From the Manse – Oct 2008

My Dear Friends

This summer has been as sunny and dry as many expected it to be. Nevertheless, did you have a nice summer? For a pleasant time depends a great deal upon what did you make of it? Even a wet, dreich time can be fulfilling and pleasant if one made the most of it.

Last week, we had five students from Transylvania staying with us for a few days. For the last three summers they got into a car, well stocked with food from home, and they travelled around Europe.This year, they came to the British Isles. The weather wasn’t the best, but that did not bother them too much. One day, they rode up to Loch Ness and back! Surely sunshine would have made their trip even more pleasant, but even so they made the most of the opportunity.

During the Olympic Games we could witness how athletes made the most of their opportunities, mentioning just a few, the swimmer Michael Phelps, the runner Usain Bolt, the Scottish cyclist Chris Hoy or, coming a bit closer to home, Stephen Park who had instrumental part in coaching the British sailing team to collect five medals (three of which are gold). The British Olympic Team made the most of the opportunity also. While initially hoping to be about the eighth on the medal table, they achieved an amazing fourth place! If you think about it the conditions at Beijing were not idyllic at all. The heat and the smog did not help the competitors. Still, what mattered was to make the most of the given opportunity. And they did! We hope that the British Paralympians will also make the most of their opportunity at the Paralympics (6-11 September), in which, together with Helensburgh, we will follow with great interest the progress of young Gordon Reid in the tennis tournament.

The rich young man did not make anything of the great opportunity he received (cf. Matthew 19:16-30)! And what an opportunity he had! He wanted to get eternal life and to his question he got the answer from Jesus. His quest was over, he had the answer. He even received an invitation from Jesus to follow Him (have you noticed that Jesus did not invite everybody to follow him?). But he turned it down.

At church, we are beginning a new season that will present us with new opportunities. The conditions will not be favourable all the time, but the opportunities will be there. Will we make the most of them? Besides the usual services (Easy Worship and Morning Worship) we will have our Harvest Celebration on the 14th of September, when our retiring offering will support the RNLI, that indeed make the most in saving lives in the most unfavourable conditions!

We will also have the opportunity to celebrate, together with the pupils of Hermitage Primary School, on the 21st of September, a unique opportunity to dedicate the new school year to God’s merciful love.

We also will have the opportunity to adopt a child in prayer, the details of which will follow shortly. Our God, the Lord of all seasons, brings opportunities to us, He gave us His Spirit to make the most of them. Trust in God and in Jesus Christ your Saviour and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit to make the most of the opportunities you receive.