- Video: Presbytery of Buchan – some congregational stories:
(Crimond and Lonmay represented by Mr Tim Barker)
https://youtu.be/k-GhD1vh_Gk
Lonmay Newsletter 24
Welcome to this edition of the Lonmay Newsletter.
It is fantastic news to share that, God Willing, next Sunday 30 August, we are able to meet at 12 noon for a service. Your district Elder will be updating you with all the details, so I will not duplicate them here. There are three points to share with you:
- It is quite understandable and acceptable that some people feel unable to attend at this stage due to the continuing impact of the virus.
- It is also understandable and acceptable that some people feel that they would rather wait until ‘normal’ service can be resumed.
- To those who are contemplating coming to church please be assured that the working party have and will continue to do all in their power to follow the government and Church of Scotland regulations and guidelines to provide a safe environment in which to worship the Lord. There will be changes but these have been made to meet the requirements and should not detract from drawing near to the Lord in worship and prayer.
At a recent Kirk Session following the agreement to seek re-opening of the Church the following was raised:
- The ‘Thought for Sunday’ will continue on the same basis.
- The Lonmay News will cease to be weekly but will be used to update people on important news.
Tim will produce the texts and ‘Thought for Sunday’ and will pass to David who will place them on the Lonmay Church Web site.
It has been a very long five months of ‘lockdown’, and your support, prayers and encouragement during this period has been really appreciated. Please continue to pray as we move into the next stage and ask the Lord to continue to lead and guide decisions which have to be made.
Just to let you know that Sunday School will NOT be re-opening on 30 August due to new regulations from the government and Church of Scotland.
Blessings.
Crimond and Lonmay Thought for Sunday
1 June 2025
Each of us should please our neighbours for their good, to build them up – Romans 15 v 2.
A very warm welcome to you to the latest edition of Thought for Sunday, which we pray you will find helpful.
You will recall that, when God inspired Paul to write this letter to the church inn Rome, he had not visited the city. It was certainly on his ‘bucket list,’ but it had not yet happened. (He was later to visit Rome in chains, as he had been sent from Jerusalem to appeal to Ceasar).
The letter is often described as the book of Christian principle, where God leads Paul to set out some of the more important principles for our faith. The fifteenth chapter opens with the instruction about our relationships with our neighbours. This includes both our congregation neighbours along with our actual neighbours where we live.
So, we are to ‘please our neighbours for their good.’ Sometimes we do not get beyond the word ‘please,’ as we become unsure and perhaps challenged about pleasing some with whom we find it really hard to have a good relationship with. We think that ‘pleasing’ is giving to them what they want, and that in itself can be very demanding. Do we give them ‘a good hiding’ in speech, or do we have to do what they request? No, Paul makes it very clear that we only take pleasing action ‘for their good.’ Now what does ‘for their good’ mean? We are challenged when we read Psalm 23 in the original versions which reads ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want’. Perhaps a more modern version helps us, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need.’ The paraphrase puts it; I nothing lack if I am His and He is mine forever.’ So ‘for their good’ is to ‘build them up.’
Now this begins to make more sense. Our reaching out to our neighbours, whether in the church or living alongside us, is to help them grow in the knowledge, confidence and trust in the Lord. This does not necessarily mean preaching to them but showing them the love of the Lord in our thoughts, actions as well as words. May we be encouraged to do just that this week.
Crimond and Lonmay Thought for Sunday 25 May 2025
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Romans 11 v 33
Welcome to the latest edition of Thought For Sunday. We pray that you will find it inspiring and helpful.
How often have we thought ‘I wish I knew what to do in this situation?’ or ‘I wish I knew how to respond to that question?’ or ‘How can I manage this problem?’ There are many issues we face where we feel inadequate to solve them. They can be in a wide range of matters – finance, relationships, work, church etc. We try our best, but it never seems enough, or we fail to provide the answer. It is frustrating and demoralising, leaving us with a lack of self-confidence and belief. On rare occasions, we can even feel angry with God, as we blame Him for our failures.
We are often reminded in the Bible that it is correct to be angry with God at times – particularly when looking to Him for a solution and failing to wait for His reply!! But often it is because we try to resolve the issue/s in our own way rather than to seek the Lord’s help and advice. Being self-sufficient can have a positive impact, but so often we have a greater source than ourselves and fail to ask for it.
We recall that, when Solomon was asked by God for any gift, he asked for wisdom, and there are many illustrations of how God answered him, by supplying him with huge quantities of wisdom. When did we last ask for the Lord’s wisdom? Are we feeling depressed and frustrated, or looking to Jesus to supply all our need?
Paul was so confident in Jesus, as he experienced the ‘riches of His wisdom.’ Throughout his ministry, Paul was so aware of the Lord’s leading and providing for all his need, including wisdom in managing a variety of situations. Then, he recalls the knowledge of God. We can easily forget that God is the source of knowledge far greater than ours or the Internet. May we be encouraged this week, to seek His wisdom in our lives and to acquire His knowledge to help us serve Him as He leads and directs us.