‘Someone’s knocking at the door, someone’s ringing the bell, do me a favour, open the door and let him in.’ Now that I’ve put that song in your head, you are not going to forget it!
You will remember it from the Postcode Lottery Advert: I remember the lyrics from one of the pop groups that I used to listen to in the 70’s – Wings with Paul McCartney. I’ve been tempted to change the words for Junior Church to sing before the Kirk Service but I received funny looks from ‘my two’ when I started rhyming the words bell and hell together and in with sin!!
We are beginning to be a little closer to the opening of our buildings but we still wait in anticipation for the government and the National Church to tell us when.
It is frustrating, but we have to be ready, and that is why our Execu-tive recommended that whilst there was an opportunity to open our sanctuaries for private prayer, we declined. Our Health and Safety team have a job on their hands to make sure we have followed the guidelines and filled in the appropriate forms.
Gordon and I have, with others, been studying a 35 page document called ‘Reopening Church Buildings’ which has stimulated our thinking. We have been creative in trying to provide for our congregation and I hope that this creativity will continue when our buildings are open again.
Let me say that, on return, our worship will be different. To give you an idea: our Order will be solely on the screen – all hymns and all Bible readings, and for the time being, there will be no singing, which will lead to more reflective pieces by Razvan and the use of modern music too.
All of us should be thinking about what this virus has taught us about the nuts and bolts of how we worship. On Sunday 21st June I copied in the article from Life and Work by John Chalmers, where he talked about a ‘different type of church less reliant on buildings’ and ‘to reach a constituency that has been missing from our pews for generations.’
The worst thing we could do is to go back to our old ways and have learnt nothing.
I dug out that old song by Wings, you know the one, the one you are singing in your head…
and I thought about the words…
…’Sister Suzie, Brother John,
Martin Luther, Phil and Don,
Brother Michael, Auntie Gin,
do me a favour and let ‘em in…’
You thought my rhyming was bad – ‘Auntie Gin, let ‘em in’!
Remember William Hunt’s painting ‘The Light of the World’ where Jesus is knocking on an unopened door?
Christ at the door. Christ the door. ‘Let him in.’ I’m not as daft as a brush as you might think.
Jesus outside, knocking on doors – we definitely have a lot to think about.
George
Click to download weekly reflection for Sunday 28 June 2020 (PDF):-
Rev Mackay’s weekly reflection is also accompanied by a piece from our musical director, Razvan Luculescu. This week, Razvan has chosen Erik Satie – Gnossienne No 1.
