Croydon Hills

March 15, 2009 (click on pics for larger view)

Planted in the early 1990s by Richard O'Brien who now works with me at Scots' Church, this was the 'newest' church that I've visited so far. They meet in a Lutheran primary school, although they will very soon be moving because the school is planning a major redevelopment of the hall that the congregation meets in. It is sad that they have to move. The school hall is decorated with a magnificent cross at the front and several stunning tapestries hanging beside it, giving it a real atmosphere of worship - which is quite rare in shared or community facilities.

As you would expect with Matt James in charge, the music was one of the highlights of this visit, with a small, modest group of musicians making beautiful music together! As the time for the service to start rapidly descended on us, I was worried that there didn't seem to be much of a congregation - but by the time we'd started singing, a good crowd had gathered and the musical praise was magnificent.

One of the nice features in many of the churches we've attended has been bumping into old friends and acquaintances who we didn't know might attend that church, and Croydon Hill was no different, with a number of people there who we've met before in a variety of places for different reasons, inculding one lady who visits Scots' Church regularly.... once a year for the 'Seniors Week' lunch that we put on after church on the relevant Sunday!

I preached on the parable of the great banquet from Luke 14. God's kingdom is like an over-catered wedding feast, with such abundant blessings that no matter how much we use or how much we give away, there's always left overs.

Matt and Kathy invited us round to the manse for lunch, and Duncan had a great time playing with Mark on whatever computer game console thingy it was they happened to have. Not a Wii this time, but something with a big steering wheel and fast cars (but no violence, the minister assured us).