No.63      24th October 2025

 

Hi, hope this finds you well.

The magazine seems quieter this week with a real dearth of Diamond Anniversary wedding celebrations!

We do have a busy weekend though with a visiting speaker and communion on Sunday and the Joint Evening Service at NMBC too. Read Scott K's letter for all those details.
With Communion in mind the prayer Scott has written, which focusses on the Westminster Confession of Faith, is worth reading (and praying) to help focus our thoughts as we approach the Communion Table - it considers the work which Jesus took up for us in order to bring us into a right relationship with God.

This weekend sees the clocks going back an hour  (although you really know it's 'that time of year' when you hear that the Blythswood Boxes are being checked before being sent out to those in need - see details of how you can help with that below.)

What will you do with that hour? We certainly live at a time where there are so many things which prevent us taking time to consider more worthwhile matters or reading something helpful (like Scott's prayer above for instance!). With that in mind the Coffee Break suggestion is a talk from TIm Keller  - he says people who will search for God will need to be jolted from just being busy in ordinary life - something has to 'turn us aside''. He looks at the sort of Burning Bush events which God will use to make us 'turn aside', away from our usual day to day to be confronted by Him.  Of course, the Devil doesn't want anyone to turn aside to think about Gospel truth .He quotes from CS Lewis' Screwtape Letters where the senior devil makes quite clear his strategy from people starting to think about important things  - and yet the way the Devil often wins that spiritual battle is not with clever arguments denying God's truth,  but just with the usual everyday matters that fill our minds and keep them busy with very trivial things...and Lewis wrote this a long time before 'social media' was ever on the scene!  There is a link to a short article about the Screwtape Letters too.

Enjoy the Mag.
MB

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Sunday 26th October

 

Morning service - 10.30am
Rev Scott Kirkland
Pastor Wayne Sutton
Exodus 12.29-31, 13.17-22  "When God Leads By Another Route"

 

Sunday Evening... 

Rev Scott Kirkland 
Revelation ch3: The Church at Sardis

Wednesday...

We meet on Wednesdays at 7.15pm for one hour.
For all Wednesdays in October, we meet at the Merriman's
Speak to Scott about being added to the 'Signal' app for getting PULSE messages.'

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From The Manse
Dear Congregation,

Thank you to all who brought produce last week for Harvest Thanksgiving.  (See photo below)  It was a splendid amount.
Rev David McPherson is currently on holiday so we shall make arrangements to deliver it all to him next week for the Govan Food Bank.

This Sunday we look forward to Rev Wayne Sutton sharing with us in worship. Wayne ministers at Carrubbers Christian Centre on the Royal Mile where he began as the student pastor in 1991. He was called as Senior Pastor in 1996. Wayne is a New Yorker by birth and originally an engineer by trade.  We were blessed to have his assistant David Nixon share with us recently at the Food For Thought evening.
Let's not only welcome Wayne (and Sarah) warmly, but pray the Lord would open His Word to us through Wayne's ministry. We shall also share in the Lord's Supper.

I want to bring a few pastoral matters for prayer over the weekend.
Let's pray for:

• Hannah McNicol and Daniel Dieppe, as they marry tomorrow (Saturday) at the premises of NMBC.
• Scott Hamilton, as he leads worship on Sunday morning at Govan Free Church
• Mearns Free Church, as we sit under God's Word in worship both morning and evening (at joint NMBC service).
• Christine Priestly and all who will join with her on Monday for the funeral of Robert (Hurlet Crematorium, 3pm)
• Catherine Anwar as she prepares for her mum's funeral on 4th November (10am St Ninian's)

On a different matter…
The Lord has been drawing some of us into a wonderful living faith in Jesus Christ. I am aware that some of us now profess the name of Jesus as our Lord and Saviour though we have never done so publicly and formally to become part of a church community. We want to give you opportunity to profess that faith publicly (be baptised if appropriate) and come into membership of Mearns Free Church. If there are some for whom this is timely, I am planning a service of worship for this on 7th December. If this is something you have been thinking and praying about, please speak with me as soon as possible.
Warmest Regards,  
Scott

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Each week Scott has been using the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) as a framework for prayer - helping us to pray through the great truths contained there... you can read the others by looking back at previous magazines. 
This week the focus is 'Of Christ, the Mediator'. Here is the prayer link and an extract which lets us meditate on such remarkable truths...

"We know, Lord Jesus that this servant role was not grasped by your own hand, but you were commissioned to it by God the Father. Saviour, He entrusted all power and judgment into your authority and commanded you to execute this might and justice.

Lord Jesus, we worship you because you embraced this mission willingly and executed that duty in flawless accord with the Law of God. We know that in this perfect obedience, you willingly bore terrible anguish in your soul and the most excruciating suffering in your body.

We are humbled by the knowledge that in completing your calling, you gave yourself to be crucified to death, were laid in the tomb dead and allowed yourself to be held under the power of death."

(The Free Church of Scotland recognize the WCF as a 'standard', not as important as Scripture but secondarily authoritative for defining theology.)

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Boxes

We had a note from Denise at Maxwell Mearns Castle about the Blythswood Boxes.
"We are starting the Annual Box Check on week days from Wednesday 29 October 9.30 to 3.30 in the garage at Maxwell Mearns Castle Church
All are welcome to join us .
The boxes are off to Ukraine again this year.
If you have the time and the energy we would love to see you.
Same place just knock firmly on the shutters for entry to fun and fellowship

Speak with Margaret Boyd if you want to know more about the Box Checking.
This is a very practical way to support the work of Blythswood.
Mearns Free Church are running a Coffee Afternoon on 15 November - see details below.

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Ladybird Book of Mearns Free Church

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Events Coming Soon...

Below are some events for your diary - please take a note of those which require registration.
We start with our own church events...

Alongside the Mearns Free events ...

"Due to the overlapping nature of the schools and ministries in our area we have created a 'Super-Hub' currently covering the High Schools of Eastwood, Mearns Castle, Williamwood and Woodfarm and their associated primaries.

We are gathering on Monday 27th October, 7.30pm in Cartsbridge Church and would love any parents, grandparents, teachers and those who want to support our local schools to come along. "
Pauline
Regional Worker, Renfrewshire & Inverclyde
E: Pauline.Forster@suscotland.org.uk  

Unbuyable – Do Good Men Buy Sex?

Chris Ringland wrote to the church this week:
"Evangelical Alliance Scotland would love to invite you to an event we are co-hosting with Restore Glasgow and CARE for Scotland on Ash Regan MSP's "Unbuyable" Bill currently progressing through the Scottish Parliament. 
Event: Unbuyable – Do Good Men Buy Sex?
Venue: St George’s Tron, 163 Buchanan St, Glasgow, G1 2JX
Date & Time: Tuesday 4 November, 7:30–9:30 PM
With: Ash Regan MSP and other voices advocating for the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill
This event will explore how the proposed legislation could be groundbreaking in reshaping Scotland’s response in tackling commercial sexual exploitation by challenging demand and supporting survivors, making women and girls (alongside men and boys) unbuyable in Scotland.
We believe this is a moment for the church, both men and women, to make clear to MSPs that the commercial sexual exploitation of women and girls in Scotland must stop.
Come and learn how you can play your part in doing so. Anyone from your church is welcome. 
Link to webpage for more info is here.
We hope that you will join us."

If you plan on attending this event EA would like an idea of numbers  - please email the Mearns Free Church office@mearnsfree.org and we will pass on interest in attending to EA.

Evangelical Alliance also have a short survey they are keen for Christians to take part in. 
"What do evangelicals think?" Let the Evangelical Alliance know your views on a variety of important policy issues...EA are inviting Christians to take part in a survey to gauge evangelicals’ views across a range of political/policy issues. Click here to go to their page to find out more and to give them your views.

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Harvest 

Thanks to all who brought along items for the Govan Food Bank last Sunday.


Mearns Free Church have a joint initiative with Govan Free Church to support them with their Food Bank.
If you would like more details about this and how you could be involved speak with Jack Geddes.

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After seeing Alastair running his keen eye over the baking in recent weeks some of the Mearns Kids have been asking if he had used his gift for expert scrutiny in any other contexts.
  
Interestingly, Alastair has also been involved in the world of international sport and this picture from May 1965 shows him helping with the count as Muhammad Ali knocked over Sonny Liston.

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Coffee Break 1.  Why do people seek after God ?  Have you ever wondered how a friend or family member will ever get to the point of asking about faith, or wanting to know why you believe in Jesus, or if God can actually be known?
In this talk (listen HERE) Tim Keller looks at the story of Moses and the Burning Bush and how he 'turned aside' to look at this bush. Moses' attention was caught and he took time to see something he hadn't seen before but which he couldn't ignore.
Keller suggests 4 ways that God often uses to make people 'turn aside' from daily life to find Him
'The  'Burning Bush' can be an Inexplicable person, an inexplicable train of thought, inexplicable trouble and inexplicable emptiness.'

He starts by thinking of the ways people who aren't Christians can find themselves confronted by God - often it can be something unusual or even unpleasant that he uses. He can use how they might interact with Christians too. But it is Christians too who are in danger of missing out and he may well use similar methods.
He also reminds us that it is a spiritual battle that is taking place - the Devil doesn't want anyone to turn aside from their day and think about Gospel truth. In 'The Screwtape Letters' CS Lewis points out that the very thing to stop someone thinking about spiritual matters too deeply is just to mention 'Lunch' or see some news headlines, or the Number 73 bus passing by.  
This talk is about 40 mins long so for us the equivalent distraction or 'better offer' would be watching The Chase AND House of Games - you will have your own version I'm sure.

Coffee Break 2  - read this short article about Screwtape Letters here to understand how Lewis suggests the Devil will try and prevent us from turning aside just by filling our heads with the mundane.
"We doom-scroll, our eyes glazed over, while once useful dopamine receptors quietly shoot their last remaining endorphins. The YouTube rabbit hole is not so much an experience in enjoyment as much as it is a reflex of our current era..."

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