The Weatherfolk

The Gathering

Mon, 21 May 2012 07:50:00 -0500

Imagine an act of worship in which story, art, music, and the lives of people are knit together by God in beautiful ways; where creativity is encouraged and questions are more numerous than answers; where the worship is shaped and inspired by the community.

This is our vision for The Gathering.

It is why we believe we were called to Edinburgh, and since its inception last month, we feel the energy of the Holy Spirit moving, connecting people, sparking something exciting.

For now, The Gathering meets monthly. Near the end of the summer, we hope to meet every two weeks. Soon after, perhaps even weekly. And it’s more than just a service, more than a one-off, feel-good experience. The Gathering is meant to be a community of people who are eager to pour their passions, their gifts, and their stories into a great big pot, mix it up, and use the recipe to love Jesus and love our neighbors together.

Just a few weeks before we started The Gathering, we had the incredible opportunity to join our friend and co-conspirator Lou Davis (along with her fellow VentureFX pioneer ministers) in leading worship at a conference called ECG. We collaborated with some of the most creative people we’ve ever met and experienced some of the most deeply Spirit-led worship we’ve ever encountered. God sent us to ECG for many reasons, and one was for The Gathering. We were so inspired, so moved, so ready to take ideas home to Edinburgh. Here’s how Lou put it when she reflected on our week at ECG:

Sometimes you start on a piece of work, say an artwork, and you begin with the inkling of an idea. You make sketch after sketch and hone your idea and it bends and twists and takes on a shape of its own. Often, at the end of that sketching process, your plan looks very different to how you imagined it at the start. Finally you’re ready to begin, you take up your tools and you begin to carve, paint or mould what will become the final piece. It can be a long lonely process, some bits work as expected, others mean you need to improvise as you go on, changing some things that didn’t look quite right the first time. Sometimes, at the best times, it seems to flow.

Now imagine that work as a community. Not an individual creating an artwork but a community creating a time when we can stare out in wonder at the infinite God and encounter the intimacy of sacred space.

That’s what happened this week.

It happened with ancient tales and personal stories, with songs and art, with mirrors and post-its. You may think those things are not especially holy, but they are just the tools of the artist, not the artwork itself. Each person contributed something of themselves, something nobody else could have brought, and each time something new was unfolded, it added to the richness and vitality of the whole. It flowed.

What next though?

What happens next is that we here in Edinburgh attempt to become that kind of community. There are a few of us who have begun to sketch. We saw the germ of an idea and we’re refining it and honing it, we’re drawing and redrawing parts of it in pencil and it’s already gone through several different shapes. Fairly soon we’ll be dragging our paints and canvas out of the cupboard and immersing ourselves in creating something unique and wonderful. We’re going to call it the Gathering. Come and make something beautiful with us.

The Gathering
First Wednesdays
6:30 for tea/coffee/chat, 7:00 for worship, and pub fellowship after
Next Gathering: Wednesday, June 6

City of Edinburgh Methodist Church
(currently in the sanctuary, soon to move to the new cafe)

facebook.com/gatheringedinburgh
gatheringedinburgh.com (in development)

Lately : The Open Door

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:33:06 -0500

Wow! It’s been way too long since we’ve blogged. We must get better at this. So, do you want to know what we’ve been up to lately? We’re putting together a series of posts about our work in Edinburgh (because let’s face it, one post could get looooong). We want you to know what’s going on, and we want to ask for your prayers for everything God is doing in and through and around us in this unique and crazy season of our lives.

Today, we start with The Open Door: a new worship gathering in East Lothian, serving an area of suburban villages just east of Edinburgh.

The idea began with Kerry and James Reilly, fellow Methodist friends who live in Longniddry. The Reillys saw a clear need in the community for a new expression of church - one that is informal, open, welcoming, and all about people. They saw new neighborhoods being built, young families moving in, and a thousand opportunities for outreach. When we arrived last year, we caught their vision and started planning. In January, we launched The Open Door.

The Vision of The Open Door:

…To be a safe sanctuary of grace and welcome, where lives are transformed by the love of Jesus Christ.

…To be rooted in the communities of East Lothian and shaped organically by the people.

…To offer grace and love to all, no matter who you are or where you’ve been.

…To create an environment where all ages feel at home, from toddlers to grandmothers.

…To grow deep roots in Christ. To be challenged, inspired, and transformed in each gathering.

…To be generous followers of Jesus, working together to meet the needs of our community.

We meet every first and third Sundays in Cockenzie Methodist Church, where we gather around low cafe tables to fellowship, sing, pray for one another, and engage in conversations about God and life. It’s a wear-what-you-want, come-as-you-are kind of gathering. Chairs are never in rows. Coffee and tea is always on, and and it’s always help-yourself.

The environment is very kid-friendly. In fact, we even have a little activity area to the side where kids can draw, do puzzles, and play quietly. Or, they can plop on their parents’ lap and join in the fun. Kerry’s daughter Brónach has been a willing tester for the play area!

We do something different every time: a video, a craft, a speaker, a discussion. So far, we’ve watched NOOMA videos, made bread rolls with our crafty friend Lou Davis, heard a touching testimony, and used local news papers to spark discussion about we can reach out and serve the surrounding community. In April, we begin 5th Sunday Missions, a practice we’re borrowing from one of our former churches in the states. Instead of meeting for worship in the church building, we go out. We serve. We meet the needs of our neighbors.

How can you pray for The Open Door?

- Pray that God would reveal the specific needs of the community and guide us in meeting them.

- Pray for God’s guidance in publicity and outreach. How do we let people know about The Open Door and invite them to be a part?

- Pray that God would bind together the people who are already involved, strengthening and unifying us in love.

- Pray for our upcoming event on June 3: a concert and photography exhibition as a part of the annual 3 Harbours Arts Festival.

- Pray that God would raise up leaders to carry the vision forward when we leave Edinburgh next year.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:58:16 -0600

Tis the universal Day o’ Love, indeed. Since we love you (and each other) so very much, we’re sending you a Valentine.

Today only, get a free download of our lovely little love song “By My Side.” Just click the Download button on the widget below, and Cupid’s arrow shall shoot from our music library (and our hearts) to yours.

<a href=”http://theweatherfolk.bandcamp.com/track/by-my-side” _mce_href=”http://theweatherfolk.bandcamp.com/track/by-my-side”>By My Side by The Weatherfolk</a>

Now, do as St. Valentine would do, and share the love!

Sneak a French Fry

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:37:00 -0600

It’s the little things, really.

A mid-afternoon visit to a seaside castle. A jog in the park on a rare sunny day. A great novel scooped up in a charity shop for only £2. Seeing family (and pets) over Skype every week. Homemade pies from the local farmers market. A warm bubble bath on a cold Scottish day. Finding a little gem of a Mexican restaurant in our neighborhood. The sun setting beneath the Edinburgh skyline. Sharing meals and coffee and wine with friends. Marveling at the tides on an island in the Firth of Forth. Praying with and for a colleague. Crafting the most perfect Cinnamon Ciabatta French Toast for Saturday brunch.

These are the kinds of simple pleasures that have dominated our days over the last month, and I can’t think of a better start to any year than this one. When I read a blog post by our friend Will last week, it all made sense. He quoted part of an interview between Harvard Business Review writer Gardiner Morse and Professor Daniel Gilbert, and the more I think about it, the more true this theory rings in my own life, and probably in yours.

“The psychologist Ed Diener has a finding I really like. He essentially shows that the frequency of your positive experiences is a much better predictor of your happiness than is the intensity of your positive experiences. Somebody who has a dozen mildly nice things happen each day is likely to be happier than than somebody who has a single truly amazing thing happen. So wear comfortable shoes, give your wife a big kiss, sneak a French fry. It sounds like small stuff, and it is. But the small stuff matters.

We are learning and will continue to learn how to maximise our happiness. But that still leaves the big question: “What kind of happiness should we want”?

Science will soon be able to tell us how to live the lives we want, but it will never tell us the kind of lives we should want to live. That will be for us to decide.”

The Giving Tree

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:09:00 -0600

Have you read Shel Silverstein’s book The Giving Tree?

It’s a beautiful story about the relationship between a young boy and a tree, one that lasts until the boy is an old man. It’s a story full of deep truths about need and sacrifice, love and friendship, life and death.

When we began planning for our Give It Away Advent Series last month, it was Shel’s beloved story that inspired an entirely different sort of Giving Tree. Comprised of four inter : mission worship hours and a special Christmas concert, the series was in aid of the Methodist Relief and Development Fund: a charity that works in African, Asian, and Latin American communities to empower its members and bring about long-term change. So, on every branch of our Giving Tree hung a small fabric bag corresponding with a specific MRDF project.

(photos by the talented Will Carroll)

As the Giving Tree sat in the sanctuary of the church over those weeks, someone took notice. Our friend Lyn Smalridge is a part of a prayer group that meets on Thursday evenings; during a time of quiet, of talking and listening, thanking and interceding, God reached into Lyn’s heart and drew out words. And boy, are we glad he had the courage to write them down!

We want to share Lyn’s poem with you, because it’s not just for Advent or Christmas or any one season. It’s a story full of deep truths about need and sacrifice, love and friendship, life and death.

On Its Branches

Look! A tree - A giving tree.
On its branches hang -
Colourful sacks,
For gifts of money
To change lives elsewhere.
In our love,
May we give as generously as our hearts direct
And pockets allow.

Look! A tree - A dying tree.
On its branches hangs -
A young man.
The gift of His life
To change our lives for ever.
Giving His all,
In His love
That we might receive
Forgiveness, reconciliation and love.

Look! A tree - A living tree
On its branches hangs -
Our lives.
The gift of this life,
Day by day.
With all its joys and sorrows.
In our love,
May we be rooted firmly in God
And grow in rich relationship with Him.

Look! A tree - A Christmas tree
On its branches hangs -
Lights and baubles.
The gift of Christmas
Joy and celebration.
A baby born.
In His love,
God with us forever.
May we welcome Him into our hearts.

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:48:00 -0600

It’s almost Christmas, and we have a gift for you: FREE MUSIC!

We, along with our friend Andy the Cellist, have recorded an arrangement of the classic carol “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” and we’re here to deliver it through your virtual chimney just in time for Christmas.

Click on the cover art to listen, and enter your information for a free download. Then (and this is the most important step): share it! Send it on to friends, family, colleagues, and the like. Tweet it. Facebook it. Share the love.

And as the song pipes through cars and computers and earbuds, we’ll find joy in knowing that we’re all humming along together that resounding refrain:

O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Ad-Vents

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 07:33:54 -0600

Advent + Events. Get it? (cue rim shot.)

Anywho, here’s what we’ve got going on over the next month. Consider this your personal invitation to all of them.

Every Wednesday 12:30 pm
inter : mission
City of Edinburgh Methodist Church (Nicolson Square)
Pause. Sit. Pray. Breathe. A haven of peace in the middle of your busy week. And during Advent, we’ll be focusing on how Jesus calls us to care for the least of these, specifically through the work of the Methodist Relief and Development Fund.

Thursday, December 8 7-9 pm
edinburghDreams Launch Party
Cafe Camino (1 Little King St.)
edinburghDreams is a VentureFX project from the Methodist church. It’s a project to discover how community can be forged across social divides and to dream a new dream about what the Church could look like in the city.

Sunday, December 11 6:30 pm
Carols at Costa
Costa Coffee (Stockbridge)
Along with the folks of St. Stephen’s Comely Bank Church, we’ll be playing original music, a few cover songs, and most importantly, sing-a-long Christmas carols! Grab a coffee and join in.

Wednesday, December 21 7pm
Give It Away : A Christmas Concert
City of Edinburgh Methodist Church (Nicolson Square)
A hybrid service/concert featuring a full band and intertwining traditional carols, original music, scriptures, and stories. In aid of Methodist Relief and Development Fund’s work around the world.

Autumn into Advent

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:18:29 -0600

Whew! What a busy and beautiful season it is. Beautiful in a very real and physical sense, with Edinburgh’s trees shedding their summer clothes, leaves scattered on walks and streets. Sunsets conclude unseasonably warm days with glows of pink and orange, dipping below the tenements and spires earlier each day. Autumn moves gracefully into winter; and we, despite this season of dying leaves and shortening days, are thinking of life.

Advent approaches: a time of conception, of preparation, of anticipation. The season that urges us to look with hope toward the birth of all that is truth and beauty and light.

These are things on our hearts as winter embraces Edinburgh. In the beautiful frenzy of the present — services to plan, events to attend, gigs to play, meetings to hold, and posters to design — we’ve been thinking of the future. We’re conceiving ideas, preparing plans, and anticipating the beginnings of new things: a Fresh Expression of worship in Cockenzie (just outside Edinburgh), a new gathered community in the city, and the growth of inter : mission, a mid-week respite for the work-weary. We’re asking questions, wondering if our plans match up with God’s and praying the two will intertwine. We’re spending time with good friends and new acquaintances who speak love and grace and so much wisdom into our lives.

It seems a bit incongruous to be planting seeds in a season when branches are bare, dead leaves crunch underfoot, and the icy wind subverts any signs of life still clinging to the soil. But if seeds are not planted now, if we give up when the field is fallow and the chill is too much, if we can’t see the spring beyond the snow, what are we left with when it all melts away?

Thanks be to God for the beauty of death and the hope of life. As you enter Advent, may you feel both deeply and fully.

theVOXparty: This Weekend!

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:53:21 -0500

“Where our passions and skills meet, there Strengths form. Our Strengths are our distinct human “voice.” And when we use our voices, we help to make the world more human.” - Geoffrey Baines

We’re playing a really exciting event in Edinburgh this weekend called theVOXparty. This is the first Vox (Voice) Party to take place in Edinburgh, and it’s spearheaded by our friend and colleague Geoffrey Baines. VOX is a concept that has been seeded in several other cities in the US, UK, and Canada, and the idea behind it is this: each of us has amazing human abilities, and we can use those abilities to make the lives of others better. So, it’s not just a party; it’s a way of living and being human.

As for the event on Saturday, we’re excited. But more importantly, we’re thrilled that 100% of the proceeds are benefitting a project called MalariaNoMore, which strives to end malaria in Africa by the year 2015. Malaria is a bigger killer than AIDS, and we aim to begin in a simple way by aiding the work of this great organization. We hope to send 60 mosquito nets, one of which costs around £5. And that just happens to be the price of a VOXparty ticket!

*theVOXparty*

The Meadow Bar (42 Buccleuch Street)

Upstairs Function Room + Private Bar

Doors open at 7pm

Music by The Weatherfolk & Cynthia Gentle

£5 per ticket (available at the door or online)

To buy your ticket in advance, go to http://www.justgiving.com/ voxedinburgh to send your money directly to MalariaNoMore (just follow the instructions you’ll find there).

We really hope to see you there. But you miss this one, have no fear - this is the first of many!

WHAT DO 20-SOMETHINGS NEED?

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 07:28:36 -0500

We have a new friend in Edinburgh, and she’s fabulous.

She is Laura Anne Mackay: blogger, cupcake aficionado, native Leither, and manager of a pregnancy crisis centre in the city. But most of all, she’s a kindred spirit, sharing our deep love and longing for authentic, Christ-centered relationships.

Last month, Laura Anne hosted a Community Blog Party on her site, inviting fellow bloggers from all over the world to contribute posts on one subject: community. What resulted was a beautiful collection of stories, reflections, and challenges that ended up facilitating its very subject matter. In Laura Anne’s words, “…as each post went live, we ended up creating community – meeting new people, asking questions and discussing our ponderings.”

So many of these posts resonated with us, but one in particular stuck fast to our minds and hearts. As we are exploring how to connect, engage, and develop relationships with our peers here, the words of Renee Johnson hit quite close to home. Renee, aka Devotional Diva, is a speaker and writer from Vista, California who is passionate about radical grace and 20-somethings and came to a simple, yet game-changing conclusion about people our age. We want to know: Do you think she’s right?

20-Somethings Need a Home

In today’s economy it’s pretty rare for a 20-something to own their own home. Especially in California. At the very least it’s even more rare to live in a stable living environment (that’s not their parents).
A safe place.

Tonight, after leading another week of the Summer Book Study it hit me.

20-somethings need a home.

My friend Summer’s graciously allowed us to meet in her home the past three weeks, and it’s fostered so much more than a Panera or a Starbucks ever could.

Why?

Because there’s less people.

Less distraction.

Less noise.

No interference.

You get the picture.

Remember those drawings we used to make when we were a kid of a house? It’s like that.

We need a place to belong.

To feel at home.

A place to share our deepest, darkest fears…usually stemming back from our childhood. It’s super painful and if not dealt with in a safe environment…one might never share.

Or find help.

This group that I’m leading this summer was totally impromptu. It wasn’t affiliated with a church. I didn’t ask for a pastor’s permission.

I just did.

I asked around who wanted to be involved and those who came, came.

“You get what you put into it” is our motto.

And you know what? It’s refreshing. Those who are committed show up. On time. Every week.

I love it.

So much.

If you’re wondering how to lead young adults at your church…the best place to start is in a home. It doesn’t even have to be official.

“You build it and they will come” is your motto.

Over the past three years I’ve had the privilege of leading discussions, small groups, spoken at conferences, attended conferences, launched and re-launched a 20-somethings ministry at North Coast Church in Vista, CA…and let me tell you…it’s rough.

Once you think you’re building any sort of momentum it changes.

Someone leaves.

Moves.

Quits.

Marries.

Falls away.

Whatever.

That’s why I think the importance of building a Christ centered community starts in the home. It’s what my parents taught me from such a young age. Not one night has gone by in the Johnson household where dinner wasn’t being served. Together.

In community.

That’s why I take such great responsibility in finding a tool that will work with an age group that is always (and will always be–for that matter) in such great transition.

So here’s where you come in.

Suggest meeting together.

Find a home.

Meet.

Keep meeting.

The end.

Dear Jesus,

Thank you God for the opportunity to continue to lead my generation and be a facilitator. Wake up those who are capable of leading and provide a home for those who are willing to host. Amen.

Be sure to follow Laura Anne Mackay (@koalainscotland) and Renee Johnson (@devotionaldiva) on Twitter. And us too, of course.

Press Pause

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:37:00 -0500

Pause. Sit. Pray. Listen. Breathe. Take an inter : mission.

Each Wednesday during lunchtime, we enter the worship space in the City of Edinburgh Methodist Church. We open the doors wide. We light the candles. We sit on stools, and we sing. We play hymns and originals, songs that cry out and songs that comfort. We read Psalms and red-letter promises. We pray.

Why?

Because in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, in the middle of your hectic, busy, stress-inducing life, you need an inter : mission. A time of peace. A chance to quiet your soul and center your heart.

Come.

Stay for as long as you like.

And hopefully, when you leave, the peace of Christ goes with you, around you, before you, within you.

Stone By Stone

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:35:00 -0500

As of September 17, we’ve been married for six years. Six!

To celebrate this momentous occasion, we enjoyed a little weekend getaway to Ireland. And enjoy it we did! You can view our photos from the trip on our Facebook page: facebook.com/theweatherfolk.

We flew into Dublin and spent a great day exploring the city (including, but not limited to: The Guinness Storehouse, live traditional Irish music, an open-top bus tour, and Trinity College). After that, we hired a car and drove (on the left) across the isle to Galway, a fast-growing coastal city with character oozing out of its cobblestones. This stint of the trip incorporated two worth-the-drive excursions. The first day, we ventured to The Cliffs of Moher and relished the rare sunshine and the AH-MAZ-ING picture postcard-views. The next day held a less sunny adventure in Connemara National Park, hiking Diamond Hill and turning back when the ruthless Irish weather got the best of us. Still, it was quintessential Ireland: green, misty, mysterious, magical.

On these drives, I had the chance to sit in the passenger seat in awe of what lay beyond the window, beyond the road, beyond my quickness to grab a camera lens. I just sat. I watched. I took it in. And the poetry began welling up inside of me, ripe for pen and paper (and/or a blog). Truth be told, there is no poem that can really capture this beauty, no photo that can contain the spread of this beautiful land.

Stone By Stone

Stone walls meander across the land
Like spines
On the back of some great green dragon
Who stoops to meet the sea
Feeling the weight of history
The ones who walked here
Who built these walls
Stacking
Stone by stone
Story by story

And there are the trees
Some that grow beside
Others that burst through the middle
As if defying division
Asserting nature’s charge

Past and present converge here
Shrouded in mist
And mystery

And everyone is quiet
Listening
To the wind
The grasses as they whisper
The waves tell the cliffs of what they know

And we
We are the ones who walk here
We are the ones who stack our stones

I do have one confession to make, and it’s an opinion that Ken and I share wholeheartedly. Ahem:

Scotland still wins.

{Casey}

Songs & Stories: This Weekend

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 03:32:52 -0500

Come one, come all! This Sunday evening at 6pm, we will host Songs & Stories: a night of music, community, and coffee in Edinburgh’s City Centre. Bring a song, a story, a poem, an instrument… or just grab a drink, sit back, and listen.

The event will take place at Double Dutch, a great little cafe just off Nicolson Square. We will play a few original songs, then open the mic for your contributions. You don’t have to be a professional or an expert; just a willing soul. And you don’t have to contribute to attend! Drop in anytime to listen, chat, and indulge in Double Dutch’s tasty offerings.

We hope to see you there! If you have any questions or would like to let us know about your contribution, feel free to get in touch. You can also respond on the Facebook event page.

Priests & Princes

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 06:16:00 -0500

On the 15th of September last year, two things happened.

That morning, I was offered a job—a really great, high-salary marketing position at an architecture firm in Nashville. Immediately, my mind was a-buzz with visions of financial stability and substantial health benefits. During a season of just scraping by, it was an incredibly tempting offer (not to mention a flattering one, seeing as I hadn’t even applied for the job). We talked about it; we weighed the options; we prayed. Most of all, we wondered if this crazy dream of moving to Scotland was actually going to come true.

And then, that night, the email came. It was short, but it was beautiful. Ken and I were officially invited back to work with the Edinburgh & Forth Methodist Circuit for 18 months. As soon as they had come, the visions of office-job stability vanished, replaced by a clear picture of the Master’s calling.

The juxtaposition of these two events is powerful, and I believe God placed them on the same day for a reason. Had I not been offered that stable, comfortable marketing job hours before receiving the challenging, out-of-my-comfort zone invitation to ministry, I would never have recognised the intricacy with which God had been orchestrating my life. I knew I felt called to Edinburgh, but was it in line with His perfect plan? Turns out, it was.

From the time we met Andrew Letby at the train station last summer, from the time the idea of Edinburgh entered our minds the winter before, and even from the time Ken visited the city as a teenager, God knew. He had the plan in mind; he still does, and I am flabbergasted every day that he has made me a part of it.

In his song “Fool With A Fancy Guitar,” singer-songwriter and author Andrew Peterson sheds light on our place in the Divine Plan:

…If it’s true that you gathered my sin in your hand
And you cast it as far as the east from the west
If it’s true that you put on the flesh of a man
And you walked in my shoes through the shadow of death

If it’s true that you dwell in the halls of my heart
Then I’m not just a fool with a fancy guitar
No, I am a priest and a prince in the Kingdom of God

If you believe that the King of the Universe gave his life for you, that he took your sin upon himself, that he conquered death so that you would have life; that the power of the Resurrected Christ lives within you now, that God has a plan to save the world, to change every human heart, and to make His name known; if these things are true, then so is this:

You arethe plan. I am the plan. We are the channels through which the power of Jesus Christ is meant to act. And you know what that means? This great work that God is doing on earth – he can’t do it without you. He can’t do it without me. We are Plan A, and there is no Plan B.

“But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.” – 1 Peter 2:9 (The Message)

What I have come to realize is that I am not meant to stand around and wait for God to endow me with some magical miracle-working ability. Everything I need to change the world was given to me before birth; the tools I need are pulsing through my veins, running through every strand of my DNA. God chose me, and he chose you, and it’s only through Christ that our gifts are worth anything.

Consider Andrew Peterson’s lyrics for a moment, and insert yourself into them. What are you passionate about? What is pulsing through your veins?

Is it music? Then you are not just a “fool with a fancy guitar,” or a fancy piano, or a fancy fiddle, or a fancy voice.
Is it money management? Then you are not just a fool with a fancy calculator.
Is it hospitality? Then you are not just a fool with a fancy spare room.
Is it food? Then you are not just a fool with a fancy oven.
Is it listening? Then you are not just a fool with two fancy ears.
Is it art? Then you are not just a fool with a fancy brush.

You are a priest and a prince in the Kingdom of God: Play a song. Help someone sort out finances. House the homeless. Cook for the hungry. Lend an ear to the hurting. Create something beautiful.

As Mr. Peterson puts it:

“See the sorrow and weariness in the world, in your own community and church, under your own roof–in your own heart, for Heaven’s sake–and better what you can. Let Christ lead you; he’ll show you how. If you’re wealthy, keep your job and fling the money at those who are bringing water to the thirsty. If you’re not wealthy, better what you can. Work your field. Tend your family like a garden. Write a song about your story. Write a story. Better yet, live a story. Make something beautiful, and make something beautiful of your life. There’s so much in the world that’s falling apart, so put something together.

I wrote this piece for the City of Edinburgh Methodist Church’s recent newsletter, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, your story, your dreams and passions. Please drop me a comment or an email.

And if you have never heard of Andrew Peterson, you’re missing out on some of the most masterful, poetic, truth-telling music on the planet. Go get it. You’ll thank me.

{ Casey }

It's Festival Time!

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:08:40 -0500

In Edinburgh, the month of August is unlike any other.

It’s crazy, interesting, crowded, and entertaining. It’s bursting with music and theatre and comedy and street performers and of course, lots and LOTS of tourists. All in all, it’s one big party, and that party is called the festival. But really, it’s not just one festival; it’s over 20!

It all started in 1947:

The Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) was established in 1947 in a post-war effort to “provide a platform for the flowering of the human spirit.” That same year, eight theatrical companies “gatecrashed” the official Festival by organizing their own event, outside the official auspices of the EIF; this started the movement which grew into the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (EFF). The EFF is also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe, or (incorrectly) the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The EIF and the Fringe remain independent bodies and run separate programmes each year. In more recent years various other annual cultural festivals have been created in Edinburgh, again by separate organizations, though taking place at around the same time. (Wikipedia)

Now, the Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world. The world! It encompasses theatre (comedy, drama, and everything in between), stand-up comedy, dance, live music, children’s shows, musicals, magic shows, and opera. We have a magazine listing all the Fringe events, and it is completely overwhelming. This year is the largest ever, with 41,689 performances of 2,542 shows in 258 venues. And on top of THAT, there are all the smaller festivals that surround the EIF and the Fringe. Needless to say, we’ve had a pretty hard time deciding what in the world to attend. This is what we’ve done so far:

Foodies Festival: What a DELICIOUS day. Beneath a few rain clouds and the majestic rise of Arthur’s Seat, we sampled cheese, wine, rapeseed oil, bread, venison chorizo, chocolate, hog roast, local brews, grilled sausages, jerk sauce, wasabi snacks, serrano ham, and smoked trout. And afterward, we took a nap.
Commedia Cinderella: a production put on by a company of high school students from Jonesboro and Searcy, Arkansas. Our friend Mary Owens, with whom we lead worship at Jonesboro FUMC, played the starring role. We also had a lovely evening with Mary and her mom Laura at our favorite restaurant in Stockbridge, The Saint.
An Evening with David Sedaris: As soon as we saw this advertised, we scooped up two tickets. David Sedaris is a writer and satirist from the US with his own brand of intelligent, eccentric humor. The man literally stands at a podium and reads his own masterful material, and it. is. hysterical. Three days later, I’m still chuckling. Oh, and if you want to try out one of his books, be sure to get the audio version; everything is funnier in David’s own voice.
Edinburgh Book Festival’s Unbound (featuring Alasdair Roberts and Robin Robertson): One tells stories through song, the other through poetry. It’s obvious that Robin is a master of his poetic craft, but the real treat was Alasdair. Along with an animated fiddler and a talented upright bassist, the guitar-toting folk singer led us through legends and limericks with sincerity and ease. Plus, the venue where this event takes place feels more like a cozy cabaret than a temporary festival tent.

Tomorrow night, we are headed to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at the Castle. With performers from four continents, an enormous bagpipe chorus, and fireworks, it’s sure to be the best Wednesday night we’ve spent in a good while.

Now for the big question: which show do we pick next?

A Prayer for My Notebook

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 15:49:00 -0500

I was giddy this afternoon when I found The Perfect Notebook. It is beautifully designed, appropriately quirky and colorful, unruled, and the perfect size for my handbag. The Perfect Notebook was discovered at a store I could literally visit everyday, though I can only afford a few items there. Besides my find, I also scooped up these hand-printed hankies for the hubby, who, even in the Edinburgh chill, sweats more than any man should. Anyway, back to The Notebook.

About half an hour after my purchase, I happened upon The Perfect Spot: a sunny bench along the Waters of Leith on a quiet, leafy dead-end trail. I sat. I wrote. I listened to the rushing river. It was beautiful and therapeutic and peaceful and exactly what my soul needed.

A Prayer for My Notebook

God of Creation
and of creativity,
where there are empty pages,
where the paper is white and crisp and untouched,
spill Your ink.

Holy Spirit, speak
through my pen.
I yield
to Your imagination.

Fill these pages with beauty
with poetry
with words that become songs
and ones that don’t
with thoughts and ideas and musings.

Oh, that this book would tell the story
of a heart that yearns to know You
of a mind that bends to Your shaping
of a voice that breathes Your Name
of eyes that see light in the dark places
of ears that hear the groaning of humanity
of feet that run to mercy and justice and love.

Great Author of all stories,
Your will be done in mine.

{ Casey }

MOVE. EAT. LEARN.

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:29:00 -0500

“3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles…”

They call it a trip of a lifetime. We call it one of the best series of short films ever made. Watch and be amazed, entranced, and downright jealous. You will not regret the next 3 minutes and 22 seconds of your life.

Becoming the Answer

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:00:00 -0500

“Prayer is not so much about convincing God to do what we want God to do as it is about convincing ourselves to do what God wants us to do.”

I stole the title for this post, as well as the above quote, from a book by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. We want to share the prayers of our heart with you because we know that prayer is not a solitary thing; it’s communal. “Our Father, who art in Heaven…”

So, dear community of faith, here is what we are lifting up right now:

First, we are seeking guidance and direction as to what God wants us to help create. We need help seeing His vision for the Methodist Church in Edinburgh. We, of course, have our own vision, but when it comes down to it, our vision doesn’t matter one bit. We need to make sure we are following God’s plans, and not chasing empty pursuits.

Second, we ask that God would continue to open Casey and me up to what He has for us. We’re already being pushed into unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory, and I know that it is only the tip of the iceberg. As tough as it is, we need the courage to be open to what God has to teach us, no matter how uncomfortable.

Third, we are praying fervently for revival in the city of Edinburgh—a revival so big that it would spread throughout the whole of Scotland and the whole of the UK. We find that people are still attracted to Jesus; it’s just Christians that people don’t like. How do we present Jesus to people? How do we live more like Christ?

Lastly, we long to be Jesus followers at our deepest core; that people might smell His spirit on us, sense His peace, wonder at His joy; that love and grace would just pour out of us so that others might know the same love and grace.

If you would like to lift a few of these things up for us as you talk with God, it would mean so much. How can we be praying for you? Leave a comment or send us a message and let us know.

It's the Little Things

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:16:51 -0500

Isn’t it always the little things that make you appreciate a place, a memory, a moment? These are the little things we love about Edinburgh:

1. The Electric Kettle. We couldn’t find a coffee maker in the local ASDA (Walmart), but they had 20 different varieties of kettles. And they are so handy! Of course, for making tea, but also for pre-boiling water on the stove (or the hob, to be appropriately British).

2. The Hills. In fact, we’re going to hike one today. Be jealous.

3. The Charity Shops. They’re like Goodwill, but small and boutiquey. Like thrift stores, but classier. And they are EV-rywhere! This week, we got a wrought-iron wine rack for £1 and two Harry Potter hardback books for £6.

4. The Cheap Bottle. (speaking of wine) £4 for a bottle of wine. US friends, that’s $6.50.

5. The Strawberries. If you haven’t eaten Scottish strawberries, you haven’t eaten strawberries.

6. The Sheep. Let’s face it, sheep are cute.

7. The Bus Pass. We can go just about anywhere, just about any time, with our little plastic bus cards and a handy iPhone app.

8. The International Flair. So far, we’ve eaten Indian, Turkish, Italian, Chinese, Scottish, Thai, and American food here. And that’s really just the tip of the culinary iceberg.

9. The Juice. The juice is just better in the UK. I have no idea why, but just take our word for it.

10. The Friends. How do people move to a whole ‘nother country without folks there to take care of them? I’m cheating a little here, because this really isn’t a little thing. It’s a big, important, amazing, wonderful, hospitable thing. Because of our friends here, we have furniture, a bank account, a mobile phone, rides to far-away functions, and enough dinner invites to feed us for a month. And really, they’re less like friends, and more like family.

Now, don’t get me wrong - there are plenty of things in the UK that just bug the fire out of us: instant coffee (way too common), inferior toilet paper, a credit check to buy a mobile phone (what?!), and the MOST unpredictable weather. But hey - those are little things too, none of them too big to overshadow all the good, all the beautiful, all the lovely.

Are you ready to come visit yet?

Guest Post: One Year On

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:51:33 -0500

Today’s post comes from our friend and fellow in ministry, Will Carroll.

Will is in the midst of local preacher training in the Edinburgh & Forth Circuit, but he is also a talented photographer and avid blogger (keep up with his work here and here). When we met Will last summer, we connected with him on both creative and theological ground, and we look forward to more time spent together over the next 18 months (and more excellent photos like this one!).

This story begins (for me) back in the early summer of 2010. That was when I first met Ken and Casey.

Our paths crossed infrequently during their two-month visit last year. It was great to spend the little time that we did together, with various people, and in different settings. Then there were four, Lis and Bronwen too.

As they left at the start of July last year I was away in the hills, so couldn’t see them off. Maybe then it was fitting that as they arrived (this time just two) back in Edinburgh last weekend, I was once again out of the city and in the hills.

So it was left until this weekend for this story recommence. And this time not for two months, but 18 or so. This will be a longer chapter! We have much to thank God for in the events that have brought them to us. And much to hope in God for over the coming year-and-a-half.

Although in and about the City myself, there will be much of what they hope to do that I won’t see. But on my blog and Flickr feed, I hope to share the essence of what I am able to participate in, through some of the images that I capture along the way. And maybe I’ll share the odd word or two, as well.

Yesterday, we sat in the Dalkeith Manse, after most people had moved on from the afternoon of barbecue food, tea, cakes, and raindrop dodging. In amongst the everyday things of life of its living room, The Weatherfolk created something that may be “everyday” in their lives - but is something special. These guys were born to make music together: Even the sun emerged to shine on them.

Something tells me that 18 months isn’t going to be long enough.