So events week has been excellent, well done all who organised this, it was great! I could say a huge amount of things about how great the experience has been the opportunity, the talks, the events; this list could go on indefinitely. But overall it reminded me how important the church is.

To clarify I mean the church as a body of believers not the church as in the building for the event on Sundays, they’re important, but this is not that discussion. Being part of the fellowship of the church is such an incredibly huge gift, indeed an intentional one; this message comes from me as no surprise but a point of reflection. The expression of church I’m looking at here is the Christian union at Dundee University. DUCU has made a huge impact in my life, there are vast differences between myself starting uni and finishing it, I will leave this place having developed more here in 3 years than may ever in decades of the years to come. No bad thing development just requires an effort not to fall back. Anyway, the Fellowship I have experienced as part of DUCU has been vital to my time in Dundee. A team of people committed to serving God in their community, to try and make a difference to their campus, to make efforts to learn to love their friends to the best of their ability; this is what I have the privilege of being part of.  Now I will commend DUCU for what it is now what is rather than what it could be; of course it’s not perfect, but what group of Christians is? No it’s far more real than that, a community of flawed and broken reality.  A community with flaws however is one that is challenged to exercise grace, day in day out, which takes time, effort and patience, but with God it is possible.  CU is a great challenging because of course, unity in Christians is a great challenge, but what else could unity such a unique, disparate, frankly at times ridiculous (look at any of the party photos) bunch of people; except for the gospel?

CU is of course just one small expression of church. But part of what was experienced in events week was an experience of church at a much higher larger level. There were churches all around the UK praying for our events, churches that had sent out many of the members of our CU from their hometowns, churches in Dundee, churches everywhere all praying in the shared belief that this mission is an important one, worth their time to pray for. Our CU is not large or especially impressive or important but that never mattered, we have a mission and we try to be faithful to God’s call to our lives, and our mission to our campus. One of the great joys of the week was the prayer breakfast, (not just for King’s fry up, although that does deserve a mention) but to come together weary, worn out and discouraged and pray together, focus on Christ and his word and find ourselves energised by his grace and power. To be able to worship, rejoice, even grieve together in God’s fellowship is wonderful, God has truly blessed the church. I think by the end of the week we could truly echo the words of Paul :

2 Corinthians 4:7-8, 16

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all‑surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

We are indeed, part of something bigger, a small part of the body of Christ, the church; and part of God’s plan that he enacts day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment in assured goodness for his creation. The love that can be shown in God’s community is incredible, the love it have experienced in DUCU and in my church have underpinned my time at university and grounded me. This is a community capable of producing incredible good and my prayer is always that it does, and that it continues. I am also incredibly thankful for God’s provision through the work of UCCF, for all the training and support they provide us, for uncover, which as we have seen, an incredible resource, and and for the faithful service of the staff and relay workers. I intend to serve God though my time as a relay worker from September in Aberdeen and I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to take part in the mission of Aberdeen CU, another expression of church. I am thankful daily for God’s blessing in my life and his work in the lives of all. That he chooses to work though such broken people, a gift yet a mystery.

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.