Kirk Reflections

Kirk Reflections 3rd November 2024 . Rev Ken Brown brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 “With Harvest Thanksgiving just past and Christmas just round the corner we all know the excitement that surrounds an unexpected present especially if it comes at just the right time. But do we ever reflect on the possible excitement that surrounds the act...

Kirk Reflections 27th October 2024 . Rev. Frank Ribbons brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. Love covers everything Last time, we looked at the parable of the Prodigal or Lost Son, and this time we’ll be thinking about a parable from Matthew 20, The Workers in the Vineyard. It’s a less well known parable than the Lost Son, and not so many folk will be able to rehe...

Kirk Reflections 20th October 2024 . Rev. Frank Ribbons brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. Frank will be joining us for 2 weeks while Erick is on Study Leave. We’ll be looking at two parables of Jesus, although there may be a referral to other parables as well. The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32) This week, we will be looking at the Parable of the Lost S...

Kirk Reflections 13th October 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. ORIGINS VII: Motives Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”  (Genesis 11:4 ) NIV In high school one of my f...

Kirk Reflections 6th October 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. ORIGINS VI: Promise And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come. (Genesis 9:12) NIV Rainbows. We all LOVE rainbows. They capture something of our imagination and mo...

Kirk Reflections 15th September 2024 . Dr. John McPhee brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. ORIGINS V: Storms

Kirk Reflections 15th September 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. ORIGINS IV: Sin & Grace (Genesis 4:8 NIV) "Now Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let's go out to the field.' While they were out in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.”  It’s unimaginable that people would murder, isn’t it? Ye...

Kirk Reflections 15th September 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. ORIGINS III: The Fall (Genesis 3: 23 NIV) "So, the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.” When you hear the term 'fall from grace,' who comes to mind? When we listen to presidential debates arguing...

Kirk Reflections 8th September 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. ORIGINS II: RELATION God said, “It’s not good for the Man to be alone; I’ll make him a helper, a companion.” (Genesis 2: 18 MSG) There's been loads of studies done recently about the importance of having deep and meaningful relationships. Research has shown that t...

Kirk Reflections 1st September 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. ORIGINS #1: CREATION “First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.” (Genesis 1: 1-2 MSG) 13.8 billion...

Kirk Reflections 25th August 2024 . Morag Carnall brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. COMING HOME “So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.” (Psalm 126: 6 MSG) What does home mean to you?  The dictionary defines home as “the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household.” ...

Kirk Reflections 18th August 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland.

Kirk Reflections 21st July 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. EXPECT... THE UNEXPECTED “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6: 9 NIV) God is s able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think! If we believe this, we’d dream and envision way be...

Kirk Reflections 21st July 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD "Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life." (Ps. 23:6a MSG) I remember someone once saying, 'in order to be a good leader you must first learn to be a good follower.' Of whom or what?  Who do you apprentice under?...

Kirk Reflections 14th July 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. DOUBT. DEATH. DECAPITATED. She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered. (Mark 6:24 NIV) A tad grim, isn't it?! This is one of those stories from the Bible we tend to skip. But let’s not do that. John’s mart...

Kirk Reflections 7th July 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. RESILIENCE “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.” (Mark 6:11 MSG) Failures.  Setbacks. They can be hard to deal with. Jesus prepared his followers for 'unsuccess'. And more than that...

Kirk Reflections 30th June 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. "“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." (Mark 5: 34 NIV) Have you ever been so desperate that you were willing to risk it all? a text speaking of healing and restoration after big risks were taken ... and the end res...

Kirk Reflections 23rd June 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. CALM BEFORE... OR AFTER THE STORM? "Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at...

Kirk Reflections 19th June 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. FLOURISHING PALM TREES "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God." (Psalm 92: 12-13) This week, we explore Psalm 92! Here are some thoughts...

Kirk Reflections 26th May 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. BORN AGAIN Jesus 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 wi...

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) T...

Kirk Reflections 5th May 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP Greater 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. Ju...

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 someth...

LOVE This 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: &...

Kirk Reflections 14th April 2024 . Rev. Erick du Toit brings this week's reflection from Kirkliston Parish Church, Scotland. BODY & SPIRIT When 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...