This summer I traveled to London and Edinburgh with my two adult sons, Cooper and Parker. I felt so blessed that they would be willing to travel with their old mom!!! Because I was fortunate enough to travel early in my life, as a parent I have longed, truly ached, to be able to share the world with my children. We have traveled to Mexico twice and to Hawaii but I had never taken them across the pond to Europe, which was my dream. During my sabbatical I made that dream a reality. Thank you!!! Parker had saved his money and taken a trip to Germany and Italy with friends. But this was the first time we traveled all together and Cooper’s first adventure into a European country.
As I planned the trip, I quickly decided that I wanted them to see Scotland because that is where Trey and I spent the second year of our marriage. He was studying at the University of Edinburgh. We spent 11 months there, but somehow missed the Edinburgh Tattoo Festival in August. So we celebrated Parker’s 20th birthday at the Tattoo. Here are some of the highlights.
A friend asked me when I returned to sum up the trip with one word and I quickly said memorable. Memories came flooding back. The first thing we did upon arriving in Edinburgh is walk to Milne’s Court which is the 300 year old housing courtyard where Trey and I lived. Seeing this place was so memorable; where centuries before people had thrown their slop out the windows, where I had lived for a year and where I was now standing with my grown sons. I kept having flashbacks to times living there. But I also pieced together that I had walked through Milne’s court walking up from the train station when I was 18 and visiting for the first time with my mother. Then 37 years later with my grown sons. And nothing had changed!!! How can something be the same, stir memories and still awaken your senses in the present? As I was reliving my time in Scotland, my boys were being introduced to this magical city. We saw a Sherlock Holmes improv show, watched a production of 1984, explored the historic Edinburgh Castle and Parker and I worshipped in St. Giles Cathedral. Old and new, modern and historic, but one city, one place created very different experiences for us. Cooper said his favorite part was Gothic views of all the architecture coupled with the serene feeling of all the panoramic views of beauty.
Our time in Edinburgh was truly a time of memories and introductions. I introduced the boys to sharing a pint at the pub, reveling in the joy of history, seeing the John Knox statute that pointed to where Trey had his study cubical back in the day, and Grey Friars Bobby. As I was introducing them to the amazing culture and city, we were making memories as well.
As we celebrate St. Andrew Day, in honor of the name sake of this congregation, we are sharing memories and introducing new people to this time-honored tradition. Now some have said it is a limiting or excluding tradition, but I think it is an introduction of who St. Andrew is and recalling the roots of our Presbyterian traditions. As you know John Knox was the reformer who lived in Scotland and helped to establish the Presbyterian Church. When he fled Scotland to escape Catholic Mary Tudor who ascended to the throne, Knox was introduced to John Calvin, the father of the Reformation. This introduction and shared five years in Geneva created a protestant ally of Knox. This passion for reform he brought back with him to Scotland. The PCUSA has its roots in this country, this preacher, and this introduction. St. Andrew himself never made it to Scotland, but his remains have made their way to this place of introductions.
Our Church is named for Andrew one of the twelve disciples. Andrew is maybe the fourth most known disciple, after Peter, James and John. Andrew is mentioned only a few times in the New Testament, but on three occasions, we see him introducing others to the Lord Jesus. First, he had the joy of introducing his brother Peter to the Lord (John 1:39-42). Now Andrew had just spent the day with Jesus, had discovered that he was the Messiah. And the very first thing he does is to find and introduce his brother Peter to Jesus. A significant introduction indeed. As you know Peter then became the rock on which Christ built his church all because Andrew brought these two men together.
Then in a moment of need, when 5,000 people were hungry and needing food, Andrew makes another introduction. As we read, when all the disciples were wanting to send the crowd away to get food, Andrew introduces the lad with the five loaves and two fish, to Jesus (John 6:8-9). With these simple provisions Jesus blesses all the people with sustenance. Jesus takes what is available and makes it more than enough.
When outsiders wanted to meet Jesus, Andrew makes it happen. Andrew introduced the Greeks to the Lord (John 12:20-22). Philip is first approached, but he takes the request to Andrew, to open the door to Jesus. How many times have we had that special introduction that changed the course of our lives. A casual meeting that leads to a job, that friend who introduces you to your future spouse. Key introductions. There is no more important work in the world than this: introducing other people to the Savior. Andrew had been called to this task by the Lord (Matthew 4:18-20) when Jesus asked him to become a fisher of people. Andrew along with the disciples are to introduce people to the Lord.
Andrew fulfilled that calling his entire life. He traveled around Greece sharing the love of God and introducing people to Jesus. His work, his introductions to Jesus, were so widespread that he is the patron saint of Greece, Russia, Romania, and even our beloved Scotland.
Andrew, along with his brother Peter were ordinary people. Hard working fisherman, who once introduced to Jesus became two of the 12 people commissioned to share the good news of Jesus. We may be very ordinary people, like Andrew, but the Lord can use us in bringing others to know Him. Andrew did not rank with Paul or his own brother Peter. But what he excelled at was introducing people to his friend and Lord, Jesus. We are not told that Andrew ever preached a sermon, but he led Peter to Christ. Peter preached many sermons, but there would have been no sermons from him had it not been for the faithful, personal soul-winning of Andrew. https://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/bible-
When I was in high school, I brought my best friend Karen to my church youth group. Karen was already a Christian; her grandfather was a Presbyterian minister. But soon Karen’s family started going to my church. I went home last week to visit her and her mother after the passing of Karen’s father, Gordon. But now 30 years later I can see what God did from that simple introduction and how that shaped my home church. Karen’s brother and his family attend, her husband has served as an elder, her parents were pillars in the congregation. I even baptized Karen’s daughter in that church. All from introducing my best friend to my church. Introductions to Christ are like loaves and fishes. God takes the simple acts of sharing the gospel and multiplies it. That is what Andrew did. He introduced people to Jesus and God then did the rest.
May we all live up to our two name-sakes. May we boldly live a Christian life, because Christ died for our sins and has claimed us as his own. And may we introduce people we know to the love of God through Jesus Christ following the model left by our name sake St. Andrew! Amen!
