40 Days Blog - Day 21

Mark 9:2-13 - Transfiguration

In our reading today, we get a chance to join a very select group of disciples who are going to see something quite amazing! Peter, James and John are the chosen ones who witness this wonderful Transfiguration - we get to join their wonder as they see Jesus change into radiant glory. Not only is He shown in glorious light, but He is also conversing with the greatest heroes of the Jewish faith. It’s difficult to find equivalence for our day – somehow, even the thought of St Columba and John Knox descending to Loudoun Hill doesn’t come anywhere near!

And this is why the reaction from Peter just doesn’t get the point. We can all understand why Peter, startled and over-awed, would seek for something that might be helpful to say. But his hospitable offer to make three equivalent shelters for each of the participants in this heavenly conference completely misses the point. The three on the mountain are not equivalent. Far from it. As the voice from Heaven makes clear, the One who stays on the mountain after Elijah and Moses have vanished is God’s beloved Son. Listen to Him!

Moses gave the Law and Elijah was a prophet. Important as they are, they are not equivalent to Jesus. There is only one voice to which the disciples should be listening. Jesus has been telling them of the Cross, of suffering and the cost of discipleship. And His is also the voice that is now speaking of ‘rising from the dead’.

I’m sure it’s no coincidence that Jesus tells the disciples about the ‘rising from the dead’ part of the Plan AFTER they saw the transfigured glory of Jesus. Surely this would mean a lot more now that that they had seen His radiant brightness at the top of the mountain! The mountain is a ‘thin place’ where Moses and Elijah can appear, many centuries after their departure to Heaven. What the disciples witness on the mountain points to a Day when a tomb hewn out of rock, sealed with a great stone and guarded by Roman soldiers, will be another ‘thin place’ where the glory of God will be revealed. But that’s for another blog!

I wonder if you can still hear the voice from heaven today that says, ‘Listen to Jesus!’? I wonder if there are concerns or pre-occupations in my life that prevent me from hearing the voice of Jesus? When Jesus says, ‘Follow Me’, we should seek out the way to follow Him. When He says, ‘Take up your cross’, then we should take up the Cross. When He speaks of rising from the dead – believe Him. It will be done, just as He has said.

A Prayer

Dear Jesus, help me to see Your glory. Forgive me when I see You as a something equivalent – or maybe even less important! – than all the other legitimate concerns in my life. Help me to give You first place as my Lord, help me to listen to the teaching of Your scriptures and the leading of Your Holy Spirit.

Thank You for Your promise of everlasting life in Your eternal Kingdom. I thank You for the Third Day proving the certainty of Your promises. Please strengthen me to live in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection each day of my earthly life and for the life to come.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Listen to today's reading and blog post below...

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