Minister’s Message 5 April
Dear Friends
Firstly, an important notice. The weather forecast for Saturday night/Sunday morning means
that we have taken the decision to hold the united early morning Easter celebration indoors this
year (in Kinross Church). Refreshments will also be served in the church after the service since
there were unfortunately insufficient bookings for the breakfast at the Kirklands to make it
viable. They do say that we are statistically more likely to have a white Easter than a white
Christmas!
I wonder how many of you have taken the journey through Holy Week. Many have been reading
the account of the events of the final week of Jesus' life in Matthew's Gospel each day and if you
would still like to do that they can still be viewed on our church Facebook pages. It has not been
a comfortable read – Jesus says some extremely challenging things to us and it is heart-rending
to read of Christ's own suffering and death.
Today (Saturday) is a day of silence, a day of 'What Ifs' and of contemplation. What if Jesus
was defeated? What if Good Friday had been the end? What if God had not raised Jesus from
the dead? Some even find themselves asking What if there is no God? These are real questions
and it is good for us to choose to take hold of them firmly for ourselves before they unexpectedly
creep up and take hold of us one day and we are unprepared.
Let me invite you this Holy Saturday to stare down the barrel of a metaphorical gun and ask
yourselves the unthinkable questions. Seek answers for them because even if they are not
your questions you can be sure that someone you know is asking them and perhaps they might
ask you to 'give the reason for the hope that you have' (1 Peter 3:15)
We will gather on Easter morning to celebrate the hope that we have by faith in Christ crucified
and risen. You may or may not be able to say with the apostle: “I know whom I have believed and
am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His
appearing” (1 Timothy 1:12) but whether you come with questions or whether you come in faith
let's take time this Easter to reflect on what it all means for each one of us, for our community
and for our world.
In expectant hope,
Alan
Rev A D Reid