Tag Archive for: Edinburgh

The Work of Waiting

Two years ago, this weekend, I was in Leidschendam in the Netherlands.
It was late on Sunday evening, the clock was edging towards midnight, as I watched the final moments of General Conference.
And then it came.
President Russell M. Nelson announced that a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be built in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Exciting?… That doesn’t quite capture it at all!
Within seconds, my phone lit up. Messages poured in from friends all over the world…😊
It was one of those moments I’ll never forget.
And now… two years have passed.
And we’re still waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.
No site announced (yet) and no visible progress (at least to me).
Just… 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈.
In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust.
But recently I’ve found myself wondering… what am I doing with the waiting?
Because the truth is, so much of life – and discipleship – is lived in that space.
Not in the announcement.
Not in the completion.
But in the quiet, in-between.
The preparation space.
The Lord has always worked this way.
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Stillness is not inactivity.
Waiting is not wasted.
It can be a season of becoming and exercising faith in the Lord’s timing.
A time to prepare hearts, homes, and habits.
A time to deepen faith, not just anticipate blessings.
I have learned that through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we learn that God’s blessings come according to His divine timetable, not ours.
So, for now, we wait and we 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆.
Perhaps the question is not: When will the temple come?
But rather: Who am I becoming while I wait?
And maybe even… Will I be ready when it does?

Return to Edinburgh

The phrase “a return to Edinburgh please” is one I have used all my life.
I noticed a few changes at the train station, Dunfermline Town, was now Dunfermline City.
The fare was surprisingly cheap, £8.20!
It seems the government subsidises travel until September. Every day is a “cheap day return.”

The Royal Mile

Arriving in Edinburgh yesterday, it was very busy, especially on the Royal Mile.
I learned that King Charles and Queen Camilla were at St. Giles Cathedral for the Order of the Thistle Service.
I headed down to the BBC Studios for a Radio interview.
On returning home, I was asked to represent the church at a discussion series for BBC Radio 4, Beyond Belief, to discuss the place and nature of faith in today’s world.

Evangelism

The question to be explored in the programme was about evangelism today.
𝑬𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒎 – “the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.”
What does it mean to different people/ traditions/ groups of people of faith?
What is the task for those still committed to spreading the good news face to face, or how has the task changed?
Is it a religious obligation?
What are the techniques favoured in 2024, do they work and what are the practical, moral and spiritual issues they raise?
After presiding over the Belgium Netherlands Mission with Monic for the last 3 years, I’m certainly familiar with “evangelism” or in more familiar lingo, missionary work and preaching the gospel.
Other panel guests located in different UK studios, included a Church of England (Anglican) Minister, a lecturer in Islamic studies and chaired by a journalist/broadcaster who was also an Anglican Vicar.
It was a fascinating discussion.
I very much enjoyed it.
Although, I think I was a little rusty and out of practice and I may have dropped a clanger or two!
To hear more, you’ll have to tune into next week’s “Beyond Belief” episode!
Afterwards, I headed back up the Royal Mile to meet with my good Belgian buddy, David Geens.
We’d worked side by side in Public Affairs/Communications in Europe for many years.
Although we’d met a few times over the last three years whilst in Belgium and the Netherlands, the demands of mission life were such, that we’d never been able to really catch up.
Slowing down to have lunch together, was a real joy.
Another joyful reunion and a wonderful return to Edinburgh!