Roll Away the Stone… but Whose Got It?
It wasn't quite T in the Park but the Roll Away The Stone event, was a brave attempt during what will be a very contentious Assembly Week to celebrate some of the outstanding things that the Church of Scotland and the church in Scotland do to serve the nation. One quick witted minister speaking of the event remarked with his best Kelvinside accent that he preferred to steer away from abbreviations. He certainly wasn't up for the the shortened version of RATS in the the park. He continued I much prefer Presbyterians in the Park.
Everyone involved with the event should be congratulated. This event although sponsored by the CWW Department of Mission and Discipleship the concept owes a great deal I believe to the drive and enthusiasm of our new Principle Clerk and his Deputy. Both John and George should be rightly proud of their initiative. If i could proffer any advice it would be that the event concentrated too much on the Councils and the Para Church Organisations. I would have liked to have seen a lot more ordinary congregations sharing their ministries. I'm convinced that the renewal of the church will happen from the local. I'm not in any way 121 bashing, I'm simply reflecting that the real power and excitement and connection comes when local meets local. The role of the centre is to facilitate this to happen.
One thing did occur to me as I walked through the crowded park - where's the stone?" I think I would have been great to have seen a big stone symbol or motive somewhere just to catch the attention of the public.
Anyway the lack of stone got me thinking, something must have happened to the stone that was rolled away from the tomb that first Easter morning in Jerusalem. I'm sure they must have had souvenir hunters in those day. I actually have a lump of the concrete that made up the Berlin Wall, its sitting in the botton drawer of my desk. It was given to me by a soldier who was at the wall when the pick axes were tearing the wall down.
Could it be that all over the Holy land there are stones that once were part of the stone that rolled away. I know our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters are still quite big on the veneration thing. Did you know that at the height of relic veneration and entrepreneurialism the Roman Catholic Church had sold so many pieces of the said cross of Christ the weight of which would have sunk a battleship never mind Simon as he carried the Jesus cross.
Look what I'm proposing is tongue in check. I began to think wouldn't it be a bit of fun to claim that you had discovered the Resurrection Bolder and try and sell it on Ebay. How would you describe it. One slightly used stone not quite fit for purpose. Why not help me write the rest of the advert. Any suggestions?
