Weekly Update - 15th April
Dear sisters and brothers
As you are probably aware, once a month, for the last few months, a small group of church members and others have been spending a Sunday afternoon picking up litter around the area. It’s a surprisingly enjoyable thing to do, although it can be slightly dispiriting to see how much litter builds up from one month to the next. The main reason for doing it is that it is a simple and practical way to bless our community: showing that we, as a church, care and that God cares and loves the people around us. Litter picking might not be the most obvious thing for a church to do, and on the face of it we are perhaps not making a huge difference – either to the amount of litter or to impacting people’s lives with the love of God. But there is something extremely significant about these litter picks. They not only make a practical difference but they are also a “prophetic sign” of what God has done and is doing in the world.
We know that our world is littered with pain, despair, fear, injustice, and so much more. The mess that it thrown into the lives of individuals and whole communities and nations is plain for all to see. We might wonder why God doesn’t just collect all the “litter” and dispose of it, or better yet – get rid of all the “litter-louts”. But then we realise that, not only do we have to put up with the litter that other people have dropped into our lives (hurtful words, unthinking responses, deliberately callous actions) but we too have been litter louts in the lives of others. We are part of the problem but God is dealing with the litter; working to clear up the mess that we cause. The way God has chosen to do that may seem surprising.
The truth of Easter is that God came amongst us in the person of Christ Jesus in order to clean up the mess of the world. Rather that destroying all the litter louts, Jesus collects the litter in our lives and the litter we have thrown into the world and deals with it. Like our litter picks it might sometimes seem like too little – as if the litter louts are winning and the mess is too much. But in his resurrection is the promise of a world where there is no more litter, no more mess, no more of the destruction they cause. We are called to live with faith in the work of Jesus on the cross and the promise of the resurrection. Trust that Jesus is clearing up the litter in your life and the litter you have thrown into the lives of others. And if we don’t want to add to the litter of the world we need to bless those around us, forgive those who hurt us, do good to any and all - no matter who they are or what they have done. When we do that, we also become part of God’s litter picking team.
The next litter pick will be on the 8th May – if you’re able to join us, why not come along and be a witness to the love of God. Before then, we have another opportunity to bless our community and bear witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus on Easter Saturday at our Easter Fun Day in Cairncry Community Centre from 2 till 4. And of course we will remember and celebrate the work of God on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the only hope for a messed up world.
If you can join us at one of our services soon, I’d be delighted to see you. Remember that face coverings are no longer required, but we continue to run our services in as safe a way as we can. Do let me know if I can be of any help. With love from Sarah and myself,
Ian
Rev. Ian Aitken
52 Ashgrove Road West
ABERDEEN
AB16 5EE
Tel. 01224 686929
iaitken@churchofscotland.org.uk
www.stockethillchurch.org.uk
Aberdeen: Stockethill Church of Scotland
Scottish Charity Number - SC030587