harvest

The local school was here for a service this morning.

Not all of them - just the Nursery and the P1-3s. It was their 'Harvest' service and it's always a bright and happy occasion.

The children are always great. Big beaming smiles, full of enthusiasm, and doing their thing (songs, poems and the like) with a serious dose of commitment, as though the fate of the world depended on their performance.

I'd arranged for a couple of folk to come along and speak.

Tom Kisitu is the guy who heads up the West Pilton Christian Centre (part of the Edinburgh City Mission) to whom we direct all the gifts of food the school had brought.

We have a close association with the centre, sending food along there week by week, and are glad to support the work they do. People come to know the Lord through the ministry they exercise. And find their lives being changed.

Tom does a super work there as he heads it up. And it's great having him along at times like this: and May from the centre was also along. The whole team there are terrific.

And then there was another May as well.

I'd arranged for Eddie May to say a few words. He's from West Pilton originally himself and he'd asked on Sunday morning when he heard about the service that the school were having here (he and his wife and family worship here) - he'd asked if he could come along as well, and maybe say a word or two.

Eddie (for the thoroughly uninitiated) is manager of Falkirk FC, and he's a lovely guy. Gentle and very genuine, a guy who's made mistakes and learned from them, and who's as much of a pastor, I think, as he is as well the manager of the club.

For what it's worth I think he does a brilliant job at the club, and is plainly really deeply concerned to help the different individuals in his charge. A man who understands the role that values have and seeks to stand by his principles.

It was great to hear him speak to the girls and boys and tell them always to value the advice they got from teachers and from parents, the people who really care for them.

And it was great as well to hear him speak of the way that God's become so much a part of his life these past few years.

He and Tom were in for a coffee afterwards. And Eddie was booked by Tom to speak along at the centre as well. Which I thought was wonderful.

Eddie's not a public speaker really. I mean, he said that his first game of the SPL season was at Ibrox in front of 52,000 spectators - but he was more nervous about speaking to the children today than he was at Ibrox.

But he speaks from the heart. And his heart has been touched by the Lord.

It's a lovely thing to see.

Days like this it feels like I'm just a spectator, watching the Lord at work.