Songs of praise: Living Faith in Paisley

[Music] foreign [Music] visiting Paisley Abbey where prayers have been said for more than 800 years and I'll be meeting with people whose Living Faith motivates them in extraordinary ways welcome to songs of praise [Music] coming up on the program we find out how one man gives thanks to God and His organ donor by helping others jesus carried out thousands of gestures of kindness so that's what we try and do that's what good causes is Yolanda Brown meets the couple raising awareness of suicide following the tragic loss of their son Cameron and I hear how one local christian like so many across the UK was motivated to help the Ukrainian people if the Lord speaks to your heart you don't have an alternative we're all the same these are our brothers and sisters foreign [Music] music today comes from across Scotland and includes hymns from the Magnificent Paisley Abbey but we begin a few miles east of here at Glasgow Cathedral with a hymn based on Psalm 104 that urges us to raise our voices in Praise [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] his grace [Music] [Music] [Applause] is [Music] [Music] always [Applause] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Paisley Abbey was established in 1163 by 13 clunyak monks Quigley became an important center of worship and in the 14th century was known as the Cradle of the Royal House of Stuarts due to its ties to the family that's quite a Heritage to be responsible for which the newly appointed Reverend ellsbeth McKay takes seriously she's the first female minister to be in charge in the Abbey's 859-year history how does it feel to be the first ever woman in charge of the Abbey well it's absolutely wonderful it really is I mean people joke with me about being the abyss of Paisley but I mean there are a lot of women ministers we've in the Church of Scotland have been ordaining women since the mid 60s so it was about time I think and how did you feel when you first arrived here I was driving here and turned the corner and saw the Abbey and I just thought Noel Smith no no no no no no too big for you no no turn around go back it's out of your league um but it's just such a beautiful beautiful building it really is wonderful I love leading worship here leading worship that has been happening since 1163 is such a privilege to be here and continue the wonderful music that happens here too is just absolute superb one of the highlights is the About Us festival that we've just hosted and the About Us festival is a light and sound show that was projected onto the Abbey and is touring around the country we were actually the first one to host it and it encouraged people to come and have a look at the Abbey but it also told us a wonderful story from The Big Bang until now that we're part of a wonderful universe and creation foreign ellsbeth is still settling in the director of Music George McPhee has been playing the organ here at the Abbey since 1963 and this year marks the instrument's 150th birthday to be privileged to use this organ week after week has been absolutely wonderful and hopefully the congregation loves it too it's very much a fixture of this place what everybody's interested in I think um is what we call the full organ the big sound [Applause] thank you that is magnificent it's quite volatile quite Lively I think what do you love about the job uh I tried to be a facilitator someone who tries to Galvanize the forces like my wonderful choir and together we try and radiate the gospel and the drama of the Liturgy I think that words sometimes feel a little and music can hit the spot and a much better way well I hope you'll be playing the organ for many years to come and in fact we're going to hear you playing the organ in our next hymn which is Praise My Soul the king of Heaven foreign [Music] [Music] Amazing Grace foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] crazy [Music] things [Applause] [Music] in beautiful historic settings such as here in Paisley Abbey it's important to remember that as Christians we are called not just to worship but to serve God through our actions and one man has dedicated his life to helping others is Russell Macmillan at the age of 23 Russell McMillan lost the majority of his sight due to complications with his type 1 diabetes then in his 40s his health deteriorated foreign 2006 I was at death's door I was extremely ill around eight percent kidney function and on the way of my life being saved was based at a pancreas kidney transplant I was on the list for about a year and I was very fortunate that in January 2007 I successfully received a pancreas kidney transplant that totally cured my type 1 diabetes and my kidney failure soon after the transplant there were concerns that there might be complications while waiting for a crucial scan Russell had a faith experience that would go on to transform his life I should have been sitting there thinking will I live or die are the organs going to get pulled out but instead of that I'd been it felt like I'd been tapped in the shoulder it was a message and it was very strange it was so incredibly powerful and I had to start scribbling down on a reporter's Notepad page after page after page of incredible what turned out to be a business plan that was where the shren Fisher good causes came from and that was it that's what I had to do for the rest of my days the details plan Russell had written was for a new charity and 15 years on he's still helping people in the East Rand frusia and Paisley area we start with the state stops one minute we're given an iPad to an artistic kid then we're helping somebody with alzheimer's then it's maybe someone who's homeless then it could be something completely different one woman he's helped is Linda who recently had both her legs amputated due to sepsis Russell was able to provide Linda with a wheelchair that would fit through the doors of her flat actually genuinely meet with texts were phoned with Allah get a good friendship now and says we talk to each other that's just made a big difference in my life that year has given me Independence together get about the car and go places hi thanks for getting in contact sounds like the type of thing that we could help with it's just about a gesture of kindness because that's what Jesus did when he was here jesus carried out thousands of gestures of kindness so that's what we try and do that's what good causes is I do so to thank God for my second gift of life and to honor the memory of the sadly deceased organ donor but those two organs live on inside me because without them I wouldn't be here today so any thanks I've had all the thanks I could ever need I've had a second Gift of Life [Music] tell me what a friend we have in Jesus [Music] our sins and Grieves to bear and what a privilege to get [Music] everything to God and prayer oh what peace we often forfeit [Music] oh Lord needless [Music] to God and pray [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] wow our privileged again [Music] Everything To God In Prayer [Music] in times of trouble faith can be a great source of Hope comfort and support Yolanda Brown has been to meet one Scottish couple who turned to God after their son tragically took his own life in 2019. John and Isabelle Gibson now look after the small flock of sheep that once belonged to their son Cameron he was a qualified vet and just 24 when he died by Suicide [Music] Cameron was the most beautiful person he was kind gregarious hard-working he was also very outdoorsy he he climbed mountains he surfed he walked and and I think um that made it even more shocking because he was such um seemingly a happy young man and we had no we had no understanding of there being any mental health issues or depression or anxiety I don't think I'll ever ever forget the moment when the two police officers knocked at our door in the early hours of that Sunday morning and told me that Cameron was dead and that he died by Suicide and it feels like the world stopped it feels like something died inside me inside us so 48 hours after Cameron died we'd gone down to visit Isabelle's mum to tell her the tragic news and I walk in the very early hours of that morning um and it was dark in the house and I had this silent intense scream inside me which needed to come out and I said God you've lost a son I've never lost a son you need to speak to me in the midst of all of this did you need a vet in heaven and I heard this Buckle not in a mocking way but in a if only you could really understand we and he said oh John Noah I didn't need a vet why would I need a vet there's no disease or death or illness in heaven no I needed a shepherd and Cameron is such a good shepherd wow wow I had been thinking about a picture that I had on my phone of camera and he was leading the Sheep along the road one day and had taken it as they were just following him and that picture came back to me it was just as if God was actually really ministering to us in that time about Cameron being safe with him God was a rock but I think we were all struggling although it didn't always look like that What feelings were you still dealing with at the time eight months after Cameron died we came to June time and right we had the year of first so the first Father's Day on the Sunday and Cameron's birthday would have been 25 was in the middle of that week um and I fell apart completely um became suicidal myself I just wanted to see my son [Music] but the important thing is that I got help I've met with others who'd been through exactly the same experience that survivors are very event by Suicide sobs and it was irremarkable place no judgment no condemnation um no no anything except love and understanding and compassion and that broke it that broke the mindset and um my pleas to anyone who finds themselves heading in that direction to please seek help John and Isabelle have set up a charity in memory of their son and John is currently in training for a walk he's planning this summer from Land's End to Jonah groats so what are you hoping that the walk will achieve so on social media I'm hashtag one man walking a million talking and that's literally what I hope to do I hope to get the whole country talking about suicide and where will God feature in this journey for you so I think that there will be conversations of Hope and Faith um of Love of Charity and that God may do remarkable things as we walk across the United Kingdom foreign [Music] how do you say to somebody that's experienced what you've experienced that God is there for you at that darkest time I would absolutely go back to that pivotal verse in the Book of Romans Romans 8 28 therefore in all things the darkest moment in the moment when you think there will be no brightness ever again in the moment when you think the sun cannot rise again I was there in that moment God's promises therefore in all things I am working for the good of those who love me and are called according to my purpose I love you [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] my God [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] just outside Paisley Abbey you can see the flag of Ukraine flying in solidarity with the plight of ukrainians since Russia invaded in February people all over the UK have felt compelled to help lisney worships at St John the Evangelist in barrhead which is not far from Paisley she appealed for donations of clothes bedding and other Essentials Phyllis what made you want to help well like everybody else Catherine and I'd seen on the news all the terrible stuff that's going on in Ukraine and the war and everybody's struggling with it people were asking the question what can I do and we were overwhelmed with the amount of donations and how is that amazing response made you feel personally it was definitely for me a situation where I felt I had no option that if if the Lord speaks to your heart you don't have an alternative that we're all the same that these are our brothers and sisters Liz teamed up with the association of ukrainians in Glasgow who sent trucks with the supplies to where they were needed they're now coordinating donations for the refugees who are arriving in Glasgow oh Hello darling many of the volunteers here have families in Ukraine including Tatiana ah my brother with two sons wife and one son made it the young wife they refused to go their stay I have also family of my sister there with her son and husband and my sister finally decide to go so she already crossed the borders she's in the Czech Republic at the moment and I'm dealing with the paperwork visas and Etc to bring her over here party actually working on the ground in Ukraine to improve and save lives is Caritas who are supported here by the Scottish Catholic International Aid fund what I scared of doing for the Ukraine firstly just helping people to get wherever they could in order to be safe and then it's those immediate things that they need most that we've been concentrating on so shelter for them somewhere where they are safe providing cooked meals and and drinks bedding when it's cold and then starting to help them think about whether they're going to move on or whether they're staying and trying to tailor the response people's generosity solidarity and compassion has just been amazing where do you think God is in all of this for me God is always in the heart of it and today God is the Christ of the Cross he's he is there suffering in and amongst his people so he's right at the heart of it he's in those who are suffering and those who are helping in equal measure and it's that reciprocity and mutuality that really makes it so special [Music] is our friend friends [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] rise [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] exploring the history of one of Britain's largest monastic ruins and Gemma hunt discovers the calming effects of working with llamas and now a prayer from some of those we've met today dear Lord thank you for comforting us and for hearing our prayers in times of need we pray for courage and humility to serve our neighbors through acts of love and kindness we pray for peace for families and children caught in conflict and teach us Lord to love one another as you love us and to be thankful for all the many blessings that you shower Upon Us day by day amen [Music] well I hope like me you've been encouraged by the people we've met today and the living faith that inspires them and we end now with a hymn from Paisley Abbey that reassures us of God's guiding presence in all our lives until next time take care foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music]

Channel: Jillian O’Brien

Views: 25,772

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Id: 8B19lHxGyOc

Length: 34min 12sec (2052 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 21 2022