The Record - April 2018 by Free Church of Scotland

THE

RECORD

MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND APRIL 2018 • £1.50

Editor • Rev. David A Robertson The Editor, The Record, St Peter’s Free Church, 4 St Peter Street, Dundee, DD1 4JJ 07825748752 drobertson@freechurch.org Missions News • Mrs Sarah Johnson Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS sarah@freechurch.org WFM Editor • Sarah Cumming 31 Doune Park, Dalgety Bay, KY11 9LX sarah.cumming@hotmail.co.uk Gaelic Editor • Janet MacPhail 24 North Bragar, Isle of Lewis, HS2 9DA 01851 710354 Seminary News • Rev. Thomas Davis Free Church Manse, Carloway, Isle of Lewis thomasanduna@btinternet.com Prayer Diary • Mrs Mairi Macdonald ian.macdonald57@btinternet.com Copy Editor • Dayspring MacLeod The Record • ISSN 2042-2970 Published • The Record is produced by The Free Church of Scotland, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS 0131 226 5286 offices@freechurch.org Details of the church's activities, latest news and people to contact are all available on the church's website: www.freechurch.org Advertising • Anyone wishing to advertise in The Record should contact the editor. For Subscriptions • The annual subscription price for The Record is £30. Cheques should be made payable to: Free Church of Scotland. Please contact the offices for overseas subscription costs.

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For the visually impaired: Please contact Norman Kennedy on 01463 240192 for details of how to obtain The Record in an audio version. Design & Layout • Fin Macrae @DUFI Art www.dufi-art.com

The Free Church of Scotland is a registered charity SC012925 Women for Mission is a registered charity SC03898

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CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE APRIL RECORD

last month ’ s edition got a — not so much for the cover, which was designed to make people think, but rather because of the editorial What would Jesus do about Transgender? We are delighted that not only The Times, but also the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Rev. Mark Strange, are readers of The Record. Mr Strange was not happy and issued a statement that, amongst other things, declared, ‘I believe we are all the children of God, equally loved and cherished for who we are.’ This is a statement that is indicative of why so much of the church in Scotland is in decline. Why? Because it is a banal, meaningless truism. It is also dishonest in that, because it is meant to be an argument against what was being said about teaching Queer Theory; it gives the impression that I was saying the exact opposite. No one denies that in one sense we are all children of God — because all human beings are created in God’s image. However, in another sense none of us are — which is why John in his Gospel tells us that Jesus came to give us the ‘right to become children of God’. That’s the Good News. That’s why we need to proclaim and live it. Sadly, meaningless truisms that only reflect and echo the culture of the times are not what people need to hear. The church is different from the world. Or at least should be. It is because we believe so passionately in the love of God and because we love our fellow human beings that we dare to proclaim the full gospel of Jesus Christ, including when it challenges as well as comforts. So in this months edition we have news, views, poetry, Bible, mission, challenge, testimony and cultural comment from a Christian perspective. I hope it will be enjoyable, stimulating, challenging and encouraging to you. And I hope that if Mr Strange and others are reading it, they will find it useful and helpful...and maybe next time before they issue judgemental press releases, they could give us a call and let us know. That would after all be the loving thing to do.• s

DAVID SUCHET AND THE MYSTERY OF DOCTRINE

FREE CHURCH NEWS: 25 Year Celebration, Poolewe & Aultbea Refurbishment, Portree & Bracadale New Building Govan Café, New Church Planting

CELEBRATION OF HOPE Iain MacAskill

DOUGLAS MACMILLAN LECTURE Iain MacAskill

OBITUARIES: ANGUS STEEL Benjamin Wilks

OBITUARIES: ROBERT CLARK Kenny Boyd

ENFORCED RETIREMENT Murdo Murchison

TRAINING FOR EVERYONE IN A LOCAL CHURCH Robin Sydserff

ECCLESIASTES: WORK, REST AND PRAY

DOES A PREACHER NEED A UNIVERSITY DEGREE? Thomas Davis

DUMISANI 2018 GRADUATION J. C. Whytock

LETTERS

KNOWING THE TIMES Pete Sanlon

LETTER FROM SOUTH KOREA Callum Bowsie

POETRY PAGE George Herbert

GAELIC Janet MacPhail

THE ANTIDOTE TO FEAR Dayspring MacLeod

PRAYER DIARY

POST TENEBRAS LUX Catriona Murray

expected ,

reaction

Yours in Christ David

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DAVID SUCH MYSTERY OF BY THE EDITOR

according to his own words: ‘Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division’ (Luke 12:51). What divides the great Abrahamic faiths is the person of Christ. Christ, of course, comes to bring unity, to break down the dividing wall of division, but he does so by the teaching about himself that often initially causes division. Perhaps it would help Mr Suchet if we changed the word doctrine (dogma), which has such a negative, polemical feel to it, and instead simply say truth. Jesus is the truth and Jesus speaks the truth. ‘Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me”’ (John 18:37). The first disciples came to recognise that Jesus spoke the truth and they gave themselves to that truth. John 6:68-69: ‘Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”’ The doctrine of Scripture tells us about the miracles of Christ, which point to the divinity of Christ, and bring us to faith in Christ — ‘Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31).’ Jesus wants us to know his doctrine and to obey it — he even gives us his Spirit to write the doctrine on our hearts. How foolish of us to reject Word and Spirit and think we can still have Christ. ‘If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you (John 14:15-17).’ Suchet asks what went wrong with the Abrahamic faiths. Why is there so much trouble? It would be

here is a common misunderstanding that does

— the idea that doctrine is somehow unworthy of and unlike the Christ who is love. It’s something that we come across continually. Recently I was asked to write a comment on David Suchet’s comments on his new podcast series, in which he appears to question the value of doctrine in the life of a Christian. David Suchet is a big part of my life. Every day I hear his voice — not because I am an Agatha Christie fanatic endlessly watching repeats of Poirot, but rather because I listen each day to him reading the Bible. His voice is astonishing. I have found listening to the Word in this way such a spiritual blessing. So it was with great interest that I listened to his views about doctrine. Although I have a great deal of sympathy with some of his statements, overall they were somewhat disappointing and confused. Suchet has fallen into the oldest trap known to man — the devil’s favourite trick question, ‘Did God really say?’ There is nothing that the Father of Lies likes more than to get us to question the Word of God. He knows that the Church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the chief cornerstone. He knows that if he wants to destroy the church, then he must remove the foundation and the words of Christ. In a post-truth, postmodern, alternative-fact, ‘relational’ society, it’s all too easy for us to fall for the lie that doctrine doesn’t really matter, that it is divisive and that we should just be about the love of God. ‘It’s all about Jesus, not doctrine.’ It sounds so good. Lots of ‘likes’ are acquired whenever anyone plays that card. The only problem is that setting up doctrine and Jesus as opposites is a false dichotomy and ultimately ends up with the paradox of those who are against doctrine also being against Christ. Suchet doesn’t like doctrine because it is divisive. But isn’t that the case for everything valuable? In one sense no one is more divisive than Jesus, at least a great deal of harm in the church today

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ET AND THE DOCTRINE better to ask what went wrong with humanity: division exists in every society and community, whether religious or not. But it is true that something has gone wrong with the Abrahamic faiths — it is when they see themselves as Abrahamic and leave out Christ. Abraham is not the one we are to have faith in; he is instead an example of faith in Christ (Romans 4). What’s gone wrong with Islam, Judaism and much of Christianity? They have become Christless religions which ultimately lead away from, rather than to, God. Suchet also correctly states that doctrine is dangerous. ‘Religion with power is a very, very dangerous thing.’ Indeed it is. The Word of God is powerful, the Spirit of God is powerful and the Gospel of God is powerful. But the danger that Suchet fears is the misuse of the powerful force of religion, especially when it is used by politics. And with that I wholly agree. My problem is not with his analysis but his solution — getting rid of doctrine/dogma. The problem is that it won’t work. Why? Firstly, because it is impossible to get rid of doctrine (truth). The statement that ‘all doctrine is dangerous’ is itself a doctrine. Secondly, to remove doctrine is to remove the teaching of Christ — do we really want to get rid of the doctrine that ‘God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16)? No, the problem is not with doctrine per se; it is with false doctrine which leads us away from Christ. The solution is not no doctrine, but rather Christ’s doctrine. There are difficulties in the teaching of Jesus. They are often offensive to human feelings, religions and ideologies. But they are full of the Spirit and life. ‘Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you — they are full of the Spirit and life (John 6:61-63).”’ David Suchet has done the Church a wonderful

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service in putting the words of Scripture into an audio format. I am sorry that he appears to have been sidetracked from the Christ to whom those words testify, and I pray that he will once again experience that these doctrines are ‘full of the Spirit and life’. After reading the above, David Suchet himself responded — I wonder how you would respond to these comments and challenges? I add my own below, but it would be good to see how others would respond in a tweet (280 characters). Feel free to write in with yours and we will publish them next month! DS — Thank you. Another trap is to believe that what is printed in the press and edited on video clips is all I said! Similar to taking certain Biblical quotes out of context. Jesus' doctrine for us is LOVE. He condemned manmade 'religious' rules and traditions. THESE separate/divide. DAR — Thanks. Agree completely both about the press and the love of God. As regards the former, I apologise if I have inadvertently misrepresented you. As regards the latter, I totally agree that manmade religious rules cause harm — it’s best to stick with the Word of the God who is Love.

DAR — Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is also doctrine/ dogma which divides, precisely because it does challenge the world’s values. Adultery, violence etc. The key issue in any church’s teaching is whether they teach the doctrine of Christ or whether they have added to or taken away from it.• The Editor

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ITV for Masterpiece

DS — Just read the various Christian Church catechisms! Dogmas that are certainly polemical. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount turns the world’s values upside down. Jesus’ prayer ‘To Love one another’ is not being answered by Church dogmas that divide.

FREE CHURCH NEWS 25 YEARS OF MINISTRY CELEBRATION

meal followed by an informal evening of entertainment. The gathered crowd enjoyed an audio-visual display illustrating the life and times of the Moderator Designate. The young folks’ Puppet Group then presented, to rousing applause, a highly amusing ‘Angus MacRae — This is Your Life’, sharing hitherto well-hidden anecdotes and escapades from their minister’s early years. A gift from the congregation was presented by elder Mr Ron McMaster, with the minister’s wife Ann and mother Sina receiving bouquets of flowers from Mrs Mary MacKenzie and Mrs Jessie Sinclair. Thanking the congregation for their gift and good wishes, Mr MacRae spoke of his 25 years of ministry, initially in the Ayrshire congregation of Kilwinning and Saltcoats, then moving to Dingwall and Strathpeffer in 2001. As a most enjoyable evening drew to a close, Mr MacRae requested the congregation’s continued prayerful support as he faced the challenges of the coming year.•

ith scotland gripped by an unprecedented winter chill from the east, the congregation of

Dingwall and Strathpeffer met on the evening of to celebrate Rev. Angus MacRae’s 25 years in ministry and his appointment as 2018 Moderator Designate. In a packed Maclean Suite, overlooking the hallowed turf of Ross County’s stadium in Dingwall, the extended family and friends of Mr MacRae were treated to an excellent

ISLANDS STUDY CONFERENCE HARRIS HOTEL, TARBERT, ISLE OF HARRIS 20th-22nd April 2018 SPEAKERS

Rev. Dr. Malcolm Maclean Greyfriars Free Church, Inverness “The Trinity in the Christian Life”

Rev. Calum Iain Macleod Back Free Church, Isle of Lewis “Living the Christian life in a 21st Century world”

Residential cost-£165 (Application in writing with £10.00 non-refundable Booking Fee per person) Booking Secretary (Hotel Residents only) Chrissie Macleod, 25A Upper Coll, Isle of Lewis, HS2 0LS Mobile: 07584 497567 Tel: 01851 820 632 Email: chrissie.macleod@googlemail.com Booking Secretary (Day Visitors for Meals/Buffets only) Kathryn Graham, 5 Catherine Hill, Vatisker, Isle of Lewis, HS2 0JS Mobile: 07833 552101 Tel: 01851 820 696 Email: bookharrisconference@mail.com Conference website: www.isc.scot

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POOLEWE AND AULTBEA REFURBISHMENT

his iconic building was erected sometime during the 1880s using stones quarried from isle ewe. Some 130 years later it had deteriorated to such an extent that the Deacons’ Court consulted an architect who suggested that the building was in such a state that the cost of refurbishing it would be prohibitive. His advice was to demolish the old building and build a new one onsite. It soon became obvious that many people in the village and surrounding area were very much opposed to its demolition. In order to preserve a good relationship with the community, and realising that to proceed would jeopardise opportunities for sharing the gospel and could damage our witness to a watching community, we decided to remove the demolition from our plans and to seek the congregation’s approval to go forward in faith and try to raise sufficient funds to refurbish the old building. The congregation agreed, and are committed to providing a warm, welcoming and flexible place of worship which will last many years without expensive upkeep and running costs. So far we have spent approximately £110,000 on outside drainage, fixing the roof, and replacing all the windows and floors. We are now in receipt of the final estimates and find that in spite of the congregation’s regular giving, together with donations and a legacy, we are still short by about £50,000. We as a congregation are confident that the Lord wishes this project to be completed. We are also very much aware that at this time there are many appeals of a similar nature being requested; nevertheless we would appeal to the wider church not only for your financial help but also for your prayers. If anyone should wish to contribute in any way, please send a cheque for the church to our treasurer, Roderick MacKenzie, 8 Ormiscaig, Aultbea, IV22 2JE, or email him for other options and information: randcmackenzie@aol.com•

PORTREE AND BRACADALE NEW BUILDING

ortree and bracadale free church, after a long

The project will be funded by a loan from the General Trustees, the sale of some property, and monies raised by the congregation. However, finances may dictate that the building be constructed in two phases, unless sufficient funds can be found. It is estimated that the first phase, including the main sanctuary, a multipurpose hall, kitchen and an office, will cost in the region of £1.2 million, which is within touching distance of the monies that will be available. The congregation would ideally wish to construct the additional rooms to be used for Sunday School, crèche etc., at the same time, rather than as a second phase at a later date. Raising sufficient funds for this will be a challenge. However exciting this latest development is for the congregation, the main request for prayer is that they will remain focused on the mission of bringing Christ to the community, for which the new building will be a useful tool. Donations can be sent to: Mr Charles Baptie, ‘Carnethy’, 58 Aird Bernisdale, Portree, Isle of Skye, IV51 9NU, or you may contact him for the congregation’s bank accounts by email: cbaptie@hotmail.co.uk •

wait, finally received planning consent

for a new multi-purpose building last month. For the past 18 years the congregation have met in the local primary school gym hall, but have always had the vision for a facility that would better enable them to serve God in the community. In addition, the growth of the congregation over the years has rendered the current location too small. The new building, designed by Colin Armstrong Architects, will be built on a site at Shepherd’s Way, in the centre of a new housing development.

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GOVAN CAFÉ VENTURE

he free church in govan recently confirmed a joint venture to launch a free café with street connect,

a Scottish charity that helps the marginalised and disadvantaged within society. Govan Free Church minister Rev. Norman Mackay said, ‘We are really happy working with Street Connect. Coming from an addiction background, both Ricky and Julie have proven God in their own personal experience. ‘Many of the guys who come to our drop-in struggle with addiction issues or perhaps just loneliness. Both these struggles are huge in our community, and working together or pooling our resources simply makes sense as we are both aiming at extending the Kingdom of God through ministering lovingly to the local community. ‘The fact is that recreational Christianity, where Christians simply exist for themselves and their families, means little or nothing over here. You have to be actively involved in the community and demonstrate God’s love in these practical ways to make any inroads into people’s lives.’ Street Connect works in partnership with a range of local and national organisations. Their current services include street work, drop-in cafes, 1-2-1 consultations, group work including their own community recovery programme, befriending, community detoxification services and referrals to residential rehabilitation. They have also recently purchased their first twobedroom flat to provide accommodation for those who have completed a period in residential rehabilitation. Julie McAddock of Street Connect said, ‘This outreach with Norman and the Govan Church Plant has been really good. Recently we had 43 people walk into the café from the Govan Road. The BBC wish to come along to explore the positivity surrounding the project, and an MSP also is keen to view the positive contribution that we are making in this area of multiple deprivation. ‘We identified the Free Church as a partner for the simple reason that under

Norman’s leadership the church is deeply involved in and highly respected by the Govan Community. As a minister of the gospel, he spends more time in the streets of Govan than he does in the pulpit. Jesus spent lots of time among the marginalised in society. So Street Connect and the Govan Church Plant want to do the same.’•

CHURCH PLANT IN GLASGOW

hrist

church

glasgow

is in the early stages of planting a new church in Northwest Glasgow. Glasgow is Scotland’s most populous city and the fourth largest in the UK. Its vibrancy and thriving cosmopolitan outlook provide it with significant influence. The city heavily shapes culture due to its impact on business trade and manufacturing as well as its innovation in the arts, media and entertainment. With some 133,000 students from 135 countries, Glasgow also plays a large part in moulding education. Yet it has many social problems, with one of the poorest health profiles of any UK city and the largest number of deprived areas in Scotland. However, Glasgow’s greatest problem is spiritual.

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The city of Glasgow has as its motto ‘Lord, let Glasgow flourish through the preaching of thy Word and praising thy name.’ While everyone wants Glasgow to flourish, sadly, not many believe this will happen through the preaching of God’s Word. But Glasgow is urgently in need of more diverse churches to preach God’s Word and praise his holy name amongst the many people who are lost and know nothing of the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. The church planting team is led by Rev. Jonathan de Groot. Commenting on the new plant, he said, ‘The launch team are burdened by the lack of gospel witness in the area and want to be a church engaged in this urban context where people can hear the

gospel, see it lived out and come to believe it for themselves. ‘Amidst the affluence and poverty, you find professionals and the unemployed, students and the elderly, young families and singles all living in close proximity to one another. We are all excited by the opportunity to begin this new work and bring the gospel to the entire community.’ Give thanks to God for the support for this new church plant and for the people committed to reaching the many unbelieving people in northwest Glasgow. Please pray for Jonathan de Groot and the team as they have now begun to meet together to pray, plan and work towards a biblical and bold vision for what the new church should be and seek to find the most strategic location possible.•

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BY REV. IAIN MACASKILL

I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Will Graham at the launch event in Grangemouth at the beginning of the year. In many ways he’s a ‘chip off the old block’; what struck me was his humility and passion for reaching the lost. He also reminds me of his grandfather when he preaches; there is a real sense of the power of God and the presence of The Holy Spirit when he proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ. Will shared with us that evening how he prayed long and hard before accepting the invitation to come to Scotland — an invitation which, incidentally, clashed with his twentieth wedding anniversary. He was compelled to say yes, and he’s now bringing his wife along with him. After the Celebration is over, they plan to visit the Isle of Skye — an appropriate place for them to celebrate twenty years of marriage! We believe that God will bless the Celebration. Already churches in the area are working together, whether from Charismatic, Pentecostal or Reformed traditions. Special prayer meetings are being held as we petition the Lord to bless this nation of Scotland. It’s no coincidence that the BBC is screening a documentary titled ‘Billy Graham and Scotland’, which will receive a higher profile now that he has passed into glory. What a legacy it would be for Billy Graham, a true legend in the field of evangelism, if scores of souls were won for Christ through his grandson’s preaching! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if those saved would grow in their faith and be ambassadors for Christ in this generation? We are reminded of Billy Graham’s words at the Kelvin Hall in 1955: ‘Millions of prayers have gone to the throne of Grace that God might send a spiritual awakening to Scotland and make an impact on the entire world.’ Our nation and world needs such a revival today. Where there is unity, God commands a blessing. Do it again, Lord! •

write this having watched the moving funeral service of rev. dr billy graham,

a man used by God to reach many millions with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It finished with a piper leading the family and the pallbearers with a medley of hymn tunes. The piper went on to play a well-known Scottish tune, ‘The Dark Island’, composed by Iain MacLauchlin, an accordionist from Creagorry in Benbecula. This particular tune was probably chosen because of Billy Graham’s links with the west of Scotland. His heritage was in Uig in Skye and his forefathers would have looked across the water to the Isle of Benbecula — An t- Eilean Dorcha (The Dark Island). Billy and Ruth Graham loved Scotland, and he is best remembered here for his visit in 1955 to the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, where many committed their lives to Christ. Some of those people are still serving in leadership in the Church in Scotland today. My own memory is of his visit in 1991, where his messages at ‘Mission Scotland’ were relayed by live link to Benbecula, the Dark Island! I had just been converted the year before, so this provided a wonderful opportunity to invite friends and family to hear the gospel in a neutral venue. Here we are twenty-seven years later and I’m now helping to organise the visit to Scotland of Billy Graham’s grandson, Will Graham. The Central Scotland Celebration of Hope has been planned for Falkirk Stadium on 15-17 June 2018. We hope to see thousands of people coming to the event on three consecutive nights, the idea being that each Christian coming brings at least one non-Christian friend. The event itself — although the focus — is only 10% of the workload; 45% involves preparation for the Celebration, and importantly, 45% is in preservation: following up with those who make a commitment and connecting them with a Bible-believing church in their area. Part of the preparation involves Christians attending the Christian Life and Witness Course, which is held over three successive evenings in various locations in the Central Belt. The Free Church congregations of Dowanvale (Glasgow), Christchurch (Edinburgh), Hope (Coatbridge) and Stirling are hosting these courses, which are designed to help Christians re-ignite their faith and share it with others.

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Iain MacAskill Vice-Chairman Central Scotland Will Graham Celebration of Hope For updated information visit our Facebook page.

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DOUGLAS MACMILLAN LECTURE 30 January 2018 BY REV. IAIN MACASKILL

did not have the privilege of meeting rev . douglas

The Upper Room to meet the elders. That evening 150 people, including Ryno, crammed into the Oasis Café in Benbecula to hear the gospel, with many participating in the Lord’s Supper for the first time. These are special memories of a special friend, mightily used by God as an evangelist. So what can we learn from these godly evangelists — men like Douglas MacMillan and Kenny MacDonald? What made their ministries so fruitful? They each had a deep love for the lost — a desire to see men and women, boys and girls saved. They could associate with the words of D.L. Moody: ‘I look upon this world as a wrecked vessel. God has given me a lifeboat and said, “Moody, save all you can.”’ In Proverbs 11:30 we read: ‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. And he who wins souls is wise.’ Evangelism, my friends, is snatching souls from Satan’s grip. As C.T. Studd once said: ‘Some want to live within the sound of a church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.’ The two key components of evangelism are Preaching and Personal Witness.

personally — he passed just after my conversion to Christ — but I was certainly influenced by his ministry through his taped sermons. These were recordings of sermons preached on Psalm 23, a psalm which was so dear to his heart. And of course I read his book on the subject, written about The Shepherd from a shepherd’s perspective. Douglas’ legacy lives on — and it is a real privilege to be asked to address you all today on the subject of evangelism. We live in the shadow of great evangelists, like Douglas and, of course, Rev. Kenny MacDonald, who recently passed into glory. These two men, one through his teaching and writing, and the other through his personal witness and preaching, have been an inspiration to me over these past twenty years of ministry. In 1997 I was appointed as an Evangelist to South Uist and Benbecula. That was twenty years ago — as far as I know there have been no such appointments since. Where have all the evangelists gone? Scotland needs evangelists more than ever! After three years of evangelistic effort in South Uist and Benbecula, a church was planted and Kenny MacDonald was invited to preach at the first Communion. Over the course of the weekend twenty-three people came before the Kirk Session seeking membership, almost all by profession of faith. The Session was made up of assessor elders from Lewis. Late on Saturday night, after hearing many testimonies of faith, one of the elders turned to his colleague and said, ‘Do you think this is what Pentecost was like?’ His fellow elder replied, ‘I don’t know, but it’s certainly better than Stornoway!’ That same night Ryno Morrison, originally from Ness, went to bed frustrated. His wife Mary, from South Uist, had come to see Jesus as her Saviour, as had many other friends. As he dropped off to sleep Ryno prayed, ‘Rabbi, I want to see!’ The next morning in South Uist Community Hall, Kenny, by now almost blind, preached on that very text — ‘Rabbi, I want to see.’ Ryno’s eyes and heart were opened under the powerful proclamation of the gospel, and he trusted in Jesus for salvation. After the service, Ryno, along with five others, met with the KS. I’ll never forget Kenny, with his failing eyesight, taking Ryno, who couldn’t see through his tears, by the hand upstairs to what was known as macmillan

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PREACHING 1 Cor. 1:21: ‘For since in the wisdom of God, the world, through its wisdom, did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.’ The gospel is the message people need to hear. It must be proclaimed. It is good news! It promises sins forgiven, new life for all who believe! Some say, ‘Preach the gospel, and if necessary use words.’ But it is absolutely essential to speak/preach the Word of God. Paul’s advice to Timothy was: ‘Preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season, correct, rebuke and encourage, with great patience and careful instruction (2 Tim. 4:2).’ Preaching is powerful — it’s dunamis — it’s dynamite. Preachers are ambassadors for Christ, as are all believers. Paul considered himself thus (2 Cor 5:20): ‘We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.…’ As ambassadors of Christ we have his authority, but with it comes a responsibility to proclaim his Word, not our own. It’s not about us — it’s about him. We must declare Christ’s message to the world. Soul business is solemn business; it’s serious. Be

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reverent, not irreverent, when handling the precious Word of God — the Truth. People’s lives depend on this truth being communicated. Both my wife and I were converted together under the preaching of the gospel. The story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) was used by God in our conversion, in particular v9-10: ‘And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save what was lost.”’ This was the gospel in a nutshell. We were born again there and then — Dunamis! But how did we come to be there that night? Well, that takes us on to…

today many still bear witness to that fact. And God can use you in the same way if you are willing. Is. 6:8: ‘Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”’ So are you willing to go to your work colleague, your friend, your neighbour, with the gospel? Tell them your story. There are three parts to it: this is what I was, this is what happened when I met Jesus, and this is my life now. Then tell them His Story. We are all sinners. Jesus came to save us. He was fully God, fully man. He died for sin — not his, because he was sinless — but ours. A recent survey showed that, of people who had recently come to faith in Jesus, 75% had heard someone’s story first — and that’s what moved them to come and enquire further. The same survey confirmed that when there is a crisis, an illness, a death, a redundancy, the person affected is more likely to turn to a Christian for help. Your work colleagues, neighbours, family members will turn to you — because they trust you. They’ve been observing you. Then they will be happy to hear these words, ‘Can I pray for you?’ 77% of females and 53% of males in the survey said that they had become Christians because of a crisis in their lives which made them consider Christ. Today in our society there are people on the point of suicide — Jesus can save them! Paul and Silas were in the right place physically and spiritually — praying and singing hymns to God — when they stopped the Phillipian Jailer from taking his own life (Acts 16). If you want to tell people about God, you must be close to God. Then he can use you to take the message of salvation out into your community, to meet people where they’re at — not where you think they are, or where you hope they are, but where they are spiritually! John. 4:35: ‘Do you not say, “There are yet four months, then comes the harvest? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest.”’ Matthew. 9:37-38: ‘Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. Therefore, PRAY earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into HIS harvest.”’ In Matthew. 28:20 Jesus says, ‘And surely I am with you always, to the every end of the age.’ So let’s do it! Why? ‘Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.’•

PERSONAL EVANGELISM We were in church that night because a shy Christian friend had been PRAYING for us — and she was prompted by the Holy Spirit to ask us to church. She did not preach the gospel, although her lifestyle portrayed it, but she invited us to a place where we would hear it. As we were prompted to go, so the Holy Spirit was prompting Calum Matheson to change his message to the story of Zacchaeus, and under the preaching of the gospel that night the Holy Spirit opened our hearts to receive the message of salvation. Friend, don’t let your personality stand in the way of witnessing for Christ. Even the quietest of us can reach people for Jesus. Our motivation as Christians, surely, is love for the lost. Remember, the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Matt. 9:36 tells us that when Jesus saw the crowds, ‘he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.’ We need to reach the lost. Again, I cite the example of Kenny MacDonald. During his eleven years of ministry in Rosskeen, he evangelised the area. I had the privilege of serving in that same community many years later, and many of the believers in the church had come to faith through his ministry. I remember him speaking at a conference on mission where he explained his evangelistic technique. It was simply following the Lord. Kenny said, ‘I look out my window as the bin man is emptying my bin — and I hear a wee voice in my head saying, “Get him for me, Kenny.” I go to the corner shop for my paper, and as I’m being served, I hear the same voice again, “Get her for me, Kenny — otherwise that young girl will be lost.”’ God used him mightily in this one-to-one personal evangelism, and

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THE LATE ANGUS STEEL (1938-2018) BY REV. BENJAMIN WILKS

ngus steel entered the world in June 1938, a first

In recent years, deeply troubled by the lack of commitment to scripture being shown by the Church of Scotland at a national level, Angus was instrumental in the establishment of Covenant Church, Newmilns, in October 2013, and was pleased to attend the 2015 General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, which saw Covenant Church welcomed into the Free Church. Angus’ quiet, steady presence at services on the Lord’s Day, at mid-week meetings, Session meetings and at Presbytery will be sorely missed. It was characteristic of him that his contribution to Presbytery on the last night of his life was, in light of plans to plant a new church, to encourage the minister (and all of us) to remain devoted to the principles of Acts 2: to be committed to the preaching of the Word, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer, trusting that the Lord will do the work of adding to the number of those being saved. No one was more obviously ready to go be with his Lord than was Angus. It was a rare thing to make plans with him for anything at all (even in just a few hours’ time) without those words ‘if we’re spared that long’. From some, such words would have been the pious thing they thought they ought to say. But for him, it was a genuine possibility, and one he was entirely comfortable with because he had such confidence that he would then be in a better place by far. To see the church filled, with many more standing at the back, for his funeral would probably have horrified Angus — he hated to be the focus of attention and wouldn’t have liked people being there to ‘pay their respects’. But surely he would nevertheless have been pleased for so many to hear the gospel proclaimed, to hear of the hope of heaven, and to see the powerful witness of a family and a church who ‘do not grieve as others do, who have no hope.’•

child born to godly parents in Saltcoats. He was to lose his father at two years of age, meaning Angus had no recollection of him. Raised under his mum’s loving care, and the witness of their local Brethren assembly in Saltcoats, he came to a knowledge of his need of a Saviour early in life, and found in Christ the friend who sticks closer than a brother. Angus was a man who loved his wife Mae, his daughters Gillian and Heather, and his five grandchildren with devotion and passion; they knew how much he loved them. He always had time for family, no spider was too large for him to remove, no homework too difficult for him to help with. More than that, he was tireless in his prayers for (and with) the family. Angus’ role as the manager of the Clydesdale Bank in Newmilns gave him a certain standing in the community. But he was never one to expect deference or to stand on ceremony. No pinstripes and bowler hat for him, but suede shoes and a generous beard. Everyone in the town knew they could approach him, talk to him, and be listened to. Many found their feet in business with bank loans from the man who had time to listen to their plans and ambitions. Nevertheless, neither family nor business was Angus’ first concern; his first priority was to love and serve his Lord and Saviour, and he was wholeheartedly committed to Christ and his Church. From his early days in the Brethren assembly, some time in the Baptist Church in Saltcoats, and then over forty years at Loudoun East and Loudoun Parish Churches in Newmilns, Angus was consistent in his dedication to the life of the Church. Angus served as a faithful elder alongside successive ministers, showing there but one aspect of his devotion to the Lord whom he served.

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THE LATE ROBERT CLARK (1948-2018) BY REV. KENNY BOYD

boyd clark was born in Rottenrow Maternity Hospital, Glasgow, on 12 September 1948, the first child of Robert and Annie Clark, Oban. He was raised in Oban and attended Rockfield Primary School and Oban High School. He had various interests in his childhood, including amateur dramatics, Campaigners and music. He taught himself the basics of playing the violin, and this was to be his lifelong hobby. On leaving school, he started work with CalMac in Oban and did relief work on the boats as a purser. He then began a lifelong career in the NHS in the office at Dalintart Hospital in Oban, followed by a move to the Finance Department in Lochgilphead. Robert then moved up to Skye, to become the Administrator for Skye and Lochalsh. It was here that, as she came for an interview, Robert met Moira, who was appointed Nursing Officer in Broadford Hospital. They were married on 18 March 1978. The following year they moved to Balloch (Dumbartonshire) and in 1980, Andrew was born, followed by Kenneth in 1981. Robert was a proud dad. Over the next few years, he worked in a number of hospitals subject to the Argyll and Clyde Health Board, in various positions. His final position was as a Legal Claims Manager for Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board. He enjoyed this work and was as meticulous as ever, working on until all the day’s work was cleared. Away from work, Robert loved his church and his music. He planned and oversaw all the improvements carried out in the building of the Free Church in Dumbarton and he had many more in his mind. He was Session Clerk and frequently the Presbytery elder. He was always meticulous, to the nth degree.

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Music took him all over the UK, including Buckingham Palace, Balmoral Castle and tours of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and China with the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra. In 2014 Robert was admitted to hospital and underwent four operations in the course of two years, but he continued to work for his church and the NHS. He had sessions of chemotherapy and this affected his fingers, which in turn affected his fiddle playing. This was a big disappointment to him but it didn’t stop him working. He did really well and coped with it all. When Robert’s son Kenneth and his girlfriend got engaged and set their wedding date for June 2017, he was determined to be there, and he was. Although he didn’t always feel well, he went to work. On 3 January he was quite poorly, but he insisted on going into work as he expected a busy day after the holidays. Events then overtook him and, after two nights in hospital, he was discharged home. Just a few days before he died, Robert was concerned that supply for Dumbarton would be covered. He also indicated that a new sound system for the church, agreed at the November Deacons’ Court, had been installed before Christmas. It was so typical of his attitude of getting things done once decisions had been taken. Robert died very peacefully at home with his family on 9 January. A large attendance at the funeral service in Dumbarton Free Church indicated the high esteem in which Robert was held, as family, colleagues, friends and neighbours gathered to pay their respects. The family and congregation of Dumbarton Free Church will miss him greatly.•

obert

With thanks to Robert’s widow, Moira, and Rev. Colin Buchanan

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ENFORCED RETIREMENT

We continue our series of extracts from Murdo Murchison’s autobiography, One Good Owner.

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For me, sixty would have been good, with plans to travel, projects to undertake, church work and a large garden awaiting my attention. Don’t tell Margaret, but maybe I would have bought an old light aircraft and gone on an age-defying adventure! We can of course dream and plan all we like, but in the final analysis each breath we take depends on the will of God, whether we like it or not. Now, terminally ill, with a brain tumour at the tender age of fifty-eight, I have to accept that my working life is over as I hop one step along in front of the funeral director. Enough gloom and doom! Despite headwinds, it has been tremendously satisfying over the past twentyfive years, against all the odds, to build the business from virtually nothing to a fairly successful garage, as well as a property-leasing business. Despite a few gripes, the motor trade has really been very good to me and I am the third generation of my family to be in it. My younger brother, Ian, has an even more remarkable claim, being the third generation in the Kyle of Lochalsh business M. Murchison & Sons, renamed by him to Murchison’s. Not all that many small garages in Scotland have passed down through three generations! What advice would I give to those wanting to start a business? If you have a bit of go in you, why work for someone else? On the other hand, if there is not a good deal of fire, stubbornness and tenacity in your belly, then please stay in that comfortable job. Can you live with your own mistakes? I certainly can and can testify that experience teaches fools. My motor trade business never amounted to more than 500-600 car sales a year; the original growth came from staunch customers from the length and breadth of Scotland. Most of you were extremely loyal and I will really miss doing business with you, and I have to say that local Stirling people were also very supportive. More recently, we engaged in digital marketing, which proved very successful. People would beat a track from as far as London, Shetland and even Ireland to do business.

Being your own boss is a privilege which, within reason, allows you to do as you please and, over the years, this has had the distinct advantage of giving me the opportunity to engage in other activities: preaching, Gideons, local Haldane Trust, local Rotary, flying, and keeping a big garden as well as general trustee work for the Free Church of Scotland. I also did a bit of property development, which was very satisfying. It was a privilege to be in a position to lend out cars to missionaries home on furlough. The most recent assignment, away from business, was to spearhead a new Free Church in Stirling. This has prospered and is moving forward under the excellent leadership of Iain MacAskill as well as four elders and a deacon. Believe me when I say that, without the undoubted, as well as specific, guidance from on high it would not have succeeded. Looking back I can very clearly see the hand of God in that particular project. Nothing, of course, stays the same. Take the Murchison Park site in Doune; it has had a few generations of owners and uses...little wonder the hymn writer penned the words, ‘Change and decay in all around I see.’ My life has given way, and yes, I am sorry to leave the business behind, but like the hymn writer I can say this, ‘On Christ the solid rock I stand.’ The business in its various forms has been great. Serving the church has been rewarding. However, the real deal is that Jesus Christ has conquered death. He ultimately brings those who trust him to heaven itself. My family have been so very supportive and without Margaret much of what was achieved in life would not have been possible. However, there is that impending, tearful, emotional separation, the sobering reality that just as we took nothing into this world we will take nothing out. Jesus Christ, that ignored figure in the secular Scotland of 2018, promises us a city of great beauty, of many mansions, and has prepared a place for me and all who look to him...I place my complete trust in him. What about yourself? Do you have hope beyond this scene of time? •

hen is the right time to retire?

ONE GOOD OWNER IS PUBLISHED BY CHRISTIAN FOCUS PUBLICATIONS

2018

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TRAINING FOR EVERYONE IN A LOCAL CHURCH (PART I) BY ROBIN SYDSERFF

n this article and the next , i ’ d like to focus on

Moreover, training is for every local church, not just large, well-resourced churches. The leaders of larger churches are just as busy and stretched as leaders of small churches. The typical local church in the New Testament is small and under-resourced; for example, the churches in Philippi (Philippians), Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians) and Asia Minor (1 Peter). These letters are written to whole church communities, not just the leaders. They are trainingfocused — enabling, equipping and encouraging one another are key themes. And all are, humanly speaking, relatively weak, facing numerous difficulties in their particular contexts. If we understand the term ‘training church’ to be a church that has a particular role in training ministers, then that’s not for every local church. In the main (but not entirely), that is the responsibility of the larger, well-resourced churches. But training for everyone in a local church is for every local church. Should my church be a training church? The Bible’s answer is yes.

training for the whole church .

What might it look like to develop a training culture in a local church? Before looking at two specific areas of church-wide training, some introductory comments. SHOULD MY CHURCH BE A TRAINING CHURCH? Training is a New Testament priority. The Gospels have a major emphasis on training. Of the four, Mark stands out with its clear two-fold purpose: (1) an explanation of the gospel to lead people to saving faith in Jesus; and (2) a training manual for ministry and discipleship. The Acts of the Apostles establishes principles and patterns for ministry. Many of the New Testament letters are concerned with directing, equipping and encouraging whole churches for effective ministry — 1 Thessalonians is a good example. And the primary purpose of the Pastoral letters is to train ministers, elders and congregations. Training can easily be misunderstood as something that isn’t very spiritual. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rightly understood, training means enabling, equipping and encouraging: thoroughly biblical and spiritual concepts. A training culture in a local church can make a significant difference to the effective functioning, happiness and fruitfulness of the church. Think of it like this. In your church, every member feels, at least to some degree, enabled, equipped and encouraged in personal evangelism. In your church, every person teaching the Bible has had some basic principles, instruction and mentoring to help them do it well. In your church, the elders and ministry leaders know what they should be doing and are enabled, equipped and encouraged in doing it. Training is good, spiritual and makes a big difference. The focus on training in the New Testament is the local church and training is for everyone, not just ministers. But our mind-set is that training is done outside the local church. We send people away and they come back ‘trained’. Or we go to a conference on some area of ministry to get training. Of course, there’s huge value in conferences, training courses, and formal theological education, but always in partnership with the local church, never in place of it. Indeed, the local church needs to take the responsibility to train.

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TWO AREAS OF CHURCH-WIDE TRAINING: 1. Training in understanding and teaching the bible In a local church, Bible ministry should be pulpitcentred, but not pulpit-restricted. Releasing the Word through the life of a church helps it grow into spiritual maturity. Consider the logic. Jesus Christ leads his Church (which includes every local church) through his Word (literally his apostles’ words in the Scriptures of the New Testament, which attest to the authority of the Old Testament Scriptures). Therefore, the authoritative activity in the life of a local church is preaching and Bible teaching. And not only the authoritative activity, but the means of salvation and transformation (2 Tim. 4:14-17). Taking these together, there is nothing more important in the life of a local church than teaching the Bible. Who teaches the Bible? Ministers, elders (all elders need to be able to teach), occasional preachers, house group/small group leaders, youth and children’s work leaders, people reading the Bible one-to-one with someone, parents teaching their

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children. If there’s nothing more important than Bible teaching and lots of people in a local church are doing it, then training them to do it better makes sense. It matters how the Bible is taught. Not all Bible teaching is good Bible teaching. When God’s Word is preached and taught prayerfully, carefully, clearly and thoroughly, God’s voice is heard with a greater clarity and comes home to the heart with a deeper conviction. This is what Paul is getting at when he writes to Timothy: ‘Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth' (2 Tim. 2.15). Rightly handling the word of truth takes hard work. A gift for teaching is very important, but so is hard work. What might this look like in practice? Here are a number of ideas. The people in the church who are preaching regularly working together on the preaching, sharing constructive input and feedback. The regular preacher beginning a preaching group with a view to bringing others on in their preaching or testing someone’s gifting. An evening once a month set aside to train small group leaders, youth and children’s leaders and others in teaching the Bible/ leading Bible studies. (Publishers like the Good Book Company produce excellent material to help with this.) Or for a few months a year, the whole church studies the same Bible book. It’s preached on Sundays and studied during the week in small groups. Why is this kind of training culture so rare in churches? In my experience (and I include my own ministry) the stumbling block is not usually a lack of people to be trained, or a lack of enthusiasm on their part to be trained; more often reluctance on the part of the minister. Time pressure is a legitimate reason, but the benefits in the end will outweigh the costs.

Scotland, but nothing less than the re-evangelisation of a nation. In that great task, Scotland’s missionaries are the people in gospel churches. If releasing the Word through the life of a church is important, just as important is encouraging, equipping and training the Christian people of Scotland for mission on their own doorstep. We all need help in this. We know we should be doing it, we want to, but we don’t know how. What might this look like in a local church? Over the course of a year, set aside an evening once a month for congregational training in evangelism, covering topics like: (1) thinking intentionally about evangelism; (2) first steps in evangelism; (3) explaining the gospel; (4) responding to doubts and questions; (5) integrating people into the Christian community. One of the most powerful things about the whole church doing this together is the honesty that will characterise the discussions. I find it hard to speak to people about Jesus. Others are encouraged if I am honest about that. And, of course, it works both ways. Again, there are lots of excellent resources to help with this, available from the Good Book Company and other Christian publishers. The next (and more demanding) step in training a whole church in evangelism is equipping people to read one of the Gospels with people who aren’t Christians. In Chalmers we have an ongoing project (‘The Gospel Project’) to understand and use Mark’s Gospel for evangelism. The great thing about this is letting the Word of God do the work of God in bringing people to faith. Mark is a short book and a wonderful explanation of the gospel. Learning how to read and teach Mark, rather than relying on our own ability to explain the gospel, has great potential. Think of the potential if ten people in your church, or twenty, or fifty, were trained in this way. It’s a tough ask, but we’re committed to this as a church and producing the training material to do it. •

2. Training in evangelism Scotland, a country with an unrivalled spiritual heritage, faces enormous challenges. Now one of the most secular countries in Europe, estimates put the number of born again believers in Scotland somewhere between 1.5-2%. Conversion rates are less than 1%. Scotland is now termed an unreached nation. The challenge before us is not the revival of

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Next month we’ll look at what Paul teaches in Titus about models for mentoring and discipleship in a local church.

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ome people really enjoy their work.

That Monday morning feeling, for them, is springing out of bed and bounding to work with joy and zeal. Others, however, find work just a drudge — something they have to do to pay the bills. It’s Monday but Friday’s coming. Sometimes we enjoy going to work, at other times not. Having dealt with sex, pleasure, food, entertainment and, as we saw last month, wisdom, Solomon now turns to this question of work (Ecclesiastes 2:17-26). And it’s clear that he’s on the side of the ‘It’s Monday but Friday’s coming’ people. ‘So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me; all of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.’ He hates toil, the daily grind — one’s daily responsibilities. We do all that work and what’s the point of it? We can say that we are doing it for our family, but what if the person coming after us ruins all the good work we have done? A great example of this was Solomon’s own son, Rehoboam, who destroyed much of his father’s work in building up the kingdom. Here again wisdom and folly come into play — you can work during your life with wisdom and end up leaving it all to a fool! So what is the point of work? It is little wonder that his heart ‘began to despair’ (verse 20). Despite wisdom, knowledge and skill, there is no escaping death and there is no guaranteeing what comes after. So what does all this work and toil achieve? Sweet nothing. Nothing except pain and the sleepless

nights caused by the frustration of knowing that it is all pointless. Solomon shows that existential angst existed long before Sartre and Camus discovered it. So many of us can identify with the picture Solomon paints. You work hard, whether it’s physical labour or mental exertion, and then at night, when you are supposed to be recharging your batteries, you are so stressed you cannot sleep. There is no escape from the daily grind. In the words of the great Swedish philosophers, ABBA: ‘I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay — but still there never seems to be a single penny left for me. In my dreams I have a plan — if I got me a wealthy man...’ Or as the Canadian novelist Douglas Coupland puts it: ‘As the expression goes, we spend our youth attaining wealth, and our wealth attaining youth.’ We work hard when we are young in order to obtain money to help us look young when we are old! Solomon’s description is, ‘under the sun’ (i.e. without Christ), a realistic, sober and honest assessment of life. So let’s eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Is that it? Is there really nothing better and nothing more to life? In verses 24-26 there is a change. God is brought into the equation. As the Italian proverb states, ‘He who leaves God out of his reckoning does not know how to count.’ This is what happens when we do so. The Bible is not saying, forget all these things – it’s not saying

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GOSPEL FOR TODAY’S SOCIETY

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there is no life ‘under the sun’ or that it does not matter. Instead it provides us with the bigger picture and talks about the life of faith. Life is to be enjoyed. We are actually meant to enjoy the simple things in life — eat, drink and enjoy our work. This is not the greed of the rich fool (build bigger and bigger barns for retirement) or the mundane, unreal and hopeless life of the unbeliever, where, as Ernst Becker observes, ‘they tranquilize themselves with the trivial’ to live ‘normal’ lives. It is not licentiousness or cynicism — but contentment. The Christian learns to be content whatever the circumstances. And of course this cannot take place without Christ. God gives wisdom, knowledge and joy to the person who pleases him. The contrast with the person who does not acknowledge God and who does not take his life from the hand of God is strong. We are given the choice of two worldviews, two kinds of life. On the one hand secular pessimism leads to the vicious cycle of a pointless world, temporary pleasures, fruitless work, futile wisdom, and inevitable death. On the other, life from the hand of God is, to borrow a phrase, life lived to the max. This is the God who gives us all things richly to enjoy, the One who, along with Christ, graciously gives us all things that we need. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth’ (Matthew 5:5). ‘Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and

yet possessing everything’ (2 Corinthians 6:10). The contrast is seen in how that works out. Take the issue of sleep. The Christian can, like their Lord in the storm, lay down their head and rest. I love the story of Peter in jail (Acts 12:6). The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Chained and imprisoned, about to be brought to trial for his life, and he sleeps like a baby. ‘He gives his beloved sleep’ (Psalm 127:2). As for work, if you are a Christian, then no matter how mundane or difficult the task may be, you have the joy of knowing that it is done for the Lord. ‘Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain’ (1 Corinthians 15:58). I met an owner of a pub restaurant who told me of a Christian dishwasher she employed — who, as a young man on the minimum wage, nevertheless worked with such joy, honesty and vigour that she was compelled to ask him why. He explained that he loved Jesus and did it for him. Instead of hating our work and hating life, of all people Christians are those who really can live life to the max. And none of it is pointless or meaningless with Christ. That should transform our work practices and environments this Monday morning! Get Christ. Get life. •

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REST AND

DOES A PREACHER NEED A UNIVERSITY DEGREE? BY REV. THOMAS DAVIS

ince 2001, ets has been a partner

institution

university

the

glasgow.

This means that ETS students can study for a degree which is validated by the University. The first BTh graduates received their degrees in 2003, and since then we have added several MTh courses that can be studied through the ongoing partnership between ETS and Glasgow. But the question is sometimes asked: why does a preacher need a university degree? In many ways, the life of a preacher is more vocational than academic, so why is a degree important? Well, we believe that a degree is a vital part of preparing people for gospel ministry. Here are several reasons why.

DISCIPLINE As every student knows, studying for a degree requires a lot of discipline. There are constant deadlines, often there are various assignments that simultaneously need attention, and the student has to make sure that they have the self-discipline to get all the

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work done. All of that is really good preparation for the week-toweek life of a preacher. Preparing sermons requires a lot of selfdiscipline; often a preacher will be working on two or three at the same time, and the deadline of next Sunday is absolutely nonnegotiable. Of course, studying for sermons is one of the greatest privileges someone can ever have, but it requires hard work. The discipline of studying for a degree is excellent preparation for that.

primary means through which the gospel is spread, and that means that they command our very best in terms of study, preparation and delivery. When a student preacher submits an assignment for their degree at ETS, we want them to strive for excellence. Not because we want impressive grades, but because we want to train preachers who will give their congregations nothing less than their very best when they open up Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Word each week.

EXCELLENCE Studying for a degree is also a great inspiration to aim for excellence. As students, we can only ever do our best, and that is different for different people. But the key point is that we must give our best. So in studying for a degree at ETS, we want students to aim as high as they can, and often they far exceed their own expectations, which is a wonderful thing to see. But it is a reminder that the work of a preacher demands our very, very best. Sermons are not just a few thoughts thrown together in a halfhearted way. They are the

INTEGRITY The cardinal sin of academic study is plagiarism. That basically means copying someone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work and pretending that it is your own. It is a shortcut to completing an assignment, but it is totally unacceptable in a university degree. As a student, you are submitting your own work, and you are assessed on that basis. Anything you use that has come from someone else is to be acknowledged as such. And ultimately, that is a question of integrity. A university degree commands integrity from every student, and exactly the same

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principle applies to a preacher. When we preach each week, we must never stand up and preach someone else’s sermon, pretending that it is our own. That doesn’t mean that we don’t use commentaries and books to help us prepare, or that we can’t quote writers in our sermons. Of course we can, and we should when appropriate. But alongside all that, there must be an integrity that works hard to understand God’s Word and prepare a presentation of it which is fitting for our own context and in which we rightly handle the Word of Truth for ourselves.

TRUTH Alongside integrity, a university degree always has a focus on presenting the truth. That applies to any degree, not just theology. If you are doing an essay, then most of the time you are going to be engaging with opinions,

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and your task is to evaluate the extent to which each opinion is true or false. The best students are the ones who can engage with a variety of points of view and then identify and explain the reasons why one is true and the others are false. Sometimes that is not an easy process, and often it might not be totally clear-cut who is right and who is wrong. But underlying all of that evaluation and analysis is a quest to find the truth. And that, of course, is brilliant training for a preacher. Because, as preachers, we are aiming to tell people the truth. In fact, as preachers we are aiming to persuade people as to what is the truth. That is what Paul did: he persuaded people as to the truth of the gospel (Acts 17:4), and it is the preacher’s job to do exactly the same. If a student writes an essay that is irrelevant, incoherent and unpersuasive, then they are not very likely to pass. If the same is true of a sermon, then the result is likely to be equally disappointing. As preachers, the goal is to tell people the truth and to do so in a way that is so coherent, so logical, so robust that those who hear will be fully persuaded that God’s Word is truth. So is a university degree a dry, academic exercise that is irrelevant to the needs of a preacher at the coalface of gospel ministry in the local church? Not at all. The

reality is that a university degree challenges a student to develop many of the key skills required for the work of a preacher. Now, that does not mean that a degree is the only thing that you need in order to be a preacher; that is not true at all. Anyone who wants to be a preacher also needs to be immersed in the life of his local church so that he can develop the skills and character that will enable him to minster to the many different needs that people have.

The work of preaching is a great privilege, but it also requires our very best. We believe that a degree awarded in partnership with one of Scotland’s most prominent universities is a crucial part of preparing people for that work. We give thanks to God for the ongoing partnership between ETS and the University of Glasgow.•

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Dumisani 2018 Graduation & Awards Recognition Day BY J.C. WHYTOCK

behold Christ? In your learning, are you walking with the risen Christ in the Person of His Holy Spirit? This walk is a theological discussion – it is talking about God. We are doing theology all the way home now. Theology is talking about God. We are walking in the Bible.’

n 24 february 2018 the graduation and awards

was held for Dumisani Theological Institute & Bible School in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This is the 39th year of the ministry of Dumisani as a training institution. Twenty-three were honoured at the ceremony. Here is a glimpse of some of our graduates. We had our first husband and wife graduate together in the Certificate of Christian Foundations programme. The husband serves as a pastor in a township beside Berlin village and his wife teaches school in Peddie. They are also involved with several school assemblies where they have opportunity to share the gospel. Two students from the diaspora Ethiopian community graduated this year. These graduates are involved in a large evangelical Ethiopian congregation which is centralised in King William’s Town but reaches Ethiopian immigrants from a very large radius. Along with Wilbert Chipenyu, our visiting lecturer from Timothy Two ministries, I visited this 300-member congregation and brought greetings and a report on Dumisani one Sunday. We had students from the Transkei area graduate, many of whom have been staying three days a week in King William’s Town and then returning to their home villages for ministry over the weekends. Such a pattern highlights our need for short-term student accommodation. We have one pastor coming from just inside the KwazuluNatal/Eastern Cape border, so our student body is truly spread out over much of the province. Our oldest graduate this year serves a congregation beside the historic Transkei location of Tiyo Soga’s place of burial. Our youngest graduate has stayed on at Dumisani and has entered the Advanced Ministry Studies programme. He lives on campus and often helps at night with security checks. Four students were honoured by being recognised for completing their B.Th. degree through NorthWest University, facilitated by Dumisani. Each one of these students came through the complete Dumisani programme by completing first our certificate, then our diploma, and finally the NWU degree. There were four speakers for the day. The principal’s report gave highlights of 2017 and outlined areas of focus for 2018. Two graduating speakers, Mr Mkebe and Mr Siguqa, spoke for their respective graduating classes. Dr Bryson Arthur brought the sermon, based upon Luke 24:13-35, on the theme of ‘Theological Journey: The Awakening’. He spoke about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus encountering the Lord Jesus. ‘Are you seeing God better? Do you feel that you are wakening up to recognition

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day

This year we introduced the Principal’s Awards for Academic Merit. These were presented to Mr Hogana, Mr Siguqu, and Mrs Landingwe. Each graduate also received a gift bag of commentaries and Christian literature. •

The graduates singing during the awards ceremony

Greetings and congratulations

2018 Graduation Day, Dumisani, Eastern Cape

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, I am writing in response to the letter published in the March edition of The Record concerning the dress attire of deacons/elders and your own reply. Firstly, it is good to see that freedom of speech is still alive and kicking in the Free Church. The decision to print this, in my opinion, ridiculous letter was a brave one. It is all too easy to shy away from the publication of views of this nature, which are to some readers and their families hateful and hurtful, but publication exposes the reality that minority views like this really do exist...within the church, which can be a bitter pill to swallow! Exposing such offensive views is a reminder, to me anyway, that some individuals will strive to make what surely must be kept as a private opinion public, with the intentional or unintentional result of creating disharmony. As a lifelong Free Norther, I have to say I was disappointed and offended by the lack of respect shown to our minister and newly ordained deacons and elders in the letter. It was a cringe-worthy read, and as you rightly say it entirely misses the joy of the event. These men have stepped up to make a commitment to serving the Lord, serving their church and serving one another, and every effort should be made from the wider church to encourage and support them — not reprimand them for their fashion! Keep up the good work! ‘But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.’ Hebrews.3:13

We received a large number of comments on last month’s editorial — a selection of these are below: ‘Language like this is unacceptable in Scotland’ — The Scottish Government

‘Thank you for your courageous stand. Please realise that while many may be critical of your position there are others around the world who are supporting you and praying for you. The advocates of social engineering and abortion rights are active not just in Scotland but also in Canada. Recently our national Liberal government decided that organisations who do not support their pro-abortion position would no longer be eligible for summer youth jobs funding. Meanwhile, many of our public schools are aggressive advocates of Queer Theory. May the Lord have mercy on this confused and conflicted world and give strength to his children to stand firm.’ — James from Canada

‘Accusations of demonic ideology are preposterous and will be hurtful to many people’ — Scottish Labour Party ‘Research has shown that when young trans people are supported to express their gender identity they do not have the elevated depression levels seen in trans people who face the kind of hostility perpetrated by Rev. Robertson’ — Scottish Trans Alliance ‘Our schools are not centres of indoctrination but they should be safe, discrimination free, inclusive environments which equip young people to recognise and challenge prejudice’ — EIS Union

‘As editor of The Record, Mr Robertson is given a large measure of literary freedom to express himself and provoke the kind of debate which the subject of transgenderism deserves. Along with other major world religions the Free Church believes that humanity exists in two genders: male and female, which are assigned in the womb. In equating the teaching of transgenderism with “state sponsored child abuse”, Mr Robertson is simply restating views which several others have publicly voiced as part of the nationwide debate.’ — Free Church spokesman

‘I want to thank you from my heart for your bravery in speaking up around the insane gender recognition policy of our Scottish government. I am not so brave, as public pressure is overwhelming at the moment.…the thought that schools in Scotland are further confusing vulnerable children and young people breaks my heart.’ — A psychiatric nurse

We would love to hear from you…please write the editor at: The Record, St Peters Free Church, 4 St Peter Street, Dundee, DD1 4JJ or e-mail drobertson@freechurch.org

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BY REV. DR PETE SANLON This means that British Christians will not know the times rightly if they primarily form their views from cultural analysis that comes from America, any more than if they idolise a previous era — whether the 1500s or 1950s. What sorts of ways could one use to evaluate the times, if we are talking about an understanding of the situation God’s people face in their context? Well, we could be living in a context of revival, where thousands are daily coming under deep conviction of sin and turning to God. Such times have occurred in the UK in the past; but few would say we are living in revival now. Some Christians live as if we are on the cusp of revival – they are always saying that revival is just around the corner. Perhaps that is you? At the other end of the spectrum, a person could think and feel that the church in the UK is living in a time of failure and loss: not seeing people becoming Christians, families unable to pass the faith on to children, and no influence in society at large. (My own analysis is negative, but it is more nuanced than a merely negative picture.) Can you form your view by asking whether you believe the Church to be in a positive or negative situation? How possible is it to be a faithful believer in our nation today? What do you see as the likely prospects for the next twenty, fifty and hundred years?

knowledge not only of the bible, but also of

the times. Jesus castigated the religious leaders who had a merely intellectual knowledge of scripture (Jn. 5:39-40) or who rejected parts of God’s written word (Mk. 7:13). While British Christians take Bible knowledge seriously, we are less comfortable with the fact that Jesus also expected his people to have a discerning knowledge of the times they live in. ‘You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time (Lk. 12:56)?’ As John Calvin taught, ‘the knowledge of God and humanity are intimately connected’ (Inst. 1.1.1). Any proper knowledge of God requires an accurate knowledge of humanity — and vice versa. It is not possible to have a right knowledge of God without a correct view of humanity. Proper knowledge of God requires a correct recognition of the times we live in. This two-part article aims to provoke you to ponder the times we live in. The first part focuses on the nature of the times we are faced with, and the second makes some positive suggestions about ways the Church should respond and behave in light of the times.

HOW DO YOU VIEW THE TIMES? Before considering my view of the times we live in, it would be worthwhile asking yourself how you would describe the times? Many people have no strong view of the times — they move through their daily and weekly life according to their schedule, and consume a diet of technology, media and sport. One’s vision is kept at that low level, and so one fails to develop a bigger evaluation of the times that one inhabits. Some people have a view of the times that is shaped by earthly political visions; things are good or bad because a particular political party is in power, or because a favoured YouTube guru is popular. When Jesus tells us to know the times, he is condemning a privatised individualist vision of life, but he is not inviting us to look at the world through a secular political lens. Rather, Jesus is demanding that his people form a vision of life that is a biblically informed, wisely applied evaluation of the state of God’s people. Such an evaluation will be spiritually discerned and rooted in the part of the world they actually live in.

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THE EVOCATIVE IMAGE: TITANIC There is a haunting image that I believe captures the times the Church face in the UK today. It is the tragic sinking of the Titanic in 1912. People believed the ship was unsinkable. The history, design, technology, money and physical presence meant that it must be so. The tragedy of 1,503 souls perishing in the icy waters is all the more poignant when we realise that those in positions of leadership and influence ignored warnings, failed to make preparations, and did not provide safe havens for the needy. Reality was ignored, appearances were trusted — and lives were lost. When the Titanic hit that iceberg, there would have been a shudder that shook the ship. Those in the first-class dining rooms dismissed it as the string quartet played on. The workmen in the hull of the ship, shovelling coal – they saw water flooding into the compartments. They warned people above deck but were told to stop creating a fuss. When the time came to get onto lifeboats, the escape operation could not be organised with proper resources or time. The tragedy of Titanic is one of people unwilling to admit

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Photo by Colin Rex on Unsplash

hristians are to have deep, passionate, insightful

that their ship was sinking, and unwilling to prepare for the inevitable sinking. I cannot help but feel that this is an evocative image of the times the Church face in the UK. To be sure, the spiritual reality of God’s people will survive, but the earthly reality of how we ‘do’ church — that is holed beneath the waterline. And many will refuse to admit it till they are in the icy waters.

continue to argue for setting up Christian schools; but they must be regulated by a government that is increasingly hostile. Others promote social helps of various stripes — but these usually must exclude what is derisively termed ‘proselytising’. Over the past few weeks an independent enquiry into horrific sex abuse cases in the Church of England has heard witness statements suggesting that traditional Christian beliefs made leaders more likely to ignore abuse. As such views are increasingly accepted by the next generation — and reinforced by the media — the Church will find its model of building bridges, making cultural connections for outreach, impossible to sustain. Already it is proving very unfruitful; but many press on with it, unable to admit the ship has been holed beneath the waterline.

WHY SO IRRECOVERABLE? I believe that the iceberg that has sunk the way we live as Christians in the UK is actually a concoction of attitudes and social-spiritual realities that have frozen together. The first part of the iceberg has arisen from the fact that Christianity once had a deep hold on the consciousness of the UK. When a culture has rejected Christianity, it tends to then despise it. That creates a more volatile situation than before the culture has ever heard the gospel. (This phenomenon of hostile rejection is described in Mark 4 at the personal level, and Romans 1 at the cultural level.) The second part of the iceberg is the joining of government authoritarianism to enforce celebration of unbiblical views of humanity — especially in the area of sexuality. The story of how the 1960s vision of free love developed in the UK through the individualist 1980s and entertainment-focused 1990s is a complex tale. What is proving to be the twist of the knife is the willingness of our governments (local, national and European) to use (or abuse) their powers to enforce celebration of views that were only a short time ago viewed as eccentricities. The third part of the iceberg has formed because almost everything about how British Christians have done church over the past 70 years has depended upon a very high degree of cultural acceptance of our activities and beliefs. Consider how many churches advocate friendship and workplace conversations as key for evangelism. Well, that becomes very difficult under current HR guidelines. Consider how many church plants rent space for meetings from councils or schools — we are already seeing that become more difficult due to holding beliefs that are not culturally acceptable. Many churches view their buildings as a hub for local community events; this is thought of as a bridge to the local community. But how does this work when the next generation views people who are Christians as evil — homophobic, transphobic and worse? Some

THE BIBLICAL IMAGE: EXILE The relevant image from the Bible, which I believe British Christians need to own, is that of exile. The days of cultural acceptance and ministries modeled on it are long gone. That way of doing church is worse than unfruitful — it flows from a misunderstanding of the times and imperils souls. When God’s people went into exile they did so due to their own sin. If the Church is going to face a season of exile, we need to ponder and feel the weight of our sin that has brought us here. It is our fault. Our prayerlessness, pride, classism, materialism, selfishness and lukewarmness. These and other failings have led God to bring his judgement upon his people. In exile the Church finds itself a minority, facing governments that are anti-God and overwhelmingly powerful. Faithfulness involves a lot of suffering. It is a challenge to keep from turning on your leaders, fellow believers and God himself. In exile, survival can feel in doubt. We need to own the image of exile because it is the biblical vision that best fits the times we live in, and the times our children and grandchildren will endure. Exile was not just for Daniel and Ezekiel; Peter wrote to believers in New Testament days and addressed them as exiles (1 Pet. 1:1). We must prepare for days when it will be difficult for faith to survive. The good news is that exile does end, faithfulness is possible — and the Church has been here before. In the second part of this article I will consider some of the ways churches can prepare for exile. •

Rev’d Dr Pete Sanlon is Rector of Emmanuel Anglican Church (Free Church of England) and Vicar of St Mark’s Church (Church of England). Both churches are in Tunbridge Wells.

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Letter from

South Korea BY CALLUM BOWSIE

ast week i was off for lunar new year,

locals trying to get the best possible position, in front of the eyes of each Buddha statue, which are regarded as so sacred that photography is usually banned. In fact, Buddhism and Shinto is taken so seriously in Japan that there’s even a concept knowing as Temple Hopping, where the pious line up at the temple office to get their Shuin seal in their temple stamp book. The more temples one visits, the better a Buddhist or Shinto follower one is.

so I travelled around Japan for four days, visiting its three major cities, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, as well as its major castles and temples. Before coming to South Korea, Japan was of no relevance to me, other than the fact that I liked sushi. Six months later, Japanese culture, history, language and even resentment are a part of my everyday life. I’m even writing this on Independence Movement Day (from Japan) The constant negativity towards Japan by Koreans had caused me to become somewhat prejudiced towards the Japanese, and so I didn’t have high expectations for Japan. But I loved Japan, particularly the people. What struck me most about Japan was how different their mentality was compared to Koreans. Koreans can be very serious, legalistic and very uniform in their sense of style. But I found Japanese people on the other hand to be very friendly, laidback, and their style more expressive. Neither mentality is necessarily good or bad in itself, but it did make me wonder: what is it that makes these peoples only 100 miles apart so different from each other? There are of course many interlocking reasons, but the role that religion has had on these neighbouring countries is probably the most significant. Firstly, I believe this is due to the relationship with Buddhism.

Japanese Buddhists line up to pay and pray at a Shinto shrine.

Korean Buddhism, on the other hand, is far more relaxed. It’s more intertwined with Korea’s Confucian traditions, which are less about ancestral worship and more about ancestral hierarchy and customs.

Even though missionaries came to Japan two centuries before Korea, they continue to leave disappointed in being unable to crack the Japanese mentality towards monotheism. I’ve now visited dozens of temples and shrines in both Korea and Japan, and what strikes me most is how much more seriously Buddhism is taken in Japan because of its relationship with Shinto. To understand Japan, one must understand Shinto; Japanese culture is as much an embodiment of Shinto as Shinto is of Japanese culture. Shinto is Japan’s state religion. It’s an ancient form of ancestral worship, and when mixed with Buddhism it makes the attendance at temples and the worship of shrines more extreme. I’ve witnessed this first-hand. Most of the Buddhists temples I’ve visited in Korea have been empty of locals. However, at Japanese temples, tourists were in a significant minority and shrines were mobbed by

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As with Shinto and Japanese culture, Confucianism greatly influences most aspects of Korean culture, even Christianity, as it’s more of a societal philosophy than a religion. For example, despite Korean churches being overwhelmingly Presbyterian, they are very hierarchical because of these traditional Confucian norms. I go to a fairly informal Presbyterian church in Seoul, and yet you’d never hear a Korean congregant calling a deacon by his first name, let alone the minister. The second major cause of the difference in Japanese and South Korean cultural mentalities is their own self-perception. The former has historically been the oppressor, while the latter has been the

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oppressed. Therefore, rather than being triumphal, to be Korean — similar to Irishness — almost means to identify as a suppressed people. In fact, the word ‘Korea’ in Korean is Han-kuk; han means to feel something between resentment and self-pity about your nation’s inflictions. In more recent history, it has often been the major religions of these countries (Japanese Shinto and Korean Christianity) that have manifested this ‘oppressor/oppressed’ relationship; in particular, the Japanese often used Shinto to suppress the Korean Christians. Thus, when the very belief systems of Korea and Japan became synonymous with triumphalism and suppression respectively, it further shaped the self-perception of the nationalities themselves, causing them to engender either reserved or expressive mentalities.

I too leave Japan disappointed by this reality. I’m left pondering how best to evangelise a country like Japan. They don’t need our humanitarian aid and they have little appetite for learning English — both common missionary methods. At least when evangelising the UK and other Abrahamic civilisations, there’s a heritage that has still largely left behind the moral principles of good & bad and absolutism. As these principles are not in Shinto, it makes the truth and the goodness of the Gospel of Christ seem so incomprehensible to the Japanese. I love travelling, but it can be a very disheartening experience. Seeing the extent of God’s beautiful creation also means seeing the extent of spiritual loss. As I departed and looked down upon the world’s largest city (Tokyo), I was in awe at the illumination of lights coming from its 38 million people. But I was also burdened; there below my feet were 37 million souls in need of salvation. In those moments of realisation, when my only question is ‘how?’, I turn to prayer and realise I’ve answered my own question — ‘by prayer God will heal their land’ (2 Chron 7:14). •

Golden Pavilion — a 14th Century villa for the Shōgun (Emperor’s supreme general) and later a Zen temple.

The third, final and, I believe, most obvious difference between these societies is caused by the fundamental difference in Shinto and Christian dogma pertaining to truth/s. Not only has Japan been largely unscathed by foreign regimes, but the very nature of its state religion is unscathed by the foreign concept of absolute truth. Shinto means ‘the way of the gods’, and when there are unlimited numbers of gods, there are unlimited ways and thus unlimited truths to choose from. It’s perhaps why I found the Japanese so friendly and agreeable; because they value peace and unity with each other (regardless of its depth) over truth, which doesn’t exist to them. In other words, what you believe and profess doesn’t matter as much as what you do and become. It’s why, despite Japan having adopted so many Western ways, Christianity has never been grasped by more than 1.5% of the population. Across the Korea Strait it accounts for a third of the population. Even though missionaries came to Japan two centuries before Korea, they continue to leave disappointed in being unable to crack the Japanese mentality towards monotheism.

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View from Toyko Skytree tower — 450m tall.

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POETRY PAGE THE PULLEY BY GEORGE HERBERT

When God at first made man, Having a glass of blessings standing by; Let us (said he) pour on him all we can: Let the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s riches, which dispersed lie, Contract into a span. So strength first made a way; Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure: When almost all was out, God made a stay, Perceiving that alone, of all his treasure, Rest in the bottom lay. For if I should (said he) Bestow this jewel also on my creature, He would adore my gifts instead of me, And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature: So both should losers be. Yet let him keep the rest, But keep them with repining restlessness: Let him be rich and weary, then at least, If goodness lead him not, yet weariness May toss him to my breast.

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

George Herbert (1593-1633) was an English metaphysical poet, and a contemporary of John Donne

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An Dia bithbhuan (The Eternal God) LE JANET NICPHÀIL

‘

ciod e dia no ciod e ainm’?

Gu dearbh, dh’ fhaodadh sinn ceist a’ bhàird a chnuasachadh nuair a bha sinn ag èisteachd ri searmon à fàidheadaireachd Isaiah, far a bheil am fàidh a’ toirt Mòrachd Dhè fa chomhair ar n-inntinnean. Tha an Cruthaidhear-sa E Fhèin neo-chruthaicht’, agus labhair E agus thàinig na rùnaich E gu bith. Tha seo thar ar tuigse, agus chan eil e an comas inntinn a tha cruthaicht’ a bhith a’ ruighinn air mìorbhail bith Dhè. Tha na h-inntinnean againne cho beag agus Esan cho mòr. Chan e a-mhàin gu bheil E thar ar tuigse ach tha E cuideachd àrd os ar cionn. Is e Dia a th’ann a tha a’ dol romhainn gach ceum de shlighe na beatha, ach is e a’ mhìorbhail mhòr gu bheil E annainn. Nach leugh sinn gur e Criosd annainn dòchas na Glòire? Bha sinne air ar cruthachadh ann an ìomhaigh Dhè, agus nuair a ghreimicheas sinn ris na teagaisgean prìseil-sa, fàgaidh sin sinn balbh, nuair a thuigeas sinn ann an tomhas, cho beag sa tha an duine an taca ris an Dia-sa. Saoilidh sinn glè thric gu bheil an saoghal-sa cho mòr, agus na nèamhan os ar cionn cho làn mhìorbhailean iad fhèin; ach nuair a chuireas sinn obair A làimhe ri taobh Dhè, tha iad mar neoni. Thàinig iomadh ginealach dhan t-saoghal-sa, agus dh’ fhalbh iomadh ginealach às an t-saoghal, ach chan eil an cruthachachadh uile, na iomlanachd, na nèamhan, an cruinne-cè agus gach duine a thàinig chun na talmhainn a-riamh, ach mar neoni an coimeas ris an Dia mhòr-sa. Tha e a-rèist gu math soilleir gu bheil, ‘ A shlighean àrd seach ar slighean-ne, agus A smuaintean àrd seach ar smuaintean-ne’. Tha an Cruthaidhear a’ faicinn crìoch A smuaintean. Tha rùn aige san amharc, mar a leughas sinn ann am fàidheadaireachd Ieremiah, ‘Oir is aithne dhomh na smuaintean a smaoinich mi dur taobh, deir an Tighearna, smuaintean sìthe agus chan e aimhleas, a thoirt dhuibh sliochd agus dòchais’. Ma tha trioblaid sam bith a’ coinneachadh rinn anns a’ bheatha-sa, bidh Esan cùramach mur timcheall. Tha seo gu cinnteach fìor, agus is iomadh duine a th’air an neart agus an cuideachadh fhaighinn Annsan aig aimsir shàraichte.

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Tha gràdh Dhè, fhad-fhulangas agus A mhaitheanas fada os cionn gràdh an t-saoghail, no maitheanas an t-saoghail, agus is Esan ar riaghailt-stiùiridh. Is ann Ris-san as còir dhuinne a bhith coltach, chan ann ris an t-saoghal. Fàgaidh seo sinn le ceann crom, ag ràdh cho fada goirid sa tha sinn a’ tighinn air mar bu chòir dhuinn a bhith; agus nach math gu cinnteach gu leugh sinn ann an Leabhar nan Salm gu bheil A chaomhthròcairean os cionn oibre uile? Nach math gu bheil Dia uile- chumhachdach mar seo na Athair a tha cùramach mun t-saoghal a dhealbh E, agus gu bheil E cuideachd gràsmhor do shluagh air na dh’ amharc E le truas, gus am biodh iad aon là còmhla Ris? Adhbhar taingealachd, agus mìorbhail mhòr! Tha a-rèist cuireadh an fhàidh fhathast rinn an diugh, nuair a tha e ag ràdh,’ Thigibh a-chum nan uisgeachan; agus esan aig nach eil airgead, thigibh, ceannaichibh, agus ithibh; seadh, thigibh, ceannaichibh, gun airgead agus gun luach, fìon agus bainne’. B’e an t-Urramach Tòmas Davis a bha a’ searmonachadh agus tha sinn a’ toirt taing dha. Labhair E is rinneadh e gach nì a bha na rùn-san. Tha sinne beò air thalamh a’ cur feum mhòr air a stiùireadh. Thèid E romhainn ’s bidh ri fair’ oirnn’ a-bhos an seo san t-saoghal. Nach prìseil leinn na facail-sa ‘Thàinig Mi a-chum ar saoradh’. Tì tha àrd is iongantach a chromas sìos gu daoine, E tròcaireach is truasail ris an t-sluagh a chosg gu daor Dha.•

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I’d always had the impression that Jacob was wrestling with God in his own strength, asking for more and more blessings, in this great, man-of-faith, almost greedy way. It wasn’t until I read this story with a filter of fear that I realised Jacob was pleading for his life. His children’s lives. He fully believed this was the end, and he was terrified. I’m sure most of us, in facing some crisis — or potential crisis — have laid awake dwelling on our fear. Sometimes prayer really can feel like wrestling. In these times we forget how much God, our Father, actually wants to bless us. We forget what his promises are, and how certain they are too. ‘I won’t let you go unless you bless me!’ As if it isn’t God, all along, who is holding on to us.

few months ago a relative of mine posted the following on facebook :

‘About 9 months ago a friend told me the hardest thing he ever had to do was to pray to God that no matter what it took, even a tragedy or taking his life to get a hold of his son, he was willing to give him to God. I prayed that prayer, and believe me, it was the hardest thing I have ever done.’ I was aware of the son’s situation, and thought how brave it must be for a father to pray this prayer and mean it. I’ve been thinking a lot about fearfulness, and particularly the fearfulness of a parent. The things I fear most are my children’s deaths; that we as parents should die while they are still young; and

THE ANTIDOTE TO FEAR BY DAYSPRING MACLEOD that they would, as grownups, reject us and, worse still, reject God. In fact, I’ve been so aware of my own fearfulness that I came to the point of realising I had to confess it as sin. I was becoming fearful in a way that was quenching the Holy Spirit — a fear that wanted to keep the most precious things tight to myself, not giving over my life or my family to any sort of risk or conflict, even it was something God wanted to use in our lives. In the past few weeks I’ve been doing a few studies on the fearful people of the Bible, and the promises that are the antidote to fear. My plan was to use these studies to confront my fears until I felt I really could give them over to God — to pray that prayer, if necessary. The very first story I found of a fearful person pleading the promises of God was Jacob. In Genesis 32-33 he’s returning to his father’s house, and knows that he will see his brother Esau in the morning. He fully expects Esau to kill him and all his family, and quite right too, considering what Jacob did in stealing his birthright. To paraphrase, Jacob says, ‘You said you would do me good and make my descendants as numerous as the sand, but I’m afraid my brother is coming to kill me, and my children with their mothers (33:11-12).’ He sends his servants ahead, his family across the river, and he is left alone. It’s then that ‘a man’ (a theophany) comes and wrestles with him all night.

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You’ll recall that the wrestling bout ends as dawn breaks, and the Man touches Jacob’s thigh, putting it out of joint, so he can’t continue the fight. I’ve never understood that detail before, but now I think it was both a mercy, saying to Jacob, ‘My son, I’ve always blessed you — you can stop striving now’, and a reminder that his strength was always infinitely greater than Jacob’s, and it’s his strength that will accomplish the promise. My study is far from complete, but the process of facing and confessing fear has already helped me feel much more free. It’s a fight that many of us will face throughout our lives. And that prayer? That terrifying, giving-everythingto-God prayer? Jesus prayed it in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was facing a more terrifying prospect than any of us can imagine — and he didn’t pretend otherwise. His prayer was ‘If there is any other way, let this cup pass from me — but not my will, but yours, be done.’ Now this is comfort, knowing that I don’t have to be stoic in the face of fear. If I can adapt his prayer for us, it would look something like this: ‘I really don’t want to go through this trial. Please don’t let this happen to me if there is any other way to work in my life. But if this is your path, then lead on — I’m scared, but I’m yours. I know you’re good for your promises.’ The next time I’m wrestling, I think that’s a prayer I could pray. •

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PRAYER DIARY APR/MAY 2018

I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. 2 Chronicles7:12 Sun 15th This morning pray for Rev. Peter Turnbull, ministry associate, and Rev. Murdo MacLeod, interim moderator, as they work to build up the congregation in Burghead.

Wed 25th Pray that all those who gather for the non-ordained workers training day today will be blessed and find the day useful in their various spheres of work.

Mon 16th Pray for Rev. Roddy Rankin and other trustees of the interdenominational trust COOL as they look to appoint a new Youth and Social Worker to continue the good work in the Lochalsh and South Skye area.

Thurs 26th Pray for the parents gathering for the baby and toddler group this morning and the teenagers’ group this evening, and all those facilitating them, in the Charleston church plant.

Tues 17th Pray for Rev. David Robertson, Record editor, as he takes a sabbatical until mid-June from his congregation in Dundee. He plans to concentrate on writing.

Fri 27th Pray for all the students in Edinburgh Theological Seminary as their exams begin today.

Wed 18th In the coming weeks Steadfast Global plan to bring key international partners together at a safe location for a much needed time of retreat, rest and refreshing. Please pray over the visa and travel arrangements, especially for those travelling from hostile nations. Thurs 19th SASRA reaches mostly the unchurched. Ask for curious and inquiring minds as the Word of God is presented to them. Fri 20th Pray that all who gather for the Islands Study Conference this weekend will be blessed as they hear Revs Malcolm Maclean and Calum Iain Macleod speak about the Christian life, and that they will enjoy fellowship together.

Sat 28th Today is Camps Training Day. Pray for all those who gather and for each team to be able to gel and look forward to serving God through the summer programme. Sun 29th Pray for Rev. John Ross (int. mod.) and the congregation of Kilmallie and Ardnamurchan as they look to the Lord to guide them to a minister who will lead their witness in that area. Mon 30th Our congregation in London ask us to pray for their Women’s Worker, Marketa, as she seeks to organise a number of activities for the girls of the congregation. Tues 1st SASRA is in the unique position of being invited guests to the military. Pray that God will bless this opening for evangelism, which they have had for 180 years.

Sat 21st Today is Queen Elizabeth’s actual birthday. Let us praise God for her witness and pray for her and the rest of the royal family as they celebrate this in private.

Wed 2nd Pray that CARE and other agencies who want to defend the unborn would continue to have opportunities to speak about this with wisdom, grace and truth.

Sun 22nd Pray for the vacant congregation of Fort William and Kilmonivaig as they worship today. Remember Rev. Alec Stewart (interim moderator) and the elders as they witness in that area.

Thurs 3rd Pray for Rev. Suraj Kasula in Nepal as he is building a team, training young men to lead, seeing people come to Christ, discipling them, planting churches, developing a theological seminary, looking to rebuild a bigger church building, making a home and raising a family.

Mon 23rd Thank God for the work of Hospice UK. Pray for the staff and 125,000 volunteers engaged in caring, fundraising and advocacy for people with terminal or life-limiting illnesses. Tues 24th The Scottish Bible Society supports a programme which enables many illiterate people in Ethiopia to hear Scripture when they cannot read it for themselves. Pray that this programme will be successful and many will hear and be blessed.

Fri 4th Pray for Jonathan de Groot and the team as they have now begun to meet to pray, plan and work towards a biblical and bold vision for the new church in northwest Glasgow and seek to find the most strategic location possible. Sat 5th Saško Nezamutdinov, Church Planter in Krakow, Poland, visited Scotland recently. Pray for this new

work in its early stages, that it would receive funding and that a good philosophy of ministry would be set in these early days. Sun 6th Pray for the vacant congregation of Kiltarlity, Beauly and Kirkhill and their interim moderator, Rev. Colin Macleod, as they worship today. Mon 7th The needs in the Northern Presbytery are particularly challenging, especially in Caithness and Sutherland where numbers are low. Pray especially for Wick, who have been looking for a revitalising minister for some years now. Tues 8th Give thanks for the 34 years of ministry by Jim and Cathy Morrison in Lybster and the surrounding area. Pray that the seed faithfully sown will see a good harvest. Wed 9th Pray for our Prime Minister and the Government as they seek to tackle their key priorities and make wise decisions on the various aspects of Brexit. Thurs 10th Praise God with the Portree congregation as they have been given planning permission for their new building. Pray that the project can move forward without further delay. Fri 11th The Awards Ceremony of Edinburgh Theological Seminary will be held this evening. Pray for Rev. Iver Martin as he leads this and for the students, especially those who have finished their course and seek guidance for their future. Sat 12th Pray that the EHA Executive and Board will have wisdom in making decisions. Dr Dyvya asks us to pray with her that Lakhnadon Christian Hospital will be able to continue to give quality care at an affordable cost. Sun 13th Pray for the vacant congregation of Kiltearn as they worship in Evanton today. Remember Rev. Angus MacRae, their interim moderator, as he prepares to be Moderator of the General Assembly. Mon 14th There are two Christian television channels in the Turkish language, Kanal Hayat and Sat-7 Türk, which broadcast by satellite and over the internet. Pray for these ministries: for wisdom and guidance for all those involved in making and broadcasting the programmes, and for God’s blessing on the viewers.

Prayer requests to: ian.macdonald57@btinternet.com. Please take time to send requests for your congregation or ministry to be included in forthcoming Records. These prayer notes are prepared 5 weeks in advance of publication.

2018

WWW.FREECHURCH.ORG

BY CATRIONA MURRAY

POST TENEBRAS LUX

Photo by Vilada Migerova on Unsplash

Iona once, I sat through one of the very brief services they hold in the Abbey, aimed at involving the tourists in an act of worship, as opposed to mere gawping. When the man in charge of proceedings said ‘Let us join together in prayer,’ I really did not expect that to be followed by ‘Turn to page 37.’ Everyone obediently leafed to the relevant section of the wee book with which we had all been issued, and proceeded to repeat certain lines after the leader had first intoned them. With me were two friends who are atheists. I don’t think they thought much about it one way or the other, but I was deeply unimpressed. Unconverted myself, but certainly on that road, I had been thoroughly spoiled by the spirituality of my home island and the heartfelt – sometimes impassioned — ex tempore prayers of its menfolk. The poet Donald MacAulay called it ‘my people’s access to poetry’. Anything ex tempore — literally, ‘at the time’ — presents us with a challenge. We have all of us, no matter how erudite, been faced with situations in which we were stuck for the right words. Finding something to say is usually possible; guaranteeing that it is the right something...well, that is a whole other story. I used to work as a community development manager in the north of Lewis. One day, a very nice fellow came into my office and introduced himself as ‘Wylie, I’m a photographer’. Surely not the great Gus Wylie, I thought, and indeed, asked. When he isiting

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answered in the affirmative, I said, ‘Your work is so good I assumed you were dead.’ And, right there, you have one reason why it’s probably a good idea that I don’t do much public ex tempore praying. It’s bad enough to say such a ridiculous thing to a lovely and very talented gentleman like Mr Wylie, but a whole other level of wrong when you are addressing the King of kings. Except, of course, that Mr Wylie was a stranger. I had appreciated his beautiful work – the black and white photographs of the Western Isles, taken in the 1980s and depicting, frequently, a lifestyle which has largely gone — but I didn’t know him. He was the artist behind the cover of Runrig’s 1986 ‘Heartland’ album and his name had been familiar to me ever since...but I still couldn’t claim an acquaintance with the man himself. Fortunately, he was perceptive enough to realise that my clumsy remark was intended as a compliment, and we had a very cordial conversation about the community in which I worked. Had he been of a more sensitive nature, however, things could have gone very differently. He might, at best, have thought me a crass fool and taken his camera elsewhere. When Rev. Alexander MacLeod came to the parish of Uig in Lewis, in the years immediately preceding the Disruption, he was shocked to hear, in the prayer of one of his elders, a request that God would send a shipwreck with all its plunder to their

shores. He was horrified at the ignorance displayed by this man, who was, after all, charged with sharing the spiritual guidance of the people. There is a world of difference between a prayer which is badlyphrased and one which stems from a place of ignorance or, worse, ambivalence towards God. He deals, not with our words, but with our hearts and our intentions. That man in 19th-century Uig cannot really have known the Creator well, if he thought it acceptable to petition him for disaster to befall passing ships. Yes, he lived in one of the most stunning corners of God’s handiwork, but his acquaintance with the great Artist was as fleeting as my own with the visiting photographer. And that was all too apparent in his prayer. Admiring the work of the Creator is no substitute for a real knowledge of himself. We may start off by feeling that we don’t know him well enough, but the key to getting past that is simply speaking to him. It doesn’t matter whether we are terribly clever with words, or a bit hesitant; whether we are effortlessly eloquent, or a bit gaffe-prone. God isn’t, I think, waiting for our words to be spoken out loud. He doesn’t care for pretty words read off the page — give him instead sincere cries straight from our needy hearts into his waiting and gracious one. •

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