Root command

While many colleagues were reflecting (if its possible to reflect on a future event) this morning on the forthcoming General Assembly of the Church of Scotland which meets this week, we were celebrating 50 years of the 17th Ayr Castlehill Boys Brigade. The whole weekend has been one of celebration with lots of "Old Boys", including some founder members, getting together to share stories and memories and wonder where the years have gone. And, along with the still thriving company of today, look forward to the continuing work of this organisation in "advancing Christ's kingdom".

However, we still used the lectionary text for today - Jesus' command in John 15 - that we love on another. Thanks to my friend Roddy earlier in the week I had an ideal topic for a church filled, unusually, with men. I was able to poke fun at the tendency of men never to read instructions or ask directions and then to introduce the idea of a root command- a computer term for that data interface that allows the operator to get into the mechanics and change the very heart of its workings - at least that's how my female technical mind interprets it! That root command that Jesus gave - to love one another would really revolutionise things if we put it into practice. Then we'd really get to the heart of things and change the way we operated. It is my prayer that, this week, commissioners to the General Assembly will be clinging tenaciously to that root command and that the very workings of church politics and manoeuvrings will be infused and revolutionised by love.