Good afternoon. The first item of business is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader is the Rev Norman Afrin, minister, Sandyhills parish church.
It is an honour for me to lead time for reflection. I have served as a parish minister in the east end of Glasgow for six and a half years, and I love it. A couple of weeks ago, as part of my chaplaincy role at Eastbank primary school, I went along to take its Easter assembly. As I walked in, one of the teachers said to me, “I’m glad you are here. I will give a hallelujah to that.” She went on to say, in a throwaway comment as she set out the benches for the assembly, “Is it just me, or are things really beginning to impact on people? I think we all need a hallelujah.”
From my knowledge, that teacher is not an overly religious person, but I think that she was referring to the impact that people are feeling just now, how things are hard for them and how they need hope. As an Isle of Lewis boy living in Glasgow, whenever I order black pudding in a restaurant, I have to hope that they will serve me Stornoway black pudding. Often, however, it is not that, and my hope has been in vain. It is much better to hope in something sure and steadfast.
That is what Christians have just celebrated, this past weekend: the glorious hope of the Easter story, in which churches across Scotland have joined to celebrate the life-impacting reality that Jesus is alive. However, that message is not bound to Easter Sunday alone. For Christians, that hope permeates every area of life. As Peter, who at one time denied knowing Jesus, would one day say, in 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 3:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.
At Easter, we see the message of forgiveness, reconciliation, friendship and living hope. Those are themes that we would do well to live out and display in our daily lives.
May your lives be filled with that living hope, as you seek to lead and serve the people of Scotland. As you discuss complex issues, may you do so with—as the hymn writer said—
“strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow”.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, and cause his face to shine upon you. Amen.
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