MONDAY JUNE 8 2020

I wish you a good morning friends as we begin another week of lockdown.

I wonder what this coming week will bring?

Some of you will know that I have very dear friends in Charlotte, North Carolina.

They are much in my heart at this time, not just because of the virus, but also I watch the news coming out of the USA of the protests arising from the death of George Flyod.

I e-mailed my friend Rick last week asking how they were doing and had this as part of a reply.

“This last week in the US has been remarkable in some ways and sad in other ways. Every time I feel that our country is making some progress toward unity, justice and equality something tragic happens that shouldn't have happened. I have a range of emotions each day about all of it. The youth minister here at the church where I work was sprayed with gas during one of the protest walks, he was in a group of people and he was wearing his robe and stole.”

The church my friend works in is a Presbyterian church in the Elizabeth area of Charlotte. The minister is the Rev John Cleghorn, who hailed originally from Cleghorn, Lanark, and I had the pleasure of spending a day with him the last time I visited my friends.

In recent years the church has had a remarkable recovery. Numbers had dwindled from 1,100 to 12, and these 12 had become so disheartened that they felt it was not viable to continue.

A date was set to close the church, but on that particular Sunday a wee family arrived, mum, dad and three children. The family who were black had just moved into the neighbourhood.

So, the 12 thought we can’t say we’re closing let’s wait another week. The next week 12 members of a gospel choir arrived and joined the congregation. And so it continued.................week after week............those who had known discrimination, those who were broken, those who were homeless, and those who felt discarded and unloved, appeared and stayed.

John said, “The faithful remnant of staunch Presbyterians opened their hearts and minds and arms to folks who were very different from those who had worshipped here in the past and I now receive such hope from my unconventional but joyous and committed congregation, now about 300 strong.

Many from that loyal remnant of the original congregation are gone now. But on Sundays I see the last few of those lovely, faithful, brothers and sisters sitting in the pews alongside all manner of other people — various races and ethnicities, rich and poor, urban and suburban, gay and straight, lifelong believers and brand-new ones. When the gospel choir gets going, I see our oldest member, at 92, take hold of the pew in front of her with age-curled fingers, pull herself to her feet, and join in the clapping and swaying with a beautiful smile on her face.”

“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Acts 2 46-47

The day I visited I had lunch at the church and met so many of the lovely people there, Spirit filled and full of the Lord.

Friends, there is absolutely no place in society for any kind of discrimination, and as followers of of Christ we have an important role to play in sharing the gospel, the good news of Jesus who came that all who come to him might have life in all its fullness.

And who knows, even this very day we could be the agents of hope, healing, forgiveness, grace others are longing for in their lives...................we have the choice............

Christ we have an important role to play in sharing the gospel, the good news of Jesus who came that all who come to him might have life in all its fullness.

And who knows, even this very day we could be the agents of hope, healing, forgiveness, grace others are longing for in their lives...................we have the choice............