Come and join us if you’re in Edinburgh this evening.

Last night the Together @ MCT community walked the road to Emmaus with those two disciples who met Christ when they least expected.

Here are a couple of the stations:

1. Crosses
It’s only been a couple of weeks
Since the joy of Palm Sunday
With singing and shouting and hallelujahs

It’s only been a couple of weeks
Since the joy turned to fear
With betrayal and suspicion.

It’s only been a couple of weeks
Since the sky turned black
And He said “It is finished”

It’s only been a couple of weeks
Since the tomb lay empty
And death was defeated

It’s only been a few weeks
But how quickly that Easter feeling fades
And real life returns to normal

So think back
To all that has happened:

“The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.  In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.  Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

3. Looking back at what has been

“Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

The followers of Jesus had watched it all go wrong
But there was hope…

Are we shaped by our past?

Do the things that have happened to us make us who we are?

Or do we start afresh each day?

“… it is the third day since all this took place.”

Do we listen to what Jesus tells us?
Do we believe what we hear?

“In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.  Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.“

They saw a vision of angels who said he was alive!
And yet we are on the road heading the other way.

God can be scary sometimes.
What is hard about believing in Jesus for you?

6. Disappearing

[Light a candle]

It must have been great
To be there with Jesus
Eating
Talking
Sharing

The light of the world
There
With you
His face lit by the flickering candle

…and he disappeared from their sight.

[Blow out the candle]

And he was gone
Just like that

And they were alone again.

For that moment when the candle is not lit everything seems darker
But them our eyes get used to the light
And we realise that it isn’t as dark as we thought
That there is still light in the world

And that we can be that light

How will you shine?
How will you make someone else’s life lighter this week?

Tomorrow at Together@MCT we’ll walk a labyrinth to help prepare us for Lent.

Come and join us if you’re in Edinburgh for 5.30pm-7pm at Saughtonhall United Reformed Church.

Together@MCT starts again for a new year tonight at 5.30pm at Saughtonhall Church with pizza and plans.  Together will happen every second month on the last Sunday but those are all the plans we have so far.  Tonight we hope people will help with ideas and get a little more involved in how Together happens and what it looks like.

A two part station, one with a bowl of water and a towel and the other with a communion cup full of water, used at Together @ MCT in June.

Clean

Water
It gives us life
We are made of it
We need it
To drink
To clean us

We wash to clean our skin, our outsides
We clean off the dirt and grime of our lives
Jesus washed his disciples feet as a sign of service
To wash them clean of the world outside
Wash your hands in the bowl
Clean off the dirt of the world and remember Jesus

But how do we clean our insides?
We are baptised with water
Water that cleans our hearts and our souls

Jesus is the water of life
He came to give us life
Life to live, to enjoy and to share
So take the cup
Drink the water of life
Let it refresh you and clean you and give you life

… after a busy Saturday.

I spent this morning with the lovely people of Righead URC in east Kilbride leading worship and talking about the Child Friendly Church Award that the URC operate.  It helps churches to think about how they include children and young people in all aspects to the life of the church.

At the moment I’m watching Chelsea V Middlesburgh while trying hard not to fall asleep.  What is daylight saving all about?  I want my hour in bed back!

Later we’re heading off to Edinburgh for Together @ MCT.  More on that later!

Tonight is together @ MCT at Saughtonhall Church.

We’re walking a Lent Labyrinth and drinking lots of Hot Chocolate!  With marshmallows of course.