Here in God’s House, we come together to offer our prayers and thanksgivings for the life gifted to Dugald Niven.  Dugald passed away at home on Saturday 30^th March aged 87 years.  Although Dugald was enduring significant and increasing ill-health, his passing was sudden and unexpected.  In many ways we are still recovering from the shock of losing him and at the same time feel that Dugald has been released from his struggles.  

It is not by accident, nor merely for convenience, that we gather in this place of worship.  Although Dugald was not able to attend church for quite some time he still felt in his heart that his church was a special place, a precious place that represented hope beyond this life and strength through faith for this life.  It is right that we should gather together so that we, together, can place Dugald into his Heavenly Father’s safe keeping.

We will offer to God our fondest memories of times shared with Dugald, remember his love and affections, his friendship and neighbourliness and find strength within those memories.  We will remember Dugald’s quiet and sincere faith in Christ and like Dugald find hope in God’s promises.

Then let’s remind ourselves of the promises our Heavenly Father has made:

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that those who believe in him should not perish but have Eternal life.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who in his great mercy gave us a new birth into a living hope by his resurrection from the dead.

Hymn – I the Lord of Sea and Sky

Prayer

Father God, we come to you seeking comfort, seeking the strength to endure through times of grief and the grace to love and yet let go of those whom we have loved.  Remind us each day that you care for those who mourn and in the promises of your word to find the hope and reassurance need so much. May Dugald’s faith in Christ assure us that though he has now departed this life he is forever in your safe keeping. AMEN

READINGS

Psalm 16

John 14: 1 – 6 & 27

ADDRESS

Dugald Fleming Niven was born in 1936 and raised within the family home in Maryhill.  Dugald was blessed with a younger sister Nancy, two years younger.  Sadly, Nancy passed away almost exactly a year ago.

Successful in his 11plus exam, Dugald went on to be a very successful pupil at North Kelvinside Senior Secondary.  Dugald seemed to be able to apply himself to whatever endeavour lay before him.  His involvement with the Boy’s Brigade led him into being an Officer in the Company, which in itself stood him in good stead for his working life.  From school he entered into office work, he then trained as a Chiropodist although he never pursued a career in the field.  His time in National Service with the Scots Guards saw him on guard duty at the Tower of London watching over the Crown Jewels and also Guard Duty at Buckingham Palace.  Perhaps you can picture Dugald in his red tunic, bearskin hat, standing motionless in his sentry box at the gates of the Palace.  It takes considerable dedication and strength of will to carry out such duties.

When his time in the military was over Dugald entered the printing trade working for the Sunday Post; he eventually got tired of working every Saturday on the print presses so, he gave it up and went off to London.  And that’s when he met Rosemary at eh Hammersmith Palais.  Rosemary was pursuing a career in Nursing, Dugald was now in engineering working as a Turner, it was 1964, London was the place to be and romance soon blossomed between them.  Dugald and Rosemary married in 1965 and made their way north to Glasgow.  That same year they moved to East Kilbride Quebec Drive; Dugald had secured work with BSR.  The following year they moved to Jamaica Drive which has been the family home ever since.

Dugald, changed direction one more time in his working life as he entered into the Double Glazing industry, serving as Foreman in the manufacture of double glazing units.  He retired aged 66.

Dugald and Rosemary raised their two daughter Susan and Deborah within a loving and caring family home.  Their first child, a little boy, Robert, born in 1966, sadly died in infancy.  They didn’t mention Robert very often but when they did, they spoke about him openly.

Rosemary and Dugald had this in common – they had high standards for their girls.  Mum had the professional standards of her nursing training behind her and Dugald that sense of self-respect and respect for others that came through his BB and military days. Encouraging their girls to reach those standards has done them no harm, indeed mum and dad had two girls to be very proud of.  Family holidays took them south to Norfolk to catch up with Rosemary’s family.  It was typically an overnight journey in the car to get there, arriving with two weary grumpy girls but the memories of holidays around Great Yarmouth and Caister are wonderful.

Dugald was good humoured, able to laugh at himself and at life, he was good company and lovely to talk with; and at the same time, he could be a little awkward socially, restrained by his need to be polite and mannerly and respectful of authority.  Rosemary was also a quiet introverted sort of personality.

Dugald loved his sports watching snooker or rugby on the telly; he was an avid Rangers fan and he studied the form for his bet on the horses.  Of course, the bets he placed were small, no more than a flutter on the horses but the time and effort the put into studying the form was considerable.  Red Deer Bowling Club became a big part of his life and he even served a year as President of the club.  In the winter months he played indoor bowls.

He had a love for music that was broad to say the least, Elvis Presley was the music to his young life.  He enjoyed Neil Diamond, he loved some of the big names in Country and Western like Box Car Willie.  His record collection consists everything from vinyl 78’s to CD and is extensive.

Dugald was known to be accident prone.  In his young days as a cyclist careering down a hill, full pelt and the handle bars came off!  He fell off a ladder one time and sustained some significant injuries.  He even managed to virtually severe his hand on a circular saw!

On a more positive note, he had a liking, or was it an addiction, to HP Brown sauce.  He almost literally had brown sauce with everything.

Rosemary passed away on 5^th January 2004 aged 65.  Their dreams of sharing a happy retirement came abruptly to a close.  Dugald has been a widower for 20 years and to put it simply he made the best of it; he didn’t give in.  One of his great strengths was knowing that he had two daughters to look out for him, sons-in-law Andrew and Ian, grandchildren Leah, Lewis and Sarah and most recently great grandchild Luca.  Dugald may not have been one for the baby sitting and childminding, but he loved and cared for and enjoyed his family across all the generations and that made a huge difference to his life in later years.

Susan and Debbie recognise too that neighbours John and Liz have played a big part in Dugald’s quality of life in his later years.  Just checking in daily, getting the papers, taking time to chat about everything and nothing made a real difference. The family want to say thank to them and to so many others who kept in touch, dropped in, helped out and in so many ways expressed love and care and concern for Dugald.

Prayer

Praise to you Father for sending your Son Jesus our Lord to this earth for us. He lived his life for us knowing all the pains and pleasures of human life. Yet despite him having no sin within him we sent him to the cross to die. There he died for the forgiveness of our sins that we might enjoy life everlasting as the reward of faith in him. We thank God for the faith he has given us assuring us of the gift of eternal life. Knowing God’s promises to be true we turn to thank him for the life he gave to Dugald.

Lord, we thank you for the bright and able young lad growing up in Maryhill who did well at school, who flourished in the Boy’s Brigade and who willing met new challenges in his Military service and in his working life.

We thank you that his desire for some adventure in life took him to London where he met Rosemary.  They were together for 40 years, facing life’s sad times and happy times together.  They built a family home together and offered their daughters Susan and Debbie all the love and affection, guidance and discipline they needed to make their own way in life.

We thank you for family summer holidays and memories of precious family times.

We thank you for his love and affections as a father-in-law and grandfather and great grandfather

We thank you for Dugald’s love of music, sport and brown sauce. 

We thank you for his respectful, polite manner, his humour, his charm and simply being a lovely man, a good man, a good friend and good neighbour.

Lord and God, our memories of Dugald are without number, we cannot retell them all but in the quietness of our thoughts and hearts we can offer them all to you.  Lord hear us now as we offer our own prayers of thanksgiving to you…

Lord God hear these the prayers we make for those who are bereaved.  Grant them the reassurance of faith, the same faith which Dugald possessed in you, that your promises are true, life is everlasting.  Bring them peace through the knowledge that Dugald is safe in your care until the day comes that we can be reunited with him in Heaven.  Bring order where there is chaos and light where there is darkness for the sake of Christ the Lord. AMEN.

Hymn – Abide with me

The Grace

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forever more. AMEN.

At the Crematorium

SUSAN AND DEBBIE AND ALL THE FAMILY THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT TODAY.  JUST BEING WITH THEM IS A GREAT COMFORT AT THIS TIME.  FAMILY WOULD BE DELIGHTED IF YOU ARE ABLE TO  JOIN WITH THEM AT THE TORRANCE HOTEL EAST KILBRIDE VILLAGE  IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS SERVICE.

Jesus said; I am the Resurrection and the Life, he who believes in me though he die yet, shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

Jesus also said; I have come from heaven, not to do my will but the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of what he has given me but raise it up at the last day.

Taking strength from the promises of God we turn to thank Him for the life given to Dugald Niven and so to place Dugald into his Heavenly Father’s everlasting arms.  Dugald died at home on Saturday 30^th March aged 87 years; he had been in declining health for quite some time.

Hymn – How great thou art

READING

Romans 8: 35  and following

Prayer

Gracious God, your purposes for all is that they might see good in their lives, goodness which stems from you. Nothing can separate us from you, neither life nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, we offer you thanks and praise for all that you have done through Jesus Christ the Lord. By giving him to live and die for us, you have made known your ways to all the world, showing that your love has no limit. By raising him from the dead you have shown that those who believe in him will also share the resurrection life.

We thank you Father that Dugald Fleming Niven has graced our lives.  He has only ever brought good to our lives.

Raised in the family home in Maryhill along with his younger sister  Nancy, they grow up through the challenging times of the 30’s and 40’s, times of struggle and times of war and they learned the value of family and community and looking out for one’s neighbour.

We thank you for his ability at school that opened up so many opportunities for him in his adult life.  From office work to chiropody, to engineering, printing and manufacturing, whatever Dugald applied himself too he did well.  Even during his National Service with the Scots Guards, he found himself on ceremonial duties amongst the best of them, guarding the Crown Jewels and Buckingham Palace.

We thank you for that night out at Hammersmith Palais that brought Dugald and Rosemary together – a night at the dances that led to romance, then to marriage and family and a joyful life together.  We thank you Lord for Dugald’s love and affections and guidance as a dad to Susan and Debbie.  He offered his best to them and expected them to offer their best as well.  What else can we say other than he was a good dad, who passed on his qualities and values to his girls.  We thank you for his affections as a father-in-law to Andrew and Ian, and as a grandfather to Leah and Lewis and Sarah. And great grandfather to Luca.

We remember the man who always dressed well, careful of his appearance, a discipline from his National Service days; who could laugh at life and himself and warmly invited you into his life.  We remember the man who cheered on his team – Rangers, and studied the horses hoping to win, who played competitively at bowls, and sat in his armchair to enjoy the rugby and the snooker.  We remember the man who put brown sauce on every meal.

We remember his love of music and his broad taste in musical styles a fan of Elvis and Neil Diamond and Box Car Wille, who never parted with a record; vinyl or CD.

We remember the man who made the best of life after Rosemary passed away, who didn’t give in or give up but remained independent and strong.

We think on Dugald in his later years when ill-health restricted him and he needed his friends and neighbours and family.  And even though it is never easy to care for someone in the later stages of life, with all the demands and frustrations and difficult decisions, we are also glad that we have been able to return the love he so freely offered to us.

Lord hear us now as we offer to you our own thoughts and prayers giving thanks for everything, we shared with Dugald and as we do we place him into your eternal keeping to be with Rosemary once more and to be with Robert in the light and peace of your presence…

We thank you Lord for hearing our prayers.  AMEN

Music for Reflection – Take me home country roads

The Crematorium Committal

We have entrusted Dugald Fleming Niven into the hands of God, and now we commit his body to be cremated, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; having our whole trust and confidence in the mercy of our Heavenly Father and in the victory of his son Jesus Christ the Lord, who died, was buried, and rose again for us and is alive and reigns for ever and ever.

Just as we have placed Dugald into God’s keeping so now we place ourselves into His keeping.

Prayers for Bereaved

All too soon we return to the normality of life and all its routines knowing that life will not and cannot be as it was before.  We carry with us the pain of grief and loss.  Father, may we turn to you often and recall to mind your promises of eternal life, may your word of promise be like a light in the darkness.  Grant us reassurance and remind us that life is eternal.  Although we can no longer hold Dugald’s hand or hear his voice we know that you shall embrace him and keep him safe until the day we are reunited with him.  In time take from us the pain of mourning and allow life to take on a freshness and newness which reveals that love and hope are eternal.  And now may the peace of God, which passes our utmost understanding keep guard over your hearts and thoughts in Jesus Christ the Lord; and the blessing of God, Father Son and Holy Spirit, be with you all. AMEN

Welcome!

We know not everyone who is part of Westwood Church is able to be in church on Sunday morning however, we thought it would be good to offer some excerpts from the Sunday morning service. Where we can, we offer parts of the service in text and audio, whichever works best for you. If you want to plug in headphones to your computer, tablet or mobile phone now is a good time to do it ! If you want to offer some comment or feedback just use the comment box at the end of this post.

Scripture

Acts 3: 1 – 20

Praise – Peter and John

Prayers

Loving God, how thankful we are that You hear us when we call to You.

When troubles come, You give us strength.

When our distress seems never-ending, You are our quiet our frantic minds and bring stillness to our soul.

When injustice rages, You offer Your peace.

When nights seem endless, You still our frightened hearts.

When we feel weak and lame, You raise us up to new life in You.

You put gladness in our hearts, You give us a hope and a future.

Loving God, our sight is limited; we cannot always make sense of Your purposes.

But that doesn’t mean You aren’t at work.  The way may be hidden, the path may appear dark, but sometimes when You seem far off You are at Your most near.

Teach us, we pray, never to despair, however bleak it may seem.

When injustice seems all around and peace far off, help us to hear Your words of promise.

Forgive us when our journey is not humble, or faithful, or just.

Forgive us when we do not take heed of Your words.

Forgive us when we do not notice Your presence.

Forgive us when we don’t recognise You working in our midst,

Forgive us when we fail to give glory to Your name.

Come into our weakness and fill us with Your renewing power.

Even if we were like Peter and John, and had no silver or gold to offer, we can still bring our willing hearts, our voices lifted in praise, our willingness to speak of your love and bring Glory to your name.  Glad as we are to offer our gifts, You Lord can do so much more through us as we offer ourselves into your service.  Receive then all that we place before you.

Hear us as we join in the words of the Lord’s Prayer saying…

Our Father who art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name.  Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever.  Amen.

Address

One day…  Yes, the timeline in the book of Acts can be a little vague on occasion.  Maybe what day or month this happened on doesn’t matter a great deal.  The fact that it happened is what matters.

In the aftermath of Pentecost, the community of believers is growing rapidly.  Thousands in one day might be added to their number.  Just how they coped with the administration of that is beyond me.  Well, I suppose the reality is that they didn’t cope with it.  In that place where believers sold their land and possession so that everyone could be supported according to their need a point arrived where division grew up.  Those from a Gentile background felt their widows and orphans were being neglected in the daily distribution of funds.  Sudden and substantial growth in any community is hard to prepare for; it is in one way exciting and wonderful and in another way demanding and stressful.  It takes on a life and direction of its own, it can’t really be controlled.

None of this caused the Apostles to stop their preaching, teaching or performing miracles.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were emboldened by it.  The message they preached was sinking home with people.  People were changed; the Apostles were changed people.

We know from the Gospels that Peter was an impetus, unpredictable man.  I think he had a genuine desire to be like Jesus but was not blessed with the same calm confident character that Jesus comes across as being.  Famously, we know of Peter’s doubting and sinking below the waves when Jesus walked on water, we know of Peter’s denying Jesus three times when Jesus was arrested; Peter was a frightened nervous man.  We know how the disciples gathered behind locked doors fearful of the authorities, fearful for their lives.  But the Peter we see now in the Book of Acts is not just inspired by the Risen Christ, not just a bit more confident, he was totally transformed, almost unrecognisable.

The healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate is in itself a wonderful event.  It is the kind of miracle of healing that we could easily attribute to Jesus. A miracle that comes with the same authority, mystery, impressiveness of any of Jesus miracles.  Peter and John are keen and careful to deflect any adoration away from themselves and on to Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  I reckon for the lame man who was healed, his ability to walk and jump and run restored, this was pretty much the best day of his life.

For Peter and John however, the miracle was secondary to the preaching.  The lame man walking and jumping and praising God was the sermon illustration to end all sermon illustrations.  The beggar who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate, who was recognised by everyone there served to arouse curiosity, arouse interest in what Peter and John were about to say or do.  At three in the afternoon as people gathered for prayer Peter, John and one lame beggar absolutely stole the show.  We might think that Peter and John were simply being mindful of their religious duties to be at prayer, maybe in fact, their plan was to capitalise on a busy Temple courtyard, upset the apple cart so to speak.  They deliberately went to the Temple at three in the afternoon because there would be an audience to hear the preaching and witness the miracles that are part of the Kingdom of God.

Like I say, Peter is a transformed man.  He knows exactly what he wants to say, he has a message to communicate and he does so without fear or favour.  He doesn’t even try to win people over with kind words or flattery or cheap promises. ‘This miracle was done in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth the one whom you rejected and handed over to Pilate.  He was holy and good and you rejected him and this was due to your ignorance.’

Peter just told the truth, the plain, straightforward cold hard truth that is the foundation of the Christian faith.  You can accept it, you can reject it, but the message does not alter.  And even though Peter and John were arrested for preaching, their message clearly regarded as subversive; another two thousand were added to their number.

Praise – The Head that once was crowned

Prayers for Others

All-loving God, we bring our broken, unjust and warring world to You today.

Our hearts are heavy but our desire remains strong for the world we live in to be a better place.  We long to see people flourishing wherever they may be, free from harm, free from violence, free from fear.

We pray for all those who are in positions of power, our duly elected leaders, dictators and oppressors; we pray for the impossible that they find common ground, a united way forward, a desire to establish peace that does not rely on military threat, or greed, but on mutual respect and the acknowledgement that all people are equal.  May the wellbeing of all be their goal.

We pray for those who strive to have their voices heard; those who stand on picket lines, those who are silenced and diminished by the burden of debt they carry, those who are fragile and gentle spirits who seem not to matter yet they are your children too Father, they matter to you.  We pray for those who call out for justice too often silenced by corruption, lies and secrets.

We pray for all who endure physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Behind closed doors in the privacy of the home, in institutions and organisations where attitudes and behaviours go unchecked.  We pray for women who live in fear of violence in their own homes, for children who experience abuse instead of love,

for young people who live in fear of violence on the streets.

In the sometimes overwhelming darkness of this world, we thank You for all those who use their knowledge and power for good.  For those who stand up and speak truth to power. Those who live as light in the darkness, those who risk their own lives to help others in distress, those who gently, quietly lift the fallen, heal the broken hearted and mend the shattered spirit. 

For this is Your vision Lord, of what our world should be, strengthen that vision even within us that we may infect the world with your love and hope and grace.

Lord, in Your mercy hear our prayers…

Lord Jesus, may our prayers be your prayers and your prayers be ours; one in heart and mind and spirit as followers of the way that is Christ.  AMEN.

Praise – How Deep the Father’s love

The Grace

And now… May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and all whom you love, now and for evermore. AMEN.

Hello (Again) Community Member 

One Voice are keen to keep you updated with further actions and information to date with regards to the Ward 7 Community Facility Review dated Sep 23: 

• Due to the Community Council now no longer existing the One Voice Sub Group cannot function 
• Former One Voice Group members do remain to work for the community with regards to the review and its out comes
• The SLC Budget meeting occurred on Feb 24 
• The SLC Budget has potential funding to support Community Asset Transfers (CAT)
• There is early indication of interested parties to support a CAT Light for Westwood Hall, more volunteers required.  
• Due to the structural concerns of Red Deer Centre, it will close (Apr 24 expected)
• There is time and facilities available at Westwood Hall to support the Red Deer Groups 
• Red Deer Bowling Club are meeting with SLC as they have different Terms and Conditions 
• Social Work are meeting with Red Deer Groups on Wednesday to inform with regards to other facilities to use 

At the Westwood Community Council AGM in March 2024 vacant posts were not able to be filled (Treasurer and Secretary). This resulted in the Westwood Community Council agreeing that they would be unable to continue with their duties at this time and informed SLC accordingly. A request to potentially create a joint Hairmyres and Westwood Community Council was raised but this requires legislation change and is currently not an option, however, SLC are reviewing current boundaries so this may be an option in the future.  

The former One Voice Sub Group although no longer representing the Community Council, still continues to function and meet with stakeholders to develop a response to The Facility Review to support the Community interest. 

Following the SLC Budget in Feb 24 there was a confirmed reduction to the Leisure and Culture funding which has resulted in the proposed closure of a number of facilities across SLC which included Westwood Hall. The date identified for closure is 1 May 2024, however, there is potential funding from SLC to support a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) for a period of approx. 12 months (full details of this are yet to be understood). There are already 3 groups and a number of individuals who have expressed an interest in being involved in the CAT process. More volunteers are required to realise this. An expression of interest was submitted to the SLC CAT Officer. A CAT Light lease application document has been received but not yet submitted. A further meeting is required to discuss (Wed 10 Apr).

The Social Work Dept. is closing Red Deer Centre due to structural and safety concerns and are meeting with user groups with regards to identifying alternative accommodation. Groups are encouraged to apply to utilise Westwood Hall as hopefully this will become a Community Centre of the future. 

Dunedin Park Pavilion.

A  Sports Club still remain interested in undertaking a Community Asset Transfer. They are having ongoing discussions with Mr Iain Mulholland, SLC Community Asset Transfer Officer, to progress this option. 

A proposed meeting date is the 6 May at 1900hrs to discuss this further and allow any community member to ask questions about the CAT Light and what is being proposed. Venue TBC.

PLEASE SHARE THIS FAR AND WIDE TO ANYONE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING 

Welcome!

We know not everyone who is part of Westwood Church is able to be in church on Sunday morning however, we thought it would be good to offer some excerpts from the Sunday morning service. Where we can, we offer parts of the service in text and audio, whichever works best for you. If you want to plug in headphones to your computer, tablet or mobile phone now is a good time to do it ! If you want to offer some comment or feedback just use the comment box at the end of this post.

Scripture

John 20: 19 – 31

Acts 4: 32 – 35

Praise – Now the green blade

Prayers

In your presence Lord Jesus, let us gather with hearts united, held together in the bonds of faith and by spirit of unity.  The early believers were of one heart and mind, sharing all they had, creating a community built on love.

As we enter this sacred space, let us embrace the spirit of generosity and love,  just as the early Christians did in Jerusalem. May our worship be a reflection of this fellowship and unity – where no one claimed private ownership, but all things were held in common.

In this sacred moment, let us open our hearts to the movement of the Holy Spirit,

who changes us, little by little, in the image of Christ, and holds us together in love.  We come, not as individuals alone, but as a community, where the needs of one are met by the abundance of another.

Gracious and merciful God, we come before You with humble  hearts, acknowledging the doubts that linger within us and the moments when our faith wavers. In the stillness of your house, we confess our shortcomings and seek Your forgiveness.

Like the disciples in the locked room, we sometimes find ourselves paralysed by fear – fear of the unknown, fear of inadequacy, and fear of the challenges that lie ahead.  We confess that there are times when we demand tangible evidence, seeking assurance in what we can see and touch rather than trusting in the unseen reality of Your love and grace.

Lord, forgive us for the times we have struggled to fully trust in Your resurrection power.  Forgive us for the moments when we’ve allowed doubt

to overshadow the profound truth of Your victory over death.

Let us worship in unity, offering our hearts, minds, bodies, souls, and possessions, knowing that in our shared devotion we encounter the presence of the risen Christ. May our offering be a testimony to the boundless hope, joy, grace and faith that unites us.  One body, one family, gathered in love.

Hear us as we join in the words of the Lord’s Prayer saying…

Our Father who art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name.  Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever.  Amen.

Address

The Believers share their possessions.

Like every parent I taught my kids that they had to learn how to share; sharing is an important part of being in society, being human, living alongside our neighbours and, if the kids could learn how to share it might stop the awful bickering and squabbling that totally does your head in !!!

There is not one of us here who does not understand the importance of sharing, so when we read, in Acts Chp 4, of the believers sharing their possessions, we immediately and inevitably feel this is a good thing, a positive thing, the right thing for them to do.  What we read in Chp 4 is almost a repeat of what we read at the close of Chp 2 – the believers sharing their belongings, selling their property and possessions to distribute the funds according to the needs of each person.

This deepening sense of fellowship the believers are enjoying seems to have developed remarkably quickly.  This insight we have of being in Christian community comes in the aftermath of Pentecost – that’s just seven weeks on from Easter and the Resurrection events.  That said, some of the time line between Pentecost and the passage in Chp 4, which Mark read for us today can be a little vague.

The believers have been meeting in the Temple, they worship together in the Temple and eat together in each other’s homes.  They enjoyed the goodwill of all the people.  I’m assuming there was something very attractive about the nature of their fellowship and care for each other as each day the Lord added to their number.  Being part of this fellowship meant that you were going to be cared for and supported.  And I suppose that the other side of that coin is that the selling of property and possessions was a clear sign of commitment to a message and a cause.  So, Joseph, known as Barnabas, is highlighted for his generosity and commitment selling a field he owned, while Ananias and Sapphira are highlighted for their dishonesty and failing in their commitment.

We often, very often, emphasise that Jesus exercised his ministry to the poor and outcast of society – people who have nothing.  Yet, in these early days of the Christian faith it is not the poor who are the focus.  People who have property and land to sell are people who are relatively well off, the middle classes and upper classes of society.  It was no accident that Peter preached in the Temple because that was the place where they could focus on those who had the financial means to sustain the life of this new and growing Christian community.  I am in no way doubting that the Apostles absolutely believed the message of the Good News but they were also shrewd enough to have a plan, or the common sense to know, that they needed people with the means through which to continue Christ’s ministry. The community of faith that grew up after the resurrection, because of the resurrection, had to find a way of shaping itself and surviving and it did that in the best way it knew how.  Indeed, it was not unfamiliar to them.

Jesus was an itinerant preacher, he travelled from town to town, village to village with his group of disciples.  Judas Iscariot was in charge of the communal purse.  Jesus and his disciples fed and sustained themselves on the donations they received from those they had helped and from the women, some of whom were wealthy merchants in their own right, who believed in Jesus message.  Would Jesus have been able to carry out his ministry at all had it not been for those of means who supported him and his disciples?

In a time, as we are now in, where the Church of Scotland (and other churches) is aware that we need to find the means and model and pattern for sustaining its Christian ministry we naturally return to the roots of the Christian faith which we read of in the scriptures.  And I think when we do that something becomes apparent.

It is very clear in the New Testament, before and after the Resurrection, that those of means who sold their possessions, their homes or land did so, so that the Gospel of Good News could be preached and the presence of the living God experienced through miracles and wonders and healings. The Gospel was the only thing that mattered.

And this then is the tough question.  When we do our fundraising or put our offering in the plate or let the bank take care of our standing order, what is it that you think you are supporting? Is it the preaching of the Good News and an experience of the Living God, or are we just keeping our doors open? Is the focus on us or on the work of the Gospel?

Praise – Longing for light

Prayers for Others

Gaza Aid Convoy – World Central Kitchen

Just when we think things can’t get any worse – they do. Seven aid workers die in an Israeli attack on a World Central Kitchen convoy taking aid to starving Palestinians.  What Israel describes as a grave mistake is described by the WCK founder as a targeted attack.  And the outcome is that shipment of aid is suspended. Palestinians continue to starve; punished for simply being Palestinians.  Of course, we remember the millions in Gaza who are at the mercy of Israel forces and Israeli decisions but we also remember the families of grieving aid workers who have lost their lives – experienced aid workers, experienced in the military who know the protocols, who know the importance of communication, who didn’t get this wrong.  Aid workers who were doing the right thing in the right way at the right time in the right place and yet…

Lord hear us in our prayers for grieving families, for starving Palestinians, for Israeli Forces and leadership and the increasingly questionable decisions being made.  Hear our prayers…

Taiwan – earthquake

From man-made humanitarian disaster to natural disaster – we remember those who strive to make sense of their situation in the aftermath of a significant earthquake in Taiwan.  Hundreds have been trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings; some have lost their lives.  It is in these most challenging of times that community is so important, the desire to see another person’s need and offer what we have, to care and listen, to love and offer compassion and build a place from which life can start over again.  We pray Lord that communities local, national and international may find it within themselves to support and sustain those in greatest need.  Lord hear our prayers…

Scotland – Assisted Dying Bill

Father in Heaven, who gave us the gift of life, who has shown us that death is the gateway to a new life, we face once again the question that we never seem to be able to answer; the right to end one’s own life.  We can see that unnecessary suffering may be spared, we can see the dangers it opens up to those who are vulnerable, and we can see how challenging it is to get the balance right – and we won’t always get it right because life is complicated and the decisions are complex.  When we don’t know the right way to go, we look to you for guidance.  Where do love and compassion, pain and suffering meet and how do we resolve the dichotomy they create for us?  Lord hear us in our prayers…

Praise – How often we like Thomas

The Grace

And now… May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and all whom you love, now and for evermore. AMEN.

If you wish to view or download the plan you can access the file in PDF format below

Westwood and Greenhills are in section W10 – West and Cross area.

Welcome!

We know not everyone who is part of Westwood Church is able to be in church on Sunday morning however, we thought it would be good to offer some excerpts from the Sunday morning service. Where we can, we offer parts of the service in text and audio, whichever works best for you. If you want to plug in headphones to your computer, tablet or mobile phone now is a good time to do it ! If you want to offer some comment or feedback just use the comment box at the end of this post.

Scripture

Mark 16: 1 – 8

Acts 10: 34 – 43

Praise – I serve a risen Saviour

Prayers

Lord Jesus Christ, we greet You on this day of Resurrection.

You knew the pain of humiliation, the loneliness of rejection.  You entered the clutches of hell itself and have shown us by your triumph over death and hell  that love is always stronger than fear, or death or hell.

Just as You came, risen and unexpected to those first friends of Yours who went to the tomb, anxious and fearful, be with us now, and touch us with Your peace.

God of power and love, we give You thanks that You raised Your Son Jesus Christ from the grave, that You gave hope by Your presence.  We thank You that the powers of evil, which seemed to overcome all light and goodness and love on Friday were defeated in Your Son’s rising to life.

We thank You that in Christ’s rising, we have hope for life before and beyond death, inspiration for our lives as witnesses to Your grace, comfort in our pain,

and faith in place of fear.

We thank You for every sign of resurrection we sense by Your Spirit, in nature as the seasons, slowly, turn, in society, as Your kingdom makes its way, in our lives, as anxieties give way to peace.

Gracious God, we pray in sorrow for the ways we go wrong in our lives, the ways we fail in our witness to Your love. We have journeyed through Lent, attempting to shape our lives around the compassion and courage of Christ, yet we have heard in our hearts the impulses of those who denied Jesus, betrayed Him and mocked Him. Forgive us for the ways we have abandoned the path of love and forgiveness. Yet we trust in Your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your acceptance flowing from the cross; Your joy shared in resurrection life.  Help us to live lives liberated from guilt, and inspired to follow Your risen Son.

Hear us as we join in the words of the Lord’s Prayer saying…

Our Father who art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name.  Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever.  Amen.

Address

Stephen Bullivant is Professor of Theology and the Sociology of Religion at St. Mary’s University London. Bullivant created a bit of storm when he stated that “Christianity as a default, as a norm, is gone, and probably gone for good”. He said this, in response to figures showing widespread rejection of Christianity among Europe’s young people.  We may find that sort of sad, but it is an undeniable fact.  All across Europe and North America Christianity is in retreat.

What may be more interesting is the response of Peter Ormerod, as he writes in The Guardian;  quoting Professor Bullivant.

“Plenty of people will find all this to be cause for celebration. The young people of Europe casting off the deadening, corrupting, malignant influence of religion. They appear to be putting that ancient, feeble entity called God out of his misery. It could be seen as a sloughing off of superstition, a thrilling engagement with reality and reason. And yet I suspect the truth is a little more complex.

At the risk of sounding in denial, this may not be entirely bad news for Christianity. Arguably one of the most toxic developments in the history of the faith was its shift from being a radical political and spiritual movement to allowing itself to be co-opted by forces of oppression and militarism. Becoming a default or norm effectively drained it of much of its energy.

There have, of course, been countless Christians through the centuries who have resisted this, but the institutionalisation of Christianity as a whole has done it a great disservice. [The move over the past few decades into a post-Christendom world is one we should surely embrace if we want to see the faith re-energised.]

Rather than being just a slightly rubbish version of the world, maybe the church needs to embrace its weirdness.”

Weirdness, now that’s not a word we would normally use when we are speaking about our church, our faith, or ourselves.  But maybe we should reflect on that for a moment.

Edinburgh airport is expecting 100,000 people to be jetting off on holiday this weekend, Glasgow another 105,000.  The motorways in England will come to a standstill with holiday traffic, and no doubt engineering works will be scheduled on the railways for this weekend.  Easter is a time for getting away, chilling out and relaxing.  And what have we done?

We’ve managed to take a reasonably busy church life and make it even busier in the last seven days.  When most folk are looking forward to a holiday weekend and teenagers are lying in bed till lunchtime, we are here even more than usual generating all kinds of activity for ourselves.  No wonder large sections of society look at us and think we are all sad or weird. And sometimes, I think they might be right. We must seem a bit sad or weird going to church each Sunday, singing hymns and indulging in all kinds of odd rituals, talking about things like faith, which make no sense, and indulging in seemingly pointless activity. We could be cleaning the car or doing the shopping or playing sport or otherwise enjoying ourselves.

And they could be right, looking at Christianity from the outside we worship a leader who had none of the attributes associated with success, like wealth or social status. His friends were mostly poor, many of them were not well educated, and none of them had any influence. They were a ragged bunch, many of whom were on the outskirts of society and were despised by decent people.  And to cap it all, that leader of whom they had such high hopes, who was able to work wonders and had the sort of charismatic personality, which drew people to him, was executed as a criminal after three short years.  The Jesus movement was an underground movement; it was the poor people’s hope for a better future.  In the years following the resurrection the emerging Christian faith was probably more like a “Just Stop Oil” pressure group.

In the earliest days of Christianity when Paul was writing his pastoral letters even, he had to say we’re sad people.  We’re sad, he says, if we have the idea that Christianity is only to do with this life. If that’s what we think, we’ve only picked up a fraction of the full story and we’re selling ourselves short, for Christ was raised from death, and that makes all the difference. It means that Christianity certainly is a religion for this life, showing us how to live this life and helping us get to know God for ourselves, but Christianity is also a religion for another life, a life which comes after death.

Easter brings our faith into very sharp focus because it’s full of huge contradictions. On Good Friday the leader of our religion was executed after a rigged trial featuring dishonest witnesses and a great deal of prejudice. By the next day it was all over for Jesus’ followers. They were plunged into that awful stage of bereavement when nothing seems quite real except the unremitting agony of grief, that stage when you can’t concentrate on anything except the aching void within.

The dream had come to a hideous end involving torture and shame and disgrace. Shame has a habit of sticking to anyone within reach. No wonder Peter hurried to distance himself when he was asked if he was Jesus’ friend.

But as we all know, it wasn’t over. Christianity was just beginning. Despite his well-attested death, many people saw Jesus alive again. Clearly, he was alive in a different sort of way, for although less than 48 hours earlier he’d been so badly tortured and injured that he’d died from his wounds, he was now fit and well and left only with scars.

At this distance of time and space it’s difficult to know exactly what happened, but we know for certain that many people saw the risen Jesus, that all four gospels proclaim it and that subsequently the Apostle Paul based his whole life upon it. So, something very out of the ordinary happened, which has made a massive difference to the lives of millions of people over thousands of years.

Jesus overcame the power of death and that’s exactly what Jesus has promised to each of us. He promised that we too would overcome death just as he had overcome death. We too will live in some different dimension, a place that Jesus described as a banquet, a wedding celebration; a place where all our ills and tears and griefs will vanish. 

Weird?  Yes, maybe it is weird.  But would you really want to swap that mystery, promise, hope, that sacrificial love, for a shopping trip to Morrison’s? (Other supermarkets are available).

Praise – Crown Him with many crowns

Prayers for Others

Lord Jesus Christ, in this troubled and divided world where fear runs so deep, hopes so often dashed and dreams so often broken, we remember today the faith you nurtured in the hearts of your disciples, faith that has given hope to generation upon generation long after your disciples had lived their lives.  Through Your coming and through Your resurrection from the dead, you transformed people.

Lord Jesus Christ, a world is waiting, longing, hurting, searching for hope,

crying out for meaning, hungry for some reason to believe in the future.  Come again in Your life giving power, and bring new life to all.

We remember especially those places where there are real fears for people’s safety, and for those places where people may have forgotten a time before fear existed, in war torn nations, in family homes where domestic violence inflicts so much harm, in organisations and institutions where child abuse goes unreported.  Help them and us come nearer a place and time without tears or pain or grief.

On this Easter Day, we think of our families, perhaps far from here, who are celebrating as we do but many miles apart. Comfort all who miss family and friends at this time, and help us feel united in faith and love.

Lord Jesus Christ, in the quietness of prayer we offer to You those people and situations we are particularly conscious of:

friends and family members whose life seems to be running out, all who are struggling with mental health, anyone who seems imprisoned by the past, who is fearful of rejection, or missing out on what the future may hold; all who are anxious over work  not done, or find themselves lonely and isolated: come to them with the joy of your presence…

Encourage us by the example of Your saints that we may run with courage the race which lies ahead of us, our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.  AMEN

Praise – Thine be the Glory

The Grace

And now… May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and all whom you love, now and for evermore. AMEN.

Now we all know times are challenging. We hear about it on the news; how people everywhere are struggling to make ends meet even if they are in employment.

Westwood Church has always been a big supporter of East Kilbride charity Loaves and Fishes. We do what we can to help but after a visit from Lesley Davidson Chair person at Loaves and Fishes we were left in no doubt that we could do more and should do more. The level of need in East Kilbride is frightening.

Just One Thing is our way of helping. To put it simply we are asking every member of the congregation to bring in just one item for Loaves and Fishes each week. One packet of biscuits OR one tin OR one item of toiletries OR one pack of disposable nappies OR … well you’ve got the gist. One item each week from the congregation would put 90 items on the Loaves and Fishes table. AND one item wont stretch our individual budgets so much as to be unmanageable. Like the old Scottish saying “mony a meikle makes a muckle.”

Westwood Parish Church is open Sunday mornings 9.30am to 12noon and Wednesday 10am to 2pm so if you feel you would like to help others in this very simple way you too can pass on Just One Thing each week. Drop into the church during those opening times and leave your gift – Just One Thing. Or if you know someone who attends Westwood Church you would be welcome to pass that One Thing on through them.

And if you want to know why Loaves and Fishes are finding it so hard to keep up these days then it’s like this… demand for their service has gone from 30 food parcels per week to 160+ per week; more than quadrupled. The need is there and the need is real.

Pick Just One Thing from the items below: 

It was good to meet Carol, Helen, Donald, Ella, Chris and Lynn from Greenhills and I’m sure they felt the same about meeting up with Elspeth, Janet, June and Rev Kev!

Here’s a few pointers toward our first steps:

• Sharing intimations and notices
• Coming together in celebration of the Lord’s Supper
• We’ll work on overcoming transport issues
• Holy Week services will provide an opportunity for members of both congregations to be together
• Sharing and supporting each other in resources like hall space and hall rental.

As always you can leave comments, thoughts and suggestions below.