Finding Faith 2022 Day Three
Wednesday 18 May
For VOX magazine’s 10th annual Finding Faith Tour editor Ruth Garvey-Williams travels across Ireland hunting down stories of faith, life and reality. You can follow the journey each day here on the blog and through our social media pages with stories, videos and photos.
The sun was shining as I left Sligo for a beautiful drive south east to Longford. With a clear road, rolling green fields along the route and acres of blue sky overhead, it was the most relaxed drive of the tour so far. A chance to breathe, pray and ponder.
Working Together
In Longford, I meet with Simon Scott who is now Rector of St. John’s Church of Ireland church and Christiaan Snell, the Methodist minister in Longford who also leads several Church of Ireland congregations. We have met before, so it is a lovely chance to catch up. Both men have moved to new parishes since our previous encounter. Over a lovely cup of coffee, I hear how these churches are working closely together, sharing resources and supporting one another.
Rev Christiaan Snell, Longford Methodist Church and Edgeworthstown group of parishes.
“At Easter we did a two-day mini children’s holiday club and we’re planning a joint holiday club in August,” Christiaan shared. “We’ve also started a joint Mums and Toddlers group called ‘Babble and Play’" Simon added. This new venture has helped to re-connect young mums who were isolated during the pandemic. That hunger for connection is evident.
“We did a dawn service on Easter Sunday morning. Loads of people came and every single one stayed for breakfast,” Christiaan said. Something similar happened at the Mothers’ Union service held in St. John’s recently. “They were expecting 50 people but in the end over 150 people came. It was brilliant. The whole diocese came together and everybody stayed afterwards to have tea,” Simon shared.
Rev Simon Scott, St. John’s Church of Ireland, Longford
Despite the encouragements, both men also have plenty of questions as they lead their churches in our post-pandemic world. Christiaan has been pondering the need for perseverance, “In Colossians it says, ‘Therefore,just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord,continue to walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.…’”
Simon has been considering the need for transformation. As a horticulturalist, he describes how seeds begin to grow and push up their first leaves and this is his sense as he looks out over the church across Ireland.
Driving from Longford to Navan, I’m conscious that I’m running late. After the lovely, straight, empty roads of the morning, I’m caught behind slow moving vehicles and navigating switchback bends and frequent roundabouts. It is a huge relief to arrive at the home of dear friends Junior and Luci De Larina and to meet two remarkable women from Lighthouse Church.
Making connections
For the last two and a half years, Marlien has been running Food Cloud in Navan - distributing short-dated food from local supermarkets to people in need in the local community. Along with a small team of volunteers, Marlien is helping to eliminate food waste (tons of food are thrown out every day in Ireland) and providing a helping hand and a listening ear to single mums and other people experiencing food poverty. “It’s not just the food, it’s the connection. Sometime people just want to chat,” she says.
It was a miracle
Vlasta is from the Czech Republic. Growing up under a Communist regime, she had no idea about God. But about ten years after arriving in Ireland, she says, “I didn’t find God… God found me!” Separated from her husband and struggling with a lifetime of pain, heartbreak and loss, Vlasta came along to Lighthouse Church. “I was crying every week. I knew I was in a safe place; the right place.” But after a while Vlasta sank into a deep depression, the aftermath of years of abuse.
“For four years I did not want to live.. I didn’t have anybody else, but I was healed in Jesus’ name and now I’m the strongest I’ve ever been,” she says.
“The peace and joy in my heart is beyond understanding.”
And yet Vlasta’s life is far from easy. Her youngest son suffers from a life-threatening heart condition and on several occasions the doctors have given up hope. “I’m so blessed to be part of Lighthouse Community. When my son was seriously ill in April, they provided hot meals for my other sons,” Vlasta added. Whatever happens, she knows her son’s life is in God’s hands.
“Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” Isaiah 60:1
(L to R) Pastor Avram and Pastor Valerian from Betania Church.
From Navan, it is a short journey to Blanchardstown. My final stop of the day takes my breath away. Pastor Valerian Jurjea leads Betania Church - a Romanian Pentecostal Church in Blanchardstown, Co Dublin. After out-growing their previous building, the congregation purchased a stretch of land and have built a new church despite all the challenges of the last two years. In fact, most of the labour on the building was donated free of charge by skilled church members who gave up their evenings and Saturdays for months at a time to paint, lay tiles, fix skirting boards and create bespoke storage solutions.
Even knowing that this is one of the largest Christian churches in Ireland (with a membership of over 600 adults and 600 children), I wasn’t prepared for the sheer scale of their new sanctuary and the craftsmanship and loving attention to detail that has gone into this new church. After showing me around, Pastor Avram shared the story of this new church and their longing to be a blessing to Ireland and to other parts of the world.
“I remember when we had a meeting with the architects for this building and they asked for our budget. I looked at them and I said we have no budget because we build by faith. They said, ‘You Romanians are crazy.’ We said, ‘Let’s start the journey by faith and God will bring us to the end.’"
“I believe God is at work in Ireland and it is only beginning,” Pastor Avram shared. “There is so much need for healing. There is so much depression and despair but we have HOPE in Jesus!”
And so day three draws to a close. In these first three days on the road, I’ve travelled almost 700km through 15 counties and despite all the challenges people are facing, there is a sense of expectancy… I’ll leave you this evening with Pastor Avram’s parting words, “The best days are ahead. May God bless you all.”