above the storm

 

Between 2012 and 2020 I led teams from our church to Albania on 11 separate occasions. The flight path often followed the same route through central Europe and down the Adriatic coast to Tirana, Albania’s capital. On one such flight I recall looking out of the window to a sea of cloud many hundreds of feet beneath us. It did not take me long to realise that a storm was raging within those clouds. Huge flashes of lightening lit up the otherwise ethereal scene.

I had never experienced that perspective of a storm before (or have since). I have only every been at ground level in the midst of gales, loud peels of thunder and flashes of lightening.

Over the last week I have read and re-read Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. It is a difficult, yet beautifully crafted pastoral letter. With touching honesty and vulnerability, Paul addresses the reality of Christian service. He writes with a deep sense of what it means to serve Christ in a broken and fractured world, within an imperfect and faltering church.

The wonder of this letter is that Paul is able to simultaneously view the challenges of his ministry from the perspective of life above the storm and life in the midst of the storm. He is therefore able reassure and encourage us in our service for God.

From the vantage point of life above the storm, I imagine Paul looking down on the difficulties of his ministry and discerning:

The true character of God

He is, to Paul… 

…the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…

…the Father of compassion…

…the God of all comfort… (2 Cor. 1:3)

…faithful… (1:18)

…generous… (9:15)

Because of these truths, and more, the Lord deserves the devotion of our lives. When Paul reflects on these attributes of God his heart is moved in worship (1:3; 11:30). Our service for God will be enriched immeasurably if we ponder the true character of God.

Paul is able, secondly, to perceive:

The real nature of Christian service 

The real nature of Christian service is rooted in what God, in his grace, has done in us and what he is able, in that same grace, to do through us. Therefore, the key question is not, “What can I do for God?”, but rather, “How shall I then live that God can work through me?”

As Paul so succinctly puts it,

He anointed us (we are called by God and set apart for his service),

set his seal of ownership on us (we belong to God),

and put his Spirit in our hearts (we are equipped by God). See 1:21,22

With this outlook on ministry gleaned above the storm, Paul is able to continue to serve God in the crucible of ministry. 

He affirms in the midst of the storm, “we do not lose heart” (4:1). If we missed that affirmation, he repeats it again, “WE DO NOT LOSE HEART” (4:16). 

Paul was very much aware of his inadequacy (2:16) but running parallel to that was the fact that he had set his hope in Christ (1:10), found his competence in God (3:5) and rooted his confidence in Gospel (4:7). 

Take heart. Stand on Paul’s shoulders (this giant of the faith) and from that vantage point grasp hold of the truth with which he concludes his letter - “(the Lord) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (12:9).

(I took the above picture in the city of Shkodër, Albania in 2018 🇦🇱)

a guiding light

 It’s hard to believe that I have now completed a full month at the Preshal Trust in Govan. I am privileged to work with a great team who serve our clients with real commitment and devotion. 

“Preshal” is Gaelic for precious - and this is one of the key values that describes the care and support given to all the people who access our services. Each person who walks through the doors of our centre is precious in God’s sight. On any given day we have a whole cross section of humanity sitting round the tables. There are those who face the challenges of:

drug and alcohol addiction

gambling addiction

learning difficulties

physical disabilities

poor mental health 

The core value of the Trust has been a guiding light in my interaction with these people over the last four weeks. 

As I have reflected on my first month and the relationships I am forming with our clients the following truths are proving to be inspirational…

The creation narrative of Scripture has reminded me that we are all made in the image of God.

The gospel narrative affirms that we are loved by God.

Ultimately Christ, our supreme example, teaches me to look at others through his eyes. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

When the curtain falls on the stage of the Old Covenant the following words ring out, “They will be mine”, says the Lord, “on the day when I make up my treasured possession” (Malachi 3:17).

That verse put me in mind of a song I sang in Sunday School easily 50 years ago! To modern ears the language is flowery but the truth remains undimmed:

When He com­eth, when He com­eth
To make up His jew­els,
All His jew­els, pre­cious jew­els,
His loved and His own.

Like the stars of the morn­ing,
His bright­ness adorn­ing,
They shall shine in their beau­ty,
Bright gems for His crown.

Perhaps that verse and song are the inspiration for the mural in Preshal’s carpark…

“We love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:19).

A Godly Example

The church we attended yesterday included the congregation singing the beautiful hymn, “Be still, my soul”. Quite unexpectedly I was overcome with emotion mainly because this is my mum’s favourite hymn. Unable to sing, my mind went back to a conversation mum and I once had about her work at the Ryeside factory in Dalry when she was in her late 20s. Her shifts finished at 7.30pm. However, she was given permission to clock out at 7.25pm each Tuesday to make the short journey up the road to North Street Gospel Hall for the midweek prayer gathering. That action says a lot about mum’s priorities in life. Her life has been underpinned by prayer and a steadfast commitment to following Jesus Christ.

She is 91 this month, her memory is fading and her frame is fragile. However, her spirit is strong. When I occasionally read the hymns from her beloved “Believer’s Hymnbook” or recite Scripture her response is always the same - “It’s good to be reminded of these things.”

Over the course of the day, I was reminded of another pilgrim - John Bunyan’s Christian from his classic allegory, “Pilgrim’s Progress”. Like mum, Christian faced his own challenges. At one such moment, Mr Hopeful assures him, “Be of good cheer, my brother, for I feel the bottom and it is sound.” I love those words! The Christian faith offers us a firm place on which to set our feet. 

Perhaps as we step into a new week this is the kind of reassurance we need. Life is difficult but God is merciful. So “be of good cheer, for I feel the bottom and it is sound.”