40 Days Blog - Day 34

Acts 21:27-22:29 Paul Is Arrested In Jerusalem

A device often used by writers in novels is the ‘character of the mob’. Dickens famously did it with the French and English mobs in A tale of Two Cities, at least so my English teacher said. The point is that the crowd has a mind, a will and a morality all of its own. It acts in a way that sets up a chain reaction of emotion. Crowd mentality might even true of the football crowd - who may become so passionate as to indulge in behaviour that the individuals who make it up would ordinarily avoid. But there is something especially terrifying about a lynch mob - and we have seen these in the Bible. From Jesus’ accusers calling for his crucifixion, to our more recent reading of the riot in Ephesus. Paul was only too aware of his own part in a similar event to the one in today’s reading. That time when he was part of a crowd that stoned Stephen. His religious standpoint and prejudice condoned Stephen’s killing.

The details in today’s passage give a very vivid account of what happened just about a week after Paul arrived in Jerusalem. Try for a moment to put yourself in the action. Try to picture the scene. Can you imagine the stifling streets; the dust in the air and on your feet (the crowd threw dust in the air); feel the anger of a ‘whole city aroused’; the shouting; the clamour; Paul being dragged out of the Temple and the doors banged shut; and part of your crowd trying to kill him. The crowd was being dragged deeper into this unruly and dangerous act - like a fire erupting in a tinder dry house. Then imagine the intervention of the Roman ‘police’ as they clattered down the steps from their barracks and pushed through the crowd; think of Paul bound in chains and carried before you by the Roman’s for his safety; and the hush that fell on them as Paul spoke to the crowd, only to re-erupt when they were reminded of their grievance (vs 21) about a Gospel for the Gentiles. More shouting, passion and accusation.

But why?

Paul’s immediate action on arriving in Jerusalem had been to share with the leaders the amazing things that had been done in his journeys. They were delighted by all this but remained concerned that Gentile- Jewish tension was still high in the church. Hence Paul’s ‘very Jewish’ significant period of ceremonial cleansing in yesterday’s reading.

Then non Christian troublemakers arrived from Asia and stirred things up with false accusations. And what played out was exactly what had been prophesied for Paul. He was bound, he was imprisoned. He was very nearly scourged on this occasion, but played the Roman citizen card and avoided it.

We see two mistaken perceptions here:

Mistaken Identity : The Roman Commander took Paul for being an Egyptian insurrectionist. One who was dangerous and justified being arrested.
Mistaken Purpose : The crowd mistook Paul’s purpose - believing he was trying to destroy the Jewish faith rather than accept that Jesus was the fulfilment of the faith, being the expected Messiah.

Again, as we see Paul tell his conversion story we see the fulfilment of his calling to preach the good news to Gentiles and Jews. And this is not the last we will hear of it.

As we pray for Revival, Renewal and Regrowth, pray that the Gospel message we hold before our ‘crowd’ will not be mistaken and misunderstood but be clear. Pray that Jesus’ identity will be clear. Pray that our purpose will not be misinterpreted. Our crowd may be our work colleagues, school friends, neighbours, friends, team mates. But particularly think of our role as a church as we hold out the Gospel in the community. Pray that we may be as clear in our telling of the Gospel as Paul was in his account.

Jesus reassured us that, as we see here with Paul, the Sprit never leaves us to flounder on our own….

Luke 12 (11-12). Jesus said, “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

Prayer
Lord thank you for the power of your Word to change people’s lives. Please show me today opportunities the opportunities I am given to talk of you and help me to make the most of them. And give me, I pray, the confidence to speak out and the words to say. You promise to do this through your Spirit dwelling in me. Thank you. Amen.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

The church meets every Sunday at 9.30am at Drumclog and 11am at Avendale.

Sunday worship continues to be live-streamed from Avendale each Sunday at 11am on the Avendale & Drumclog YouTube Channel.

At Drumclog we meet at:
Drumclog Memorial Kirk
Drumclog
South Lanarkshire
ML10 6QG

At Avendale we meet at:
Avendale Old Parish Church
59A Kirk Street
Strathaven
South Lanarkshire
ML10 6LB

For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it at both Avendale & Drumclog. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up and show you where the disabled toilet is located if required.

Our Service - Drumclog Memorial Kirk

Drumclog

At Drumclog, the service begins at 9.30am with a warm welcome from our Minister, or the person leading the service. During the service we usually sing 2 or 3 songs/hymns. The Minister or a member of the Worship Team will usually read aloud from the Bible and lead the congregation in prayer. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. The Minister, or person leading the service, will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church.

The service lasts approximately 45 minutes. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service. After the service we serve refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) in our church hall. This is a great way to meet people and enjoy fellowship together. We would love to chat to you there!

Our Service - Avendale Old Parish Church

Avendale Wide

At Avendale, the service begins at 11am with a warm welcome from our Minister, or the person leading the service. Before the service begins, we will show a loop of news and notices on the screens in the church. This is a good way to find out what's going on in the life of the church. During the service we usually sing 3 or 4 songs/hymns, often led by our church praise band 'The Elastic Band'. The Minister or a member of the Worship Team will usually read aloud from the Bible and lead the congregation in prayer. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it's all part of our connecting with God. The Minister, or person leading the service, will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. Throughout the service, we may also show videos on the screens in the church to help us reflect on what is being shared during worship or in the sermon. We then share news and notices, usually about what's going on in the life of the church.

The service last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. After the service we serve refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) in our church hall. This is a great way to meet people and enjoy fellowship together. We would love to chat to you there!

images: Services

What about my kids?

At Avendale, we have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 4 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/carer at all times.
His Kids (5-10 years)
Yoof (11-18 years)

Children stay with their parent or carer at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and short Children's Talk. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the Children's Talk, someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy the first time you come along to church.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, Bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

For more information about what happens in the children's and youth work please visit the Children's Ministry page and/or the Youth Ministry page.

N.B. - there is no children's programme or youth programme during the service at Drumclog.

Getting Connected

Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our Home Groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out our Home Groups page and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a Home Group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group. If you would like us to put you in touch with a Home Group leader, please let us know via our Contact Us page.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team here.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Other Groups in the Avendale & Drumclog Community

The following groups are also part of the life of our church:

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Rev Calum Stark - Minister		David Moreland - Session Clerk

To find out more about our staff and leaders, please visit our Staff & Leadership page.
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

Calum Stark - Minister