Julie, our Probationer took her leave of us on Sunday 28th. April, 2024 after 22
months with us. She continues to work with the training Team at the Church offices
at 121 George Street in Edinburgh working specifically with other students in
training for ministry and also now 2 days a week at Lenzie Old Parish Church plus a
Sunday as a Locum in that vacancy. The recent announcement of the ‘translation‘ of
the Minister of Lenzie Union Parish Church means that the union of these two
congregations will now happen sooner than had been expected under the Presbytery
Mission Plan.
I would like to thank the congregation for their support and help in shaping Julie for
Ministry, their generosity in contributing to her parting gift, and to thank all those
who baked a selection of ‘sweet treats’ which were enjoyed in the Cameron Hall after
our Service on April 28th.
On Thursday 30th. May, 2024, Julie will be Ordained as a Minister of Word and
Sacrament in Lenzie Old Parish Church at a Service of Ordination conducted by
the Presbytery of Glasgow at 7pm. Anyone who would like to attend this Service
would be advised to ensure they are there early to secure a pew(6.30pm).
Tour buses
We expect to run a bus from our Church Car Park to Lenzie Old on the evening of
Julie’s Ordination and that reminded me of a story I once read.
“Tour bus Christians” drive comfortably through life as they gaze out the window
at others who are elbow deep in the daily adventure of serving God and working
among spiritually needy people.
Tour bus Christians are insulated from the real world activity and excitement of
God’s work. They may avoid some of the pain that’s involved, and they may protect
themselves from the difficulties and struggles, but there’s no real adventure on a
tour bus. They miss out on the excitement of living at the edge of expectation.
They don’t experience the tremendous counter-cultural truth that the more a
Christian pours their self out serving others in God’s name, the more God will fill
them to overflowing. The adventure comes when you tell the tour bus to stop, and
you jump off and say: “Lord I want to get into the fray, I want to play a role in the
biggest adventure story of all time. Use me to make a difference. Use me to
impact a young person for You. Use me to solve someone’s problem. Use me to
soothe someone’s pain. Use me to answer someone’s prayer. Use me to feed
someone who is hungry. Use me to rescue a child. Use me to bring someone to You.
Use me to ease someone’s loneliness. Use me to raise a Christian family.
Use me to deepen someone’s faith. Use me to cheer someone on. Use me to help a
broken person understand that they are precious in Your sight – a beloved child of
God. Use me to touch lives in Your name.
I don’t want to just observe cathedrals through my bus window; I want to roll up
my sleeves and build one! Lord, use me to build a living cathedral dedicated to Your
glory!”
Who knows what we will see on the way to Lenzie and back on the 30th. of May?
And who knows what will happen when the Minister asks the Tour bus to stop off
at Da Carlo on Millersneuk Road on the way home! Let the adventure begin.