Mike Marshall has been lending more than a careful ear to one of our most beautiful Gospels.

When Rev. Johannes, our minister suggested that perhaps we as church members might like to sit down and record the entire Gospel of St Luke and so create a ‘milestone’ in our congregation’s history, I was intrigued. Surrounded as we are by instantly available digital resources you don’t have to search very far to find all kinds of interpretations of our holy scriptures.

St Luke’s Gospel is arguably one of the most beautiful accounts to be found in the Bible.  I understand from Wikipedia that the Gospel was written to be read aloud to a group of Jesus-followers gathered in a house to share the Lord’s Supper.  Meeting over the course of a couple of weekends, I felt a similar awe as I listened to 24 members of our congregation who gave up an hour of their time to come into the Committee Room and read a chapter from the Gospel.  Sadly, no supper could be taken, but there were times when the vociferous gull population on the roof above our room made us wonder whether the birds were more fortunate than us!

One afternoon it was Andrew Cook, one of the reading team, who arrived fresh from the Euro championships in Germany, carrying a copy of ‘Kicker Bible’ – not a footballer’s manual (though there is actually a book with that
title), but the New Testament and Psalms and which were being handed out to fans outside Cologne stadium.  I’m beginning to think they had a vision about the outcome… Another volunteer is also rehearsing a chapter from
Lorimer’s New Testament in Scots.

It’s hoped that the MaxWest Church website will later on this year have all the recordings available for you to hear, whether on your tablet, your phone or your smart speaker. For me, as the ‘engineer’, to listen to the entire gospel
has been a great privilege.   To hear it spoken so beautifully by many of our willing congregation, even more so.
(*Readers were free to use whatever version of the Bible they preferred)