Endings and beginnings

It’s been another interesting week in Estonia.  Sadly, the week ended with emotional farewells as we waved Shelby off on her return journey to western USA. Having been with us for 20 months, Shelby has established 

Farewell prayers for Shelby

a special place in the hearts of the Estonian Salvationists. Last Sunday we said our formal farewell at Kopli corps and Shelby was invited to give the sermon. Although not an experienced preacher, Shelby’s message was just perfect – she spoke an encouraging and challenging word from God and it was wonderful to see a number of people respond when the appeal was made. Seeing God’s people kneeling in prayer at the mercy seat is one of those uniquely Army things – and such a sacred moment; evidence of the grace, mercy and approachability of God.

On Wednesday, Estonia region’s officers and centre leaders gathered at Tartu corps for our first ‘Ready for mission’ day. Having arrived during the summer when leaders take their holidays and corps programmes are usually curtailed, Lyn and I have been looking forward to our first opportunity to share in fellowship, worship and discussion with our team.  We’re shaping these days around a 5-fold focus:

1. ‘Building together’ - creating unity and support amongst those in ministry (Exodus 17:12)

2. ‘Spiritually healthy’ - providing opportunity for worship and spiritual retreat (Isaiah 40:31)

3. ‘Growing well’ - learning about our faith and our church (Colossians 1:10)

4. ‘Organisationally equipped’ – discussing business and organisational issues (Prov 24:27)

5. ‘Vision focussed’ - shaping strategy and planning programmes. (Genesis 13:14-15)

We have a wide range of leadership experience within our group; officers with 10+ years of service and candidates with only months of relationship with The Salvation Army. So, every time we meet for these special days, in addition to the inevitable moments of business and programme planning, we will be looking at

a chapter from the Spiritual life commission’s findings, ‘Called to be God’s people’.  We hope this will be a pertinent reminder for the ‘old hands’ and useful information for our newer leaders. For our first meeting we explored the chapter that looks at the mercy seat; it’s Biblical roots, its Army and church history and the central place that the mercy seats holds within Army worship. Colleagues shared testimony of their own mercy seat experiences. Others voiced prayerful concerns that the mercy seat is not being used regularly within their corps.

This morning as Lyn and I explored, for the first time, a large shopping centre in northern Tallinn, we found a shop selling home furnishings. It was one of those shops displaying quaint plaques and humorous signs with mottos and slogans. In it we found a large free standing room divider, decorated with the words, ‘Grace is not a short prayer said before meals – it’s a way of life’.

God’s grace is an amazing gift – ‘God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense’ was how I was taught to understand it. It’s such a shame when our mercy seat (or the ‘grace place’!) stands unused or even shunned.  Wherever you gather in worship this weekend my prayer is that you will encounter again God’s grace, love and mercy.