In the coming months, we will all have the chance to take part in the re-enactment of a well-known parable in the streets and lanes of Liberton. It’s a parable Jesus once told, of a man who prepared a great feast. When none of the invited guests wanted to come, his response was to send his servants out into the streets and alleys of the town, and into the country lanes and byways, and invite whoever they found (see Luke 14).
This summer we will have the opportunity to take on the role of these servants not just once but three times, in a modern day version of this parable. Our task will be to deliver the following sets of invitations:
- Firstly, as part of our bicentenary celebrations we will be inviting all the residents of our parish to a special Community Tea on the 13th of June
- Secondly, we will be inviting all local children to our annual Holiday Club which will take place at the beginning of August. (The theme of the club this year will be ‘Frozen’, the hugely successful Disney production which, surprisingly, has caught the imagination of girls and boys alike)
- Thirdly, we will be inviting everybody to get involved in our full Autumn programme of events and activities, through the parish-wide delivery of the September edition of this magazine, (packed as it will be full of details of all that is going on).
As with parish-wide deliveries of past years, we will need everybody’s help to get these invitations out as quickly as we can, so that no one misses out.
You may well be thinking, “Who is going to pay any attention to just another mail-drop?” Who does or doesn’t pay attention is not for us to say. The important difference between there and other mail-drops is that, for us, this shouldn’t be just about posting things through letter boxes. Rather, it will be our opportunity to pray for every home we deliver them to. (And by prayer, I just mean something simple, like “May God bless you, this year, with the knowledge of his love!”)
Last week’s ‘Celtic Devotions’ included a meditation on Jesus promise to us in John 14, when he said
“You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14.13-14)
Imagine what would happen if every single home in our parish were prayed for, not just once, but three times in the coming months! Imagine what would happen if they were blessed with the knowledge of God’s great love for them, made known in Jesus!
Much love
John