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Dear Friends, Since you elected your Nominating Committee at the beginning of May, we have been busy preparing to meet the people who will apply to be the future minister of Holy Trinity. As you know, we are not able to say anything to anybody about the people we consider for the post, but we have promised to keep the congregation up to speed with how the process is going. We have made the vacancy known through the usual church channels and prepared the information about the church and parish to send out to folks who are interested. We are making sure that we are clear in our own minds about the future ministry so that we can ask the right questions and recognise the right person when he or she comes forward. We hope to be meeting the first candidates in July and August. It is only fair to say that the Advisory Committee of the Presbytery has warned us about the shortage of ministers in the Church of Scotland. They have cautioned us not to expect a quick resolution to the situation. That is realistic, and we will let you know how the timescales work out. In all my contact with the congregation in the past three months, I have been deeply touched by the prayerful approach everyone takes to worship, leadership and every aspect of our life together. There is a deep sense that this is God’s church and not ours. That prayerfulness and openness has marked the meetings of the Nominating Committee, and we are all grateful for the congregation sharing prayerfully in our work at a distance. Everyone wants to know the mind of Christ as we discern the person called by God. When Samuel was told to go and find a king to replace Saul, he was sent to the family of Jesse at Bethlehem. Seven strapping young men were paraded before the prophet, but God said to Samuel: “The Lord does not look on the things that man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) God’s chosen leader was the youngest son, David, still out of the hills tending the sheep. His father had not even thought it worthwhile to bring him in for the occasion. It was this man that God took from tending sheep “to be the shepherd of his people….and David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skilful hands he led them.” (Psalm 78:70-2) Pray for discernment to see below appearances, to know when to say “no” and when to say “yes” – and to trust God for a leader with “integrity of heart” and “skilful hands”. Sharing with you in expectant prayer, Peter Neilson Interim Moderator |
Contact Magazine: June 2004
01/06/2004
