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Cover: Photo by Bethany Laird on Unsplash
WELCOME TO THE AUGUST/SEPTEMBER RECORD
So often life iS a mixed bag of joyful momentS, celebrationS and encouragement alongSide difficulty, pain and loSS. This edition tackles all these topics.
Our latest news section gives a wide variety of updates on what’s happening across the Free Church of Scotland. It’s encouraging to hear about the good news in our churches.
But the question could be asked: Do I Really Need the Church? Rev Dr Benjamin Castaneda, Lecturer in Greek & New Testament at Edinburgh Theological Seminary, answers this question in his editorial piece. Take a look at the piece on page 4 for the full overview. Ben notes that truth needs to be spoken in love, ‘but we also must always have each other’s backs like a military unit in wartime. When someone is weak and wounded, we carry them to safety. When someone is weeping, we weep too.’
It’s a reminder that being a Christian is not without difficulty, the tough times of life still hit. But we are not on our own.
There is a moving tribute about the late Rev Iain Morrison, of Oban Free Church, who died in May. Rev Douglas Cranston, paid tribute to his friend, saying Iain ‘had an understanding of people, real people — living real lives — in a very broken world. He brought people to Christ, to the saviour, and he did so with Godly compassion and genuine fondness for people.'
It’s clear that wherever we are, and whatever our circumstances, we need Jesus. Be encouraged as plans for a centre for rural ministry move forward. Take a look at the Mission Matters column by Rev David Meredith to find out more.
We hope you continue to enjoy reading The Record If you would like to send in your church news or letters, email editor@freechurch.org •
Yours in Christ
Sarah
Robinson
That in all things he might have the pre-eminence
Colossians 1:18
EDITORIAL
Benjamin Castaneda
FREE CHURCH NEWS
LETTERS
WfM NEWS
Fiona Macaskill
ETS NEWS
PRAYER DIARY
ASSISTED DYING FOR TERMINALLY ILL
ADULTS (SCOTLAND) BILL
Charles Crichton
WORLD NEWS
Cuba, Turkey, Eritrea, Pakistan
A TIME TO CURSE AND A TIME TO BLESS
Crawford Mackenzie
OBITUARIES: DR GRAHAM KEITH
REV IAIN MORRISON
THIS IS MY STORY: JUDAS (NOT ISCARIOT)
David J Randall
FOOD FOR FELLOWSHIP
PAGES FROM ADAM'S DIARY: KAMAKAZE BEE
BOOK REVIEWS
MISSION MATTERS
David Meredith
POETRY PAGE
Frances Ridley Havergal
CHILDREN'S PAGE
AISEAG CHINNTEACH
Janet MacPhail
POST TENEBRAS LUX
Catriona Murray
BY REV DR BENJAMIN CASTANEDA
Do I really need the Church?
Bonhoeffer wrote, ‘No one can become a new man except by entering the church and becoming a member of the Body of Christ. It is impossible to become a new man as a solitary individual’.
You need the church . That statement might sound a bit...odd. Maybe even controversial. I need the church? Jesus, yes. The Bible, yes. But in our individualistic, me-centred culture, it sounds more than a little narrow-minded to say that I need the church.
Speaking personally, I have many family and friends who claim to be Christians but are not members of a church or even attend a church regularly. Inevitably they mention all the things that are wrong with the institutional church, or how most churches misinterpret the Bible, or how they are doing just fine in their walk with the Lord without entangling themselves in a group of (often hypocritical) Christians.
There was a man named Cyprian who thought differently. He was a church father in North Africa in the 200s. He endured fierce persecution from the Roman Empire and was eventually martyred for his faith. Cyprian held the church in such high esteem that he wrote, ‘You cannot have God for your Father unless you have the church for your mother. If you could escape outside Noah’s ark, you could escape outside the church’. Just in case someone might think Cyprian was exaggerating, he elsewhere went on to say something even more radical: ‘Outside the church there is no salvation’.
We might be tempted to dismiss Cyprian. ‘That’s the Roman Catholic view’, we casually retort. But besides being anachronistic, this same view of the church was warmly embraced by John Calvin thirteen centuries after Cyprian. Calling the church our ‘mother’, Calvin says, ‘Our weakness does not allow us to be dismissed from her school until we have been pupils all our lives. Furthermore, away from her bosom one cannot hope for any forgiveness of sins or any salvation’ ( Institutes 4.1.4). Cyprian’s statement even made it into the Westminster Confession of Faith, which says, ‘The visible Church…consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation’ (WCF 25-2).
The Reformed tradition is insistent that salvation and the church are closely tied together. But why is that the case?
The church’s necessity is tied to its nature. What the church is means that you need it and must belong to it. In the rest of this article, I simply want to point out three features of the church’s identity.
First, you need the church because the church is the Body of Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor who lived under Nazi persecution, and like Cyprian, he was eventually executed. In his slim but weighty book Life Together , Bonhoeffer wrote, ‘No one can become a new man except by entering the church and becoming a member of the Body of Christ. It is impossible to become a new man as a solitary individual’.
The apostle Paul put it this way: ‘ There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all ’ (Ephesians 4:4-6). The motto of the United States is ‘ e pluribus unum ’, which is usually translated, ‘out of many, one’. Paul wants us to know that this is doubly true of Christians. By repeating the word ‘one’ over and over in this passage, Paul underscores the tremendous truth that God has brought about in Christ a radical unity that transcends our diversity. And just to be clear, the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ in this passage are plural. Paul is not addressing individuals. As the context makes clear, he expects his ancient (and modern) readers to tangibly express their unity in Christ because they have been bound together by their shared belief in the gospel, their collective experience of baptism, and the joint privilege of calling upon God as ‘Father’.
Photo by Akira Hoju on Unsplash
According to the author of Hebrews, we have a mutual obligation to ‘consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some...’
”
By being united to Christ, we are consequently united to one another. He is the hub of the wheel, and we are the spokes. To use more biblical metaphors, he is the vine, and we are the branches (John 15:1-6). He is the head of the body, and we are the members (1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Colossians 2:19). He is the cornerstone, and we are like living stones being built up into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:4-8). Bonhoeffer was right; the Christian life is not a solitary life. ‘Lone-ranger Christianity’ is an oxymoron.
Second, you need the church because the church is the place of promise. It is the theological location where God has promised to work by his Holy Spirit. God can, of course, work wherever and however he pleases to bring a person to faith in himself. He is a sovereign God; we cannot put limits on how the Spirit might choose to work.
Yet at the same time, God has also chosen to bind himself to do the work of saving and sanctifying his people in the context of the local church through the regular use of the ‘ordinary means of grace’: the preaching of the Word, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and prayer (WCF 5-3; WLC 154). Week after week, Sunday after Sunday, between the call to worship and the benediction, as law and gospel are faithfully proclaimed from all the Scriptures and as the promises of God are portrayed visibly in the sacraments, Christ builds his church. It is here that the weak are encouraged, backsliders are warned, sinners are called to repentance, and the gates of hell are beaten back.
Finally, you need the church because the church is a band of brothers. As God’s new-creation people (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), we have a responsibility to live lives of holiness (1 Peter 1:14-16). Anyone who has tried to start a new habit (or break an old one) knows that you need people in your life who will offer encouragement and accountability. The same is true spiritually. The church is governed by godly men called elders who will give an account to God regarding your spiritual welfare (Hebrews 13:17). Elders are under-shepherds of Christ’s sheep who care about your soul and have been charged to invest themselves in your spiritual growth (1 Peter 5:1-4). One implication of these passages is that we must submit ourselves to their oversight (1 Pet 5:5). To ignore or reject this oversight is to say that you are mature enough to find your own way and don’t need correction (a remarkably arrogant assessment!).
Individual believers have a responsibility here too. Our Sunday gatherings should be far more intentional than the customary weekly ‘check in’. According to the author of Hebrews, we have a mutual obligation to ‘ consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near ’ (Hebrews 10:24-25). This means we sometimes must have hard conversations, speaking the truth in love to point out sins and blind spots. But we also must always have each others’ backs like a military unit in wartime. When someone is weak and wounded, we carry them to safety. When someone is weeping, we weep too. Corporately we practice Paul’s instructions to ‘ admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all ’ (1 Thessolonians 5:14). •
Rev Dr Benjamin Castaneda is a Lecturer in Greek & New Testament at Edinburgh Theological Seminary
FREE CHURCH NEWS
VISIT OF SOLAS TO LEWIS
two churcheS have played hoSt to viSiting SpeakerS from SolaS, an organiSation which iS committed to help chriStianS ‘perSuaSively communicate chriSt into today’S culture.’
Because sharing the Christian Gospel can frequently raise complex questions and difficult challenges, Solas partner with local churches, Christian Unions, and other groups to provide resources and training to enhance their effectiveness in sharing what Christians of every generation have described as the ‘Good News of Jesus Christ.’
So it was with anticipation of a good weekend that Andy Bannister and Steve Osmond were welcomed to Lewis by Back Free Church and the High Free Church, Stornoway in April.
Rev Hugh Ferrier, of High Free Church, said, “I am delighted to see Solas coming to Lewis. The Christian message is a message of good news. That’s such an important message to hear in a world where we are so often confronted with bad news. My hope is the Solas visit will encourage Christians, however old or young they are and whatever church they belong to, to be enthusiastic when it comes to sharing this good news.”
A full programme was drawn up by a small planning team which kicked off on Friday morning with an interview on Isles FM, followed by two café-style events held in Stornoway later that evening being hosted in Kopi Java and the Woodlands. Saturday was taken up with another two events, an afternoon session in Back with an evening meeting held in Sandwick Hall. Both speakers fully engaged their audience.
On Saturday afternoon Andy & Steve both delivered a presentation on the theme of Confident Christianity. This is the type of event Solas has been providing across the country for several years. The focus of this session was clear as Andy said, “some of the big questions about faith can make us feel afraid, yet with a little training and some practice you can share your faith more naturally.”
Switching to Sandwick Hall in the evening brought the focus round to the great theme of Hope in a World of Chaos. There are many issues that concern us and some that will disturb us. By faith, the church can face them with the hope of the gospel that does not disappoint!
On Sunday both speakers were active across the Island as they preached in Back, Garrabost, North Harris and the High Free.
Rev Colin Macleod, of Back Free Church, said “This weekend has been really encouraging. Andy & Steve are excellent and engaging speakers who do a fantastic job in building confidence into local churches. It is about sharpening our thinking and practice so we are as fully engaged as we should be in sharing the gospel with the people around us.”
It is hoped that Solas will make a return visit to Lewis next year. •
For more information about Solas, go to: www.solas-cpc.org
(l to R) Andy Bannister, Rev Colin Macleod, Steve Osmond
(l to R) Andy Bannister, Rev Hugh Ferrier, Steve Osmond
Solas at the Woodlands, Srornoway
200-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS FOR CHURCH CONGREGATION
crow road free church celebrated 200 yearS of god’S goodneSS and faithfulneSS with a weekend of well attended Special ServiceS on 15th and 16th june. The guest preachers were Rev Dr Derek Thomas, former Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina and the Rev Neil MacMillan, Cornerstone Free Church, Edinburgh and a former member of the congregation.
Previous members — Graham and Christine Bradbeer (Australia) and Jim Innes (all three joining by video), Ian MacIver, Neil D M Macleod and Christine Mackenzie (all joining in person) — spoke warmly of their time in the congregation.
A new history of the congregation, A Family We Belong To, written by Evan G Macdonald, retired Session Clerk of Crow Road Free Church, was launched to much praise.
The congregation originated as Hope Street Gaelic Chapel in 1824 to cater for the growing number of Gaelic speakers crowding into Scotland’s largest city at the beginning of the 19th century. At the Disruption of 1843 the congregation joined the Free Church and became one of the city’s biggest churches of that denomination. Following a change in location in 1971 its name was changed to St Vincent Street Free Church. In 1994 it united with Milton Free Church and in 2023 with Partick Free Church, when it became known as Crow Road Free Church.
An exhibition of photographs and archive material was on display for members past and present and visitors who joined the congregation over the weekend.
There was much discussion from all about the faithfulness of the Lord throughout the history of the congregation, through many locations, names and challenges, while looking forward to the future. All considered with great thankfulness, over some very fine home baking!
God willing, the congregation will embark on a multiphase building project, and plans for the phases as outlined by drawings and plans were on display from the architects – Wellwood Leslie Architects, Glasgow. Phase one of the project was already in evidence in the newly painted and lit sanctuary. The phases allow the congregation to progress as funding allows, and the congregational history — A Family We Belong To — will be sold with all proceeds contributing to the building fund. Please commit these plans and Crow Road Free Church’s future to the Lord, asking that his good will would be undertaken by God’s people in Crow Road and the area of Partick and Thornwood.
If you would like to purchase a copy of the book, contact laura@crowroadfreechurch.org
You can find out more about the building project at www.crowroadfreechurch.org/building-project •
Rev Dr Derek Thomas and Rev Colin Dow
Crow Road congregation
Crow Road Celebrations photo display
From the archives!
‘BACK TO CHURCH’ SUNDAY AT NORTH TOLSTA
BY REV DONALD MACLEOD
to help celebrate our congregation ' S 75th anniverSary, we recently organiSed our firSt ‘back to church’ Sunday aS part of our plan to gradually revitaliSe the congregation. We wanted to mark 75 years of God's goodness to us by reaching out to our friends, family, and neighbours. Our preparations were simple. We spent about a month praying, both individually and as a congregation, focusing on ‘Back to Church’ Sunday. We bought a simple banner for the cattle grid at the entrance to the village, and since North Tolsta is at the end of the road, every resident and visitor had the chance to see the invitation! We also gave out personal invite cards.
Over the past year, we have been reminding ourselves about ‘Gospel-based optimism’ — an optimism based on the promises of our eternally unchanging and good God, rather than on the
situation as we see it or think it might turn out. In the Lord's goodness, we had the chance to see the reality of Gospel optimism in action!
Some of the congregation (the minister included!) were praying for two or three to respond to the invite and come out. Others were faithfully praying for more. We were praising the goodness of God — as we saw 13 new (and some long returning faces) over both services.
It is not easy to come to church for the first time, and even more difficult to come back after being away for a while — so we were even more thankful for those who came out. We were then encouraged to see almost the same number out again the next week.
The weekend also left the congregation encouraged, as we were reminded that often it is the simple act of a genuine invite that the Lord can use to bring people to hear the Good News. •
MEARNS FREE CHURCH
aminiSter and congregation have been welcomed into the free church of Scotland.
Mearns Free Church, which is in Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire, is led by Rev Dr Scott Kirkland. He has been accepted as a Free Church minister at the latest General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland.
It has been quite a journey for the minister and a large majority of the congregation over the past six months, as they departed from the Church of Scotland, to become a new congregation before being accepted into the Free Church of Scotland.
Scott said: “From the beginning of our journey, the elders have been amazed at how the Lord has gone ahead at each step and in ways we could never have anticipated! I am rebuked because of my lack of faith. I am also reminded that when God leads, he always provides! Many have remarked on the great sense of congregational unity enjoyed through these challenging months. We praise God for this. We also praise God for the support given to us by the Free Church throughout our migration process and the warmth of welcome held out to us.
“We now pray that Mearns Free Church might increasingly become a healthy gospel church in the community of Newton Mearns!”
The area of Newton Mearns is a suburb seven miles southwest of Glasgow City Centre, with a population of around 30,000.
In November the minister, elders, and a large majority of the worshiping congregation of Maxwell Mearns Castle Church departed from the Church of Scotland to form the new local congregation, “Newton Mearns New Church” (NMNC).
They said they felt that decisions made at successive Church of Scotland General Assemblies on biblical morality, the imminent relativising of the Westminster Confession of Faith and the implications of the Presbytery Planning process made this departure a sad necessity. On the first Sunday of Newton Mearns New Church, 160 people gathered for worship.
Alastair McLellan, Session Clerk of Mearns Free Church, said: “Departing meant leaving behind our church premises, manse and all financial and physical assets. Convinced we were following the Lord’s leading, we began this journey with a minister, fulltime youth worker, and part-time children’s/family worker. The Lord immediately secured our finances and granted us space for Sunday worship within
the premises of Belmont House School in Newton Mearns. This also brought the amazing gift of access to worship during school holidays. It was a joy to hold our first Christmas services as a new church! We are so grateful to God for the generosity shown by the leadership of Belmont House School.
“After a period of focused, prayerful discernment the elders had come to two clear decisions. The first was that we should depart from the Church of Scotland and the second was that we should seek a home within the Free Church. Both were set before the congregation. On Tuesday 21st May, the General Assembly of the Free Church welcomed us into the Free Church.”
Rev Dr Scott Kirkland, a Church of Scotland minister for 27 years and Newton Mearns New Church minister for six months, was also accepted as a Free Church Minister at the same Assembly.
The following Sunday, with representatives from Glasgow and Argyll Presbytery, Rev Ian Watson led the congregation in worship. Scott was installed as minister and the congregation was formally welcomed into the Presbytery. Elders were appointed and the first Kirk Session resolved to accept a Congregational Roll of 135 members. Ian told the children “Mearns Free Church” is now born! •
Mearns Free Church Kirk Session at The General Assembly 2024
Rev Scott Kirkwood
Mearns Free Church
INDUCTION AT GREYFRIARS FREE CHURCH, INVERNESS
alarge crowd from the congregation, the wider church family and preSbytery gathered for the joyful occaSion of inducting rev iain macritchie aS the new miniSter at greyfriarS free church, inverneSS.
There had been a short vacancy in between Rev Dr Malcolm MacLean’s retirement in November and Iain’s induction on Friday 28th June. Iain’s previous charge was Pairc Free Church on the Isle of Lewis.
Rev Stephen Allison, Kiltarlity Free Church and Moderator of Presbytery, presided and preached. Following the reading of Ephesians 4: 1-16, the sermon focused on the question How do churches grow? After a preliminary introduction of forms and purposes of church growth, the congregation was directed to three fundamental principles of spiritual growth –Everyone United (v1), Everyone Ministering (v3), and Everyone Maturing (v13). Examples were given on the implementation of such which included humility, gentleness and patience. The sermon was concluded by reminding people of prayerful Christian involvement in supporting one another and the new ministry in God’s service.
The formal part of the induction then took place. Presbytery Clerk John MacAulay recounted the steps taken to moderate the call to the point of acceptance. The questions put to Iain were then satisfactorily answered, the Formula signed, followed by prayer and the hand of fellowship – all resulting in Iain being admitted to pastoral office as minster of Greyfriars.
Rev Stephen Allison then encouraged Iain in his new pastoral role, pointing out the mission field around the church. Helpful advice was given to the congregation — continue and maintain unity and Christian example, be prayerful, supportive and encouraging to the new minister and work with him. The service was concluded by the congregation singing the last three verses of Psalm 72.
Rev Rory Stott, minister of Fortrose Free Church and Interim Moderator for Greyfriars, asked George MacAskill, one of the elders to make a presentation. George used the acrostic in WELCOME to illustrate:
W – welcome
E – elders,
L – learning from our new minister
C – congregational duties
O – outreach
M – much to be thankful to God
E – encouragement to pray for Iain
Mrs Rena Macritchie, Iain’s mother, was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Mrs Muriel Davidson. Greetings from several people were read, including a poem, written by Gordon MacLeod. Rev Donald Macleod, of North Tolsta Free Church. spoke about Iain’s work in his previous congregation, Pairc, as well as his contribution to the Western Isles Presbytery as a whole.
Mr Donnie MacLeod (formerly of Faith Mission Highlands & Islands) spoke of the necessity of Gospel Partnership, prayer and support in Christian service. He spoke of how Iain assisted in a focused and practical manner during the Garyvard Mission, making reference to how Iain worked with people and the warmth of his character in developing friendships.
Throughout the evening, recurring themes of being supportive, prayerful, and working together for the glory of God became apparent. The congregation is thankful for the spiritual legacy left by Rev Malcolm and Katie Maclean’s ministry and look forward with anticipation, excitement and immense thankfulness to God for his gracious leading up to this point of the commencement of a new ministry with Iain. •
Rev Iain Macritchie and Kirk Session at Greyfriars Free Church
Rev Rory Stott and Rev Iain Macritchie
INDUCTION OF ASSOCIATE MINISTER AT LONDON CITY
the congregation of london city preSbyterian church (lcpc) haS welcomed a new aSSociate miniSter, rev kevin arévalo, hiS wife, beverly and their children, adriana, diego, and matiaS into their church family.
During the morning service in May, Rev Andy Longwe led the induction of Rev Arévalo to the position of associate minister and elder on the Kirk Session. Kevin made vows in front of the congregation, presented by Andy, who was then joined by elders Dick Haffenden and Peter Fraser in welcoming Kevin and praying for him, and the congregation, in thanksgiving for God’s glorious work, and for the chapter ahead.
Two new members, including Kevin’s wife, Beverly Arévalo and Sam Snowden, then took membership vows and formally joined the congregation. Andy preached a sermon from Hebrews 13:17-21, The Blessing of the Better Shepherd, and the congregation partook of the Lord’s Supper together.
After the service there was a congregational lunch, where both old and new friends sat down together and shared food and Christian fellowship. The spread was a combined effort of the regular members and attendees, and was not just physical sustenance, but food for new conversations and connections, and a time of sharing for all. There was also an opportunity for Kevin to address the congregation, as associate
minister, as well as a presentation to the entire Arévalo family from the church in welcome.
Alongside the celebration of these new beginnings, there was also farewell to two members, Angela and Davis, who were returning to their home country of the USA.
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. •
(L to R) Peter Fraser, Rev Kevin Arévalo, Rev Andy Longwe, Dick Haffenden
CHURCHES IN ARDNAMURCHAN
the five weSt highland peninSulaS are a remote and beautiful part of Scotland with ancient woodlandS, hiStoric ruinS, white beacheS and turquoiSe SeaS. They are often referred to collectively as Ardnamurchan, which is also the name of the most westerly of the five. There is evidence of the activity of Celtic Christians, and Columba himself is reported to have ministered here. Following the Disruption, the Free Church were denied land upon which to build and so moored the famous ‘floating church’ in Loch Sunart by Strontian, one of the principal settlements. In time the Free Church would have three church buildings in three different villages: Strontian, Acharacle and Kilchoan. Both the Strontian and Kilchoan buildings have since been sold. The Acharacle building dates from 1878 and is still in use. One Sunday a month a service is livestreamed from Kilmallie to Acharacle and another Sunday a month an ‘in-person’ service is held. A Sunday school has recently been relaunched. Since May, work has been undertaken to completely refurbish the building. The vision is to create a welcoming, warm, accessible and flexible space which can be used for Christian witness and service and to host events for the local community. A two-way livestreaming audio-visual system is also being fitted. In addition to upgrading the whole space to meet current building regulations, health and safety standards and be more energy efficient, we are also looking to install a kitchenette to allow regular hospitality. The work is scheduled to finish in August.
BY REV EUAN DODDS
At the same time as this project has been undertaken, Free Church services have resumed in Kilchoan after a pause of around a decade. Kilchoan is one of the most westerly villages on the mainland and is itself a further 22 miles from Acharacle, mostly along single-track roads. The Church of Scotland sold their 19th century building and built a very contemporary building in the grounds of their manse, just below the ruins of another earlier church building, parts of which date back to the 13th century. The Church of Scotland hold twice monthly services and have kindly made the building available to the Free Church on other Sundays. We have held a monthly service from December and have again been encouraged by preachers — many with a longstanding connection to Kilchoan — making long journeys to minister to the people there. The services have been attended by Christians of different denominations and are characterised by an extended time of fellowship afterwards. We have been greatly encouraged by the prayerful interest of other Christians and have been the beneficiaries of some generous grants. We would value the prayers of the wider denomination as this new chapter begins in the story of the Christian church in Ardnamurchan. Please pray that these two church buildings would be used by the Master as he builds his church in rural and remote Scotland. •
MINISTERS LICENSED
five miniSterS have recently been licenSed by the free church of Scotland
In Presbyterian practice, licensing is when a student graduates to become a probationer minister. At this point, he is eligible to be called to a congregation when he is ordained. Both licensing and ordination are the responsibility of a group of local churches known as a Presbytery.
Rev Phil Pickett was licensed by the Western Isles Presbytery, Rev David Trimble and Rev Neil Longwe were licensed by the Glasgow and Argyll Presbytery and Rev David Ferguson was licensed by the Presbytery of Edinburgh and Perth.
Rev Davi de Paula was licensed by the Inverness, Lochaber and Ross Presbytery and has subsequently accepted the call to be Assistant Minister at Smithton Church in Inverness. •
(L to R) Iain Maclean, Rev Iain Thomson, Rev Phil Pickett, Rev Andrew Coghill
Rev David Trimble and Rev Neil Longwe with Rev Ian Watson
TEENS’ CONFERENCE
the Second annual free church teenS’ conference waS held 7-9 june at lendrick muir, and we are thrilled with the wayS we Saw god at work throughout the conference. We had 30 teens (ages S5-S6) attend the conference and they came from as far south as Newcastle, as far North and West as Carloway, and as far east as Lviv, Ukraine. Iain Morrison was our speaker and he led three fantastic sessions from the Sermon on the Mount, helping us consider what it looks like to be ‘Kingdom People’. We also had times of prayer, small group discussion, worship, and seminars on relevant topics related to Kingdom Living. On top of all of this there was plenty of time for fun, games, and a ceilidh on Saturday night!
We asked for feedback from the teens who came to the conference and here is what a few of them shared:
“Getting together with teens from all over the country was just brilliant! Another highlight was getting to help in leading the praise and worship for the weekend.”
“My highlights were getting to know other Christian young people from all over the country (and indeed beyond!), getting good teaching, having in-depth discussions, eating good food, and having an enjoyable time playing games and having a laugh.”
“The seminar on ‘Why Christians should care about sex’ was so helpful. We hardly ever hear about this subject in church and Mr Penman’s teaching was so valuable.”
“Both seminars that I attended (on the topics of sexuality and evangelism respectively) felt very relevant. In my school setting, issues of gender and sexuality are frequently raised by non-Christian friends and there is a clear need for evangelism... I presume that these situations will continue as I enter a university setting so I really appreciated both the seminars.” •
ENSPIRE 2024
enSpire iS an annual event organiSed for miniSterS’ wiveS. it iS held in inverneSS, and thiS year women travelled from acroSS Scotland, including the north coaSt, weStern iSleS and the ScottiSh borderS, to attend. The theme of the whole day was ‘Encouragement’, and Cathy Steed, the main speaker, certainly filled that remit based on 1 Thessalonians 5:11. She asked the question, “Does the gospel still thrill you?”
Cathy spent time discussing the importance of rest in the Christian life. Many Christians have busy lives with family commitments, work, and often church responsibilities and concerns about people they know who have worries. She encouraged us to go to Jesus with our weariness and cares and find our rest in him, and to carve out pockets of rest to pull away from our daily routine and enjoy spiritual intimacy with the Lord. She reminded us that when we feel overwhelmed, to remember to run to the Rock that is higher than we are, and to remember that spiritual attack is a reality in Christian work and life. She reminded us also that
BY ROSEMARY MACDONALD
Jesus was never in a hurry, and it is often in the margins or pauses that God is at work in our lives.
CJ MacDonald and Mairi Macleod, who are sistersin-law, shared some practical advice from their experience as ministers’ wives with young families, including devotions with children, being real with people as you study the Bible together, reminding us we are called to be faithful not successful and not every need we come across is for us to deal with.
Following a wonderful two course lunch we had a very helpful workshop with Carrie Marlow, Women’s Pastoral Worker in the Free North Church in Inverness, who presented us with a scenario which we discussed in groups, challenging our thinking on our approach to helping others through applying God’s word faithfully.
There was time for sharing and praying together in small groups as well as times to raise our voices in praise to God throughout the day.
It truly was a day of encouragement, and huge thanks is due to all involved in planning and delivering every aspect. •
DORNOCH CELEBRATES REFURBISHMENT AND LOOKS TO THE FUTURE
BY REV AL MACINNES
on the eaSt coaSt of the highlandS, in the Small but vibrant town of dornoch, the congregation recently celebrated a SerieS of eventS that highlight Some of the joyS of rural community. While the renovation of the church building has been a significant milestone, it is the life within the congregation itself that truly reflects faith in Christ and commitment to one another.
The journey began sixteen years ago, with the help of Mission To The World workers, James and Jennifer Murphy — who were sent from Stony Point Church in Richmond, Virginia, USA. From their efforts to reach the children and families of Dornoch, the first steps were taken to adapt the building to enable the congregation to engage the children in a week-long Holiday Bible Club.
Main speaker Cathy Steed addresses the conference
CJ Macdonald and Mairi Macleod
This small but significant step began what was to become a complete renovation of the building.
On 1 st June this year, a silent auction was held that brought together not only those from within the congregation but also the wider community. With a goal to support children’s work in the town, the auction raised over £7,000, a testimony to the generosity and solidarity within the community.
On 15 th June, a Thanksgiving and Dedication Service was held for the newly renovated Worship Room. Generations of believers associated with Dornoch came together to give thanks and rededicate the building to the glory of God. The service was a beautiful reminder of the Church being the people of God, rather than the spaces in which we gather to worship. Following the service, a time of fellowship was shared in the Community Room downstairs. It was a perfect opportunity for members, both old and new, to connect and celebrate the fresh chapter of church life in Dornoch.
Summer activities continued with the Polar Explorers Holiday Bible Club from 8-12 th July. Over 50 children from local primary schools filled the building for a fun week discovering what it is to follow Jesus by exploring characters from the Book of Acts. The club was a wonderful blend of fun, learning, and spiritual growth. It was also a testament to the shared faith and commitment of the congregation, as well as the strong partnership fostered with Stony Point Church. Their friendship and support have been instrumental in enriching and encouraging the Dornoch congregation. The Church is a building, but not one made of wood and stone, but of a living, breathing community of faith, love and service in Jesus. The renovations have provided a beautiful space, to worship and gather, but it is the redeemed people and their shared experiences of following Christ that truly define the Church. We look forward to continuing this journey together, in the unity and blessings we have received in Christ. •
(L to R) Rev John MacPherson, Rev Neil Maclean, Rev Al MacInnes, Rev Duncan Macleod, Rev. Angus Lamont - the current and previous four ministers of Dornoch Free Church
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letter to the Editor
I was pleased to receive a copy of The Record last month, as I have every month since joining the Free Church, though I was less pleased by once again being confronted by a so-called image of Christ. Undoubtedly, these classic paintings which seem to be included in many editions of The Record are beloved by many; it does not, however, fit within the bounds of the piety and practice of Reformed Christians who adhere to the Westminster Standards. Perhaps a reminder of WLC 109 is necessary: ‘What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?... the making any representation of God, of all, or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever’ (see also the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 35 readings and, more importantly, Exodus 20).
If the reminder of our confession alone isn’t enough, perhaps a few specific points will help think the issue through more clearly:
1. No image we create is accurate to the person of Christ because images are merely human, whereas Christ was truly human and truly divine. Any so-called image of Christ is necessarily lopsided, only displaying a half-truth, dividing the human and divine natures of Christ and thereby distorting the truth of who he is.
2. So-called images of Christ are often expected to be helpful tools of edification but not objects of worship. Yet if the image is truly one of our Saviour, we ought to worship – and the worship of images is expressly forbidden. Naturally, I would expect these sorts of images to be included in magazines put out by the Catholic Church and denominations that don’t hold to a Reformed confession, but for a church which is expressly committed to the standards set down at Westminster by our forefathers in the faith, I would urge a reconsideration and, further, a realignment with the standards of our shared faith. As the magazine of the Free Church, it is of utmost importance that alignment with the Standards is set forth, lest we lead others to believe that the faith described therein is of the take-it-or-leave-it variety all too commonly found today in the broader evangelical world.
WOMEN FOR MISSION
BY FIONA MACASKILL
july? Summer? where haS it gone? It’s hard to believe that I am writing for this on day of what must surely be the coldest summer election in history.
Thoughts of the May sunshine in Livingston when we launched this year’s project are a distant dream. It is a real privilege though to be writing from one of our previous projects, the Free Church Youth Camps. The money raised a few years ago has gone towards helping the camps run every year by providing minibus training for drivers. Seeing this money making a difference on the ground is really inspiring and an encouragement to keep going in our efforts each year for the various groups we support. We are so grateful to God and excited to share with you that last year’s Breaking Barriers project raised an amazing £57,400! Thank you so much to all of you who baked, sang, crafted, came along, ate etc. You have excelled yourselves this year and we are blown away.
So, to this year’s project: Empower, lifting women up and transforming futures. We are so challenged by the inequality and struggles that many women face in their daily lives through no fault of their own. Many of the
groups we looked at for this year’s project are reaching out to women and girls who face daily struggles with poverty, violence, lack of access to education etc. We hope and pray that the funds raised this year will impact the lives of families and those who work with them to share the love of Jesus and provide the practical support they need. Over the next few months we will find out more about each of these charities and how the money you raise will have an impact. Please do look on our website in the meantime for further information. Get in touch if you would like leaflets or posters and we will be pleased to get those to you.
Booking for the conference in Inverness in September is now live and places are being snapped up fast. It should be a great day out where we will explore our purpose and our distinct and multi-dimensional roles as women in the church. Don’t miss this chance to refresh your spirit and reignite your passion for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ as we reflect on the importance of discipleship in the building of God’s kingdom. We look forward to seeing lots of you there! •
Colin Fast
ETS AWARDS CEREMONY
the 2023-24 academic SeSSion at edinburgh theological Seminary (etS) came to a cloSe in the traditional manner with the annual awardS ceremony in may.
This event, led by Rev Iver Martin, ETS Principal, was well attended by students, families and friends, and included prizes and certificates to mark the hard work of students. The evening was especially significant to the final year students and an opportunity to say goodbye.
It was also an opportunity to hear from the students themselves in the form of David Trimble and Chris Lamont, who both gave well balanced reflections of their time of study. The staff at ETS are all enormously thankful for the achievements of the past year, the opportunity to provide theological training, and the important community learning environment that we enjoy every day.
WHAT’S ON
ETS OPEN DAY, FRIDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER 2024
The autumn Open Day is an ideal opportunity for potential applicants to speak with lecturers and current students, to sit in on classes, and to explore our historical building and facilities in the heart of Edinburgh. Please share information about this event with anyone you know who may be interested. All attendees are eligible for a free ticket to the ETS Annual Conference on Saturday 7th September. For more information see: https://ets.ac.uk/open-day
ETS ANNUAL CONFERENCE, SATURDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER 2024
One writer described the two options facing the church as ‘creed or chaos’. The Bible instructs Christians to ‘follow the pattern of sound words’ (2 Timothy 1:13) and ‘to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3). This event will explore the most widely used summary of our faith, the Nicene Creed, which celebrates its 1700th anniversary next year. What role does the Creed play in our lives and in the Church? What does it mean to receive and confess the Creed, together with the Church of all times and places, in our particular rootless and consumerist age? Speakers include Rev Dr Sinclair Ferguson (Aberdeen), Rev Dr Michael McClenahan (Belfast), and ETS faculty. This in-person event at St Columba’s Free Church in Edinburgh will be of great benefit to church officers, church members, and the general public. Register online in advance: https://ets.ac.uk/annual-conference
AUG-SEPT 2024 PRAYER DIARY
I call
on you,
my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
Psalm 17:6
• Pray for each other Christians are called to fulfil Jesus’ commission to ‘make disciples’. That means we share his message so that everyone would know, love, follow, worship, confess and serve Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. It is the only message that gives life, a life described by Jesus as lived to the full (John 10:10) and eternal (John 17:3). Pray that this speaks to each of our hearts as we live and serve the communities around us.
• Pray for summer events taking place in churches across Scotland
Give thanks to the Lord that many churches across Scotland hold activities over the summer break such as outdoor services, community barbecues, activity clubs and picnics. Pray that these events are an opportunity for congregations to show the love of Jesus to those around them. Pray for genuine friendships, a listening ear and opportunity to connect with those around us. Pray for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus.
• Pray for those struggling in our communities
While the summer holidays can be a real joy for many people, they can also be a difficult time for many people who have complex family situations, financial difficulties or who feel alone or isolated. Pray for opportunities to walk alongside friends, family and neighbours who face difficulties every day.
• Give thanks to God for the Women for Mission venture
Give thanks to the Lord for people’s generous giving towards Women for Mission’s 2023/24 project Breaking Barriers. The funds raised will go towards International Justice Mission, Release International (Nigeria), Christian Values in Education (Scotland) and International Mission to Jewish People. Give thanks to God for his provision. Pray for those involved in the organisations, that God will guide them and keep them.
• Pray for children, young people and university students
Pray for young people as they get ready to start a new academic year in school or university. Pray for opportunities for them to share their faith with their friends and pray for church families to encourage them in their faith as they deal with all the challenges of being a young person. Pray for the upcoming Big Free Rally which is taking place in September.
• Pray for the Centre for Rural Ministry
Pray as plans move ahead for a new Centre for Rural Ministry. It will be launched and supported by the Skye and Wester Ross Presbytery, but the effects will spill over into the wider church. Pray that the vision will come to fruition. Pray that those involved in rural communities will be encouraged through the work of the centre and that the gospel can be shared in communities around Scotland.
• Pray for Mission Partners
Give thanks to the Lord for the continued partnerships between Free Church of Scotland congregations and mission organisations around the world. Give thanks that these organisations reach out into countries and communities around the world to share the message of the gospel. Pray that mission partners will be encouraged and spurred on as they share their faith.
• Give thanks to God for his faithfulness
Psalm 89 reminds us: “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.” Give thanks to God for his faithfulness in the lives of individuals and congregations. Pray for boldness among God’s people to declare that God’s love stands firm forever. •
Imagine the following situations:
• You are so ill that you will die from your illness within the next six months. You have been led to believe that there will be such pain and suffering that you will be glad to accept the option of a ‘quick end to it all’ i.e. ‘assisted dying’.
• You have severe mental health problems that just never improve, and you want release; a 29-yearold Dutch woman said recently “I aim to step out of life” and has been granted the right to ‘assisted dying’.
• You feel that you are a burden to your family, you need a lot of hands-on care, and the cost of care is using up much of your legacy — perhaps it’s time to pass on, at least leave the family a little money. You are seen as selfless, and your death is easily arranged i.e. ‘assisted dying’.
• You have a life-long disability, with no prospect of improvement — you request death as there seems no point in continuing to live i.e. ‘assisted dying’.
Don’t be misled by that phrase ‘assisted dying’ — it can sound so helpful and caring. When you strip it back, it is in fact a suicide request by the patient, with a doctor helping them to kill themselves. The death is not just ‘assisted’ but hastened. That doesn’t sound so helpful and caring, does it? But that’s what it is. Surely nowhere on earth would such things happen? But they do, right now — in Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, and in some other countries as well. The shocking fact is that people can commit suicide in any of the above scenarios, after making the appropriate requests to their doctors.
Should we be worried? Yes — very worried. The Canadian law started out in 2016 strictly for people who would die very shortly from terminal illness; but look at it now, only eight years later. The ‘slippery slope’ is not a figment of imagination anymore. And consider these awkward realities that might develop –for instance, will a person who developed dementia be allowed to cancel their previous request for assisted dying, will their change of mind be honoured? Will someone with severe depression be given time to get better? Will people be under pressure to request assisted dying because of their long-term costly disability? Will Scotland do any better than Canada?
Supporters of the Scottish Assisted Dying Bill say that assisted dying “is certain to become law” in Scotland later this year. Recently it’s been approved in principle in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. And Labour plan to introduce a Bill like this in Westminster. We’re also assured that 78% of Scots want assisted dying. And an important aside — the 2022 national census reports that 51% of Scots now say that they have no religious beliefs.
The people behind all this tell us that deaths from terminal illness are full of pain and suffering, and we’re all “just one bad death away from supporting assisted
dying”. Therefore, they say, the truly compassionate person will seek a quick and easy end to such a situation. Which also means that we will be in control of our time of death and method of dying. It all seems very caring and reasonable.
So what about the “78% who want assisted dying”? Well, it depends on who you ask and how you ask — in that poll, most respondents were in good health. In contrast, studies show that when it comes to the personal need for end-of-life care, most people don’t want the hastening of their death (assisted dying), just relief of symptoms. When we read in the papers that “most people want it”, don’t believe it.
But perhaps it is true what they say — that the only real options are either assisted dying or terrible pain and suffering? No — not true! We are not blind to the harsh reality of disease, distress and death. But we are very clear about God’s gifts of pain-relieving medicines, and of skilled doctors and nurses who provide palliative care until a person reaches their natural end-of-life.
And what about the ‘control thing’ (or ‘personal autonomy’, the posh term). As one journalist put it, “surely it’s my right to choose to end my life, so you need to respect that and stay silent”. But we cannot stay silent, because (i) God has made us in his image, therefore we have no right to take away the life that he’s given us, either our own or someone else’s, (ii) he instructs us to look after each other, particularly the less able, to the natural end of life, and (iii) we can do the looking-after with great skill and compassion, so that people simply will not feel the need to request assisted dying (whether they believe in God or not).
What can we do? Pray that the Bill will fail. Go to the ‘Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill (Scotland) Bill’ webpage before 16th August and complete the survey. And ask your MSPs to vote against the Bill, and to leave the law as it is — it protects us from ourselves. You’ll easily find your MSPs’ details at www.parliament.scot, or write to them at The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh EH99 1SP.
Dr Charles L Crichton FRCGP, DipPallMed
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GROUP – FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND
The Public Engagement Group will be responding to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee’s Call for Evidence. The Group has already responded to Mile Brigg’s consultation on the right to Palliative Care.
For more details about the Public Engagement Group and to view the wide selection of Government consultations it has responded to go to: freechurch.org/public-engagement-group
ASSISTED DYING FOR TERMINALLY ILL ADULTS (SCOTLAND)
BILL – MARCH 2024.
BY DR CHARLES L CRICHTON
WORLD NEWS
AMERICAS AFRICA EUROPE ASIA AUSTRALASIA
RELIGIOUS GROUPS CALL FOR PROTECTION
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
A group of approximately 60 religious groups has made a public call to the Cuban government to take concrete steps to improve its record on human rights, including reforms that will protect freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).
The Alliance of Christians of Cuba (ACC), an independent network of religious leaders created in 2022, published the statement following their second annual general meeting on 26 June 2024 in the city of Las Tunas.
In the statement, the group condemns the Cuban government’s ongoing violations of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and calls for a new legal framework that will allow religious groups to register, noting that this will make it possible for legal action to be taken when FoRB violations occur. The group goes on to demand the release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience and urges the government to immediately halt ‘precriminal’ legal proceedings, which are used to try individuals suspected of the potential to commit crimes in the future, including political ‘crimes’.
Since 1 January 2024 CSW has documented 20 cases across eight provinces of religious leaders, including those of Christian and Afro-Cuban religious groups, being subjected to harassment, threats and fines because of their lack of legal recognition. In some cases, a registered religious association worshipping in an unregistered location was affected. In others, a religious leader was targeted because of the unregistered status of both the religious group and the location.
In one typical case, Hilber Morales Vargas, pastor of the Jesus Christ the Victor (Jesucristo el Vencedor) Church in Nuevitas, Camagüey, was fined 30,000 Cuban Pesos (approximately USD $1,250), which is six times his monthly salary of 5,000 Cuban Pesos, because of his leadership of what Housing Inspector Rolando Arencibia called ‘an illegal, unregistered church’. Pastor Morales Vargas protested the unfairness of the fine, pointing out that the church is only unregistered because the government has prevented them from registering, however he was ultimately forced to pay under the threat that the fine would double if he did not.
The ACC’s declaration also addressed violence against women and called on the government to divert resources dedicated to ‘persecuting those who think differently and demonstrate against government policy’ to the effective protection of its citizens and the development of more economic opportunities, and called for reforms around workers’ rights, concluding with a promise ‘to continue defending, praying and fighting for the dignity of the Cuban people’. •
MORE THAN 200 ARRESTED IN ERITREA, INCLUDING CHILDREN
Release International
Eritrea has stepped up its campaign against Christians, arresting 218 in the past 12 months – some along with their children.
This latest crackdown means that around 400 Christians are currently imprisoned – indefinitely, without trial or charge – because of their faith.
UK-based Release International (RI), which serves the persecuted church worldwide, say 110 Christians were seized between January and May. ‘Most were taken from their houses – some at 3am,’ says RI partner Dr Berhane Asmelash, a former prisoner of faith.
‘In the last round of arrests some children have been arrested with their parents, and in some cases the whole family is in prison. We are very concerned for the physical and mental wellbeing of the children, some of whom are only two years old. This is totally unacceptable, and we strongly condemn this inhuman act by the Eritrean government.’
According to Dr Berhane, most of those recently arrested are being held at Mai Serewa prison, while others have been sent to jails around the country.
Eritrea, in the horn of Africa, is a single-party state headed by Isaias Afwerki, who came to power in 1993. He cancelled elections pledged for 1997 and suspended the country’s draft democratic constitution. In 2002, the regime banned most Christian denominations. Since then, it has rounded up Christians and jailed them indefinitely without trial. Some have been behind bars for more than 20 years. A number have been held in steel shipping containers in the heat of the desert. Many have been tortured and some have died from abuse and untreated illness. Some have been forced to renounce their faith to be released. Eritrea is often described as ‘the North Korea of Africa’. •
TURKISH AUTHORITIES CRACK DOWN ON CHRISTIANITY
Christian Post
The Diyarbakir Protestant Church Foundation, established in 2019 to serve Protestant Christians in one of Turkey’s southeastern major cities, is facing overt discrimination from the government as they struggle to acquire land zoned for religious buildings to construct a new worship centre.
More than 100 Protestant Christians attend worship services at the church in Diyarbakir, which requires a larger space to accommodate the congregation. However, despite repeated applications, the requests have been continually denied or ignored by authorities who claim they lack the requisite authority to grant such requests, said the legal advocacy group ADF International.
“The land in question has been specifically designated for religious use, but the government is discriminating against the church because it is not associated with the state’s preferred religion,” said the group’s Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom, Kelsey Zorzi.
“The systemic and bureaucratic persecution is not only in direct violation of the basic human right to religious freedom but also Türkiye’s international human rights obligations. The discrimination must stop.”
In their fight for justice, the foundation, supported by ADF International, is challenging the court’s decision, which has set a troubling precedent that impedes the
establishment of any new religious facilities under the existing urban planning laws.
The situation is part of a pattern of religious discrimination in Turkey, where the government's increasing Islamisation and nationalism have created significant barriers for the Christian minority. The nation of about 83 million people is predominantly Muslim, with Christians numbering around 170,000. Legal and bureaucratic hurdles have become a common challenge for Christians, often leaving their rights and freedoms curtailed.
At least 185 foreign Protestant ministers have been deported from Turkey since 2018 under the pretext of national security. These expulsions often involve nebulous security codes used to bar individuals deemed threats to public order.
The international community, including the European bishops, has expressed concern over Turkey’s policies toward Christians, particularly in light of the recent conversion of the Church of Saint Savior in Chora into a mosque. This transformation, following the earlier conversion of the Hagia Sophia Basilica, has been criticised as an effort to erase the historical Christian presence in the country, undermining the credibility of any interreligious dialogue promoted by Turkish authorities. •
PAKISTAN AMONG WORST VIOLATORS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, US BODY SAYS
Christian Daily International / Morning Star News
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) again has recommended that the State Department designate Pakistan as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), citing the country’s blasphemy laws as a prime source of religious freedom violations.
Pakistan continues to witness widespread abuses of religious freedom, including blasphemy laws, forced conversions of minority girls, and targeted violence against religious minorities, according to the 2024 USCIRF report.
The blasphemy laws have been criticised for broad and vague provisions often misused to settle personal scores or target people of minority religions in the 96-percent Muslim country. The USCIRF report documents numerous cases of individuals, including Christians, Hindus and Ahmadis, being falsely accused and imprisoned under these laws. The mere accusation of blasphemy can lead to mob violence, extrajudicial killings, and mass protests, creating a climate of fear and intimidation, the USCIRF noted.
The report also highlighted forced conversions, particularly affecting young Christian and Hindu girls who are abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, and married off to their abductors. These incidents often go unpunished due to societal and institutional biases.
In addition, the USCIRF report pointed to numerous instances of targeted violence against religious minorities. Attacks on places of worship, including churches, temples, and Ahmadi mosques, continue to be a serious concern. The lack of adequate government response and protection for these communities exacerbates the situation, it noted.
The USCIRF urged the U.S. State Department to designate Pakistan as a CPC, which would subject the country to potential sanctions and other diplomatic measures aimed at improving religious freedom conditions. The commission also recommended increased U.S. support for civil society organisations working to promote religious tolerance and human rights in Pakistan.
In the most recent CPC designations, Pakistan joined Burma, the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on the list of the countries that most practice or tolerate violations of religious freedom.
The Pakistani government has often dismissed such reports as biased and politically motivated. USCIRF insisted, however, that its findings are based on thorough investigations and credible sources, urging Pakistan to undertake significant legal and policy reforms to address the violations. •
BY CRAWFORD MACKENZIE
A time to curse and a time to bless
In our local congregation, we, in common with many churcheS, have Several Small paStoral groupS that meet each week in individual homeS, where we Study the bible and pray. It is a very special time, with a wide range of ages, experiences, backgrounds and stages in life, but with a common love for the Lord and a bonding that transcends all human barriers.
We have just begun a short series of studies in the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament, not individual psalms but particular themes that run through the Psalter and which deal with almost every human emotion: joy, loneliness, honesty, remorse, sadness, fear, anger. In this we have been helped by James Montgomery Boyce, David O Taylor, John N Day, Gordon Wenham, Erich Zenger, Derek Kidner and CS Lewis. Inevitably, we will have to consider the Psalms that include cursing, of which there are many. Throughout the centuries these have been a problem to Christians and it is not difficult to see why. They are also often quoted by those who argue against the divine inspiration and authority of scripture as reasons why we cannot believe in the Bible. “How can we take the Bible seriously” they will say, “as it is full of so many contradictions”. A good friend of mine only the other day said just that and gave this as the reason why he had stopped reading it. The authority of the Bible was subject to a higher authority; in his case, that of his own rational mind. So, it is really only a problem for the Christian who believes in the authority, authenticity and inerrancy of scripture. For those who don’t, it should be of little interest or concern. But here I have a disturbing thought. Could it be that the reason why Christians find these words, of outright hatred and white-hot anger, problematic is that the problem is with us? Could it be that there is something about this God we are missing and just not getting? Could it be that we have not really grasped the absolute horror of evil, the heinousness of sin and where it inexorably leads? Maybe we haven’t stood by the remains of the furnace in Auschwitz and heard the guide tell us to be careful because we are standing among the dust of hundreds of murdered lives. Maybe we have never seen the heaps of bodies burning in Chin state in Myanmar. Maybe we have never been with the pastor visiting a village in the DRC, just a few months ago, and coming across the bodies of men, women and children lying where they were shot, with a single infant still alive in the arms of its dead mother. Maybe we have never recognised the corruption, deceit, lust, selfishness and greed that knocks at the door of our own hearts. Maybe we still think the battleline between good and evil lies not in us, but somewhere out there. Christians have found different ways of coping with this ‘problem’.
One was simply to ignore the offending passages. But that is hard to do, if you believe that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”. So that doesn’t work.
Another is to see that these expressions are wrong and should be condemned. Scripture includes many things that are wrong, David’s sin with Bathsheba
“ ”
This is exactly what the writers of the cursing psalms are doing, they are crying out for an equal and just retribution. But for them the appeal is not to a human court, but to the highest court, to the Judge of all the earth.
being one. But that doesn’t really work either, because while David’s sin was condemned and he himself confessed it, the Bible, at no point, condemns the writers of these psalms for what they said or for the desire for vengeance which they expressed.
A third, which many have settled on, is the idea that these expressions belong to the Old Testament, while in the New, Jesus and Paul have shown us a better way — how we should love our enemies, how we should bless and not curse. The Psalm writers under this explanation had a limited understanding of things and really didn’t know any better. But this falls too, because love for your enemies was not a new idea or a new command. It is embedded in the Old Testament law and Jesus quoted the proverb which explicitly says we should feed our enemy when he is hungry and give him something to drink when he is thirsty. On the other side, Paul pronounced a curse on Elymas the magician and Jesus himself pronounced a curse on Israel. So, we have love for the enemy in the Old and curses in the New.
What we found most helpful and illuminating, as our own minister pointed out in a recent sermon, was to see what the writers of these psalms were not saying. The writers, who included David and the captured slaves in Babylon, were not describing their commitment to enact revenge on those who brutally persecuted them. They were not saying that they would repay the perpetrators for what was done to them. Their appeal was simply to God for justice. And that is what it is about — Justice. The justice described in the Mosaic law — the principal of equal and just retribution.
Today, when we hear the cry of families of victims of vicious crimes, it is always an appeal for justice, justice for the ones they loved. That’s what they fight for. That’s what they demand from the courts and that is what they never give up on, because it is Justice that is at stake. This is exactly what the writers of the cursing psalms are doing, they are crying out for an equal and just retribution. But for them the appeal is not to a human court, but to the highest court, to the Judge of all the earth. And it is this act of taking it, in all its rawness, to God and leaving it with him, which at once lances that boil, dissolves the rage, neutralises the anger and eliminates the personal desire for revenge. The outburst of outrage is more than just cathartic. It achieves something.
So, we have found, having taken these challenging passages which sound pretty terrible to our ears, taken them head on, unflinchingly, we have found that they do not, in fact, refute the law of love but they complement it, and we see how the curses and the blessings, the love and the hatred stand together in God’s Word, perfectly without contradiction. •
Crawford Mackenzie is an elder in St Peter’s Free Church, Dundee
DR GRAHAM KEITH (1950-2024)
It wa S with a profound feeling of S hock and S urpri S e that the congregation of ayr and k ilwinning f ree c hurch learned on 20th j anuary 2024 of the death of their S e SS ion clerk and elder of many year S , the late d r g raham k eith , only four days after the funeral of his sister Lindsay, the congregational treasurer and administrator. To those who had attended that funeral it was very apparent that Graham was himself far from well, but the immediacy of his passing was unexpected. Born at Stromness in 1950 and educated in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Graham soon showed himself to be endowed with unusual academic ability. Dux of Hutcheson’s Grammar School, he studied briefly at the University of Glasgow and then at Keble College, Oxford where he obtained a doctorate for studies on the Arian Controversy in the fourth century. After working for a period as a travelling secretary with the Inter-varsity Fellowship he entered the teaching profession and worked as a teacher of classics and RE in Ayrshire until retirement, returning to his home in Alloway with his mother and sister. He came into membership of the Ayr Free Church congregation during the ministry of Rev Maurice Roberts, in 1981. Ordained to the eldership in 1984, Graham gave himself without stint to the work of the congregation. He conducted services regularly, both in Ayr and in other congregations in the presbytery. Indeed, during the recent Covid pandemic, he undertook a considerable share of the preaching duties, in view of the vacancy in the congregation.
After the congregations at Ayr and Kilwinning united in 2012, Graham took a particular interest in the work at Kilwinning, preaching there regularly, arranging the weekly supply, and until his health broke down, conducting the fortnightly midweek prayer meeting. As clerk of the Kilwinning Deacons’ Court he undertook oversight of much of the business of that part of the united congregation and spearheaded the efforts for the development of the work in Kilwinning. Only last August he was appointed session clerk for the united congregation. After his retiral from teaching Graham was free to give more time to the wider work of the denomination. He was appointed to the College Board in 2012, serving during the period that Edinburgh Theological Seminary was set up, thus being involved in its formative stages. In the Glasgow and Argyll Presbytery he served as presbytery elder, first for Arran where he was assessor elder, and subsequently for his own congregation. As Convener of the Presbytery Students Committee and its successor the Personnel Committee, he had the responsibility for the students under their oversight, a duty which he carried out diligently
and prayerfully with a real concern for their welfare and progress.
Over the years Graham engaged in a number of literary pursuits. He wrote reviews of new books published, proofread others, and he himself contributed to the literary scene by his Hated without a Cause? a study of antisemitism published in 1997, which was well received by reformed thinkers, and a brief history of Ayr Free Church. Blessed with an outstanding memory for names and facts, he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the global church with particular reference to those places and people undergoing persecution for their faith that revealed itself in his passionate intercession for them at prayer meetings.
By nature quiet and unpretentious, Graham did not push himself forward, but when he did give his opinion at meetings it was worth listening to. If roused, however, he could show himself a doughty defender of the faith, so that anyone debating obscure questions of church history, reformed doctrine or New Testament exegesis would find himself out of his depth very soon.
We miss one who persevered in his duties while far from well, his humble faith, his supportive friendship. We give thanks for his life of commitment to his Lord, to the church he served so faithfully for so many years, to his friends who will miss his acts of kindness, quietly and unobtrusively shown, and not least to his mother and sister. His mother, so sadly bereaved of both her children within such a short time, we commit to our gracious Heavenly Father, that she may be upheld and comforted by his gracious presence and by the glorious hope of the gospel. •
REV IAIN MORRISON (1962-2024)
The meSSage of the goSpel – the croSS of chriSt and Saving faith in the lord jeSuS – waS Shared at a Service of thankSgiving for rev iain morriSon at oban free church.
Rev Douglas Cranston paid tribute to his friend who died, following a cancer diagnosis, at the age of 61.
Douglas said: “When someone at a relatively young age dies there is often a very real sense that at a human level, we have lost something of the future. The world talks of “untimely death”. But for the believer there can be no such talk, we are sad, bereft, mourning, perhaps even confused and afraid. In a few months the certain has become uncertain, the stable, unstable. But we know that God has all things in his hands and everything under control.
“Death does, however, cause us all to encounter what we cannot avoid: the reality of life’s brevity, death’s reality, judgment’s certainty and gospel opportunity.
“Opportunity that is found nowhere else than in the cross of Christ and in saving faith in the Lord Jesus taking my sin upon himself in saving atonement.”
Douglas shared about Iain’s life. Iain was born on 5th June 1962 at Simpson Maternity Hospital Edinburgh. He was the child of Murdo and Mary Morrison (née Mackay). He went to school at Stornoway Primary then the Nicolson Institute. He attended university at Heriot Watt. He started with Civil Engineering but switched to Maths. During that time Iain gained a Masters degree (Education Management) via Open University, Scottish Qualification for Headship. He then studied at ETS from 2014-2017.
Douglas said: “Iain married Carmen on 8th October 1987 in Stornoway. They had three children — Jonathan and the twins, Abigail and Christopher.
“Iain’s working life began as a teacher, teaching Maths at Perth Academy and then Computing Science and Maths at the Nicholson. He served for a time as deputy head teacher.
“During his years as a teacher of computing science and maths he witnessed to his pupils. A teacher in Sunday School and Bible class in his church as a member and then as an elder, his influence on young lives will never be known this side of eternity.”
Douglas said: “Over a number of years Iain grew in his sense of God’s call to full-time service in the ministry. Those years were a mixture of joy and sorrow, tough times, hard sacrifices of time away from family and friends and the security of home and the familiar, triumphs in attaining his degree and in developing of friends who would grow to know him and love him.”
Iain lived in Back from 1987 before moving to Rosskeen in 2018. He contributed in his ministry to a number of churches. He spent four years at Rosskeen, from 2018 to 2022, where he ministered during the
pandemic. At Rosskeen he was assistant to his former pupil (Calum MacMillan). There he quickly became a cherished part of the Rosskeen family.
Douglas said: “As in all the places where Iain served, his love for Jesus and for people shone through (as did his love for World War II illustrations in his sermons!).
“Iain contributed to many other congregations through placements and pulpit supply, notably at Dowanvale and Newmilns. It culminated in a call to Oban Free Church as minister.
“His ministry was marked by clarity, biblical simplicity and above all a passion to see Christ lifted up before men, women and children.
“Iain brought a warmth and compassion to the pulpit. He had an understanding of people, real people — living real lives — in a very broken world. He brought people to Christ, to the saviour, and he did so with godly compassion and genuine fondness for people. He was a gifted and faithful expositor of the Word.”
Douglas spoke about Iain’s cancer diagnosis, adding: “During that struggle he found joy in the providences of God that even in the cancer ward he was able to be used of God to speak to medical staff and patient alike.”
Douglas also shared about Iain’s love for his congregation at Oban Free Church.
“And there is both the man of faith and the minister of God’s people,” Douglas said, adding that Iain was a “godly, faithful minister, for whom faith has now become sight”. •
JUDAS (NOT ISCARIOT)
In the This Is My Story devotional series, REV DAVID J RANDALL imagines what it might be like if we could interview some Bible characters. Hebrews 11:4 says of one character, ‘though he died, he still speaks’; may these ‘interviews’ encourage us today in trusting, loving and serving the Lord Jesus Christ, the Character of the Bible.
Record: Judas! Don’t you sometimes wish you had a different name?
Judas: Yes, I do. Actually I have two other names. Sometimes I’m known as Thaddaeus and sometimes as Lebbaeus. I’ve even been nicknamed ‘Trinomius’.
Record: That would mean ‘Three Names’, so which shall we use?
Judas: Just use Judas, despite its bad connotations. Actually, the one time when my words are recorded, I’m referred to as ‘Judas (not Iscariot)’.
Record: You wouldn’t want to be confused with him, would you? By the way, didn’t you and the others realise that the other Judas was a bad apple?
Judas: Not really. He did look after the small purse that we had and occasionally we wondered about his honesty, and even about whether his heart was really in it all.
Record: In what?
Judas: In the whole mission of Jesus. He had chosen the twelve of us to be the nucleus of his new community, and he wanted to train us to spread his gospel after he had returned to the Father in heaven.
Record: And Judas — the other one — had a pretty significant part to play, didn’t he?
Judas: Indeed — and if we had realised where he was going that night, we would have grabbed him and saved Jesus.
Record: But wasn’t it all part of the divine plan?
Judas: Indeed. Judas had his own reasons for doing what he did. But Jesus was going to walk the road to Calvary anyway. That’s why he had come. He often referred to himself as the Son of Man, and I remember him saying that the Son of Man had come to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for
many. He told us about it several times, but I’m afraid it was only afterwards that we really understood what he had meant.
Record: You’re saying he had come in order to die?
Judas: It’s not what I’m saying — it’s what he said. Of course he came to leave us his teaching and example, but the main thing was that he came to be our Saviour. We human beings are in a predicament. We are all sinners who fall far short of being what we should be, and if we had to appear before God in our own name, we wouldn’t have any hope of heaven. But he died that we might be forgiven and go to heaven, saved by his precious blood.
Record: And what about this one occasion when your words are recorded?
Judas: It was that night in the upper room when we didn’t really realise what was going on. Jesus had said some amazing things, things that are more precious to us now than they were when we first heard them.
Record: And what about your question?
Judas: Well, he said that those who love him will be loved by his Father, and he said, ‘And I will manifest myself to him.’ I couldn’t figure out what he meant, so I spoke up; I asked, ‘Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us?’ Turns out it was all about the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of his followers, the Spirit who would bring to our remembrance the things he had taught us. It’s all written down in the pages of Scripture, and it’s through these pages that people can know Christ himself.
Record: But there must have been many things Jesus said and did that didn’t find their way into the gospels?
Judas: Yes, and our brother John wrote about that. He said if everything were to be written down the world couldn’t contain the books. He said that the things written were written so that people might believe in Jesus and have life in his name.
Record: And for your own part, there’s the little letter of Jude, written by ‘a servant of Christ Jesus and brother of James.’ Jude is another form of Judas and I assume that you were the author.
Judas: That’s a reasonable assumption. But it doesn’t really matter who wrote down the words of Scripture, because, as our brother Peter said, we wrote as men who were ‘carried along by the Holy Spirit.’
Record: And that letter of Jude — that’s where we’re told to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Judas: That was important then, and it’s important always, because there will always be temptations to change and distort the message.
Record: How do you mean?
Judas: Sometimes people will try to play down the supernatural aspects of Christianity. For instance, they’ll argue that since people find it hard to believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, we should just abandon that doctrine. Or they’ll argue that people won’t accept some aspects of biblical morality so we should ‘adapt’ our standards. Some people will attack
his deity and regard him as just another good teacher. Others will attack his humanity and imply that he was divine and only appeared to be human.
Record: And the miracles?
Judas: Yes, people regularly try to explain them, or explain them away, or suggest that they were only recorded by gullible people who were ready to swallow anything.
Record: And what about the greatest miracle of them all?
Judas: Yes, there too. All manner of ‘explanations’ have been suggested to avoid belief in the resurrection. Some said Jesus’ body was stolen, but, if that had been so, all the authorities would have needed to do to kill off Christianity was to produce the body. The fact that they didn’t shows that they couldn’t. They might suggest that some of us stole the body and hid it, but Peter and James and some of the others were ready to die rather than deny that they had seen the risen Lord. Others again have suggested it was a hallucination, or some kind of ‘spiritual’ resurrection — as if the soul of Jesus continues to inspire his followers. But none of the so-called explanations can alter the fact that Jesus really and physically rose from the dead. That’s the centre of Christianity.
Record: So contending for the faith once delivered to the saints means standing for these basic truths.
Judas: Yes, and also resisting the idea that Christianity is Christ plus — Christ plus something else. It’s in Christ that we find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. If you have Christ in your heart, you don’t need anything else.
Record: But does that mean it doesn’t matter how we live?
Judas: Of course not. There were some who said that, that if God’s grace is so wonderful, we could go on sinning and God would always overlook it. They even suggested that the more sinning we do, the more forgiving God gets to do! We need to contend for the faith against such travesties of the gospel.
Record: But doesn’t that mean that Christianity becomes fossilised in the past?
Judas: Not at all. Christ is not only the Lord of the past but also the Lord of the present and of the future. Actually, when he looked to the future, he prophesied that scoffers would arise, people who would follow their own desires and cause divisions.
Record: And the letter of Jude bids Christians to keep themselves in their most holy faith in Christ and love for him, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Judas: I couldn’t have said it better myself! •
David J Randall retired from pastoral ministry in 2010 and is a member of the Free Church congregation in Broughty Ferry. He has served in a number of locumships, still preaches regularly, and has written several books.
FOOD FOR FELLOWSHIP
Tell us about yourself
My name is Eilidh Macleod. I live in Hilton, near Tain, where my husband is the assistant minister at Tain and Fearn Free Church. I’ve lived here since we got married in 2019. We’re part of a lovely Church family and love living so close to the beach. We have a toddler called Isla who is great fun and also our newborn baby boy Caleb who is just 2 months old. I work part time as a Physiotherapist and spend the rest of my week as a busy mum attending toddler groups and sorting piles of washing!
What is your favourite recipe and why?
I’m not much of a cook to be honest and prefer baking with my little assistant, Isla. I like recipes where you can largely chuck the ingredients in and create something that looks fancier than it actually is. Joe Wick’s recipe for Mediterranean turkey stuffed peppers is popular in our house as they’re really easy and tasty. It’s good for a family dinner or for serving to a small group of friends. I tend to double the filling and put a batch in the freezer for an easy dinner another night. The stuffed peppers can be served with green veg, salad or something like wedges. We personally leave out the mushrooms in our house.
How does food play into fellowship in your church? (Outreach, fellowship, bible studies etc.)
There’s a lot of food (and fellowship!) to be found at Tain and Fearn Free Church. We’re blessed to have a lot of excellent cooks and bakers that are busy all year providing food for church events and camps. You’ll notice if you watch us online that our ministers are prone to using food in their kids’ talks…mostly so they get to eat it themselves afterwards! One of the main outreaches we run is free lunch clubs on a Monday and Friday. Anyone from the community is welcome to come along for soup, hot drinks, bacon rolls/toasties etc. The members that run the lunch clubs do a brilliant job. This is a particularly great way to reach out to the elderly and vulnerable in our community who are seeking some company or hot food. There are a lot of regulars who love coming for a chat over lunch. This is a great way to share life together, build relationships and bring people into the church building in an informal way. It’s important not just to fellowship with each other on a Sunday but to be engaging in normal, day-to-day life together — sharing with each other about our plans for the week, our joys and burdens, and being able to care for and pray for each other more personally by knowing each other better.
What kind of things has being in fellowship taught you about the Lord?
Every year we have an event called Enspire for ministers’ wives to gather for the day. I’m often feeling a bit unsociable and nervous about attending but every time I’ve attended I’ve come away encouraged from spending time in fellowship with women in similar situations. The Lord uses times of fellowship to bring us refreshing and blessing, often when we really need it! He knows our needs and uses the people around us to spur us on. Last year, my husband and I were wrestling with some big decisions. A friend at Enspire spoke words to me that really guided us. The Lord often speaks to us through the people around us. We’ve heard some wonderful testimonies at our communion fellowships over the last year. One that stands out recently is a member that shared about prolonged infertility struggles. It’s amazing to hear examples of the Lord’s faithfulness and goodness in difficult seasons of life. We often can’t understand the Lord’s timing and plans until we look back years later and realise that his hand really was there the whole time. I personally find hearing testimonies from others a helpful reminder of the Lord’s saving grace and goodness in my own life – “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see”. •
MediterraneaN turkey � stuffed peppers � o
Ingredients (Serves 2):
• 2 red peppers
• 1 ½ tbsp olive oil, plus an extra drizzle
• 240g lean turkey breast mince
• ½ small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin
Method:
• 3-4 mushrooms, sliced
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 chicken stock cube
• Handful fresh oregano leaves
• 60g mozzarella, grated
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan. Halve the peppers lengthways, then remove the seeds and core but keep the stalks on. Rub the peppers with a drizzle of olive oil and season well. Put on a baking tray and roast for 15 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Fry the mince for 2-3 mins, stirring to break up the chunks, then tip onto a plate.
• Wipe out your pan, then heat the rest of the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, stir-fry for 2-3 mins, then add the cumin and mushrooms and cook for 2-3 mins more.
• Tip the mince back into the pan and add the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée. Crumble in the stock cube and cook for 3-4 mins, then add the oregano and season. Remove the peppers from the oven and fill them with as much of the mince as you can (don’t worry if some spills out it – it will go satisfyingly crisp in the oven). Top with the cheese and return to the oven for 10-15 mins until the cheese starts to turn golden.
• Carefully slide the peppers onto a plate and serve alongside a pile of your favourite greens blanched, boiled or steamed.
You can find the recipe online at www.bbcgoodfood.com
PAGES FROM ADAM’S DIARY Kamakaze Bee
A brother, known to some of us as Dr Adam, has served the Lord among his suffering church for many years. Dr Adam has also ministered in various parts of the world among refugees. We have asked his permission to print some of the stories of his life and service for the encouragement of readers of The Record. For well understood reasons, the names of people and places have usually been changed or omitted.
“ ”
During
this long exchange, Lewis had asserted that
Christianity was nothing more than mythology. In response to which Tolkien
had
said to Lewis, “It is true that Christianity is mythology, except this myth is true.”
Two friendS of mine, one of whom iS a profeSSor of medicine at the univerSity of hamburg, laSt year organiSed a meeting at the univerSity. A group of students, friends, and faculty had been invited. I was asked to tell them why I was a Christian. I did. I spoke about my own conversion, the beauty of the Christian message and the incomparable gift of God, which is the Lord Jesus.
Afterward, there were some questions and interactions until one of the guests said he was an atheist and this talk about God and a Galilean rabbi was nothing more than human fabrication. He said, “All these religious, emotional gushes about supernatural conversion and miracles are wholly religious gibberish. It is pure and simple mythology.” I responded to him by telling a joke that President Ronald Reagan had told at a gathering in Washington D.C. Reagan said that he had long been unable to understand the atheists in this world of so much wonder and beauty. He said he had also had an unholy desire to invite some atheists to a meal. He would then serve them the most fabulous gourmet dinner that had ever been concocted. And then, after dinner, he wanted to ask them if they believed there was a cook?
I asked the professed atheist in our meeting if he had heard what J.R. Tolkien had told C.S. Lewis? Tolkien’s friendship was instrumental in Lewis’s conversion from atheism to Christianity. The story goes that, on an early Sunday morning, 20th September 1931, three English professors — two at the University of Oxford and one at Reading — took a stroll together. Lewis was a 32-year-old lecturer in English literature, J. R. Tolkien was a 39-year-old professor of Anglo-Saxon literature, and the 35-year-old Hugo Dyson was a lecturer at the University of Reading. Their time together had begun the evening before at dinner, but their conversation continued late into the night and into the next morning.
During this long exchange, Lewis had asserted that Christianity was nothing more than mythology. In response to which Tolkien had said to Lewis, “It is true that Christianity is mythology, except this myth is true.” Lewis had no qualms with Christ dying an exemplary death, showing love and sacrifice. However, he could not grasp the vicarious substitutionary atonement — that Christ’s sacrifice was ‘propitiatory’, a penal sacrifice to atone for the offense of our wilful rebellion against God and to satisfy the offended justice of the Holy LORD. Tolkien impressed upon Lewis that the story of Christ was different from all other myths because this myth was a true myth — that is, it really happened.
The man in our meeting had made up his mind and he was not about to be confused by facts! He proceeded to dominate the meeting and to deliver a rant against Christianity. The event was being hosted outdoors. It was a beautiful, sunny day. As he was denouncing the Lord and my friends and myself were helplessly watching, this man disrupted and undermined the very purpose of our gathering. Suddenly a big bee, like a kamikaze fighter plane, slammed into his upper lip and stung him so deeply that the poor bee could not detach itself from his lip! His lip began to swell. He used some curse words against the poor insect who had lost its life in shutting up this unbeliever, and our host took him aside to pull the stinger out of his lip and put ice on it. Our meeting now continued.
This incident not only did not disrupt the meeting but made an impression on the audience, several of whom commented on the intriguing event in which it seemed God had shut the man’s mouth. The Lord blessed the gathering as the three of us were able to spend long hours with several students and faculty members discussing the Gospel. •
by
Photo
Bret Kavanaugh on Unsplash
BOOK REVIEWS
Our books this month tackle real life circumstances that all Christians will face at one time or another, to a greater or lesser extent. We hope you find them helpful!
BOOK
OF
THE
MONTH
A TIME TO MOURN WILL DOBBIE (2024)
This is a much-needed, balanced and comforting book which will be well-used by Christians. We encounter the regular, challenging experience of the death of a relative, friend or acquaintance when we may not be sure whether they are believers or not. Will Dobbie, a former soldier now pastor, draws both on his own experience and more importantly on God’s nature to offer us a deft and comprehensive treatment of this important and sensitive subject. The book provides us with a valuable resource, filling an inexplicable gap in the Christian publishing world as this is such an obvious topic for discussion and support. We know that the gospel divides; there will always be those who know Jesus and those who don’t. But in the face of death this truth becomes more real, acute and stark. Dobbie really helps us face these difficult times by focusing on who God is, and he does so in a comforting yet uncompromising manner. God, after all, is the one who cares and grieves. He is also the one who knows, judges and heals. It is the glory of God that ultimately matters for the Christian in all the varying circumstances of life. The final chapter draws together the main strands of the book to offer the reader vital applications and real encouragements at a time of loss. I thoroughly recommend this book. • This book is available from www.christianfocus.com
Gari Lewis, Tabernacle Welsh Baptist, Llwynhendy
It isn’t often that we have reviews come in for two very similar books, but it so happens that we have also received a review of FACING THE LAST ENEMY by GUY PRENTISS WATERS (2023, LIGONIER).
Our reviewer, Fiona Talbot, reflects: “It is soundly based on Scripture... [but] I struggled with his style of writing in this section; I found it impersonal, unemotional and at times pretty unsympathetic to the reality of human pain and suffering... Throughout the book the author continually points to our gospel hope in Christ, and this for me was its redeeming feature.” •
QUOTATIONS:
Sometimes it feels as if the pain of loss will never cease. But after Jesus ascended, he sent his Spirit to dwell in those who believe. Whoever we have lost, however that loss occurred, whatever their standing with the Lord, we can know comfort. God’s love is ever-present, his everlasting arms rock solid beneath those for whom he cares. As the emotions flow and the questions tumble, he is our strength and the rock to whom we can always turn for help.
Helen Thorne-Allenson of Biblical Counselling UK. Quote taken from a blog Easter grief – Easter hope
MADE FOR FRIENDSHIP
DREW HUNTER (2018)
When I was recently asked to speak at a conference on ‘Bringing Hope – Friendship in a Fractured World,’ I looked around for books on the theology of friendship. I found 1-2 but was disappointed with what I found. One of the books referred to Made for Friendship by Drew Hunter and once I’d bought it, I simply couldn’t put it down. It is readable, enjoyable but also full of rich deep theology about all that the Bible has to say about friendship. Drew Hunter splits the book into three sections: The Necessity of Friendship, The Gift of Friendship and The Redemption of Friendship. In the first section, Drew Hunter builds the foundation of how friendship is a forgotten and despised concept both in society and even in the church. He helpfully defines friendship and goes on to show how needful it is if we want to live life in all its fullness. In the second section of the book Hunter helps us to see the beautiful gift of friendship. As the 19th century Anglican JC Ryle says: ‘This world is full of sorrow because it is full of sin. It is a dark place. It is a lonely place. It is a disappointing place. The brightest sunbeam in it is a friend. Friendship halves our troubles and
doubles our joys.’ The third and last section of the book helpfully gives us a theology of friendship and helps us to see ‘The Great Friend’. I was greatly impacted by a deeper understanding of what Jesus said in John 15:15: ‘No longer do I call your servants…I call you friends.’
Made for Friendship warmed my soul, encouraged me to lean deeper into friendships and helped me to see that the Bible is full of rich theology around friendship. It helped me to see Jesus as the ultimate friend and the importance of cultivating my relationship with the friend that sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18: 24). • This book is available from 10ofthose.com
HALL OF FAITH: JONI EARECKSON TADA CATHERINE MACKENZIE (2023)
For those of us who have been following Joni’s story for years, this is such a welcome addition to the literature about her early life for a new generation. She has always been an inspiration because of her raw honesty and vibrant daily dependence on God in her constant chronic suffering. This book does not shy away from confronting the reality of her everyday life with its concomitant implications.
Her diving accident and subsequent spiritual struggles to accept paraplegia as God’s will for her life are portrayed honestly. All her emotions are on display, warts and all, especially the deep depression and bitter anger towards God which descended on her for months when she realised that she would never get back the use of her hands.
The book is well-written and easy to read and is an excellent introduction for all who are new to Joni’s story, although it is aimed primarily at young teenagers. My two ten-year-old granddaughters could read and enjoy this as well, with perhaps the only caveat being the honest discussion in one part about pre-marital intimacy. Whatever happens in our lives, we are reminded that God is always good and that his plan for our life is always the
best one, even if we can’t appreciate it at the time. Read this book and find encouragement for your life. • This book is available from www.christianfocus.com
A monthly take on some of the mission work the Free Church is involved in by our Mission Director, DAVID MEREDITH
rural i S complicated . 98% of the land mass of Scotland is defined as rural with 17% of the population. The Scottish government defines rural as settlements with a population of less than 3,000.
As a denomination, our vision is to see a healthy gospel church for every community in Scotland. We want to see rural congregations thrive. There is an image problem. Think musty smelly Victorian buildings with grass growing out of the gutters. One book lists: caution, cultural conservatism, insularity and suspicion, intransigence, lack of imagination and diffidence as ‘behavioural traits’ and ‘defining characteristics’ of people in village communities. To what extent are these perceptions real?
In the Free Church we have examples of rural renewal. In Kiltarlity we have a fresh building which is packed out with young families. Move further west to the communities of Poolewe and Aultbea where you will see a growing congregation housed in stunning buildings with contemporary interiors renovated by local people.
In the providence of God, it’s mostly historic presbyterian churches who remain in rural areas. Independents tend not to prosper. Resilience and traction are issues. What are we to do with this opportunity?
Our Centre for Rural Mission will be initiated in November. This will generate gospel optimism as we think about mission in rural Scotland and stimulate resourcing these churches. There are increasingly fewer differences between people who live in rural areas and those who live in our larger towns and cities. In this post-Covid world people seek out the freedoms which country life brings. Surveys consistently show higher happiness markers among rural dwellers.
Some starters for rural churches. Stop thinking like victims. I understand where this is coming from. If the prevailing positive stories are all about edgy urban church plants, what chance
do we have? The answer is to reverse the view of urban as a threat and see them as examples. Church planting has taught us that we have to change our way of working to reach this generation. The people of Morningside are not fundamentally different from folks who live in Marvig. Ministry is similar wherever you are located. It’s a case of communicating the good news of Jesus and genuinely caring about people.
Build on your strengths. In your community everyone will know everyone. The community values which people cherish and miss are those which emerged from a Biblical worldview. Love and kindness characterise the people of God. Some will be blushing as they think of their small communities with three nearly empty presbyterian churches. Own and admit the failures and speak about them with honesty and not a little grief. Perhaps a letter in the local press confessing past failures. Answer the questions which your new neighbours are asking.
Don’t see technology as the total answer. I admit to being an outlier with my views on this. Video technology is good for many business meetings. My world has been revolutionised by the ability to be in meetings in any part of the country or the world. My rural neighbours live on Skye but work in the Netherlands and West Lothian without having to leave the island. However, worship is best when it is enfleshed. Video may be a silver bullet but bullets kill. Our forefathers walked over moor and glen to gather with the family of God. We capitulate to a half-hour drive when the greatest risk is a directionally challenged American in a rented campervan. There are times when Donald’s handshake and Annie’s smile is the juice that is worth the squeeze.
I think we will be talking and praying more about our rural congregations in the next few months. One more thing. Sort out your noticeboards. •
POETRY PAGE
EXCERPT FROM THE THOUGHTS OF GOD FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL
Frances Ridley Havergal (14th December 1836–3rd June 1879) was an English poet and hymnwriter. Though mostly remembered today for her hymns, at the time of her death Havergal was well-known on both sides of the Atlantic for her poetry and pamphlets, and approximately four million of her books had been published. •
They say there is a hollow, safe and still,
A point of coolness and repose
Within the centre of a flame, where life might dwell
Unharmed and unconsumed, as in a luminous shell,
Which the bright walls of fire enclose
In breachless splendour, barrier that no foes
Could pass at will.
There is a point of rest
At the great centre of the cyclone’s force
A silence at its secret source; –
A little child might slumber undistressed, Without the ruffle of one fairy curl,
In that strange central calm amid the mighty whirl.
So in the centre of these thoughts of God,
Cyclones of power, consuming glory-fire,
As we fall o’erawed
Upon our faces, and are lifted higher
By his great gentleness, and carried nigher
Than unredeemed angels, till we stand
Even in the hollow of his hand, –
Nay more! We lean upon his breast –
There, there we find a point of perfect rest
And glorious safety. There we see
His thoughts to us-ward, thoughts of peace
That stoop to tenderest love; that still increase
With increase of our need; that never change, That never fail, or falter, or forget.
O pity infinite!
O royal mercy free!
O gentle climax of the depth and height
Of God’s most precious thoughts, most wonderful, most strange!
‘For I am poor and needy, yet The Lord himself, Jehovah, thinketh upon me!’
CHiLDREN'S PAGE CHiLDREN'S PAGE
JESUS CALMS A STORM
Like the disciples we’re often worried and afraid in our lives. Sometimes things seem so big and we don’t know what to do. God tells us to call on him. Like Jesus with the storm, God is in control. We do not need to be afraid.
THREE QUESTIONS
We asked Sarah Robinson three questions. What is your role in the Free Church?
I am Communications Manager for the Free Church of Scotland, based in Edinburgh. I attend Cornerstone Free Church in Morningside.
What do you do in your role?
It’s a very varied job; from overseeing the Free Church websites and social media, being interim editor of The Record, to writing press releases and gathering stories about what’s happening across our Free Churches. Will you please share a Bible verse that means a lot to you?
One of my favourite verses is Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by on and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
It’s a wonderful reminder of how big and how amazing God is. He created the Universe, and he created us!
WORD SCRAMBLE
Can you unscramble these words associated with Jesus?
MEMORY VERSE
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you
Psalm 119:30
LUKE 8:22-25
One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marvelled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”
GET CREATIVE!!
colour in this picture of a boat on stormy waters!
Aiseag chinnteach (A sure crossing)
LE JANET NICPHÀIL
Cha bhi an aiseag-sa air dheireadh no idir tràth, ach air an uair, bidh. Suidhicht' anns an t-sìorraidheachd tha clàr-ama air folach bhuainne.
Nach fheum sinn uile strìochdadh do ghuth a' Chruthaidheir, agus sinn aineolach air giorrad ar là anns an t-saoghal-sa?
Tha sìth ri fhaighinn nuair a chuimhnicheas sinn gur e Cruthaidhear math agus tròcaireach a th'ann, 's ged nach fhaiceadh sinne freagairt ar n-ùrnaighean ler sùilean nàdarra, chan eil sin idir ag ràdh nach eil iad air am freagairt.
Is iomadh tòimhseachan a th'ann am beatha gach duine, ach feumaidh sinn gèilleadh Dhàsan, a tha a' riaghladh gu ro naomh 's gu ro ghlic. Nach ann againn a bhiodh an saoghal eadar-dhealaicht' nam faigheadh E an t-àit' air am bheil E airidh?
Tha guth a' Chruthaidheir cumhachdach, oir bheir E air na mairbh A ghuth a chluinntinn, 's a bhith beò. Mìorbhail mhòr!
Tha aiseagan eile a' tighinn 's a' falbh bhor n-eileanan, agus gu tric, feumaidh an clàr-ama atharrachadh ri linn droch thìde, no a chionn gu bheil uireasbhaidh air chor-eigin air a' bhàta.
Tha an saoghal againne làn atharraichidhean, ach tha na nì an Cruthaidhear suidhicht' anns an t-sìorraidheachd. Nach biodh e glic dhuinn uile àite mòr a thoirt Dha? Is e seo ar dleastanas co-dhiù.
Bu chòir dhuinn a bhith a' cuimhneachadh cho beag 's a tha an duine, agus cho mòr 's a tha an Cruthaidhear. Nach e seo a leughas sinn anns an t-Sailm?
´Do cheuman tha san doimhneachd mhòir do shlighe tha 's a' chuan: Ach luirg do chas chan aithnich sinn, tha siud am falach uainn.'
Ged a dh' fhaodadh daoine a bhith gu math fiosraicht', tha sinn uile glè dhall air inntinn a tha àrd os ar cionn. Nach E a dh' irioslaich E Fhèin an uair a choimhead E ann an tròcair air saoghal peacach, 's iad air àitheantan a bhriseadh? Nach eil sin fhèin a' dèanamh a' Chruthaidheir cho eadar-dhealaicht' ri na daoine a chruthaich E na ìomhaigh Fhèin?
Chan eil tinneas, no sgìths, no nì sam bith eile a' cumail aiseag a' Chruthaidheir air-ais aig àm sam bith, ach bidh i a' tadhal aig port far am feum i neach-eigin a thogail, agus an toirt gu sàbhailt' à tìm gu cladach na sìorraidheachd. Is e seo an ceann-uidhe a tha ancòmhnaidh aig a' bhàta-sa. Bu chòir don seo a bhith a' toirt oirnn' a bhith a' cuimhneachadh gu feum ar faradh a bhith pàighte.
Gheall an Cruthaidhear na Fhacal, gum b'e Criosd an t-aon neach a b'urrainn am faradh-sa a phàigheadh do gach neach a chuireadh an dòchas ann. Nach e ar gliocas a bhith a' dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil Esan againn mar Fhear-Saoraidh agus mar Fhear-tagraidh ann an Cùirt nam Flaitheas?
Chan eil feum aig aiseag a' Chruthaidheir air càradh aig àm sam bith, agus cha chuir droch aimsir maille sam bith oirre, oir buinidh i do shaoghal eile.
Is e ùine glè ghoirid a th'againn anns an t-saoghalsa an taca ri sìorraidheachd. Tha nithean ionmholta anns an t-saoghal-sa, ach tha na nithean a th'air thoiseach air a' Chrìosdaidh mòran nas fheàrr, oir, ´ Chan fhaca sùil, 's cha chuala cluas 's cha tàinig e a chridhe duine, na nithean a dh'ullaich Dia dhaibhsan aig am bheil Gràdh Dha.'
Tha cuireadh a' Chruthaidheir fialaidh, ´Ho, gach neach air am bheil tart, thigibh a chum nan uisgeachan, 's ceannaichibh fìon agus bainne gun airgead agus gun luach.'
Pàight' anns an t-sìorraidheachd thall le Fear-Saoraidh a dh'fhuiling air Crann tha dòchas na Glòire, gun tig air ar tòir-ne long shàbhailt' gar treòrach' a-nall. •
BY CATRIONA MURRAY
POST TENEBRAS LUX
when you meet S omeone new , no matter the circum S tance S , one of the fir S t que S tion S you will put to them i S –rather like the much - parodied late q ueen – ‘ and what do you do ’? Yes, we establish basics like their name and where they’re from, but hard on the heels of these essentials is an enquiry about the way they earn a living.
Your job is a major part of your identity. It sits alongside your name, parentage and birthplace as a distinguishing mark, unique to you. Here in Lewis, it almost rivals in importance the oftrepeated ‘cò leis thu’ (who do you belong to)? When we know all these things about a person, we can ‘place’ them, put them into a context so that we know how to deal with them. How unsettling, then, to find yourself without employment. Aside from the financial implications, what does it do to your identity to be jobless? How do you answer that relentless question about what you do, when it is really an enquiry as to who you are?
After graduating, I spent a good few months in that kind of no-man’s-land. I applied for countless jobs, but kept getting the hated rejection letters. By the time I interviewed successfully for the post of Development Manager at a Local Rural Partnership in Ness, I was thoroughly beaten down and felt invisible. It was as though I had no purpose in life, no contribution to make. Not only did I feel invisible, I wanted to be. Every time someone asked me what I did for a living, I felt the shame of having to explain that I was unemployed.
I experienced the horror afresh at the beginning of this year when it became apparent that a number of jobs in the college where I work would have to go. No one could consider themselves ‘safe’ and over the several months of this rationalisation process, I imagined vividly that I would soon be adrift in a job market which is uncertain at best. The practical side of this was worrying enough. Though I do not have a mortgage, I also do not have anyone else to fall back on; this is a onesalary household and, short of hiring Mr Roy out as a circus dog, the bill-paying is likely always to fall to me alone.
Every morning, my possible redundancy was the first thing on my mind; it was the last thing I thought of before falling into a fitful and broken sleep at night. This went on for months, taking its toll on my stress levels and physical wellbeing.
Finally, two weeks before the summer break, I got a letter saying my post was safe for now. For a period of three or four months, I had walked that dark path in my imagination, where the role that has been mine for over twenty years suddenly disappeared and, despite the good news, I cannot forget how it felt. It brought me back to those days after graduation when I despaired of having a place in the world, of having an identity to call my own. And I remembered too how I had been sustained through that first period of uncertainty.
When it felt that no one but my family cared that I was jobless and despairing, our then minister suddenly began to mention the unemployed in his prayers. I don’t think he knew I even existed, far less what my situation was — but I felt seen because he was bringing all of us to the attention of God. From the first Sunday that he did that, I experienced a hope that had all but died, a sense that my existence wasn’t futile, and that my worries were not unheard.
Thanks to that early trial, I have learned that God cares, and that, regardless of the jobs we do, or the status we have, our identity is in Christ. Nonetheless, as a body of believers, we mustn’t forget the unemployed when praying for people in need. While we are comfortable and secure ourselves, it is easy to forget that there’s more to church life than cups of tea and Sunday school outings. This is a cold, hard world into which God has sent his church to labour; I can testify to the hope that prayer gave me in the midst of that reality. It is a practical service we can provide to those who have not yet the comfort of a secure identity in their Saviour: we can be his hands and feet, and carry their burdens to him. •
