Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Official Report
751KB pdf
Time for Reflection
The first item of business this afternoon is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader today is Pastor Mark Osa Igiehon, Jesus House, City of God, Aberdeen.
Pastor Mark Osa Igiehon (Jesus House, City of God, Aberdeen)
As a citizen of Scotland, I criss-cross the land on the Lord’s business. With over 10 years of hearing Scotland’s heart, I firmly conclude that Scotland is much loved and blessed by God. This is evident in our incredible people, beautiful country and God’s help throughout history.
God entrusted Scotland with the eternal project of taking the good news in Christ to nations. We remember Mary Slessor and other great Scots who went out transforming peoples, like those of Nigeria, by the simple Gospel. We remember our Scottish King James, who commissioned the King James Bible—the most read book in the world. Those evidences lead me to conclude that Scotland is God’s favourite country.
Today, Scotland stands at a threshold of great opportunities and great dangers. We are in a global recession so pervasive that some have described it as a biblical famine. Government has to do more with fewer resources. Today, Parliament is tasked with deciding grave questions of constitution, faith and morality—questions that no generation in recent memory has had to answer. Today, the church across Scotland is in crisis.
Intensifying those challenges, I see a country that increasingly thinks that we no longer need God. The Lord is the perfect gentleman and respects our wishes. If we ignore him, he will ignore us and leave us to our own devices, whims and caprices.
Scotland needed him in previous generations and we need his help even more today. With God’s help, Parliament can lead this generation to safely navigate the affairs of Scotland across the present unparalleled challenges, to land this ship of state into safe harbour for the next generations.
I see a bright future for Scotland because of God’s love for Scotland. You are today’s leaders. He will guide you, with foresight beyond generations, to make Scotland the light of the nations.
I pray that, Lord, you be our salvation and our help in Scotland. For you members of Parliament, entrusted with high affairs of state, we pray that you will seek the Lord in humility for godly wisdom to make generationally enduring decisions for Scotland and for good stewardship of the high affairs of Scotland and that, at the end, you will give a good account to the people of Scotland and to your maker.
To the most high God be glory throughout Scotland today and always.
Amen.