Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Official Report
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Time for Reflection
Good afternoon. The first item of business this afternoon is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader today is the Rev Jim Ritchie, the senior pastor of Trinity church of the Nazarene in Perth.
The Rev Jim Ritchie (Trinity Church of the Nazarene, Perth)
Presiding Officer, members of the Scottish Parliament, ladies and gentlemen, I have the great privilege of being the senior pastor of Trinity church of the Nazarene, which is a vibrant, growing evangelical church in the city of Perth. As a church, it is our joy to love and serve the community around us. We work with people of all ages and backgrounds, but we have a particular heart for young people, the broken and those who are most vulnerable and in need, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor and helping those in the bondage of addiction to find freedom and peace in Christ.
Often, as we minister in our community, I am asked two questions: “What is a Nazarene?” and “Why are you helping me?” To the first question, I begin by explaining that, as I was born and brought up in Airdrie, I am an Airdrieonian, then when I moved to study in Glasgow I was surrounded by people who are known the world over as Glaswegians. Similarly, as Jesus and his family were from the town of Nazareth, he was known as a Nazarene. As his followers today, we seek to live just like Jesus, not only choosing to take his name but choosing to adopt his character. This is no small or simple task, given the level of holiness, unconditional love, acceptance and compassion with which he lived.
When the penny drops on what it means to be a Nazarene, the next question really answers itself—we do these things in Jesus’s name, with his heart, loving and serving as he would if he was here with you today. Indeed, we believe that, as we serve those around us, he actually is with us and them by his holy spirit’s power.
One of our church’s favourite hymns has the opening line:
“I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene”.
The word “amazing” is often overused in contemporary language. Avid followers of Twitter among us will recognise the tag line #amazeballs, and on a recent visit to Edinburgh’s newest doughnut franchise, my kids remarked, “These doughnuts are simply amazing.” What makes Jesus amazing is way beyond anything as trivial as Twitter or Krispy Kreme and is reflected in the next line of the hymn:
“And wonder how he could love me, a sinner condemned unclean.”
That is what makes Jesus so amazing, so worth following and such good news for Scotland.
I pray that the love and peace of Jesus the Nazarene is with you all today, and all those you seek to serve.