Midweek Message: O When the Saints

Midweek Message: O When the Saints

Psalm 30:4 Sing to the LORD, you saints; praise God’s holy name.

One of the first songs I learned on the guitar was "O When the Saints." It's easy to play because it only has three chords, so when you're a beginner, it makes you feel good playing, strumming, and singing a whole song. I spent many nights in my bedroom as a teenager singing it at the top of my voice until my parents or siblings told me to keep quiet.

When I first played it, I didn't really know what I was singing about, after all, as far I was concerned, saints were very holy people who had died long, long ago. It was only years later when I was studying the scriptures at seminary that I learned 'saints' can be ordinary people, alive and well, who practice and proclaim their faith through acts of mercy and kindness, devotion and love.

As followers of Christ, we all have the potential each day to be saintly. People will cross our paths that need our help, support, and encouragement. If we express Christ's love to them through acts of compassion, care, and concern, we'll be doing saintly deeds. It won't make us any holier, more sacred, or even spiritually superior, but it will help change for the better other people's lives, as well as our own. And after all is said and done, wouldn’t we rather be a saint walking through this world and doing what we can to make it a better and kinder place, than believing saints to only be holy people from the past?

Point to ponder: What can I do today to help other people and spread God’s love?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You call us to be disciples and saints, to follow Your ways and fulfill Your words through acts of compassion, kindness, and care. Enable us to take the opportunities to serve You in a saintly way by helping, supporting, and encouraging others around us. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

God bless you all.

Pastor John

 

Book Review: The Rothschilds by Harry Freedman

 

A fascinating and engaging look at the history of the Rothschilds, this book explores the family’s remarkable influence across several centuries in a way that draws the reader in.

The book is well written and easy to read. By focusing on each generation in separate chapters, the author helps the reader follow the family’s story clearly while still maintaining a strong sense of continuity.

Harry Freedman has clearly researched his subject with great care, and he brings the family’s most important episodes to life in a thoughtful and accessible way.

The book also offers a fair and balanced account of the challenges the Rothschilds faced, particularly the antisemitism that shaped so much of their experience. Their perseverance in the face of opposition is presented as part of the broader story of how they influenced European politics, including their role in opposing figures such as Napoleon and Hitler. The author also shows how their financial support helped emerging nations, especially in the nineteenth century, develop their identities and strengthen their ambitions.

I also appreciated the attention given to the Rothschilds’ support of the arts and sciences, which adds another rich dimension to this detailed family history. Overall, I found the book a pleasure to read, especially because Freedman combines careful research with compelling stories and well-chosen quotes.

I rated the book with five stars. The Book is due to be published in December 2026.

Midweek Message: Camel Capers

Mark 10:25 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (NIV)

A couple of years ago, Evelyn and I went on a special vacation to Egypt. We visited many ancient sites, including the pyramids where Evelyn was brave enough to sit upon a camel for a photograph. It was a wonderful moment, but when the camel started to move to follow another caravan, the tour guide had to quickly stop the camel in order to let Evelyn off before she was taken away into the desert!

When Jesus mentions a camel in the Gospel of Mark, He associates it with how hard it is for greedy people to enter God’s Kingdom. Christ had just amiably conversed with a rich young man who had the potential to become one of His disciples. However, the young man’s greed and insecurity prevented him from giving up his wealth in order to become a close follower. This saddened Jesus which caused Him to remark that it would be less difficult for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God’s Kingdom.

The point of this unusual image is to make all of us reflect on what it costs us to follow Jesus. It’s never an easy thing to do and our Christian faith is often hampered or even cast aside when it becomes inconvenient. This is why we should individually ponder what possesses and consumes our time – our wealth, our careers, our leisure – and how they compare to how much we devote ourselves to Christ’s ministry and mission in our world.

Point to ponder: What does it personally cost me to be a Christian in today’s society?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to become aware of what You require of us in order to faithfully follow You. Enable us to remove any obstacles that get in the way serving You and God’s Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Pastor John