is where we naturally begin to feel a bit nervous if events are happening and we have no sense of control. Does David share that feeling in his crisis moment? No! On this occasion he has been living with integrity and knows he does not need to say ‘sorry’ for stepping out of line with God. It is his life and the crisis is real but he breaks down the challenge into smaller pieces and declares that God is in control of each situation. I may not be able to see it, but He is in control.

Here the main emphasis is this: The Lord is… can you say that too? It is personal too.  Notice the repeated my in this verse. David has experienced this security in the past, therefore, he testifies that God hasn’t changed- so I can retain my trust in Him. Do you share that personal trust in God? David invites you to join him in living this way. It has consequences too.  …of whom shall I be afraid? If we have that confidence in God then we should normally be less frightened about the circumstances of life that are frightening us.

2. An example My heart says of you, ‘Seek His face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek. (Psalm 27:8) What was the secret to David’s confidence in God? It was directly connected to the fact that he had invested in praying to God. This was not just a repeating of set words in prayer, no, it was heart cries to God. It really mattered that God got involved in this crisis situation. So David committed to regular times of prayer from his heart –it really mattered!

3. An expectation (Psalm 27:13-14) ¹³ I remain confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.¹⁴ Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

The problem is real and continues just like our covid-19 crisis. However, David had a clear conviction –my crisis will not go on forever. I have an unshakeable conviction that God will bring me through safely to the other side, because I have seen Him do it before. However, it will take time now as it did then.  His advice to us: Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Many of us struggle with waiting for answers, but now as then the crisis we face will take time to be resolved. May we heed his advice and overcome our impatience in order to wait for the Lord, Amen

Why not also listen to Paul Williams playing a magnificent old hymn that expresses the same trust in God as David did.   ‘Through the Love of God our Saviour all will be well’ on Hereford Cathedral organ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54H3R6O5TdI

Brian Talbot

What do you see – a young woman or an old woman?

It is a matter of perspective. Both images are present in the one picture, but naturally most of us see one or the other. It is how we look on life. Some people are very closely following the statistics relating to Covid-19 developments. Members of the public might be tempted to focus on the headline figures, whereas the experts in the field look for trends to see how they relate to their mathematical models for future developments. Both approaches may be understandable, but the data is being approached from different perspectives.

The apostle Paul in the New Testament urges us to choose carefully our perspective on our lives. He wrote: Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (II Corinthians 4:16-18). 

We have immediate obstacles to address in the current crisis, but if that is our exclusive focus then it is a lost opportunity. What lessons are there for us to learn in the respective countries around the world to avoid getting into this situation again in the near future? What opportunities have we to make better use of modern technology in daily life? How, for example, might we improve relations between countries and within local communities in the light of our co-operation in getting through this predicament? How might churches do their work more effectively? What personal changes might I make once this crisis is over? 

There are undoubtedly some serious obstacles to be overcome, but will we also learn things about ourselves and how we live our lives so as to be in a better place once this crisis is concluded?

Brian Talbot    

Since this crisis began I have suggested the we might set aside an hour on a Wednesday evening at 7:30pm, or at a time that fits with your daily schedule in the middle of the week for prayer and reflection on what is happening in our individual and collective lives at this time. I am deeply conscious that some readers of this daily message will have more time than usual available, but by contrast others will be under greater pressures than in a ‘normal’ week prior to the start of this crisis. We stand together as a community of Christian people seeking God’s help and guidance to help us get through this difficult time together.

This health crisis we are experiencing will not be over quickly and even if it lasts ‘only’ a few months, the economic dislocation each country is experiencing will take longer to put right. A passage very suitable for our reflection today comes from the book of Hebrews. The recipients of this New Testament book were Italian followers of Jesus going through a horrendously difficult time. Some were clearly struggling to see whether they could carry on any longer. It was felt to be that bad.

Hebrews chapter 11, prior to the verses below, is a summary account of men and women who had triumphed against great adversity against the odds. It concludes in Hebrews 11:39-40, prior to advising them and us how to keep going in tough times in Hebrews 12:1-3.

It states: These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, ⁴⁰ since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. 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 our faith. For the joy that was set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 11:39-12:3) What advice does our author give us for today?

1. I will be encouraged by those who have gone before me(Hebrews 11:39-40)

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, ⁴⁰ since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. If you read through the earlier verses of Hebrews chapter eleven it is a list of accomplishments against the odds, of people who kept going when it might have been far easier to quit. As a teenager I remember the great British shot-putter Geoff Capes explaining his philosophy for success in his chosen athletic discipline: ‘No pain no gain, no pain no glory’. Quitting was simply not an option in the mind of one of this country’s greatest field athletes.

The author of Hebrews has given us a list of named individuals who triumphed and came through their ordeals alive and then a summary list of others whose victories were at the cost of their own deaths. Each was equally commended for their bravery and endurance. These were all commended for their faith he wrote. The individuals cited in this chapter lived in different centuries. What they succeeding in doing varied greatly, but they faced up to the challenge that faced them and which they could not avoid. None of them were looking for fame and glory or to be a hero, but simply sought to do what needed to be done at that time. It is in principle no different to us alive at this time in history.

We are facing difficult times in numerous countries around the globe. Some individuals on our behalf are courageously battling at the front-lines in the health services; many more of us have other contributions to make, but to accomplish the goal we must work effectively together. We all have named persons who inspired us from the past, now the baton has been passed to us to play our parts in accomplishing a collective victory over the unseen enemy in our midst. Then and now victory will be accomplished by effective team-working. Who has been your biggest inspiration?  

2. I will dispose of anything that hinders me (Hebrews 12:1a)

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. (a)Letting go of that which is unnecessary let us throw off everything that hinders…Professional sports people know that to accomplish their goals sacrifices need to be made. Their dietary preferences and social life, for example, will be greatly constrained compared to some of their friends. Why? In order to give their best to accomplish a set goal; on my computer sometimes there is a clean-up required to enable it to run more efficiently.

Similarly in our lives we sometimes need to reset our priorities to ensure that what is most important gains its rightful place in our schedules.  Is there any decluttering you need to look at today? (b) Letting go of that which is wrong… and the sin that so easily entangles Sadly, a number of athletes over the years have taken illegal substances to boost their performances and many have later had to hand back medals won at the Olympic Games as a result. Our author issues a challenge to us not to cut corners or do things we know are not right. To maintain our integrity whatever we are doing is the principle commended. There are a lot of things we have no control over –but the maintenance of our integrity is a choice we can make? Have I recently or am I currently facing a temptation to do something I know is not right? What steps can I put in place to ensure I make the best choices?  

3. I will choose to persevere until I cross the finish line And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us… (Hebrews 12:1b); Our lives are closer to a marathon than a sprint. To be successful in any line of work for many years, for example, requires sheer hard work it is not luck or chance. Likewise, effective parenting takes sustain consistent efforts to achieve any kind if successful outcome. The discipline of making consistent right choices through this covid-19 crisis will at times be hard or in some cases extremely difficult in order to accomplish the goal we seek. In what areas of my life do I need God’s help and further strength to keep going at this time? Let’s bring it to God in our prayers.    

I am thankful to John Steer for providing points for our prayers and reflections today:

Prayers for Disruptive Times

We thank you God our Divine Father, in whom we have come to trust, that nothing is beyond your reach and capacity to handle our concerns for the past present and future. 

We therefore bring our prayers to you through Jesus your son and our Saviour, knowing that He identifies with our humanness and will ultimately overcome even our worst fears as His resurrection proved.

We remember those who are involved with treating patients for all disorders in our hospitals, especially those with Covid-19. May they be protected from infection; Also pray for staff in children’s hospitals that have to comfort youngsters who cannot receive visits from parents; likewise, the anguished parents.

Be with all who are awaiting surgery that has been postponed. Alleviate their pain and discomfort and give them fortitude to cope with life’s challenges.

Pray for sound judgement by our Government and their advisors in combating the epidemic. Thank God for the willingness of volunteers to be involved, and that the organisation and cooperation between management teams will be harmonious and efficient.

Comfort those who have lost loved ones. Help them deal with the restrictions for funeral gatherings.

Be with all who feel frustrated that special occasions have had to be cancelled after much planning.

We thank God for modern communication networks that can enable groups to keep in touch with each other. Give thanks that our Congregation can access daily encouragements, a full Sunday Worship outline and Church Magazine. Pray for Brian our Pastor who provides the daily link and his involvement with the Pastoral Team and the Broughty Ferry Foodbank initiative. 

Remember those who are juggling life by working from home and have children to care for. Give them patience and grace with each other as tensions arise when restrictions apply.

We ask that scholars and students who have been working towards qualifications and experienced closure of schools, colleges and universities, will adjust to distance learning and get the support they need from their institutions. Pray for those known to you.

We pray for those impacted by loss of earnings due to the nature of their work that resources can be found, and we become sensitive to the need of genuine hardship. Give thanks that institutions are easing requirements on loans and rentals. Pray that the Government’s promised help can be delivered on time.

Remember in earnest prayer the plight of those in less able and prepared countries to deal with Covid-19. May the lack of travel options in third-world nations curtail the spread. Conversely pray for developed and sophisticated areas of the world who are reeling under the strain of multiple fatalities.

Finally, as we remember the words of our Lord’s prayer, ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done’, may we, who have the Eternal Hope in Christ within us, not be slow to make our requests known to Him.       

Brian Talbot    

Jesus in His last lengthy conversations with the twelve closest disciples prior to His death made it very plain to them that they would soon no longer have Him with them. He sought to provide support to them to enable them to carry on the work He had begun over the previous three and a half years. 

John14:25-27 states: All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 There was a ‘P’ word that described the feelings of the first disciples that evening but it certainly wasn’t peace! It was panic! They had enjoyed the security of the same daily routines for several years as they travelled around the country with Jesus. Of course, there were unpredictable events that intruded into their days. Some of these turned into extraordinary opportunities for Jesus to perform miracles of healing or feeding multitudes that were hungry. On such occasions they carried out stewarding duties or other modest practical tasks, but were certainly not in charge. Whatever problems arose they had been able to turn as a first or last resort to Jesus to fix. But now they have grasped that He is going away for an indefinite period of time and they have to take responsibility for carrying on the work. 

The questions flowed swiftly through their minds, what if….? How can we do….? Plenty of questions but precious few convincing answers; Help! As they began to feel emotionally overwhelmed at the responsibilities now laid firmly at their feet. Is it possible to carry on? Can we work in the new ways that this situation will demand?  

Does it sound familiar? Or should I put it another way –is there anyone out there whose routines have not been changed or whose responsibilities are exactly the same as only a few weeks ago. Leaving aside those living in full-time residential care homes that are rightly cared for by those set apart to fulfil those responsibilities, everyone else has had to make majoradjustments as to how they operate on a daily basis. 

For some of us ‘working from home’ has become the new normal with probably varying degrees of success. But when there are young children or pets around who do not adapt very easily to new social arrangements during the day there will be times when little work is accomplished.

For others, work will be juggled with assisting family members, friends or neighbours who are self-isolating. Of course there are others unable to go to work due to current restrictions and the extra free time may quickly become a burden when the DIY jobs around the house or garden are all completed. In such cases, anxiety about how long this crisis will continue and concerns about being able to restart work will become a growing concern. What was Jesus offering to help His followers then and now through this time that was for them about to commence?

First of all the Holy Spirit would give them the necessary strength and resilience to carry on. All they had to do was pray from their hearts for God to intervene in their lives and their prayers would be answered. We must be very careful here to say that God’s answers to our prayers can be ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘not yet’ when we request things. Most of the time it is us not our circumstances that are changed; He enables us to adapt to our new situations then and now. We have to deal with the reality we experience, but with God’s help we can survive and sometimes even thrive when given new ways of working.        

Secondly, Jesus said: Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Peace is not merely an absence of conflict or war or silence instead of constant noise.  It is something much more significant He is offering to us.  It is a sense of well-being or wholeness in the midst of the current crisis. Being paralysed by fear at what cannot be done doesn’t help anyone.

By contrast, Jesus promises to help us calmly see things in perspective to work out what we can do in a situation and leave the rest to Him. It is remarkable how often when we do what we can and other people do what they can, how much has been accomplished. This current crisis is likely to continue for some time, so ask God one day at a time for the strength to do all you need to do that day and trust Him to take care of the rest. 

Brian Talbot  

An apology first re: yesterday’s emailing

Jam Kids Focus episode 2 of The Armour of God unfortunately the wrong link was sent out yesterday –for any who didn’t find it –this is it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8k9Fu7a5g4

Jesus spoke some amazing words to His followers at the Last Supper the night before His crucifixion two thousand years ago. He said: ⁹‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command (John 15:9-14). 

We come to this passage today in our own context of concerns over the spread of Covid-19 virus around the world and its impact on the health systems of the various countries. In addition to the many people who have needed some kind of medical assistance, there have been a rising number of individuals who have sadly died. In the United Kingdom this included last week a doctor, Dr Adil El Tayar, an organ transplant consultant from London. 

However there is one doctor I particularly want to highlight today Dr Li Wen Liang, who raised the alarm about this new deadly virus on 30 December 2019. Unfortunately at first, the police in Wuhan harassed him and seven doctor colleagues who sought to raise the alarm within the medical profession in that city. Dr Li courageously continued the fight against this disease despite knowing the risks to himself and his family and sadly died on 7 February 2020. Thankfully the other infected members of his family regained their health and strength. 

Jesus’s words here from John’s Gospel were a personal testimony of His own dedication to serving God and serving others that included His willingness to die in our place on the cross. He challenged these first followers to live their lives dedicated to serving God and other people as He had done. Will you and I say ‘yes’, I will commit my life to following Him? Take time to reflect today on this question: What might this mean in practice if I follow Jesus and live this way?

I want to finish by allowing Dr Li to speak to us through the poem and Bible verse he wrote down shortly before his death to allow us to get some insight into the convictions of this courageous medical doctor.

“The Hero Who Told The Truth”

“I don’t want to be a hero.
I still have my parents,
And my children,
My pregnant wife who’s about to give birth,
And many of my patients in the ward.
Though my integrity cannot be exchanged for the goodness of others,
Despite my loss and confusion,
I should proceed anyway.
Who let me choose this country and this family?
How many grievances do I have?
When this battle is over,
I will look up to the sky,
With tears like rain.

I don’t want to be a hero.
But as a doctor,
I cannot just see this unknown virus
Hurting my peers
And so many innocent people.
Though they are dying,
They are always looking at me in their eyes,
With their hope of life.

Who would have ever realised that I was going to die?
My soul is in heaven,
Looking at the white bed,
On which lies my own body,
With the same familiar face.
Where are my parents?
And my dear wife,
The lady I once had a hard time chasing?

There is a light in the sky!
At the end of that light is the heaven that people often talk about.
But I’d rather not go there.
I’d rather go back to my hometown in Wuhan.
I have my new house there,
For which I still have to pay off the loan every month.
How can I give up?
How can I give up?
For my parents without their son,
How sad must it be?
For my sweetheart without her husband,
How can she face the vicissitudes in her future?

I am already gone.
I see them taking my body,
Putting it into a bag,
With which lie many compatriots
Gone like me,
Being pushed into the fire in the hearth
At dawn.

Goodbye, my dear ones.
Farewell, Wuhan, my hometown.
Hopefully, after the disaster,
You’ll remember someone once
Tried to let you know the truth as soon as possible.
Hopefully, after the disaster,
You’ll learn what it means to be righteous.
No more good people
Should suffer from endless fear,
And helpless sadness.

‘I have fought the good fight.
And I have finished the race.
I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.’
2 Timothy 4:7, Holy Bible.”

Brian Talbot

Welcome to Broughty Ferry Baptist Church online on Sunday morning 29 March, the second Sunday of our temporary way of life that we share with billions of other people around the globe, of which normally around two billion share in some form of act of Christian worship. We may feel isolated in our homes but rest assured you are part of the biggest family on earth – the follower of Jesus Christ –our Lord and Saviour.

Intimations

• Another resource you might want to take a look at for use at home is Engage Worship.
  
• This evening join with Christians from other churches around the country in a 20-30 minute prayer service. You need to be on Facebook to join in.
  
  Over 700 people joined together for last Sunday’s Prayer Livestream, gathering from all corners of Scotland in the midst of the present crisis.  This gathering will now take place every Sunday at 7.00pm. To join in, follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/scottishbaptist/live/
  
  This Sunday will include live contributions from the Isle of Tiree and the Borders and we will be joined by Jason Leitch, National Clinical Director for the Scottish Government and a member of Airdrie Baptist Church.

Call to worship: Let us stop and be still in the presence of our amazing God who is with us as we gather to worship in His name. Let us read in our own context these words from Psalm 91:1-2:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’

We are grateful to Kevin for choosing our praise songs for today.

https://youtu.be/-uMeuhxftiQ

Opening Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,
What an amazing God You are. We have just sung: ‘My Jesus My Saviour, Lord there is none like You’.  We thank You that You are ‘My comfort, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength’. In the light of who You are, our natural response is to ‘sing for joy at the work of Your hands, for ever I’ll love You, for ever I’ll stand. Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.’   

We come into Your holy presence today deeply thankful for all the many blessings we have of families and friends, of food on our dinner tables and for most of all good health.

Forgive us for the times when we forget so many of our blessings and only remember to ask for lesser things we would like. We come once more asking for the forgiveness of our sins knowing through the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus on the cross in our place we can receive Your forgiveness of our sins and receive the fresh empowering to live each new day through the enabling grace supplied to us by the Holy Spirit.

At a time when we are acutely aware of our inability to meet in person with fellow Christians in church today and at other times with family and friends, we want to express our appreciation for the people precious to us who are still able to keep in touch by phone or various forms of social media.

Thank You for all Your kindness to us over the past week in providing for our needs. We are deeply humbled by the blessings received and look forward in anticipation for Your help in the week to come. As we come to look later at the Bible we ask that You would speak to us into our lives what we need to hear from You. We ask our prayer in the name of Your Son our Saviour, Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Let us say together the words Jesus taught His disciples when He said:

‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'”      
For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever Amen.

Let us remember those serving on our behalf – listen to some fellow Christians sharing about their daily experiences.  Please listen to their stories:

This next song is also a prayer based on Paul’s words in Philippians chapter 3

JAM Kids’ focus

There is the second of a series of Bible based activities for children on the Out of the Box website.   This series looks at the Armour of God from Ephesians 6. Click the link below to view

https://youtu.be/V8k9Fu7a5g4

A second JAM Kids resource worth visiting: Virtual Sunday School videos produced by 4Front Theatre Company

JAM young adults Ignite Live have a separate programme on the Zoom platform –parents of teenagers can get a link code by contacting Gary Torbet on garytorbet@btinternet.com

Our next song is a new one to many of us:  Be strong and Courageous

The Bible reading for today is Psalm 91:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ ³ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. ⁵ You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

⁸ You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. ⁹ If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, ¹⁰ no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. ¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; ¹² they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. ¹⁴ ‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. ¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.’

Prayers for Others

Thank you Father for the privilege of bringing our prayers to You today.

Let us continue to remember:

Our governments in Edinburgh and London and our city council here in Dundee as they continues their planning to provide essential services for everyone in this time of crisis.

Our National Health Service once again as the pressures have increased on those serving the general public due to the further spread of this virus, on top of other medical conditions.

Our Social Care system We pray for guidance for those handling care in the community for the most vulnerable members of society.  In particular for the staff and residents of our many care homes who are so vulnerable because of the necessary close contact between them on a daily basis. We pray for your comfort for residents as well as patients in hospital who are unable to receive visitors at this time due to the risks of additional infection.

For Churches and other charitable bodies seeking to support many people in their local communities so that we can come through this difficult time together with stronger social bonds between us.

For Eloise Pearson and her family through the death last week of her brother; we pray for your comfort for his widow and other members of that family at this time

For ourselves and other people we want to mention personally to You as we seek to carry out our daily lives this week.

Thank you God that You hear and answer our prayers, in Jesus Name, Amen.

Our next song is special to many of us – Faithful One

Message

A filmed Version of a message on Psalm 91 is available at the following link: Google Drive link

Psalm 91 A Psalm of Assurance

The are many images of God in the Bible that convey aspects of His character of which some are very familiar to us, for example,  God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Here there is an image of the heart of God for His people using the imagery of a mother hen caring for hr young chickens. The chicks are frightened overwhelmed by the world around them and all that is going on, the mother hen gathers the chicks and shelters them under her wings. The chicks are assured that all is under control because their mother cuddles them close.

Here Psalm 91:4 states: He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge;   Do you feel like the chicks in this image overwhelmed with what is going on around you? Do you fear what the future may bring if some of the worst-case scenarios presented on our TV screens about the spread of the Covid-19 virus come to pass? You are not alone. A lot of people have similar concerns. The reality of some of the challenges we face in life cannot be evaded. It makes us realise at other times how fortunate we really are to have avoided this kind of health crisis for so long. We have no idea what kind of crisis the anonymous author of this Psalm was facing, but the guidance he gives us has been a great blessing to so many people down the centuries. What do we see here?  

1.The personal testimony of the Psalmist (Psalm 91:1-2)

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Whom do you trust? Is this statement or declaration something you share with the author? Can you say these words as a statement of your convictions? I hope you can. However, if you are thinking ‘no’ I have never done so, but I would like to now then these are some steps you can follow to invite God into your life as your Lord and Saviour.

‘God I want you in charge of my life. I confess the wrong thoughts words and deeds I have done in my life. I thank you that your son Jesus died in my place on the cross, 2,000 years ago to take the punishment for my sins, so that I might be forgiven. Lord Jesus I invite you to take charge of my life from this day onwards until the day I leave this life and enter eternity. Amen. 

If from the bottom of your heart you genuinely commit your life to God you become part of His family –in other words a Christian. If you have done that today- welcome to God’s family.

How does our author explain the difference having God in our life can make?   

2. The commendation of the Lord by the Psalmist to the reader (Psalm 91:3-13)

Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. ⁴ He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. ⁵ You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. ⁸ You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. ⁹ If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, ¹⁰ no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. ¹¹ For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; ¹² they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 

The use of the singular you repeatedly here is a personal message: What is it saying and not saying? It is not saying the first Jewish recipients or Christians today are exempt from any troubles. Take for example a sixteenth century church meeting at St Peters Cathedral in Geneva, Switzerland.  Church members were dying of the plague.  The issue under debate was who should visit them as it was highly infectious and contact would probably be fatal.

There were two pastors the senior pastor John Calvin and a young assistant pastor. Both men to their credit volunteered to do the visiting. The congregation voted for the younger man to do it as they ‘couldn’t spare Calvin’. All concerned present knew that the individual would be dead in less than a year as a consequence.

So what are these verses saying to us? They are an assurance that we need not be paralysed by fear of the trials of life. Suffering, troubles, ultimately death come to us all. Our lives are in God’s hands: that is the key fact to note –our anchor here. 

In the fifteenth century in England a Christian nobleman Lord Craven was deeply concerned about the spread of the plague in his home city of London. He ordered his servants to prepare his carriage to go to his country home to avoid it. As he was walking to his carriage to depart, he overheard one of his servants say to another: ‘I suppose by my Lord’s quitting London to avoid the plague that his God lives in the country not in the town. It was a straightforward and innocent remark, but it stuck Lord Craven so deeply that he cancelled his journey saying: ‘My God lives everywhere and can preserve me in town as well as in the country. I will stay where I am. He stayed in London and helped plague victims without catching the disease. (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, Vol 2, pp.241-242) 

A similar story was told of Charles Spurgeon, then a very young Baptist minister in London in 1854. The area where most of his congregation lived was afflicted by cholera. Many families had members who caught the disease and the young minister spent much of his time visiting the sick and the dying with many funerals to be conducted as a result.

One day completely exhausted in every respect, he walked home from conducting a funeral. He walked past a shoemaker’s shop on Dover Road London. In the owners handwriting was an inscription. It was Psalm 91:9-10 from the King James version: Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; ¹⁰ There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. The power of reading those words lifted Spurgeon’s spirits and with a renewed sense of God’s presence in his heart he continued with his ministry in that health crisis. (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, Vol 2, p.235)  

   Take time to reflect on the image in verse four of the mother hen caring for her chicks. It is a beautiful picture of God’s care for us- is that what you need to grasp today? That verse continues with encouraging words: His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. God will be there for you to give you the strength to keep going through the crisis. God never promises to give us an exemption from difficulties – instead He provides the strength to come through them. The rest of the verses in this section Psalm 91:3-13 reinforce this point. 

3. God’s promises for the people who trust in Him (Psalm 91:14-16)

Because he loves Me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. ¹⁵ He will call on Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.’

What promises does God give us here?

(a)God’s protection (Psalm 91:14)  Because he / she  loves Me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him / her;  I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name.  Things are bad but without His presence and protection they could be immeasurably worse sometimes. However, in a world of many problems and difficulties, He assures of His protection through the storms to bring us through. God will be with you this week.

(b) God will answer our prayers (Psalm 91:15) He / She will call on Me, and I will answer him / her; I will be with him / her in trouble, I will deliver him / her and honour him / her  We are not speaking to an empty heaven.  God’s silence is not His absence. Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-5: And weboast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Events in life are not without meaning or purpose, even if we never find answers to our ‘Why’ questions. God’s unmerited kindness to us will bring us through. Praise God for that!

(c) God’s future blessings prepared for us (Psalm 91:16) With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.’ In the early Old Testament period in particular there were specific material blessings promised (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 30:1-20, for examples); however, in the fuller New Testament revelation given to us through Jesus, it is clearly the quality of our relationship with the Lord Jesus and not just a longer existence in this life that is being promised. What is much clearer, for example, from Romans 8:28 is this: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Is this an assurance you can claim today? Is this a faith declaration you might make?

The little chick has no idea about how to handle the dangers around it. God pictured as the mother hen is protecting and being there for us, to bring us through life’s trials for our good and for His glory, Amen

Our closing song is Before the throne of God above.

Remember tonight the national online prayer service at 7pm in Scotland. Visit this link: https://www.facebook.com/scottishbaptist/live/

Adults have a lot to learn from children as well as the other way round. One of the most obvious things is that we can easily make things too complicated. In many situations simply doing what needs to be done is quite obvious and not too difficult.  This is what happened in the account recorded in John chapter 13 of Jesus’ actions at the special meal he had with his followers the night before his arrest, trial and subsequent crucifixion. This is what happened:

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.

. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ ⁷ Jesus replied, ‘You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ⁸ ‘No,’ said Peter, ‘you shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.’ ⁹ ‘Then, Lord,’ Simon Peter replied, ‘not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!’¹⁰ Jesus answered, ‘Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’

¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ¹³ ‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord”, and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Wealthy citizens would have employed a servant to wash people’s feet prior to dinner at such an event. This was out of the question here. None of the disciples would have considered offering because it was a task for those of lower social status. Jesus taught them a lesson that his followers were challenged to obey. Do what needs to be done –don’t look for praise or for someone else to do it – if you can, then do – it can really be that simple. It was a pattern that the Early Christian Church would follow. Sociologist Rodney Stark in his excellent book The Rise of Christianity described how these Christians operated in the time of the plague in the Roman Empire in AD250 where the death rate was about 5,000 per day in a much smaller total population than today.

The small Christian community less than two per cent of the total responded magnificently to the challenge before them. A second plague in AD 260 saw a similar response. Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, reported: “Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another.

Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy. … Many, in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead.” (Stark, pp. 76-94) What was at the heart of their vision for their communities? It was because of their strong sense of community, their refusal to submit to despair, their commitments to care for each other and their robust hope in the face of death. In other words, through their willingness to embrace death, they found life.

In essence, they trusted God to take care of the bigger picture. They acted wisely together to serve their communities – doing the simple things well. Their lived convictions and values were attractive to others. Our situation in some respects is different – not least an excellent health service and system of communications. However, in other respects it is no different, in being willing to serve others where we can in practical ways. In this context today, Jesus speaks to us too: Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Brian Talbot

We are living in extraordinary times that have not been experienced in the Western world for several generations. We have been used to a broadly unlimited supply of food and the basic necessities of life. The extreme situations, for example, of famine in Ethiopia that resulted in the huge public response to aid agencies in this country in 1984 was a turning point as modern media could now convey images of suffering and disaster around the world. Humankind now lives in a global village and could not be unaware of what was happening in other parts of the planet.

In former centuries governments and other major institutions made little or no attempts to address these crises. In part due to a lack of resources to do anything. It was a Welsh Baptist missionary in China, Timothy Richard, who in 1876-1878 appealed to anyone who would listen to his cries for aid for vast numbers of starving Chinese. The accounts of the suffering are easily as bad as Ethiopia in the 1980s. With limited means and volunteers and a complete absence of modern technology Richard and his team were credited with saving nearly 160,000 lives (B. Reeve, Timothy Richard D.D. China Missionary Statesman and Reformer, p. 53).

Millions of other lives had been lost but Richard demonstrated to governments and other agencies that decisive collective action can avert appalling tragedies (William E. Soothill, Timothy Richard of China, pp, 99-105).  His name is largely forgotten today, but because of his vision others grasped what could be done to ensure suffering was minimised when ‘natural disasters’ occur. Humanity owes a debt of gratitude to Timothy Richard.

Our Bible passage today is Luke 22:24-27: A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. ²⁵ Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. ²⁶ But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. What does it teach us today?

1.Individuals missing the point (Luke 22:24) A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. It is the Last Supper the night before Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus has told His closest disciples that this would be their last meal together as a ministry team and then lead them in the first service of communion as they broke bread and drank wine together. This had to be a most solemn occasion. Did they all get it that they needed to work together to stand with Jesus? It is hard to believe that some of those grown men were arguing as to which of them was considered to be greatest. It is easy to see the mistakes of other people. Under pressure sometimes people do crazy things so out of character. We can all be tempted to act inappropriately at times. In our current crisis – how are you and I handling the pressure? Am I focussed on what is most important or am I distracted by some unimportant things?  

2. A model not to be followed (Luke 22: 25) Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.Jesus highlighted that there are always people who think of themselves and forget about others in a time of need. In moments of crisis there are always ordinary people who rise magnificently to the challenge and do a great job in assisting those in need; and others who reveal the less appealing side of human nature. The important thing when we want to criticise others for their choices is to look honestly into our own hearts and ask what would I have done and how can I be better in my conduct than the behavioural choices I reject? Other people may agree or disagree with the choices we make. Their opinions may be ill-informed or well-grounded, but what matters most is our heart motivation which God sees.  

3. An example to imitate (Luke 22:26-27) But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. Our calling is to have a servant heart and to think of the needs of others not just ourselves. I want to thank God for the many examples I have seen in this congregation of people serving others in so many different ways.  It is one of my greatest joys as the pastor to be so proud of individuals who have served with distinction in care for others. I want to say from my heart a big thank you even now for what has been done in this crisis so far and in anticipation of further acts of generosity and kindness to those in need in the coming days.

Brian Talbot