Rev David: Being part of a Learning Community

It’s been a busy month or two: the excitement of a double baptism, a joy-filled service at Invernevis House, the (good) mess of Messy Church, the thoughtful discussions in Christianity Explored, two Harvest services with generous and loving contributions, lots of visits and calls, and even a Presbytery meeting on our own doorstep. Heather and I were blessed to be able to go on a walking holiday from Portugal to Spain – 180 kilometres were hiked and while we did have some rain, it was warm rain! 

I was also able to take part in something new, along with a couple of others from our congregations (with more people lined up to be involved in the future). The Cairn Movement Learning Community is tailor-made for a time when everything in the church seems to be changing. It moves us from the very real grief of closures and downsizing to encountering God and planning to not only be disciples but to make disciples. Every congregation is different, but as we inhabit this anxious space between what has been and what is to come, it’s a joy to be walking the journey with a few other churches from across our Presbytery and with the Cairn team facilitating. Transformation rarely happens overnight (although we can keep praying!) but we can double down on seeking God’s purposes for our congregations and understanding where we fit into the coming of God’s Kingdom. Everything God is involved in remains thrilling and full of hope. His plans cannot fail, so the challenge is to listen and align ourselves. And that’s what Learning Communities are about. 

It’s OK to lament what we’ve lost across the Church of Scotland. Worry about churches’ fates goes back to the first century. But it’s also OK to be excited about what Paul says in his letter to God’s holy people in Ephesus, a community facing external challenges and internal concerns. “God thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.”

God has it all worked out, and we’re to play our part. Of course, we need to deal with and respond to short-term challenges, but these in-between spaces offer a blank canvas for God to paint a new story. It’s an opportunity for rebirth, renewal and revival. 

Isn’t that simply wonderful? 

Rev. David Sim, November 2024