40 Days Blog - Day 40

Mark 16:1-20 - Resurrection

An End And A Beginning

I once heard J. K. Rowling discussing how she developed the Harry Potter novels. She said that from the outset she knew that there would be seven novels, and she also knew and planned exactly how it would end. However, having created her characters and her ‘world’ she found that certain things, plot twists and dialogue, just happened along the way, as her characters responded by themselves to events around them. We have reached the end of Peter’s stories as recorded by Mark. Today, we see how God’s rescue plan reaches fruition.

How has your journey been these last forty days? Have you seen Jesus in a new light? Have you felt the excitement as Jesus has been revealed? Have you met with Him in a new way in your times of prayer? Has reading through Mark made a difference to you?

Take some time today to read back over your notes and thoughts.

This moment, the resurrection, is really where we have been heading all along. Mark has put the story together to show why Jesus came. We have seen how Jesus revealed He was the Son of God through His miracles, and He challenges us to believe in Him as Messiah through His words. Halfway through this Gospel we had that pivotal moment when Jesus challenged His disciples to see Him for who He was. He revealed He would suffer, die….and rise again! And He asks us to respond, as He asked Peter to respond, to this question - “Who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:24)

So what is your response?

Jesus’ resurrection is the final proof of His identity and brings the offer of salvation for those who believe.

Mark’s writing finishes quite suddenly, almost as if a bit of it has been lost. We don’t get much detail about the resurrection at all. But that shouldn’t worry us, for we know Peter was absolutely convinced about Jesus rising from the dead. Just a few weeks later he was standing before crowds in Jerusalem proclaiming that:

“…Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:22-24).

And Peter staked the rest of his life on that truth.

The last verses of the Gospel (Mark 16:9-20) appear to have been added by another writer at a later date, and they summarise closely what we learn from the other Gospels. Packed with information and challenges they are worth taking time to read a few times. They are about belief and our response to that. Jesus rebuked the disciples for unbelief (v14), but then gave them the charge to take this story into all the World. We may all have periods of unbelief or difficulty in our spiritual life. We have learned to bring these to God. The charge is still for us too, to trust, then go empowered by the Spirit into our community with this amazing story.

This brings us back to the value of reading all four Gospels as a one - to get the ‘big picture’ of who Jesus was. Son of God - Messiah - Saviour of the World - King.

Faced with that we can only stand in awe and consider how we respond.

A Prayer

Lord, as I end these forty days of reading and praying, thank You for what You have taught me. Thank You for coming, for revealing Yourself as God and for giving Your life for me. Thank You that we have this wonderful account of Your life to ponder and wonder at. I pray that You would help me to respond to the challenges of what I have read. I pray for this town and its villages, and for the people in them that they may hear about You and meet You through those who speak Your Gospel today. Bless us as a church family as we meet to worship You, to learn more of You and to serve and proclaim You in these days.

Amen.

A Challenge

Today pray for particular people in your life - contacts, neighbours, friends, family.

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