Kirk Reflections Kirkliston Parish

Kirk Reflections 26th May 2024.

Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.



BORN AGAINJesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.(JOHN 3: 5-9)

According to Jesus we need to be born again...this baffled Nicodemus.
To be born again is something we Christians often use to talk about someone who had a dramatic change of heart.
But could being ‘born again’ also be a daily transformation that takes
place almost unnoticed if we surrender to Christ’s love and influence?

Kirk Reflections 12th May 2024.

Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

RE-PLANTING"Whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers."(PSALM 1: 2-3)

Thomas Merton said, “A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. It ‘consents’ to His creative love. It expresses an idea which is in God’s mind. So the more a tree is like itself, the more it is like Him.”Trees never try to be something else, like wart hogs or sledge hammers. They are content to be trees. But you and I struggle. We can be whoever we want to be, but the less I am in sync with God’s plan, the more hollow I become. 

This week we'll look at how the Psalmist uses the image of tree and tree-planting to encourage us to live in close proximity to Jesus and by doing so live an abundant life!

Kirk Reflections 5th May 2024.

Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

LOVE AND FRIENDSHIPGreater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (JOHN 15:13)

Friendship is such a crucial part of the Gospel. Without it, life would be pretty dull. We need (and crave) shared experiences with others for it to come alive.

Just the other day we had a BBQ on the beach at Silver Sands in Aberdour. Whilst the wood was crackling, and we got the burgers ready I thought to myself: would it be as enjoyable without friends?

Growing up, I had an imaginary friend ‘Nga (pronounced
‘Hinga’). We did loads together. Exploring the river next to our house, looking for tadpoles and playing in the garden.

As we grow older it may be that our friendship group shrinks, and we almost lament the idea of a large friendship group. The incredible thing about Christian community, is that we’re never alone. We don’t need imaginary friends, because there are multiple opportunities throughout the week (not only on a Sunday!) where we can gather with brothers and sisters in Christ!

Let us remember: in order to have good friends, we must endeavour TO BE a good friend. And how does one achieve this? By your willingness to lay down your life for ‘em. This is what Jesus did, of course; so are we expected to do the same?

Kirk Reflections 28th April 2024.

Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

HOLY SPIRT, HORSES & HEAVENLY GUIDANCE

The Spirit told Philip, “Climb into the chariot.” Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

(ACTS 8: 29-30)



Have you felt the Spirit calling you to do something out of the ordinary?

We see this happen time and time again in the book of Acts. In this week’s reading we’ll look at how Phillip trusted the Holy Spirit to Guide him to baptise the first African Convert.

LOVEThis is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.(1 JOHN 3:16)

Do you struggle with difficult questions?About God and your purpose and the meaning of life?You're in good company! Mags Duggan from Discipleship Weekly reflects on the importance of questions serving as catalyst for spiritual growth:

"I love a good question. I can live on a good question for days – if not weeks. A good question is a key that can unlock truths about God, about life, about our relationships, about who and how we are. It can be a light into the depths of our hearts, illuminating buried hopes and dreams, desires and doubts.  

A good question carries the seeds of transformation in its pockets.  

Reading across the sweep of the Scriptures, it’s clear that God is a great question-asker. In Genesis 3:9 God asks Adam and Eve, ‘Where are you?’ Recognising that it wasn’t a question about location, it pushed Adam to acknowledge that he was hiding from God – and why. God’s questions may be simple, but they are also multi-layered and so the question is also about the newly-opened distance between Adam and Eve and their Creator: ‘Where are you in relation to me?’ 

Later on in Genesis, God asks Hagar, fleeing from her mistress Sarai’s abuse, ‘Where have you come from, and where are you going?’ (16:8) Questions which invite Hagar to articulate the reality of her situation. God responds to her despair with a promise about her life and her future,
igniting the hope and courage she needs to return to the place she’d run away from. 

If we allow the questions God asked his people in the past to address us in the present, there is the potential for transformation and growth. For example, God’s questions for Adam and Eve and for Hagar are helpful for any moment in our lives, but especially perhaps in those times when we may be feeling distant from God, when we’re stuck or confused and when the way ahead isn’t clear.  

The Gospels are replete with questions Jesus asked, which confronted people with their desires, longings, needs and their understanding of who Jesus was.  


What are you looking for? (John 1:38 GNT) 
Why are you so afraid? (Matthew 8:26) 
What do you want me to do for you? (Mark 10:51) 
Who do you say I am? (Mark 8:27-29) 
Do you understand what I have done for you? (John 13:12) 

Jesus’ questions invite us into an honest engagement with him and with our own hearts. For example, reflecting on the question ‘Who am I to you?’ (a paraphrase of Mark 8:29) has challenged me so often to be intentional about recognising what is going on in my relationship with Jesus. At different times and in different seasons, my answer has been: Saviour,
Rock, Good Shepherd, a disappointment, a dream-breaker, the interrupter of my day, my safe place, my dearest beloved friend, my heart and my life. 

So many of Jesus’ questions are ‘soul health check-ups’ which, if answered honestly, will draw us into a more intimate relationship with him and into a richer experience of life. Because of their transformative power, they are crucial questions to explore and so when I’m spending time with someone I’m coming alongside, we’ll often pause to look together at one or two of these questions. We’ll also explore the questions we may be asking God. 

Questions are a lubricant in the smooth running of any relationship and our relationship with God is no different – and as much as we need to consider the questions God asks us, we also need to ask God the questions that are stirring our own souls. 

When my niece Jenny was dying of a rare and incurable cancer at the age of 23, my journal was full of questions which I poured out to the Lord.
They were addressed to God from the depths of my despair, confusion and grief. When pain drained my ability to articulate my own questions, I borrowed words from

Kirk Reflections 14th April 2024.

Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

BODY & SPIRITWhen he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.(LUKE 24:40-43)

This week we continue our Easter story as we reflect on more 'resurrection stories' from Jesus' life.