June 2011

Birthday season, and therefore parties, have come and gone for another year in the Orr household. I’ve reflected since (though hardly at the time!) how our parties have evolved over the years. The needs of entertaining 25 4-year olds is rather different to a gathering of 25 17‑year olds! This year, we still played some good old traditional party games, we had a ‘Wide Game’ over Newbold Comyn and a barbeque in our back garden. We are coming to the end, surely, of certain types of party, but someone has suggested that I will still be arranging the games when, God willing, it comes to grandchildren’s parties!

This summer, we will be having three Monday nights when the Manse will be open for all to come and, of course, on 10th July we have the Bigger Party on Church Family Day. This will have many activities and, of course, good food from the barbeque, with a good Baptist tea to round the day off.

Whatever the size of the party, RSVP is of utmost importance.

Jesus tells a story (Matthew 22; Luke 14) of the great banquet. Whilst there are some slight differences between the two accounts, the message is very much the same. The invited guests seemed polite enough to send their apologies, but we are told by Jesus that these were really excuses. In the end, the host sends out an open invitation to people who would not normally get an invitation to anything, and they gladly respond. Now, of course, Jesus was, at that time, speaking about His own people’s lack of response to Him and pointing out that those outside the esteemed group were being drawn into the Kingdom. The story also points us to what was to happen later, in the days of Acts and beyond, when the Gospel was sent out and gladly received by many in the gentile world.

In our day and in our situation, this story has just as much importance as it did then. The Gospel Message is one of urgent importance and it’s something to be celebrated and shared; God’s love shown to us in Jesus and the promise of eternal life for all, anyone and everyone, who comes to God in repentance and also in recognition of God’s abundant generosity.
It’s a call to the believer to have confidence in God and in the Gospel Message, to invite friends to events, activities and services. After all, we have a varied enough programme for there to be something for everyone.

But it’s also a Call to Commitment. Have you responded to the personal call that God has made upon your life?