Jon's Pastor's Letter, November 2016 

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Prov 3:5,6

Dear Friends
 
I was walking to the office this morning and passed by the building at the top of the business park that we had seriously considered as a home for Liberty Church a few years ago, to the point where we had got plans drawn up and had taken the whole church round one Sunday and even worshipped and prayed together in the vast cold warehouse.  I remember the point where I found out that the building would not be ours and feeling personally quite discouraged.  It seemed that this was such a great opportunity for us in a great location and I found it difficult to understand why God had not opened the way for us to have it as our home.  As I walked past this morning, however, the demolition teams have been in and all that remains of the building is a few offices and a pile of rubble.  I felt that God was saying “do you understand that I have something better for you?”  As I write this letter I am sitting in the building that will become our home and a centre of life and hope for so many people.  This is “something better”. 
 
Last Sunday George was speaking on unconscious guidance, and quoted these well-known verses from Proverbs.  He said that if we put our trust in God and commit our days to him, that we should expect God to guide us through the days even when we are not conscious of his guiding.  George used the great example of boarding a train.  Once we are on board, sitting in our seat and the train is moving, we don’t have to concern ourselves about the direction of travel; the points changes along the way or the turns and junctions.  We trust ourselves to the train drivers and signal operators to do that for us.  In the same way, when we commit ourselves to God we should expect that he is actively guiding our lives, and we can simply live out each day knowing that we can trust in him.
 
As I look back on our journey towards a new home for the church I am aware that God has guided and led us to this point, even though at times it has seemed confusing and disappointing.  We were reflecting the other day that even the decision by the councillors to grant us planning permission on the basis that there were many buildings around the estate which sat empty and unused, might perhaps have been different today as most of the empty buildings now seem to be in use.  God’s timing is perfect. I am also aware that the Broomhall expansion plans which will create a whole new community of houses, shops and schools between Dunfermline and Limekilns, will place Liberty Centre very firmly in the middle of a bustling community.
 
We have a way to go in terms of developing our new home, and I know that we will face many challenges, but I know that as long as we commit our ways to God, seek his heart for our own lives and the lives of those around, and long to see his Kingdom come, then he will guide our steps.  I look forward to a day in the near future when Liberty Centre becomes a centre of Liberty Church life.  This is “something better”!
 
Love and blessing
 
Jon