One of the heart swelling moments in the LOTR film "The Return of the King" has to be the scene of the lighting of the beacons. The kingdom of Gondor is besieged by an evil enemy and calls for help from its western neighbour, the land of Rohan. The message is signalled from peak to peak, summoning aid in their time of desperate need.

Well, last week the Tron Church in Glasgow lit the beacons and called for us to join them in prayer.

Phil Copeland, their Associate Pastor, has been unwell in hospital. A few days ago the shocking news came that he has been diagnosed with a severely aggressive billiary tumour in his liver. Ordinarily he would be put on a path for palliative care. However, given his young age (37) and young family, the doctors are exploring an alternative course of chemotherapy, radical surgery and liver transplant.

This is unimaginably hard on Phil, his wife Emma and their little ones. It is also a grievous sadness to their church family at the Tron, where Phil grew up. He is known and loved by our pastor in training, Sean, who worked there for two years and apprentice, Stephen who grew up alongside.

His minister, Willie Philip, has lit the beacons and asked us to join with the Tron church family in praying for God's mercy and miraculous hand for this young minister of the gospel.

Would you stop and pray for them just now?

We have every confidence that the second (eternal) death cannot lay a finger on Phil - He is safe and secure in Christ. But we can pray that the last enemy - physical death - would not be allowed to claim him for many years yet.

Thank you

David