Kirk Reflections 15th December 2024

Revd. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

JOY

a fruit of the Spirit. 
Who comes to mind?

I had a primary school teacher who somehow managed to display a deep level of joy. Anyone could see that something was different about her. Nothing was ever too much to ask and despite her own difficulties and disappointments she still managed to be content.

So, a classmate asked her about the ‘happiness’ she displayed. She simply said:

'Peace is joy resting, and joy is peace dancing. These were the

I wonder if ‘joy’ is the first thing that comes to mind when the world thinks of us Christians. Of us folks in Kirkliston Parish? Do people see us as dancing in the delight of our freedom… or do they perceive us as constantly moaning and begrudging the challenges of life…?

Kirk Reflections 8th December 2024

Revd. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

PEACE

'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'

Phil. 4: 6-7]

At the Memorial service on Thursday evening past, John McPhee read this passage from Philippians stating that they (according to his Bible App) are some of the most ‘looked up’ verses of the past year.
We yearn, we long for peace, don’t we?
Whether in our personal relationships or in the world. 

And NOTHING will change that.
The thing that needs to change is us! In our passage, Luke 3 uses the word ‘metanoia’ to describe the process of turning away from your old self… what instils peace, is not only following the Prince of Peace, but becoming agents of peace ourselves…

Kirk Reflections 1st December 2024

Revd. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

HOPE
"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:28]

So why Advent?
It comes from the Latin word ‘Adventus’ meaning ‘to come’. 

In the 4 weeks running up to Christmas we have this sense of

Advent prepares us to think about how Jesus came, comes daily, and WILL one day come AGAIN.

This helps us to get ready for the true meaning of Christmas… it’s not about the gifts or even the food (well, maybe it has a wee bit to do with the food!) But it's about Jesus coming to save a world in need.

So, what’s the origins of the tradition of Advent?

It started in the 4th and 5th Century in Spain and France when churches prepared for the celebration of the birth of Christ the Messiah. Gregorius was the Church Father who established that there should be 4 weeks dedicated to Advent with the theme of Christ’s Second coming being a theme.

How do we celebrate Advent?

Lighting the candles of HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE symbolizing that Jesus came as the light of the world and that

May you be blessed as we get ready for the birth of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour!

Kirk Reflections 24th November 2024.

John McPhee brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

Road to Emmaus

This week, we look at two disciples encounter with the risen Jesus.

Kirk Reflections 17th November 2024.

Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

WHAT IMPRESSES YOU?
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” [Mark 13:1 (NIV)

What are the things that leave a lasting impression on you?

It’s interesting to note that Jesus wasn’t impressed by the things we’d consider important or of value. It wasn’t a large salary, bulky warhorse or big estate that left a lasting impression on him.

What moved Jesus most, was the human capacity to acknowledge the need to be saved… and the consequences and repercussions of surrendering to the King of Kings like servanthood.

If you feel like you’ve never made a good impression; know this: Jesus IS impressed by YOU, for he loves you more than words can describe. He simply loves you, because he made you in love, for love, to love…

Kirk Reflections 10th November 2024.

Alistair Barton brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

Remembrance

This week, we remember once again all those who have served in our Armed Forces since World War I, also known as the ‘Great War’, who have either been injured or who died serving their country.
This is part of our history, so we will be taking a look at that word and asking the question:  ‘What is history?”   And why is it important to remember what happened in the past?

Kirk Reflections 3rd November 2024.

Rev Ken Brown brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

“With Harvest Thanksgiving just past and Christmas just round the corner we all know the excitement that surrounds an unexpected present especially if it comes at just the right time. But do we ever reflect on the possible excitement that surrounds the act of giving. It is more logical to think about the cost of giving be it money, time or energy.

This week, we explore the mystery that can be involved in

Kirk Reflections 27th October 2024.

Rev. Frank Ribbons brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

Love covers everything

Last time, we looked at the parable of the Prodigal or Lost Son, and this time we’ll be thinking about a parable from Matthew 20, The Workers in the Vineyard. It’s a less well known parable than the Lost Son, and not so many folk will be able to rehearse the details of it in the way they can with the best known parables.

Certain similar things come through many of the parables and also much of the teaching of Jesus though, and these are the undermining of stereotypical or usual ways of understanding life and religion. This is because the Jesus’ primary focus, which is love, has a way of doing that.

Our tendency when we think of God is to think in a very abstract way about his love, and a very concrete way about his judgement, and sin, and behaviour with which we don’t agree and which doesn’t fit our view of the world and how it should be.

So once again we’ll be looking at the shock value of the parable and the way in which it may even challenge us, just as it challenged the hearers all those years ago.

Andrew Lloyd Weber’s song, “Love changes everything” is a song I particularly like with regard to much of what I read in Jesus’ teaching. The line about our rules being broken certainly applied hand over fist to the Pharisees and Scribes who over the course of Jesus’ ministry began to despise and hate him.

Love makes fools of everyone

All the rules we make are broken

Yes, love, love changes everyone

Live or perish in its flame

Kirk Reflections 20th October 2024.

Rev. Frank Ribbons brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

Frank will be joining us for 2 weeks while Erick is on Study Leave.

We’ll be looking at two parables of Jesus, although there may be a referral to other parables as well.

The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32)

This week, we will be looking at the Parable of the Lost Son, or as I knew it growing up, the parable of the Prodigal Son. That latter title is rather odd because it gives no real clue as to the point of the parable and makes it sound as though the son was simply a very generous benefactor.

Before I knew what “prodigal” meant I thought it actually meant selfish and thoughtless, which is how the parable portrays him.

I like looking at passages we know well. It’s the stuff that we know back to front that can often deliver surprises which we then remember, perhaps because we can link what we have learned to a story we know well. It is easy to take the well-known stuff for granted and therefore pay it less attention. This happens across the board in all sorts of situations for us. Often these times can surprise us.

I am from Perth, so I support their football team in a very moderate understated way. Being from a small town and of underdog kind of status, I never expect them to win. So when in 2021 they won the Scottish Cup and the League

Kirk Reflections 13th October 2024.

Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

ORIGINS VII: Motives

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”  (Genesis 11:4 ) NIV

In high school one of my friends started dating the girl of his dreams.
Upon his first visit to her house, he was quite apprehensive; and rightfully so, because he had some reputation as a ‘pretty boy.’ Emma’s dad wasn’t impressed and asked him upon entry:

What are your intentions with my daughter.’

Motives matter. They determine the course of our life.

In the story of the Tower of Babel we get yet another glimpse of how distracted humans can be when they focus on edifying themselves, when their motives are simply to honour their own names. It’s a story on repeat and one we can relate to it on a very deep level.

How often do you audit your heart? Examine the reason for serving, or doing?

This passage is massively challenging as it reveals the pride hidden in every human heart.
PS. My friend ended up marrying this girl and they now have 3 kids! Indeed, motives matter...