Our meeting was held in the famous Egyptian Room where the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivers his famous “Mansion House speech” each year at the Lord Mayor’s banquet.

We were warmly welcomed by the current Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman David Wootton, and the mayors of sixteen other London boroughs were also in attendance, as well as Baroness Berridge, a Conservative member of the House of Lords. It was a great opportunity to present the work of the London City Mission and especially to highlight the magnificent work carried on at Webber Street.

The team of workers at Webber Street have produced an excellent short video which describes their work.

This is part of what I said at the Mansion House meeting:

I am the minister of a Presbyterian congregation in Portadown in Northern Ireland which is committed to supporting the work and ministry of London City Mission at Webber Street. As a congregation, we have sent several hundred kilos of new and used clothing to Webber Street. We have raised money and sent work parties to re-decorate the facilities. And we have even collected redundant mobile phones for the use of guests at the centre. And we pray every week for those on the front line, ministering and helping those in need. We recognize the ministry of Webber Street as being authentic, Christ-honouring work which makes a real difference in the lives of homeless people in our nation’s capital city.

Homelessness is a hotly-debated issue. The breakdown of family relationships, addictions, debt, unemployment, and mental health issues are just some of the social challenges making the homeless some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

And as we address the issues surrounding homelessness, we believe that we are following in the steps of Jesus Christ himself. He was born in a stable to a teenage mother; he was a refugee as a toddler; and during his ministry he did a fair degree of the ancient near eastern equivalent of “sofa surfing”. He said, “Foxes have holes; the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”  The gospels repeatedly tell us of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, living in the economic and social chaos classified as homelessness.

But more than that, he chose to live out God’s love amongst those on the fringes of power or influence in society. The guests with whom he enjoyed meals offered him no advancement in terms of business or education or personal status.  Yet he spent time with them, explaining God’s love and grace, and how that they could have a place within his Father’s house and kingdom.

And he challenged those in authority and power when the law did not promote compassion and the dignity of the marginalised. On one occasion Jesus was invited to eat at the home of a prominent Pharisee. And even though he was the recipient of the Pharisee’s hospitality, he was eager to question the criteria his host used when he drew up his guest list.

“When you give a luncheon or dinner”, he said, “do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14: 12,13

The challenge for us is to find a place in our hearts, and around our tables, for the people who are at the bottom of the pile and at the end of the queue, so that they can enjoy the blessing of the gospel. And that is precisely the goal and the task undertaken by the staff at Webber Street.

There is a sense in which the whole of human history can be described as the search and the quest for a home where one can be loved and feel secure. Spiritually speaking, we are all homeless.

One of the first stories in the Bible is about Cain who killed his brother Abel. And as a result of committing that first murder, Cain is driven from his homeland and believes he is destined to be a restless wanderer on the earth. Abraham leaves Ur of the Chaldees in search of a homeland that God would provide for him and his family. And all the pain and heartache of humanity’s homelessness, and its quest for a permanent home, remains unanswered until Jesus makes this wonderful gospel promise, “In my Father’s house there are many rooms. I go to prepare a place for you.”

The mission of Jesus was one of bringing homeless sinners like us back home to our Heavenly Father. He came to address and to deal with the sin and brokenness that lies behind all the issues that cause homelessness. He became homeless so that you and I could ultimately find a home, a place of love and security, where we are welcomed and received and embraced.

And what makes the work and ministry of Webber Street and the London City Mission so compelling and so critical is that it has this wholistic approach to homelessness. We recognise that homelessness is not just houselessness. We understand that that homelessness is not just about the statistics of how many people sleep rough on the streets of London.

It is about people who are made in the image of God and whose critical needs are much more than a warm meal or a pair of shoes. They are people whose lives can be transformed from the inside out by the grace and love of Christ. And the Heavenly Father who sent his Son into the world to seek and to save lost and homeless people like us, stands with open arms to welcome home all who come to Him. The promise of the Gospel is that God will one day bring heaven to earth and there will be a new world where we will all be perfectly at home, perfectly secure, and where all our longings and desires will be fully met.

Until that day comes, we continue to reach out in love and compassion to all who are in need.  In the words of that well-known reformed theologian, Bruce Springsteen, “I’m working on a dream, Though sometimes it feels so far away …I’m working on a dream, And I know it will be mine someday.”

We are all working on a dream, a dream to see lives touched and changed by the grace and love of Jesus Christ. Thank you, London City Mission, for all that you do, and thank you, Webber Street staff, for your magnificent work for the welfare and support of the homeless.

Andrew and Jessica with David, Beth and Charis

Andrew’s wife, Jessica, is the daughter of our faithful and long-serving elder, Billy Calvert. And the current Clerk of Session in Sloan Street is Dr Brian Craig, son of our esteemed minister emeritus, Dr William Craig.

The Service of Ordination and Installation was conducted by a commission of the Presbytery of Dromore and the act of Installation was conducted by the Rev Andrew Thompson (Moderator) and the Rev John Davey (Clerk).  The Moderator prayed that the new minister would be enabled by God to be a strong leader, a wise counsellor, an understanding friend and a clear and consistent example to all; and that in the days ahead he will have the encouragement of seeing lost souls brought to faith in Jesus Christ and followers of Jesus strengthened in their love and commitment.  The Rev David Knox, minister of Harmony Hill, read the Scriptures and the Rev Howard Gilpin, minister of Moira Presbyterian, preached the sermon.  In a challenging charge to the new minister and the congregation, the Rev William Henry, Convenor of the Vacancy, spoke of the need to minister with heart-felt passion for Christ and love for the people. The praise was led by the church’s music group under the direction of Valerie Wiggam; the hymns included, ‘Jesus paid it all’ and ‘I will offer up my life’.

Andrew with Clerk of Session, Dr Brian Craig, and former Clerk of Session, Mr Jim McDowell

The service was followed by a reception and supper in the church hall.  Welcoming their new minister and his family, Dr Brian Craig, Clerk of Session, said “We are delighted to welcome Andrew, Jessica, David, Beth and Charis into our fellowship.  The call to Andrew was clear and unambiguous and together with him we look forward in anticipation to what God has planned.  It is our prayer that God will richly bless his ministry in this congregation and in this community”.

Addressing his new congregation for the first time, Mr Faulkner said “It has been incredible to experience the definite leading of God to the congregation of Sloan Street and immensely encouraging to begin to get to know the people here who have a great love for Jesus and the surrounding area.  I have no doubt that God will continue to use Sloan Street to reach people and enrich them with the great good news of the gospel.”

Andrew met his wife Jessica while studying at John Moore’s University, Liverpool. They were married in First Portadown Presbyterian Church in July 1997.   Andrew is a keen Sunderland Football Club supporter, and before commencing his theological education was a PE teacher at Portadown College for one year followed by eight years at Forthill College, Lisburn. We wish Andrew well as he begins his new ministry.

A good supper was provided afterwards

Andrew demonstrates the importance of correct hand positions for Sunderland's goalkeeper

We had a most amazing service this morning with about 70 people wearing Ulster shirts - nearly as many Munster shirts and about 50 more - standing room only in Christ Church and not much of that. The church was fuller than ever except for funerals! The singing was ‘lift the roof’ stuff and Tom Kingston, Gillian Kingston and others really did us proud.

The protest campaign was announced after the annual Starbucks shareholders meeting in Seattle, where NOM spokesmen queried the board on its new policies promoting gay marriage and demanded protection against discrimination for employees, vendors and customers who disagree. NOM states that Starbucks’ executive vice president of partner resources has stated that gay marriage “is aligned with Starbucks business practices and upholds our belief in the equal treatment of partners. It is core to who we are and what we value as a company.”

One blogger, Russell Moore, who is Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Seminary, has argued that such a protest campaign is just not the best option for Christians and that ultimately it doesn’t achieve the goals that Christians are aiming for. He makes his point very eloquently, and the approach he suggests is an alternative to the traditional evangelical response in the part of the world where I live. A younger generation recognises that we no longer live in Christendom where Christians are in a majority and can flex their muscle with some commercial effect. And perhaps a boycott is a much too worldly way of trying to make our point anyway. There are situations that call for a much more nuanced and more Christian style of response.

A boycott of Starbucks is possibly a non-starter with many middle-class Christians since it would take them out of their comfort zone completely and deny them their regular shot of flavourful caffeine. Imagine having to go to Costa instead? But perhaps a more Christ-like response would be equally uncomfortable for many of us. It’s not easy to engage in conversation with those who don’t see things from our perspective, or to persuade them to adopt our position. The intellectual tide of our society is running against those of us who think that what God says really matters. That’s why we need to be bold, courageous, and persuasive, but in a thoroughly Christian way.

In that sense, nothing has changed. Paul advised the Corinthians with regard to their approach in countering arguments and trends in their society: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (II Cor 10:3,4). Elsewhere Paul commends prayer, faith, hope, love, God’s Word and the Holy Spirit as being our powerful and effective weapons in spiritual warfare. It seems as though petitions and boycotts may not be the answer to all the issues we face.

Russell Moore’s blogpost is copied below the fold.

A respected pro-family organization announced this week a boycott of Starbucks coffee. The group, which supports legal protection for traditional marriage, launched the “Dump Starbucks” campaign after a national board meeting in which the Seattle-based coffee company mentioned support for same-sex marriage as a core value of the company. Some Christians are wondering whether we ought to join in the boycott. I say no.

It’s not that I’m saying a boycott in and of itself is always evil or wrong. It’s just that, in this case (and in many like it) a boycott exposes us to all of our worst tendencies. Christians are tempted, again and again, to fight like the devil to please the Lord.

A boycott is a display of power, particularly of economic power. The boycott shows a corporation (or government or service provider) that the aggrieved party can hurt the company, by depriving it of revenue. The boycott, if it’s successful, eventually causes the powers-that-be to yield, conceding that they need the money of the boycott participants more than they need whatever cause they were supporting. It is a contest of who has more buying power, and thus is of more value to the company.

We lose that argument.

The argument behind a boycott assumes that the “rightness” of a marriage definition is constituted by a majority with power. Isn’t that precisely what we’re arguing against? Our beliefs about marriage aren’t the way they are because we are in a majority. As a matter of fact, we must concede that we are in a tiny minority in contemporary American society, if we define marriage the way the Bible does, as a sexually-exclusive, permanent one-flesh union.

Moreover, is this kind of economic power context really how we’re going to engage our neighbors with a discussion about the meaning and mystery of marriage? Do such measures actually persuade at the level such decisions are actually made: the moral imagination? I doubt it.

I’m all for protecting marriage in law and in culture, and I’m for that partly because I believe it is necessary for human flourishing for all people, believers and non-believers alike. But there’s a way to do so that recognizes the resilience of marriage as a creation institution and that rests in the sovereignty of God over his universe.

Those who are scared of losing something are those who seem frantic or shrill or outraged. Those who are fearful resort to Gentile tactics of lording over others with political majorities or economic power. The winners, on the other hand, are able to take a longer view. We’re able to grieve when our neighbors seek to copy marriage without the most basic thing that makes marriage work: the mystery of male and female as one-flesh.

But we don’t persuade our neighbors by mimicking their angry power-protests. We persuade them by holding fast to the gospel, by explaining our increasingly odd view of marriage, and by serving the world and our neighbors around us, as our Lord does, with a towel and a foot-bucket.

We won’t win this argument by bringing corporations to the ground in surrender. We’ll engage this argument, first of all, by prompting our friends and neighbors to wonder why we don’t divorce each other, and why we don’t split up when a spouse loses his job or loses her health. We’ll engage this argument when we have a more exalted, and more mysterious, view of sexuality than those who see human persons as animals or machines. And, most of all, we’ll engage this argument when we proclaim the meaning behind marriage: the covenant union of Christ and his church.

Fear can lead us to cower and to hide a view of marriage that seems archaic and antiquated. That’s why so many evangelical Christians have already surrendered, in their own lives, on such questions as round-the-clock daycare or a therapeutic view of divorce. But fear can also lead us to a kind of enraged impotence, where our boycotts and campaigns are really just one more way of saying, “I’m important; listen to me.” Marriage is too important for that.

A Roman governor thought Jesus was weak when he refused to use imperial means of resistance. But Jesus’ refusal to fight meant just the opposite of what Pilate assumed. “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting,” Jesus said (Jn. 18:36).

Let others fight Mammon with Mammon. Let’s struggle against principalities and powers with the One thing they fear: a word of faithful witness that doesn’t blink before power, but doesn’t seek to imitate it either.

With the confidence of those who have been vindicated by the resurrection of Christ, we don’t need to be vindicated by the culture. That ought to free us to speak openly about what we believe, but with the gentleness of those who have nothing to prove. Let’s not boycott our neighbors. Let’s not picket or scream or bellow. Let’s offer a cup of cold water, or maybe even a grande skinny vanilla latte, in Jesus’ name.

Christ Church, Limerick is a united Presbyterian- Methodist congregation and on Easter Sunday the service will be conducted by Rev Tom Kingston. It will include Communion and and after the service there will be tea and coffee for everyone.

I’m reliably informed that a good few Munster fans will attend and will probably wear their Munster shirts as they will go straight to Thomond Park from church - about a 20 minute walk.  Ulster fans are welcome and they, too, may choose to wear their Ulster supporters’ regalia.

My informant in Limerick was eager to point out that Limerick is International City of Sport this year and welcomes sports people of all kinds. She added that Christ Church also welcomes all sinners, whether sports people or not. I was tempted to respond that, given that understanding, no Ulster supporter will feel out of place in Christ Church.

One suggestion that was made to me was that the Munster officials might be persuaded to broadcast a loud “The Lord is Risen” over the public address system prior to the match, and that all Christian supporters, whether in Ulster or Munster colours, could make a united response, “He is risen indeed!”

Armagh Presbytery Commission with our new elders, and our Minister Emeritus, Very Rev Dr W.M. Craig.

Last night we ordained six new elders in First Portadown. It was a great evening, and the sermon from Titus 1 preached by Rev Nigel McCullough was simply excellent. The new elders have a wide range of gifts and graces and we believe that our congregation will be blessed and strengthened through their leadership and their pastoral care of the congregation. From left on the front row are Stephen Hunter, Mark Kent, Clifford Clyde, Gary Kennedy, Noel Brownlee and Philip Knowles. It was also great to have our Minister Emeritus, Dr Craig, with us, now well into his 93rd year.

The large congregation enjoyed a hearty supper after the service, and there was a great sense of fellowship and rejoicing among all who attended.

Photo courtesy of Portadown Times

Good Ulstermen like Gilly are not good at receiving accolades and praise. They hardly know what to say when someone compliments them. And when we want to recognise another’s qualities and contributions we think that if we are over-generous in our words of appreciation the recipient will get a big head and begin to think too highly of himself. As a result, the ministry of encouragement and recognition of worth is not well-developed in many of our Christian circles.

Gilly’s Christian commitment is known and recognised by many people around Portadown. He is appreciated by us all because he gives practical expression to his faith in a number of significant ways. His care and concern for people who arrive at the A&E department in Craigavon Hospital is legendary. The statistics reveal that Craigavon’s A&E department is the busiest in Northern Ireland, serving a wide area of the province, and Gilly is among its most active doctors, seeing a huge number of patients every year. His ability to follow through with patients and to see that they receive the best of attention has been reported to me personally on numerous occasions.

In his role as leader of Edenderry CE, Gilly has made a huge contribution to the spiritual growth and discipleship of many young people. The formula is a simple one: straightforward Bible teaching delivered in a warm atmosphere of Christian fellowship and encouragement.

An American friend of mine joined me at a CE meeting a couple of years ago and sat at the back of the packed hall of 300 teenagers. He said that as the meeting the progressed he kept asking himself, “What’s the hook here? What’s the gimmick that brings these kids to this meeting?” At the conclusion of the evening he concluded that there was no gimmick, but that the young people were attracted by the desire to be with one another in a safe and positive atmosphere of Christian worship. That atmosphere has been nurtured by Gilly Carson and his team of leaders in Edenderry CE whose warm, non-judgmental acceptance of young people has made the difference in so many lives.

So we suppress all our innate Ulster reluctance to give or receive affirmations and compliments, and we celebrate a dear friend’s positive contribution to our community and church. We’re proud of you, Gilly!

Kale Heywet Church in Ethiopia, through the department which Simon leads, has supported over 200 congregations to bring help and hope to more than 70,000 people living in poor communities. What they have achieved with support from Tearfund is inspirational. In his own characteristically humble way Simon plays down his role in seeing these changes come about.

Simon says that one of the key features in encouraging the development of a successful ministry to the people in their communities is the involvement of every church member. A key part of their strategy in working with local churches is to engage the whole congregation and not just the leaders in the initiative. It is only as everyone in the church identifies with the ministry and gets involved that the project moves forward. It’s necessary to inspire pastors and elders to start with, but they must pass on the vision to everyone else. That’s a challenge that many Irish church leaders recognise.

I remember some years ago trying to persuade some parents in their 30s and 40s to help out as leaders in our junior youth club on a Saturday night. Their response was not the one I expected. They offered to increase their financial contribution to the congregation so that the church could  hire someone to do the job of youth club leader if I didn’t ask them to forfeit some of their precious Saturday evenings to volunteer themselves. It was easier and more comfortable for them to give more money than to be involved personally.

The challenge of motivating people for hands-on work and ministry is a considerable one, but in a society like Ethiopia where people have no cash to give they are more willing to give of their own time and energy. That’s a lesson we can learn from our African brothers and sisters. Our cash-rich society, relative to Ethiopia, deprives people of the joy and blessing of actually being involved in practical Christian ministry.

Simon also says that since the church has no cash resources to start such ministries, they are dependent on self-help groups and projects to make the difference. Kale Heywet Church, like many Christian groups in developing countries, has made great use of micro-financing schemes among poor people so that they can help each other to improve their situation. By providing small group facilitators, people save small amounts of money, normally no more than the cost of one cup of coffee a day. But by pooling their resources, they can begin to help one another through small loans.

We saw this working in practice when a women in one self-help group in Addis Ababa was able to borrow enough money to buy two griddles so that she could produce injeera bread which she sold to local restaurants and at her own road-side stall. With the income she was able to provide for her own family.

Simon says that the amazing thing is that poor people see these efforts being made to help them in the name of Jesus Christ, they respond positively and hearts are opened to the message of the gospel. Many of them come to believe in Christ and join the local church. Simon says that a church that fails to display the gospel in both word and deed fails to be salt and light in its local community.

We need to believe in what church communities locally and globally can achieve together. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has supported a succession of Kale Heywet Development projects and has recently funded relief programmes for families affected by the drought in East Africa.

Simon says, “The transformation we have seen happen in Ethiopia has astounded us all over the years, but we shall never own it as unique. These community initiatives often start very small, but it’s when we come together and share our insights that we can really see exciting change.”

I am proud to be associated with men like Simon and to see the difference which they are making in the name of Jesus Christ. And we thank God for agencies like Tearfund which enable us to partner with our African brothers and sisters. Tearfund’s ten year vision is to lift 50 million people out of material and spiritual poverty through a worldwide network of 100,000 local churches.

I love Ulster Rugby and for the past number of years I have been a season ticket holder at Ravenhill. Friday nights at Ravenhill are great events, and have been enjoyed by many Christian youth groups as a good social outing. But my commitment to Jesus Christ takes precedence over anything else, and on the most important day in the Christian calendar I plan to be with my fellow Christians worshipping and praising my Risen Saviour. I am grieved that I cannot travel to Thomond Park to stand up for the Ulstermen. I imagine that a significant number of my fellow supporters will also be very disappointed and will feel that their “right” to support their team has been taken away from them.

It’s not that I want everyone to conform to a strict sabbatarian position with regard to sport, and I recognise that there is tradition among many people on this island of participating in and supporting sport on Sunday. But for those of us who are committed to our local church each Sunday, and especially on Easter Sunday, this decision means that we are unable to follow our team to Limerick.

Some years ago there was a controversy over Ulster being required to play their home matches on Sundays and that decision was quickly reversed following representations from the Ulster supporter lobby. I hope that the reaction of Ulster supporters puts some pressure on the ERC to re-think this bad decision.