Of course, we did not have a 4th of July celebration here in Scotland this year….however, today is Guy Fawkes day!!!
It is a celebration which marks the overthrow of a plot to destroy the parliament building in London by Guy Fawkes and others in 1605.
We had access to some “new” fireworks…mainly the kind of rocket that has previously been illegal to us in Oregon.
Here is my first experience…..I stuck the stick into the grass a little too deep….
The other videos we don’t have for you:
1. The roman candle that fell over and began to shoot out in a clockwise rotation, but stopping before it pointed at all of us.
2. The rocket that shot across our yard and into the apple tree
3. My son smacking himself in the forehead with a sparkler (no damage done, not even a singed eye brow!)
Maybe next year we’ll have more video for you….or at New Years…..I hear we can buy more then!
We began Nehemiah this week at RBC…..fantastic…absolutely fantastic!
We took the whole first chapter in one morning! If you haven’t read it lately, do it….it is worth the time.
One of the things that Nehemiah says to God in his amazing prayer is:
Neh. 1:8
“Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples;
Remember….so here ya go…a visual remembering of some past years for the Luse’s…. (I know…it’s not what Nehemiah was talking about, but remembering is a very Biblical and wonderful theme…) 
A couple weeks back I had the chance to go up to the necropolis in Glasgow. It is the place where Glasgow has buried some of it’s dead for many years.
It was quiet, and as you can see, a beautiful day. A good day to be surrounded by the dead.
It was here, about 7 some years ago that I came with Brian Ingraham while visiting Glasgow on my way back to the States. And here Brian spoke of the chance to raise up disciples of Christ that understood sacrifice and were willing to do whatever it took, whenever He called.
I remember that day like it was yesterday. My heart was greatly stirred, and I thought to myself how exciting, how wonderful, how glorifying to God. How I would love to be a part of something like that…..
But reality soon hit, I was returning to my home in the States. Back to being pastor of the primary 1-5 kids at Rolling Hills. (Something that I deeply loved and had come to be entirely content with)
And now….here I am again….
It was a good morning. I had a great time of prayer, and that stirring of many years ago returned. God is working here. He loves Glasgow and all of Scotland, and He is not finished with this amazing land.
Bring revival Lord!
The kids out front of the manse having a good time!
We are blessed here in Renfrew in so many ways. One of those being that the manse has a very big front garden and back garden. It is wonderful to be out front with the kids and kick a football, dig weeds, and generally run about.
Another blessing, is that I currently am able to visit Moorpark primary school once a month and take part in their assembly time. Last month the kids prepared a drama of Daniel and the lions den. Today they presented the life of Jacob and Esau.
Their main theme, done to a song, was to treat others as you would have them treat you and to serve people! I had the great fun of taking volunteers and dressing them up to do a modern day version of the Jacob and Esau story, called Jacob and See saw…..which was complete with an aged, almost blind mum, a mobile phone as the great gift, an elder sister and younger brother.
I started out by reminding everyone of Jesus’ most important command, Love God and love others…..amazing that I can even say the word “Jesus” in a public school! That sure wouldn’t happen back in the States. We ended talking about forgiveness and how important it is to forgive those who treat us poorly, rather than the all too common alternative, fight.
A fight is what broke out at the pub down the street from our house Sunday night after the Celtics lost to the Rangers.
I wrapped up by praying for them and the teachers, and then was allowed to hand out flyers for our church’s game night on Monday evening (tonight!) Having started my ministry life working with primary school kids, it’s good to get back to my roots!
Kids are so much fun, and they laugh really loud too!
Yesterday, I began our first series at RBC.
We are going to spend the next few weeks going very simply through John 1.
I have always wanted to preach just a couple verses each week, and bam! Here we go!
The morning was John 1:1-2
The evening was John 1:3-5
Just that simple, but incredibly profound. John is so very foundational and simple yet deep.
This is the life!
The manse!
For the past 7 days or so I have been taking the kids to school. Charlotte and Raiden both get dropped off at 9am. Then I come back at 12:30p for Raiden, take him home and come back again at 3p for Charlotte.
Each time I have been taking a few boxes, tubs, and misc. pictures, etc. in order to make the move on Saturday a little easier. And, each time I have gone to the house there has been a person or people from the church working on some project, painting, cleaning, scraping, yard work, replacing light fixtures, tiling floors, more painting, cleaning blinds, cleaning outside windows and window sills, removing trash, cleaning ovens, putting in new sinks and toilets, building shelving for closets, cleaning curtains, bringing over furniture for us to use, and the list goes on.
Some donated furniture by Allison SIm…thank you!!
To say that Shauna and I feel blessed would be an understatement. Our new family at Renfrew Baptist have gone above and way, way beyond to make us feel loved and welcomed into our new home.
Down the hall
We are incredibly thankful, and very excited to begin this new chapter of our lives in Christ.
Thank you Renfrew!!!!
Boxes and more boxes
Part of the lounge…it so big it’s hard to get it all in!
The kids have begun week #2 of their new school at St. James. Charlotte and Raiden are enjoying being back in class…Shauna and I have never driven so much! We drive them out (about 15 minutes) at 9am, Pick up Raiden at 12:30, then back out to get Charlotte at 3:00pm…whew. Soon, we will be right across the street…..we are both looking forward to that day!
A hug from little sister
The two smartly dressed school kids!
Someone else would like to go to school!
A little before school prayer with mommy.
I’m glad he has to wear the tie and not me!
Getting down to work!
By the way, having the kids at a Catholic public school is fantastic! Some people have wondered how Catholic school meshes with non-Catholic church attenders (that would be us It makes for some great conversations about how we as followers of Christ do practice some things in different ways, yet we all focus on Jesus, His Word and love those around us. The teachers are also wonderful and very nurturing.
I am convinced more and more that life is so big….and the world is full of amazing experiences for our kids! With Christ at the center of their lives, they are more than taken care of!
This last week, Shauna and I headed up through the Highlands,
To Fort Augustus for a celebration of our 17th wedding anniversary,
We stayed on the grounds of a 16th century abbey, it was gorgeous and was situated at the end of Loch Ness,
Although we did not see the famed water monster, we had a fantastic time. Kirsty watched our kids back in Glasgow, so for the first time since Raiden was born, we had a few days just the two of us!
When we returned, Charlotte informed us that we should do this on a regular basis, “every season” and she had already outlined a few people that they could stay with next time!
It was the perfect getaway before we begin the next chapter of our lives in the town of Renfrew!
There was an old Def Leppard song called “Action not words.” Good song, great Biblical truth too…..at least in the title…I can’t remember the rest of the words at the moment, so don’t go quoting me, or playing that song in church sometime…..although, that might be kinda fun…..
So many people in the States have taken verses such as 1 John 3:17 to heart with respect to our family, I am, this day so grateful to God first and them second. We are here, away from our land of birth and family, ministering with their help.
1John 3:17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
Our supporters most certainly have the love of God within them, and for that we are humbled and so thankful.
As I look to the next chapter of the Luse family in Scotland, I am increasingly excited to begin the chapter titled “Renfrew.”
On monday, I went to the Council offices in Paisley. Paisley is a town of around 70 to 80K people, and holds the government offices for Renfrew. I had to register for the council tax in anticipation of our moving in September and had the chance to talk with the head of placement for our kids in school.
In answer to our prayers, Charlotte and Raiden have been granted spots in the school directly across from the manse in Renfrew. This means a huge walk to school of maybe three minutes from our door!
I love it! My office (the church) will be right next door, the kids school is across the street, the gigantic Park with the new skate park on the way is about a block and a half, bus stop to Glasgow, right in front of the church, triangle park (it looks like a triangle from Google maps) right behind the manse.
Sure, life will not be all simplicity and short walks….changing my visa status will be a challenge, managing finances here (it costs so much more than the US..it’s tough) and continuing to learn all of the cultural nuances will be a journey…..but that’s what makes this life so interesting and faith building!
God has so blessed us in a short period of time here. It is clear and sure that this is where we are to be! How great to know that you are right where God desires you to be!
This came from my Uncle, Tom Sparks, a valued friend, family member and brother in Christ.
Wow Brian…I pray this becomes a great opportunity for you to help the
flock understand that the purpose of Church is not “To do Church,” but to
know and love Jesus.
So much of the traditional Church world is more caught
up in doing Church, promoting Church activities, and making people believe
that Church and Kingdom are one and the same, when they aren’t. I encourage
you to remind them that the Church is not buildings, programs, systems, or
hierarchies, but the design of God to gather the saints/Church to an
understanding of who they are in Christ and how they’ve been called to love
Him and love and care for one another and a world that desperately needs
Jesus. This is a tall challenge, especially in the face of 2000+ plus years
that has tended to make Church be a whole bunch of things Jesus and the
apostles never intended.
I pray He guides you to even deeper understandings
of how Church looks to Him and what your part is in helping it fulfill His
dream. It is first and foremost “His” Church, not yours or mine. Oooh, so
hard to remember this!
God bless you as you lift up Jesus in all you say, preach, teach, do, and
example. On earth men and people become enamored with religious titles. In
heaven enamorement is based on every eye being directed to Him not leaders.
They may call you “Pastor…whoo hoo” but will they love you because they
know you could care less about religious titles and just want them to fall
down before Him and obey all He says to them, as they learn to love Him at
the deepest possible levels.
It is far harder to lead by love, care, and example, than by leaning on
religious titles and hierarchical structures. I believe you will carefully watch
over your heart that it be “all about Jesus” and “none about Pastor Brian.” May He increase and you decrease.
May they learn that your singular passion is to lift Him up, not your
vision, not your mission, not your ideas of things, or what every other
Church is doing. All these other things can have a small place if they
aren’t allowed to overly define the Church. May God help you find the
balance Brian…few have…pitifully few have.
I love you and will hold you up in prayer even more now as you make this
transition.
Tom
