perspective

The round of end-of-term school activities moved up a gear today.

The Primary 1s to 3s were along for their service today. The children from Nursery too. And parents and family and more or less anyone else that cared to come as well.

The service begins at half past nine. But folk are arriving a long time before it begins. So I have to be ready for that. Music on. A powerpoint loop with pictures of all of the children.

Which meant a fairly early start to get it up and running all in time. I'd only received the memory sticks from the teachers with all of the photos on late on last night. And I then had to transfer the photos and create a whole new powerpoint file.

There were, literally, hundreds of photos!

So, an early start and a lengthy burst of action in order that the thing was up and ready when the parents started coming here and sitting in the church. It makes a great welcome for them all - the music and the photos on the loop. Worth all the effort.

And the service itself is always great. The children are that enthusiastic. And they haven't lost their sense of wonder and amazement and delight in all there is around them in the world.

The Head and his assistant came in for a cup or two of coffee after that. And it's always good to have the chance to chat a bit like that.

In among it all I think I even sowed the seed that maybe all his staff might use our halls and premises here for an in-service training day (sounds like Denzel Washington!). He really likes it here. Everyone's always so cheerful, he said.

Which they are. At least in the main. We like it to be a good place for people to come. A place that kind of lifts the spirits a bit and breathes a certain peace.

They weren't long gone before the midweek lunchtime service was upon me once again. The last for a while, this week. A rousing, climactic conclusion with Psalm 150.

It's been great, taking the time throughout these past few months to work through some of the psalms. The ups and downs of life. And today just pure and unadulterated praise as being the hallmark of our lives.

At least when our perspective isn't skewed.

But that's often the problem. We don't always see things straight. We get knocked off our stride and our vision gets blurred. And it's not always all that easy to get things in perspective quite like that.

I was out in the afternoon to see a couple whose world, I suppose, is rapidly caving in. The woman has had cancer for some years. And now it's all flared up. Just in the last two months or so.

But it's quick and severe and I don't think she's long to live.

They wanted to talk things through with me. The funeral, I mean. Which we did.

It's not always easy, that sort of thing, but we managed it fine, and I think they were happy they'd taken the chance to work the whole thing through.

But in a way the thing was reciprocal too. There were things I wanted to talk through with them as well. The issues of life and death. Relationship with God. That sort of thing.

I'd hardly be honouring my calling by simply saying nothing at a time like that. And yet, as well, I'm always really conscious that a pretty heavy-handed sort of thing is almost even worse.

'Preaching' at a time like that is really quite insensitive. Or so it seems to me. I mean, I have a captive congregation, that's for sure. But to try and take advantage of the time by hammering home the gospel in a 'preachy' sort of way is hardly that reflective of the way God is.

So I read a bit of Scripture and I talked the whole thing through with them.

The sort of life she'd lived, the values she'd espoused. And why there would be gratitude within the hearts of many, many folk for who she'd been and all she'd done in life.

And why, and how, behind it all there needs to be, especially at times like this, a simple, trusting confidence in God. The one who gives us life: and the one who alone can restore us to life when death has done its worst.

Getting things into perspective. The way things really are.

And then we joined in prayer and I kissed the woman goodbye. God be wi' ye. A tangible token of the love and the care of God and his being there for her. As if to say, just take the hand he's offered you and trust him through the days that are to come.

I must have been there an hour and a half at least, I guess. People need time.

And the thing that's always impressive when I think about the way that Jesus was is simply that - he gave people time. I know he preached to the crowds and he fed them truth.

But he also engaged with loads of individual people. And he gave them time.

There isn't any substitute for that.

Time.

Well, I spent a fair amount of time out at Kirkliston in the evening after that. Crowds of individuals all at once. Called 'meetings'. Two of them. Starting at half past six and going right on through to nearly 10pm (I'm only just back).

Trying to give them the lead that they need in taking things forward with all of the practical issues that must be addressed. I think we made some progress.

By the end of the day I'm tired.

And tiredness distorts our perspective, I guess, as much as anything else.

Praise God for his acts of power, the psalmist said.

Which I'm consciously seeking to do in this way at the end of another day. God gets involved in our world. And engaging in our lives like that, he acts in power. Things happen.

Things have happened today. Lives are being changed. Hearts are being touched. The world is not quite the same any more.

I must remember that. And praise God for these acts of power today.

That's the perspective I need.