Dunfermline West Blog
Farewell
01 October 2022 | Reflections
It is with a heavy heart that I am writing my final monthly reflection as pastor of West BaptistChurch. Since you have invited us into your lives we have formed deep bonds with the churchfamily, and are thankful for all the memories that we will cherish forever. It seems like…
The harvest is great, but the workers are few
01 October 2022 | Reflections
Entering a new chapter can be daunting, even crippling, as we consider all of the obstacles that must be overcome. There will undoubtedly be many questions, challenges, and opportunities as West Baptist enters a period of transition. As we continued our Good News series through Mark’s gospel, I became aware…
Finishing Well
01 September 2022 | Reflections
We’re all starting a new chapter. After four and a half years of ministry at West Baptist Church, my family and I will begin a new pastorate at Stirling Baptist Church in late November. This has been the most difficult decision of my life as we have tried to listen…
Building Community: Fishing Nets and Campfires PT2
01 July 2022 | Reflections
Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”……
Building Community: Fishing Nets and Campfires PT1
01 June 2022 | Reflections
Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”……
Easter Glory
01 May 2022 | Reflections
Over the Easter period, we focused on the glory of Easter. This was not planned but developed as we continued our Living the Spirit-Filled Life series, focussing on Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in John 17, which begins:
Guided into truth
01 April 2022 | Reflections
When you have an important decision to make where do you seek advice? Over our lives we gather together a wealth of valuable input, from family, friends, mentors and, increasingly today, even internet advice. It is often seen as a sign of maturity when we make well informed life decisions….
Review: Fruitful Leaders
15 March 2022 | Reviews
Fruitful Leaders by Marcus Honeysett is described as ideal for anyone asking whether God could use them as a leader… it will also offer fresh vision to existing leaders, and inspire those who are cultivating a fresh crop of new leaders. - Marcus Honeysett, Fruitful Leaders: How to make, grow,…
A Theology of Clouds
01 March 2022 | Reflections
In our Living the Spirit Filled Life series Fin shared with us a valuable illustration. He recalled the time when he and Beth were admiring the stars, literally God’s canvas stretched out across the skies. As they looked up later, he was momentarily confused, there was not a star in…
Finishing Well
01 February 2022 | Reflections
‘Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us’ (Hebrews 12:1)
Faithful to the end
01 January 2022 | Reflections
I am always excited when a New Year comes around. It often feels like a good time to reset and reassess our goals and aspirations. It is a time of peace after the busyness of Christmas, and it helps break up the permeating gloom of winter by marking a new…
The Christmas Shadow
01 December 2021 | Reflections
Have you seen Peter Pan? One of the most memorable moments in Peter Pan is when he loses his shadow and tries all sorts of things to capture it until his new friend Wendy sews it back onto him. His shadow is treated like a physical object whose purpose was…
Anyone who welcomes a little child like this
01 November 2021 | Reflections
Last Sunday was a really special day. It was a privilege to come alongside Marc and Cara as they made a public declaration, in baptism, of their commitment to follow Jesus as a family. As we welcomed them into the church family we also dedicated baby Orlagh to God asking…
The vine and his Fruit
01 October 2021 | Reflections
The biblical image of the vine is very precious. It captures the life of real relationship that Jesus is calling us into. It serves as a potent image of fertility and hope. It provides foundations that are deeply rooted in God and the promise of abundance of fruit for all…
Freedom in the Spirit
01 September 2021 | Reflections
While the word “lockdown” trended in 2020 and early 2021, today, the new trending word may be “freedom”. In many ways the word freedom is slippery. It can often mean different things to different people. It is rarely a neutral term as different visions of freedom are not always compatible….
Review: Eternity in our Heart
19 August 2021 | Reviews
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” - C.S Lewis, Mere Christianity
Being Still for the Lord doesn’t mean stopping moving
01 August 2021 | Reflections
Have you been sitting still when you should be moving, or moving when you should be sitting still? The Scriptures talk a lot about being still and waiting on the Lord, but that does not necessarily mean we should stop.
Review: A Week Away (Movie)
20 July 2021 | Reviews
The “A week away” movie was quite a surprise. We regularly watch movies as a family and have come to appreciate a certain standard of storytelling, acting and filming. We enjoy watching family friendly movies with a positive message especially that explore questions of faith.
Giving Attention
01 July 2021 | Reflections
Sometimes when we read Bible stories, we have questions that aren’t directly answered by the text. The answers may not be there, but pondering the questions can be important. One of the things that I have often wondered is what it was that Jesus was drawing in the ground in…
Creation Stewardship
01 June 2021 | Reflections
“What is needed in the current environmental crisis is not so much an agreed cap on carbon emissions (important though that may be for the future of our planet), but a radical reorientation of the way we understand ourselves in relation to the natural world around us, something akin to…
Review: Gilead
21 May 2021 | Reviews
Gilead is the story of Rev. John Ames. In 1956, at the age of 76, Rev. John Ames (Son of Rev. JohnAmes, and grandson of Rev. John Ames) begins writing to his not quite 7-year-old son. The book isthat letter. The setting for the story is the fictional small town…
Bearing God’s name
01 May 2021 | Reflections
It seems fitting as we have been exploring the theme of “Even better than Eden” in our services that we have been investing a lot of effort in the creation of our new community garden. The project says a lot about who we are and want to be.
Review: First Light
21 April 2021 | Reviews
‘First Light’ is a historical fiction novel by husband and wife team, Bodie and Brock Thoene. It begins in 2002 when we learn of thousands of precious ancient scrolls hidden in a secret library underneath a house in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The gardener
01 April 2021 | Reflections
This was the dawn of the new creation. The gardener was up at the crack of dawn doing the work the first Adam failed to do. Even now the new creation is breaking into the wilderness of our lives in this world. … This is what Paul means when he…
Review: Life Together
17 March 2021 | Reviews
Like many Christians, I had read fragments of the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), which had made a deep impression on me, and I also knew he had been executed by the Nazis. This book was published in 1939 as a reflection on life in the illegal seminary he led…
A Gentle Whisper
01 March 2021 | Reflections
As we began our new sermon series “Even Better Than Eden” we started at the very beginning when God created and his Spirit, his Ruach, was moving over the surface of God’s formless creation (Genesis 1:1-2). God made a faith statement that he was at the very heart and purpose…
Christian Reflections on Coronavirus
19 February 2021 | Reviews
Before 2019 the term coronavirus was not well known outside of science and medical circles, however, today it is the most searched term across the world. A simple virus has literally shaken the core of modern times, leaving many people with divergent, and strong, views on what is the best…
Listen and Understand
01 February 2021 | Reflections
As we have been drawing our Choose Your King series to a close, we have reflected on the importance of aligning our hearts with God.
Hindsight is 2020
01 January 2021 | Reflections
If you could have known how 2020 was going to be what would you have planned differently?
Someone is coming, are you ready?
01 December 2020 | Reflections
If you could describe the last year in one word what would it be? Perhaps it is the word ‘unexpected.’
Christ will make his home in your heart
01 November 2020 | Reflections
We are not qualified to build God’s house, rather, it is God that builds a home in our hearts through Jesus.
Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed
01 October 2019 | Reflections
Jesus said: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31-32)
Jesus came to rescue
22 September 2019 | Reflections
The reality is that life is risky. From an early age we are taught how to manage the various risks of life from how to cross a road safely to how to put food on our table. Risk management may minimise the impact or decrease the probability of unfortunate events…
