With Rob and Rae Rife in Edinburgh
In mid November I had the joy of spending time with Rob and Rae Rife in Edinburgh. It is always a blessing to hear the stories of how God leads our global staff to the places where they serve. For several years the Rife’s had felt a desire and a sense of God’s leading to explore serving in the UK. In 2018 they joined the Europe Gathering in France to meet the team and discern their sense of call. In 2020 Rob began fundraising through Serve Globally and sharing his vision to serve people recovering from addiction through the arts. As individuals and churches began to give to support Rob, Rae a UK citizen, was offered a job in Edinburgh and the pieces were coming together to enable them to make this move. Rob joined Rae in the beginning of 2021 and began developing the Creative Recovery Initiative in partnership with local churches. As a pastor, professional musician, composer and poet, Rob uses his gifts and experience to create worship spaces geared to the recovery community. The contemplative service he created is called, The Well, reflecting the words of Jesus, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. (John 7:37) Together with the community of St. James church, he is seeking to invite the recovery community to “drink from the Well that truly satisfies” as Rob describes it. Being with this community over time he gives witness to God’s transforming work in people’s lives as they let go and learn to trust God’s love and purpose for their lives.
Rob has forged a wonderful partnership with St. James Episcopol Church and has been invited to lead worship once a month and host the Creative Recovery Initiative here.
It was great to join the community of St. James Episcopol Church for their Sunday worship. This is a small yet dynamic community that has a rich history of nurturing artists and the prophetic imagination through hosting an art school and training Christian artists. It is also a church that has learned to let go and adapt to the new thing God is doing in their midst. Right next door is the original large stone church building. I learned that they decided to sell the building and move their services to an adjacent all purpose room. The older building was draining their resource and holding them back from the ways they felt God leading them to serve in the community. Now they gather in this humble and yet welcoming space and chose to worship in the round, with musicians along one side and the communion table in the center. It creates a unique sense of connection where the center of focus is the alter and the community. They also have a long relationship with L’arche, a movement devoted to creating caring homes for people with disabilities. There were several members of the community from a home in the neighborhood who were in the service and I could see how they were truly part of the community.
We can truly see God’s hand in leading the Rife’s to serve in Edinburgh and celebrate the doors he has opened for Rob to connect with what God is doing there.
We can be in prayer for:
The Creative Recovery Initiative and all those who are connecting with this ministry
St. James Church and their witness in the Leith neighborhood of Edinburgh
The church in Scotland as they seek to live out the Gospel in a nation that has become one of the most secular nations in Europe.