40 Days Blog - Day 38

Mark 15:16-39 - Crucifixion

The Darkest Moment That Brings The Greatest Light

The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961. For twenty-eight years it had been an impenetrable, physical barrier that separated many families. But it also represented a barrier of fear and control. Such divisions are an insult to decency and justice. The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 led to families being reunited and restored. Today we look at the restoration that results through Jesus.

The account of Jesus’ death is fiercely brutal, and we should not lose sight of its inhumanity. Jesus is violently assaulted, shockingly mocked and humiliated, and then forced to endure the most painful of deaths. The detail Mark gives us is frankly disturbing.

What was the reaction in the crowd that watched? This is the triumphant result of the plot to kill Jesus and silence His movement forever. The leaders had obtained their objective and now many gathered around Jesus, mocking, jeering, insulting Him.

It is hard to recall that it was only two days since He had debated with the leaders in the Temple and only a day since He had arranged for His friends to prepare the Passover meal. It was only hours since His arrest, hurried trial and sentencing. Hours! No justice - no appeal - just a trajectory to humiliation and death. How did the leaders feel? Were they elated by the success of their plot to have Him killed? The mocking of the crowd is perhaps typical of an execution mob.

Amidst this horrific violence and injustice, two things stand out.

First: We see Jesus’ utter separation from God the Father. Never in His life had Jesus felt separated from His Father. As a child (we learn from Luke 2:41-51) He had gone to His Father’s house aware of His relationship to the Father. He had walked with the Father all the days of His life. He knew Him intimately. But now on the cross, He is completely separated from Him. As He cries “My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me”, He is in despair for the first time ever. Separated from God by the weight of our sin, the Father is lost to Him, for God cannot look on Jesus. This is what the crucifixion is all about.

We can never (fully?) understand this. But as we learned yesterday, belief in Jesus is the key that opens the door to forgiveness.

Second: We have the amazing picture of the Temple curtain being torn in two from top (God’s end) to bottom (our end). The division this curtain represented between the Holy of Holies and the rest of the Temple is a picture of the separation sin puts between man and God. But now the separation is gone - Jesus has made the way open.

A Prayer

Lord in the last few days I have read of Your journey towards the cross. Again, Lord, I am sorry that You had to endure this and for my part in it. I long that more people will believe in You and today I pray for this community again. I pray, Lord, that many will come to have faith in You. Help me do my part in sharing this good news with them.

Amen.

How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son, To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss, The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One, Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there, Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything, No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom

Stuart Townend

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