changing a nation

Can a nation be changed? Can a nation be saved? Can a nation be turned back to God?

We sometimes sing the words of this song. The first verse asks the questions. The second verse turns the questions into a prayer.

And in between there's the chorus which sees us on our knees.

That's the only way that such change can ever happen.

It weighs like a huge big burden on my heart. I feel it like a great ache upon my soul. It occupied a lot of the time that I spent with folk today. Troubled and burdened about our land and the extent of the creeping malaise which hangs like a darkening cloud across our nation's life.

Where do you start to address it? How do you turn such a tide?

We had our monthly evening of prayer as a congregation here tonight.

There are loads of folk who pray within the congregation. And there are loads of folk who in one way or another are regularly praying with others. And all of that is great.

But we recognised a while ago that alongside that there's a need to ensure there are times when we gather together, as a congregation, and join in prayer for the work of God's hand - both here and far afield.

Our time of prayer tonight was exhilerating. I can't think of another way of putting it. It was just a pity there weren't more there to share in it all!

Here was the answer to the questions that lie on our hearts. Can a nation be changed?

Once a people get down on their knees, anything can happen. Prayer like that lets the Lord come graciously in.

Paul James-Griffiths from the Edinburgh City Mission had a couple of slots through the evening to share a bit of the work that he's involved in.

We have a long-standing, close association with the ECM. We were reminded at the outset tonight of the 'tag-line' of the ECM, the simple 'mission statement' which the founder had come up with (before 'mission statements' were really invented).

"May the glory of God and the salvation of souls be our chief and only object."

There's a lot of good things that the ECM are involved in. But they're keen to get back to basics. Back to the core of what they're all about. 'The glory of God and the salvation of souls.'

I think that found an echo in our hearts. We share that same concern.

And what does that look like for the likes of Paul James-Griffiths? Well, here are a few little cameos to which he alluded tonight.

His work at the university through the course of the year. Day by day, week by week, stationed up there at the university serving hot drinks. Students are drawn to such freebies, like wasps to jam.

They start asking questions - why are you doing all this?

And the questions provide the platform for a conversation to begin which rolls right into his sharing the good news of Jesus with all of these folk. And some are converted. Their lives changed, transformed. For ever.

Then there's what's called the 'Celtic Tour'. Paul is dressed as a monk, and runs these tours down the Royal Mile, to give a kind of hitch-hiker's guide to Scotland's history and her Celtic, Christian roots. It's open-air. It's free. It draws a crowd.

He stands outside St Giles Cathedral, tells the crowds about John Knox. And then he tells them - this is the sort of thing that John Knox preached from here. And he simply runs through the gospel. A short and ever-so-easy-to-understand proclamation of the good news of Jesus.

Paul's also involved in the Christian Heritage Centre. This is located at present in St Columba's Free Church. If you know Edinburgh, then it's up by the castle where Johnston Terrace meets the Royal Mile.

The Christian Heritage Centre is a sort of past meets present sort of thing. The story of Scotland is so much caught up with the Christian gospel that it can't really be told without telling the gospel too.

They had some students last year who asked if they might sing outside the Centre. They were studying Divinity at New College, and having sussed it all out Paul agreed that they should sing.

The day they chose just happened to be the day that the police had closed Johnston Terrace at the castle end - for some bizarre reason which needn't concern you at all! As a result the whole busy area around the entrance to the centre became a massive pedestrian precinct and thousands were there to hear these folk sing - and then, once the singing was done, to hear the gospel being proclaimed by Paul again.

The Lord closes both doors and streets when it suits his purposes! And he opens doors, too, in wonderful ways, for the gospel to be proclaimed.

They've wanted to expand this work at the Centre a bit. There was a cost involved. They needed over £5,000, with an initial deposit of £2,700 before anything even got started.

They went ahead in faith. They were clear in their hearts that this was the call of the Lord. The day on which the deposit was due, what happens? A cheque comes in for £2,000. Then another cheque, too. For £500. Then a further cheque - for £200.

The Lord is good at his sums, and his diary's up to date!

ECM have also these last few years been keen to confront the increasingly rampant paganism that Edinburgh hosts. The Beltane festival is one such pagan festival, where thousands now annually gather.

Paul and his team went along. The Lord made it clear they were to set up their stall by the toilets.

The toilets? Yes, they asked the same question - with the same sort of disbelief. Do you really mean the toilets, Lord?

He did.

So they set up their table with all of their stuff, right beside the toilets. As the evening wore on they saw just why the Lord had placed them there. The only set of spotlights in all the place were located beside the toilets. And once the darkness fell, they were bathed in light. The only place, and the only people, to be bathed in light like that.

And, of course, the crowds of people all queuing to go to the toilet had to wait right by their table. A captive audience! Light shining in the darkness! And people again discovered true freedom in Christ.

There was masses more Paul was on about. But that gives a bit of a feel for the work that he does.

The glory of God. The salvation of souls. May these be our chief, and only, object.

To which I say Amen.

We all were saying Amen last night! What a privilege to share in such work. What a thrill to see God so at work.

No wonder so many are glad to be getting involved. I was struck and challenged by that again.

We struggle at present with finding the folk to help us in all that we're doing. I was reminded tonight of two important truths in this regard.

First, pray. ECM prayed earnestly for volunteers. The volunteers emerged.

But then, too, give folk vision. Let people see what it is that the Lord is doing. Help people see what it is that you're doing, why it matters so much, and how it can all be a part of changing a nation and seeing that nation being turned once again back to God.

ECM very deliberately got back to their 'core values', to what they're really about. We're trying to do that too.

The glory of God. The salvation of souls. These shall be our chief and only object.