I am thinking today of Rev. Scott Burton, beginning his ministry in Britghtons Church of Scotland in Falkirk, and thinking too of his lovely wife, Gill, and their beautiful daughter, Hope. He is being preached in by the wonderful Rev. Ollie Clegg who was one of the ministry team at Holy Trinity in Wester Hailes, and is now Associate minister of  St. Mungo’s Episcopal Church in Balerno, with responsibilities too in St. Mungo’s in Livingston.  Ollie was a huge encouragement to Scott as he pursued his call to ministry. It made me think of how there may be many beginning a new season in ministry today who are unknown to me, but may be known to you. Jesus has promised to build His church. He can be trusted. Why not take a moment to pray for those beginning their ministries or a new chapter in their ministries today, Pray too for spouses, family and loved ones caught up in that call!

For some reason as I thought of Scott, the ramblings in the following paragraph started to bubble up to the surface. I found myself musing about ministry in a more general sort of way, and from there  my mind seemed to leap to all sorts of areas of Christian life and service. It all resulted in this:

Allowing loads of space for cultural differences, personality differences, differences in taste etc, if it doesn’t look and sound like Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, don’t give it sway in your life… by “it” I mean the ministry of any Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher, etc. etc. Come to think of it, when it boils down to it, He is the model for all things; prayer, leadership, mission, faith, confrontation, servanthood, obedience, church/church planting/church discipline, spiritual warfare, healing, helping folk with a terribly wounded story, deliverance and anything and everything else for that matter. Jesus of Nazareth is what God and His purpose is and looks like in a human being. For every book you read, course you go on, take a longer look still at Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Have you put a favourite speaker above Jesus? A favourite writer or book above the gospels? If so, why not open them today and start reading any of the 4 or all of them? Begin at the beginning or open them up wherever you feel led to start. Don’t feel ashamed if you find the words you are reading unfamiliar or unknown to you. Just thank God for bringing you on to the right path and ask Him to forgive your folly. He will. ‘Jesus, be the centre!’ Let’s tell others to read the stories of  “The Forgotten Four.” “

God bless

Kenny