Plenary, 16 Jun 2004
Meeting date: Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Official Report
390KB pdf
Time for Reflection
Good afternoon. The first item of business is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader this afternoon is the Rev Alistair Morrison, the Church of Scotland parish minister at the Church of St Mark, Oldhall, in Paisley
The Rev Alistair Morrison (Church of Scotland Parish Minister, Church of St Mark, Oldhall, Paisley):
William Shakespeare, in his play "Hamlet", has Polonius say to Laertes:
"to thine own self be true."
Robert Burns, in his poem, "To a Louse", invites us
"To see oursels as ithers see us!"
David, the shepherd boy who became king, writes in Psalm 139:
"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways."
That is a favourite passage of Old Testament scripture that affords me immense comfort, yet at the same time troubles me greatly. We have to be true to ourselves—to our beliefs and our standards—for if we are not, then of what value are they to us or to those who look to us and rely upon us for guidance and leadership? How other people see us, characterise us or judge us is a reflection on what we think, say and do.
What, then, of God's opinion of us? He knows, literally, everything about us—nothing is hidden from his knowledge. He knows all that is good and true; he knows what is wrong and false. He knows what is out in the open and he knows what we seek to hide from others and sometimes even from ourselves. God knows everything, and despite all that might be on the debit side of our life account he continues to show his love and compassion for us. Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible speak of his continuing and unending involvement with humankind and his concern that we might honour and love him in the way that he loves us.
David was a leader who showed many great qualities in times of war and peace, yet his actions also demonstrated the many flaws in his character. Above all, he recognised the place, the power and the presence of God in his daily life. As a prayer for us all, let us echo the words of David in the latter verses of the Psalm:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
May we, too, know Almighty God's, place, power and presence in our lives. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.