The Record - May 2022 by Free Church of Scotland

THE

RECORD

MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND MAY 2022 • £2.00

Editor • John Macdonald The Editor, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS editor@freechurch.org

Missions News • Mairi MacPherson Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS mairi@freechurch.org WfM Editor • Fiona Macaskill 8 Campsie Drive, Glasgow, G61 3HY rfmacaskill@me.com Gaelic Editor • Janet MacPhail 24 North Bragar, Isle of Lewis, HS2 9DA 01851 710354 Seminary News • William Mackenzie Edinburgh Theological Seminary, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh EH1 2LS offices@ets.ac.uk Prayer Diary • Shona McGuire seonaid1954@hotmail.co.uk

DO YOU HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL? Can you correct typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors in pieces of writing? Or can you spot layout errors on magazine pages? If so, the role of Copy Editor at The Record could be for you! We are looking for someone to join the editorial team from July 2022. This role (7–10 hours per month) can be carried out remotely. Experience using Microsoft Word, PDF & Dropbox would be useful. Contact Sarah Robinson, Communications Manager at sarah.robinson@freechurch.org for more information.

Design & Layout • Fin Macrae @DUFI Art www.dufi-art.com The Record • ISSN 2042-2970 Published • The Record is produced by The Free Church of Scotland, Free Church Offices, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, EH1 2LS 0131 226 5286 offices@freechurch.org

For Subscriptions • The annual subscription This QR Code will direct you to the digital version of the price for The Record is £33. Cheques should be magazine on ISSUU. Available for 30 days for current print made payable to: Free Church of Scotland. Please subscribers. contact the offices for overseas subscription costs. iPhone: Open your camera app and hold the lens above Details of the church's activities, latest news and the QR Code, it will automatically detect the link which people to contact are all available on the church's you can click on to open. website: www.freechurch.org Android: Download QR Code Reader from Google Play For the visually impaired: Please contact Norman Store and follow app directions. Kennedy on 01463 240192 for details of how to obtain The Record in an audio version.

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

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Cover: Photo by Daniele Colucci on Unsplash

Advertising • Anyone wishing to advertise in The Record should contact the editor.

CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE MAY RECORD

04 SOCIAL SERVICE The Editor

istory is usually understood through the moments and movements that affect the lives of thousands or even millions of us at once.

Thus, the rise and fall of Rome, the Ming dynasty and the World Wars take their place among the milestones that shape our understanding of the past. The Christian church can claim some of these milestones, from the Council of Nicaea to the Reformation to the Great Awakenings. And it is likely that we are living through such a moment, given the scale of the COVID pandemic. But even though their influence is huge, these famous events are simply the headlines. The tapestry God is weaving is far more complex. A good historian looks beyond the obvious in order to appreciate the full story. Europe’s celebrated Age of Discovery was also the age of a corrupt church. The Industrial Revolution turbocharged wealth, but wages and life expectancy stagnated. Today, the story told of religious life in the UK focusses on the rise of the ‘nones’. 70% of people considered themselves Christian in the 1980s, but now more than half say they have no religion at all. But such a headline statistic can never tell the full story. During the Victorian era, when Britain was a ‘Christian country’, J.C. Ryle wrote his classic work, Holiness, to counteract the nominalism of his day. It can be hard for the church to stand apart from the world when people imagine they are Christian by birth or by culture. Now, however, people who do not follow Jesus recognise that they are not Christians. This is an opportunity. In this month’s Free Church News you will read about an evening of praise in Greenock, fundraising in Inverness, outreach in Glasgow and evangelism in Edinburgh. Also in this issue, two of the Free Church’s ministers share their experiences of planting churches. David Meredith finds a west-coast congregation alive with the gospel. Dr Adam finds Christian love amidst the darkest circumstances. Behind the headlines, there is life here. God is working. It’s time to join in. • Yours in Christ John

FREE CHURCH NEWS

WfM UPDATE Fiona Macaskill

A HEALTHY GOSPEL CHURCH LOVES ONE ANOTHER Andrew Macleod

NEW CHURCHES FOR SCOTLAND'S SCHEMES Neil MacMillan

WORLD NEWS U.S., Ukraine, Finland, South Africa, China

REFLECTIONS Sean Ankers

THE PROPHETS Donald Mackay

BLYTHSWOOD CARE Fiona Robertson

FOOD FOR FELLOWSHIP

IF I WERE A RICH MAN Iain Gill

OBITUARIES: DONALD A MACLEOD, JOHN MACDONALD

BOOK REVIEWS

MISSION MATTERS David Meredith

POETRY PAGE John Milton

PAGES FROM ADAM'S DIARY: A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

PRAYER DIARY

SAOTHAIR-GRÀIDH Janet MacPhail

40 POST TENEBRAS LUX Catriona Murray

That in all things he might have the pre-eminence Colossians 1:18 2022

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Social Photo by Isaac Davis on Unsplash

BY THE EDITOR

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Service Photo by Youseff Naddam on Unsplash

Saved by grace and guided by the law

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My status before God, my adoption into his family, does not depend on my efforts. I don’t need to attain righteousness or earn favour. And I cannot lose my status as a child of my Heavenly Father.

et’s be clear: each and every christian in history is saved by god’s grace alone, through faith in jesus.

It is impossible to earn salvation by human activity of any kind. False teachings which propose any sort of ‘worksbased’ requirement for salvation have proved to be devastating to the church throughout its generations. More subtle, but equally important, is that each Christian’s decision to accept God’s free grace is itself a gift from God. In our natural state, we are enemies of God and have no inclination to take up his offer of salvation (Romans 3:11). It is only when the Holy Spirit takes the initiative and regenerates our hearts that any of us come to be saved (John 3:8). We do not contribute to the process. This is classic Reformed theology. Its formulation can be traced back to Augustine’s insight into Scripture. It was laid out by Calvin and restated in the Westminster Confession. It has been preached consistently by Free Church ministers since the Disruption. It is a truth that brings both relief and reassurance to the believer. My status before God, my adoption into his family, does not depend on my efforts. I don’t need to attain righteousness or earn favour. And I cannot lose my status as a child of my Heavenly Father. I believe in Jesus. In terms of salvation to eternal life, that is all there is. It is beautifully simple. And it is perfectly secure, because it depends wholly on Almighty God, the Lord of Hosts, the Rock of Ages, steadfast and unchanging. In no sense does it rely on me. While it needs to be taught anew to each new generation of Christians, justification by faith alone is settled doctrine in Reformed churches. But what happens next in the life of a Christian? A person who has been saved by God’s grace is a new creation — the old has gone, the new has come. Life is different now. But how?

RULE OF LIFE Preparing the way for Jesus, John the Baptist warned the crowds who came to hear him that they needed to repent and have their sins forgiven (Luke 3:3). He told them, ‘Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’ (Luke 3:9) Concerned by his admonition, the crowd asked, ‘What then shall we do?’(v10) John’s response is unexpected. Where the tent revivalist would have asked for a profession, John the Baptist answered, ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’ (Luke 3:11) He went on to tell tax collectors and soldiers not to steal from those over whom they had authority (vv13-14). But it is no social gospel that John is preaching. Commenting on this passage, J.C. Ryle writes, ‘It can never be impressed on our minds too strongly that religious talking and profession are utterly worthless without religious doing and practice. It is vain to say with our lips that we repent if we do not at the same time repent with our lives.’ Salvation is by grace, and faith in Jesus fixes our status as God’s children. Nothing we do earns or loses his favour. But what we do still matters. ‘Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?’ (Romans 6:1-2) Although we are not saved by adherence to the law, John Calvin writes, we should not ‘shun its instructions’ because ‘the perfection to which it exhorts us points out the goal at which, during the whole course of our lives, it is not less our interest than our duty to aim.’

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If we do not feel the urgency of the burden to respond to the pain and suffering present all around us, then perhaps it is because we have too low a view of the sixth commandment. Christians are often to be found seeking guidance as to the path they should choose for their life. There is no mystical solution available. Prayer and wise counsel will help with the details, but our direction is set by the law of God, which Calvin calls our ‘rule of life’ (Institutes, II:VII, 13). When the rich young ruler sought out Jesus, he was looking for guidance on how to justify himself by his works. ‘What good deed must I do to have eternal life?’ he asked (Matthew 19:16). Jesus directs him to the law, which searches his heart. He claims to have kept the commandments, but when Jesus asks him to take them as his rule of life by loving others more than his possessions, he departs from the Lord, sorrowful (v22). Contrast this with Zacchaeus, whose story Luke records in the chapter after the young ruler’s. Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus joyfully and gave away half of his possessions to the poor before paying back those from whom he had stolen (Luke 19:6-8). He was saved, then he began to live with God’s law as his guide.

THOU SHALT NOT KILL What about us? Do we share Zacchaeus’ heart for ‘the least of these’ and his willingness to be guided by the law? If we do not feel the urgency of the burden to respond to the pain and suffering present all around us, then perhaps it is because we have too low a view of the sixth commandment. The Westminster Larger Catechism offers some help in understanding the true depth of the commandments in answer 99: ‘where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden; and where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded.’ Applying this principle, Calvin comments on the sixth commandment, ‘God not only forbids us to be murderers, but also prescribes that everyone should study faithfully to defend the life of his neighbour, and practically to declare that it is dear to him…we should not only live at peace with men, without exciting quarrels, but also should aid, as far as we can, the miserable who are unjustly oppressed.’ In pursuit of this rule of life, individuals need to act. There are situations where friendship, fellowship, or discipleship person-to-person is the only suitable way to love someone who has been hurt. But sometimes individual action is too small to have an effect. Some problems are too tangled and too large — they require strength in numbers. Often, in the face of such things, congregations can respond to suffering they see around them. The Record has the privilege of reporting some of the extraordinary loving service that is going on within Free Church congregations. Some are supporting people who are homeless, others are supporting people who are living with dementia, or people who are recovering from addiction — this is God’s work. Partnership is important here, too. Sometimes specific expertise and advanced training is required, and in such cases we can do the most good by humbly supporting the experts, praying, making others aware, and raising necessary funds. Even with all of this, though, some issues require a level of resource that is beyond the means of a local congregation. Sometimes this is because of the level of finance required. But it is often a question of organising and administering a big project, navigating regulation and gathering people’s support. When the need is for something like housing for people without a home, or supporting adults with learning disabilities to live independently, a larger regional or national organisation is required, which can raise support in one place and direct it towards a project based in another. Like a denomination, perhaps.

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Some issues require a level of resource that is beyond the means of a local congregation; a larger regional or national organisation is required, which can raise support in one place and direct it towards a project based in another. INSPIRATION FROM THE PAST Such work has proved to be well within the capacity of the church in Scotland. The Salvation Army and the Church of Scotland are currently involved on a large scale. The Free Church used to be, too. In 1960, Stewart Mechie, a lecturer at the University of Glasgow, wrote one of the first historical studies of the church’s role in the social welfare of Scotland. Our denomination features prominently in his book. In The Church and Scottish Social Development, he writes, ‘That Scottish churchmen should have an active social concern, persistent throughout the generations, should evoke no surprise, in view of the Calvinist tradition in which they were bred. What would occasion surprise would be their lack of such concern.’ If Dr Mechie were to cast his analytical eye over the Free Church today, what would be his level of surprise? Looking back is usually instructive, and that is certainly true when it comes to social action in the Free Church. In many spheres a pioneer, Thomas Chalmers’ parish outreach set a pattern which was adopted by early state social workers, and much of it remains relevant. Having come to the Tron in Glasgow in 1815, he determined that the city’s burgeoning population had made the workload of the existing churches unmanageable. He wanted to see more, smaller parishes, which could better minister to Glasgow’s citizens. So, he persuaded the city council to establish a new parish — St John’s — of which he became minister in 1819. Chalmers subdivided the parish into 25 districts and assigned an elder and a deacon to each area. They set up Sunday Schools and two day schools. The deacons’ task was to relieve the poverty which accompanied urbanisation and industrialisation. To this end, the Deacons’ Court was given charge of the offerings collected at evening services. Deacons were to get to know all of the households in their district. They offered practical support such as helping people to find suitable employment. And, when alternatives were exhausted, they allocated a regular allowance from church funds to provide for those who were struggling. Chalmers’ model was hampered by adherence to some of the thinking of his day. Most significantly, he drew a fairly strict distinction between the ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor which meant, for example, withholding aid from those in the grip of addiction. In other ways, Chalmers was ahead of his time. His deacons were specifically trained for their task. They worked at a small, local scale so they could get to know people and respond to their unique needs. They recognised the importance of people remaining with their families and in their communities, rather than being sent to institutions for support. These principles underpin modern social work. Despite some failings, the work in St John’s parish saw much success, and ran for 18 years until it was subsumed into Glasgow’s general system of poverty relief.

DR BEGG AND HOUSING Following the Disruption, James Begg became minister of Newington Free Church in Edinburgh, and was one of the few ministers who opposed the idea of a union between the Free Church and the United Presbyterian Church. He told the Free Church General Assembly of 1850, ‘Whilst I cordially say that everything pertaining to the mere partisan or politician ought always to be banished from the courts of this Church, the social condition and the physical circumstances of the people are matters with which we have much to do.’ Recognising the importance of adequate housing, Begg was a strong

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The present condition of public finances suggests that unmet need in our society is likely to increase in the coming years. In response, the Free Church must again take up the duties which are laid upon us by the sixth commandment. advocate of land reform in Scotland. His most pressing social concern was to secure good housing for working people, both in the cities and on farms and estates. ‘Whilst the grand cure for the woes of society is only to be found in the gospel of the grace of God,’ he wrote, ‘the most important physical remedy for the woes of man is a comfortable and wholesome dwelling.’ In 1858, Begg launched a decade-long campaign to address the woeful housing working people were forced to rent. He convened a Committee of the General Assembly which gathered evidence from across Scotland. They discovered that nearly one-third of Scotland’s population, about one million people, were living in one-roomed houses. More than 40,000 of these houses contained between six and 16 people. Almost 8,000 had no window. In an attempt to improve the situation, the committee successfully called for changes in legislation as well as the insertion of questions about housing into the national census. Ministers were asked to encourage their congregations to take an interest in the issue, which seems to have caught some of the public’s attention. In practical terms, Begg argued for the founding of co-operative building societies and was himself active in the work of the Edinburgh Co-operative Building Company from its beginning in 1861. The ECBC began by building ‘The Colonies’ in Edinburgh and completed more than 2,000 homes by the First World War. Similar societies appeared across Scotland and beyond, with Begg being asked to advise on ventures in France and Denmark. Clearly, Dr Begg’s work did not solve the problem of inadequate housing. But his gospel-driven zeal for correcting social problems blessed thousands of households. His convention of the Committee on Housing of the Working Classes gives an indication of what can be achieved when denominational focus is given to social welfare.

SOCIAL SERVICE Today, the State has assumed many of the functions which the church first established. The level of resource and expertise required to provide free healthcare, universal education and statutory social work is beyond the church now. But there remain gaps. There are many people who need support but who are beyond either the awareness or the reach of the State’s provision. The present condition of public finances suggests that unmet need in our society is likely to increase in the coming years. In response, the Free Church must again take up the duties which are laid upon us by the sixth commandment. Funding other organisations’ projects is vital and significant work. There are situations that experienced partners are better placed to deal with directly than we are. But administering funding does not discharge our duty. We have to be hands-on as well, especially when it comes to the communities we are already serving by preaching the gospel. We must be active in showing that the lives of our neighbours are dear to us. As we entreat those we live and work alongside to accept Jesus’ offer of eternal life, we show our love for them is genuine by supporting their physical and mental wellbeing. In doing so, there are benefits in terms of witness, fellowship and discipling our people. But, above all, it is an opportunity for worship: to express gratitude to God for what he has freely given to us, to obey his commands, to love our neighbours. As we plan towards growth and as we reach more people with the good news through new and redeveloped congregations, we must also be thinking about how to use the resources available to the Free Church to serve our neighbours in Jesus’ name •

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FREE CHURCH NEWS FREE CHURCH MEMBER AWARDED BEM

retired nurse , who is a member of the free church in north kessock , has been awarded a british empire medal

(bem)

for her

services to marie curie cancer care and the community .

A celebration was held for Di Gillies at the Knockbain Free Church of Scotland attended by family, friends and former colleagues. Guests heard that Di started her nursing career in Kyle, before becoming a Marie Curie nurse. Dr John Adamson spoke to guests about Di’s time as a community nurse in Kyle, saying, ‘Di’s qualities as a nurse were second to none. So many people in the area who needed her attention were so grateful for her endless skill and great patience. She had a lovely sense of humour and an ability to cope with all sorts of emergencies, and people wanted to speak to her for a little moral support and general advice. ‘I would like to wish Di happiness and fulfilment. I know that she is more than worthy of the award of the BEM and I know that her family too are immensely proud of her fine achievement.’ His sentiments were echoed by many others, including Dr Sandy MacGregor and Dr Will Fraser who worked alongside Di for many years. Dr MacGregor said, ‘She had been an excellent Marie Curie nurse in Ross-shire from 1979 until her retirement in 2003. We worked together in the old days when GPs had a 24/7 duty of care. Prior to 1988, there was no hospice in the Highlands so there was an even greater need for the Marie Curie service. ‘Di was in at the early inception when the Marie Curie night support scheme was being established and was herself very instrumental in successfully initiating the service. ‘At a personal level, she was incredibly supportive to those who were terminally ill, and no less so to their families. One could sense the warmth and relief whenever she entered a stressed home. Nothing was too much trouble for her, even driving up remote glen roads in blizzards.

‘That the local Marie Curie scheme is functioning so well is in no small part due to the wonderful pioneers who made it firstly so acceptable and then so essential.’ Since Di’s retirement in 2003, she has volunteered and raised money for Maggie’s Highlands Cancer Caring Centre in Inverness. Di was praised for her continued support as a youth leader at the Knockbain Free Church, where she volunteers regularly and lends a listening ear and advice to young people. •

1,200 JARS OF MARMALADE FOR YOUTH CAMPS

fundraise for the summer camps for youngsters aged 10 to 18. This year, Margaret has made around 60 batches and aims to raise £2,500. Margaret mostly makes marmalade at her home in Inverness, but also spent time in Aberdeen, making around 300 jars in a friend’s kitchen, for the Aberdeen cohort of supporters!

argaret smith has made around 1,200 jars of marmalade in the past three months to raise funds for the annual free church youth camps.

Margaret, previously of Bon Accord, Aberdeen and now a member of Smithton Free Church in Inverness, has taken up the mammoth challenge of making batches of marmalade each year to help

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‘I challenge myself to work as efficiently as possible,’ said Margaret. ‘I really enjoy it! I love the conversations that it brings about. People keep jars for me all year round and bring them around for me. It’s a great opportunity to share about what I’m doing. I love all aspects of it.’ For Margaret, the venture is one that is close to her heart. ‘I started making marmalade for the youth camps about five or six years ago. Before that, my brother-in-law, the Rev Donald Smith, was a missionary in Lima. He was the principal for the Seminario Evangélico de Lima in Peru. I used to make marmalade to raise funds for SEL.’ Following Rev Smith’s retirement, Margaret wanted to continue raising funds for a good cause. The Free Church Youth Camps was first choice as the family have many connections and fond memories of the camps. ‘My husband Sandy and I met at a Free Church Youth

Camp in Lairg, Sutherland in 1970. I was a cook at the camp and Sandy was one of the leaders,’ she said. Sandy continued to be a camp leader, mainly at hillwalking camps, for many years, and Margaret went on to cook at a variety of Free Church camps. Their children went every year. Now her daughter and sonin-law, Fiona and Michael Mackenzie, are themselves camp leaders. ‘Looking back, God has blessed the camps so much over the years,’ she said. ‘Many young people grow up through the camps, give their lives to Christ and make lifelong friends,’ she added, and so she is thankful to be able to help raise funds. Plans for this summer’s Youth Camps are well under way. A host of summer camps are taking place and places are still available for Renfrew Juniors, Renfrew Kids, Oswestry Juniors and Junior Football. • Go to: www.freechurchyouthcamps.org for more details

GREENOCK’S PRAISE AND PSALMS FOR A SUMMER EVENING IS BACK! TROTTERNISH WELCOMES NEW MINISTER

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY – FRIDAY 10 JUNE 2022 AT 7PM. ‘Praise and Psalms for a Summer Evening’ in Greenock Free Church (14a Jamaica Street, Greenock PA15 1XX) is finally back! While this is usually an annual event, a fire in the church which necessitated significant repairs and then the Covid pandemic mean we have missed out over the past few years. We’d be delighted if you could join us for a glorious evening of praise with the Glasgow Psalm Singers, Ayrshire’s Hope Choir and a wonderful, uplifting Gospel message. Tea, coffee, snack and chat refreshments will also be provided. Please bring your friends! •

eunuch. The point was made that this encounter led to the spread of the gospel in the continent of Africa. The congregation was reminded that from this small act we now have the home of one of the largest groupings of Christians in the whole world. He alluded to those who brought the gospel to Skye through the early Celtic Church and the later evangelical movement. In the rural setting of north Skye it was noted that there were ‘no little places and no little people.’ Gordon Matheson, minister at Strath and Sleat and also interim moderator, then spoke to the new minister and congregation, reminding them of their duty to pray and support the new ministry.

n unusually long vacancy of five and a half years came to a happy end on saturday 12th march when nigel anderson was inducted to

the congregation of trotternish in the north of skye .

Trotternish is a picturesque parish forming the east wing of the Misty Isle. It is home to the famous Quiraing, an iconic rock formation which forms part of the Trotternish ridge. There are churches in Uig, Kilmuir and Staffin. The service was conducted by Rev David Meredith, Mission Director, who has been seconded to the presbytery of Skye and Wester Ross. David preached from Acts 8, specifically the passage of Philip’s call to minister to the Ethiopian

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A theme that was maintained throughout the service was that Trotternish was a very different place compared to 30 years ago. It is a parish marked by diversity. Nostalgic caricatures created by authors like Lillian Beckwith have disappeared. These days it’s more like Katie Morag and the big boy cousins where the cultural difference between ‘granny island’ and ‘granny mainland’ has all but disappeared. It was appropriate that the service ended with a Gaelic psalm and prayer as the Trotternish area is still significantly Gaelic-speaking. Nigel and his wife Janice are no strangers to the Isle of Skye as Nigel was head of History at Portree High School prior to entering the ministry. This is his third congregation; he has previously served at Ayr and Livingston. Two of the speakers at the induction were Rev Principal Iver Martin and Mr Ian MacDonald, the session clerk. Iver spoke of Nigel’s contribution to Edinburgh Theological Seminary where he served as a part-time lecturer. Ian gave thanks to God for the way in which the congregation had held together during a long vacancy and the Covid pandemic. He also thanked the many preachers who had ministered to the congregation over the period. Special mention was made of Rev John MacLean, the last minister, who

has now sadly gone to his rest. Also mentioned were Rev David Miller who had served as interim moderator and Rev Joel Dykstra (Wellandport, Ontario) who had served for six months as interim minister. Inductions remind us that although the singers change, the song remains the same. As Nigel and Janice settle into their new situation, please pray that they will be able to sing that song with grace and wisdom. •

FINANCE UPDATE

he board of trustees would like to thank congregations and individual members for their efforts to maintain remittance levels and mission donations during 2021. Income

received in the year was slightly higher than in 2020. Expenditure was considerably lower than expected and there was therefore a small surplus. In pursuing the vision of a Healthy Gospel Church for Every Community in Scotland, the Board have agreed to use some of the surplus from 2021 to cover additional spending on mission, ministry and training in 2022. A new training model for ministers, new church plants, and developments at Edinburgh Theological Seminary can be funded because we have started the year in a good financial position. We give thanks to God for his provision of these financial resources. We look to him to supply all that we need in our congregations and as a denomination in 2022. •

EXPENDITURE 2021

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE £6M £5M £4M £3M £2M

MINISTRY AND MISSION

£1M

CENTRAL SUPPORT EDINBURGH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

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2021 ACTUAL

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CORNERSTONE MEETUP A SUCCESS

n event to discuss the question

‘aren’t

from outside of the church and to see the spirit and nature of the conversation that we had. ‘Our intention was very much not that we would corner people into our position. It wasn’t about being right or being wrong, but we wanted to promote healthy discussion and dialogue. ‘We very much shared a Christian perspective. There were people from a wide variety of backgrounds sharing their perspective. So, we had a number of people who were just looking for community. They turned up wanting to meet new people. We had others who had no religion or no religious background at all. There were others who had a religious upcoming and background but walked away from faith later in life.’ With so many people asking for the event to be held again, organisers are now planning to hold a similar event next month. The events are taking place outside of the church building as a way of reaching out into the community. Cornerstone, which is an established church plant from St Columba’s, was started by people from Morningside and Bruntsfield who wanted a church that was local and an easy place for everyone to connect to Christianity. The aim is to be a church for people who don’t go to church – and to preach the clear message about who Jesus is and why he matters. The church usually meets at the Old Schoolhouse on Morningside Road. Cornerstone’s minister, the Rev Neil MacMillan, said, ‘We are so keen to engage well with people who think differently from us about the things that really matter in life. We can’t wait for the next one.’ •

better off without religion?’

has been held by Cornerstone Free Church in Edinburgh. Around 25 people attended The Black Ivy in Bruntsfield, where they enjoyed an evening of discussion about life and meaning. The event was organised through Meetup, a service used to organise online groups that host in-person and virtual events for people with similar interests. Organiser Geoff Murray, from Cornerstone Free Church, said: ‘It was a wonderful night. It was a real encouragement to see so many people coming

SAVE THE DATE

fter the success of last year’s in a big country we are doing it again!

‘In a Big Country 2’ will be held at Dingwall Free Church on Saturday 18th June. This is a great opportunity for congregations to study God’s Word, to hear what he is doing in and around rural Scotland and to encourage each other. The conference is being organised by the Free Church Mission Board. For updates about the event, keep an eye on the Free Church website: www.freechurch.org •

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WfM UPDATE BY FIONA MACASKILL Though the nations rage, kingdoms rise and fall There is still one King reigning over all So I will not fear for this truth remains That my God is the Ancient of Days - Ancient of Days, CityAlight Music

t the start of march , we looked on in

‘What a fascinating evening. So much to learn. So amazing how the Passover relates so closely to the gospel. How the word in the Old Testament relates completely to the coming life, work, death, resurrection of our Lord Jesus and development of Christianity in the New Testament. A wonderful insight to the work done by Aviel and his colleagues.’ – Marilyn

horror as the scenes of destruction and the upending of people ’ s lives in ukraine

unfolded on our screens .

Last year, as part of our WFM project, we raised funds for The Moldova Support Group. As Moldova is one of the countries bordering Ukraine, the church in Moldova is on the front line of the refugee crisis. By the end of the first week of the invasion, we were able to send £1000 from the WfM Disaster Fund to the group, who immediately used this money to buy food, bedding and other essentials. It is an immense privilege to be able to support the Christians in Moldova who are doing all they can to help those who are fleeing the war. If you would like to give to the Moldova Support Group’s work with the refugees then you can do so by looking on our website under the News section. Above all please pray. We have a great God who knows the heart of every soul. He is the Ancient of Days. By the time you are reading this the Easter eggs will be long gone, but hopefully the sun will be shining to walk off all the chocolate. The eggs we eat now are symbolic of the stone which was rolled away from our Saviour’s tomb on that wonderful morning. Our thoughts often turn to the feast of Passover at this time of year as we read the passages of scripture describing the days leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Back at the start of April, Aviel Sela from International Mission to Jewish People (IMJP, and previously known as CWI or Christian Witness to Israel) spoke to several churches about what this feast means and how it is still celebrated today by Jews all over the world. Anne Fraser from Ferintosh and Resolis WFM has written a little bit about what Aviel had to say: Ferintosh and Resolis WfM were privileged to host an open meeting with Aviel Sela to learn more about the Passover feast as celebrated by Jewish people. Aviel works in Jerusalem with International Mission to Jewish People. He gave us a very interesting talk with a table laid out as it would be in a Jewish home, spread with things like herbs and salt water, horseradish sauce, various cups, and wafer bread. His talk was excellent but I was also interested in the different elements folk took from it. For example:

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‘What a great night – so much information. There were two things which were really lightbulb moments for me. Firstly, the Jewish people can no longer offer sacrifices and Passover is their ‘temporary’ way of doing that. Secondly, relating to the holocaust, the Jews saw the German people as Christians. Why would they convert to Christianity if the Germans could commit such atrocities to the Jewish people? Altogether a very enlightening evening and Aviel was a breath of fresh air.’ – Sheila ‘I really enjoyed Aviel’s presentation on the Passover. It was very informative and interesting. The sections that spoke to me most were the likeness of leavened bread to us being puffed up in our own sin in front of the Lord and the need to repent through Jesus. I also took away a Sundayschool point that when the Israelites painted the blood of the lamb on their doorways, it was in three places, which links to the cross at Calvary. How amazing is our Lord to have linked all the Old Testament to his son Jesus? I was also encouraged to hear about Aviel’s work with the Jewish people in Jerusalem and how the Lord opened so many doors.’ – Helen Please don’t forget that our AGM is taking place on Saturday the 21st May in person in Perth Free Church and online. We will be launching the 2022/23 project and hearing from some of the groups we are going to support. We would love to see you all there, all ages welcome. There will be food and tea/coffee after the meeting so please come along and stay for a chat. Also remember the away day on 17th September in Inverness. Further details about both meetings will soon be available on the website womenformission.org and on our social media. •

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A Healthy Gospel Church Loves One Another BY REV. ANDREW MACLEOD

healthy gospel church loves one another.

Jesus said in John 15:12 – ‘This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you.’ As the church, as Christians, we have not merely joined a club. This is not only to be the place we come on a Sunday morning or evening. It is not just an activity to pass the time. It can be all too easy to treat church like we treat the shops – ‘I will go there, get what I want, and then leave.’ However, we are not to go to church with the mindset, ‘What can I get from this place?’ Rather, ‘What can I give to the church and its people?’ As the church, we are to do as Jesus has commanded us to do – love each other. We are to be a family; we are to look out for one another, practically and emotionally. To love one another is more than knowing each other because you go to the same building. To love one another, we need to ‘do life’ with one another, be interested in one another, be involved with one another. We need to reopen our homes so that we can invite others for a meal, watch the game, or so the children can play together. Over a meal or a coffee, discuss the sermon you heard on Sunday, ask each other the questions that came up in your Bible reading, spend time praying for one another and the church family at large. Read the whole verse through: ‘My command is this – love each other as I have loved you.’ Jesus asks us to love our brothers and sisters just as he has loved us. How has he loved us? He has done everything for us. He has come to earth for us, lived a perfect life for us, suffered for us, died on the cross for us, bore our sin for us, opened the door to glory for us. His love for us has been completely selfless. As we consider those in our churches, are we endeavouring to love them in the same way? To do what we can for them, to help them in time of need, to listen to their concerns, to commit to pray for them, and then actually pray for them? We have been shown the greatest love, and as you think about your church family, do you not want to pour out your love upon them as Christ has commanded you? As our professor (Bob Akroyd) repeatedly told us upon entering the ministry – ‘Love God and love God’s people!’ • The Rev. Andrew Macleod is Assistant Minister of Tain and Fearn Free Church

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New Churches for Scotland’s Schemes BY REV NEIL MACMILLAN

ealthy gospel churches are needed in every kind of community.

By some measurements, Scotland is an unreached nation in terms of evangelical Christianity. And the least reached communities in Scotland are often found in our housing schemes where the rate of evangelical believers can be less than 0.5%. As the Free Church pushes forward with its plan to plant 30 churches by 2030 (30 x 30), we want to make sure that a good number of our new congregations are planted in Scotland’s schemes. Two of these missionary adventures are already underway. Andy Robertson is leading a church plant in Charleston, Dundee and Chris Davidson is leading a plant in Merkinch, Inverness. I spoke to Chris and Andy recently to find out more about what they are doing. Read on, listen to their stories and call out to God for more mission to the least, the last and the lost in Scotland’s schemes. How are you? Chris: I am tired. I have been conducting a lot of funerals in the local area. Each funeral needs a lot of thought and care. But at the same time – I am encouraged. We are still here after four years. We have new people coming and new members. We have an older couple who may be coming to help us. We are seeing many answers to prayer. Andy: I have COVID! (He did look very peely-wally.) Generally, it depends when you ask! We are plodding on. But there are evidences of God’s grace that we are celebrating. As with Chris — we are still here! We have a good number of non-Christians coming around us, and a couple of new Christians. We have many good contacts with people who are not Christians. The pandemic undid the work of our first two years because ministry here is all built around relationships with local people and it was tough to maintain all these relationships through lockdowns.

addictions. Dundee leads Western Europe for drugrelated deaths. Drug use is visible and prevalent. But at the same time, it’s a friendly place with a strong sense of community, a place where people look out for each other. There are lots of good community events. There is, above all, a great need for the gospel. Chris: Merkinch and South Kessock in Inverness. It is an artificial island and densely populated. It is a friendly, warm and strong community. There is also, of course, lots of hurt, woundedness and despair. Around 5,000 people live here and many of them have strong family roots in the area. It ranks as the eighthworst scheme in Scotland in terms of deprivation. Domestic violence is one of the big issues. Spiritually, older generations are ‘burnt’ to church by very negative experiences. Younger generations are not so guarded but mostly have no spiritual appetite. How did you end up there? Chris: I did an internship at Cornerstone Free Church with you, Neil, and also spent time with 20Schemes (a ministry of Niddrie Community Church, Edinburgh) doing training. I planned to do church revitalisation but doors opened to church planting. The Free North Church wanted to turn their work in Merkinch into a church plant. I visited the scheme, met a few people and fell in love with it. What grabbed your heart, Chris? In my own conversion I found a sense of the hope that Jesus gives me. I saw that the people I met had a longing for the same thing; they were seeking it. It seemed like an easy place to offer Jesus. Andy: I was a Relay Worker with UCCF and as part of this did a two-week mission trip to Niddrie Community Church in Edinburgh. I was inspired by this and wanted to be part of it. I went on to train with Chalmers Church in Edinburgh for six years but always with the idea at the back of my mind

Andy and Caireen Robertson

Where are you? Andy: Charleston, Dundee. It is in the northwest part of the city and is a scheme of about 4,500 people. It’s part of the Lochee Ward, which has three schemes adding up to around 20,000 people. We have lots of social issues relating to crime, mental ill health and

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that I wanted to be involved in scheme ministry. An opportunity in Dundee came along. I grew up here and already had friends from the city and the schemes. I wanted to see happen in Dundee the good things I had seen being done in Niddrie.

with Christians. I encourage others to do this too; we want to have a culture of discipleship. Sermon preparation also needs a lot of time. The highlight is Sunday – preaching the Bible. Chris: Mondays are for admin and one-to-ones. Tuesday is team meetings with interns, and then I plan rest of week. We have Bible studies and prayer meetings on Tuesday evenings. On Thursday we run a café and on Friday we have a mental health and addictions group. Again, the highlight is Sunday where we have a real sense of freedom and enjoying each other.

What do you love about scheme ministry? Andy: I love the people. There is a bluntness and honesty in people that’s refreshing. If they don’t think you make sense, they’ll tell you! Honest feedback from preaching pushes you to refine and improve. People are really engaged – they ask questions in the middle of the sermon or afterwards, and have a real interest in the Word. Chris: It is unpredictable. It has a realness. I also love the Q&A after every sermon. A couple of guys I ministered to have really emphasised the reality of my utter dependency on Christ. The best sermon in the world won’t win their hearts without God’s Spirit.

How has Scripture shaped your understanding of ministry to the poor? Chris: We’re all poor and bereft spiritually. However, for lots of people, if your fridge breaks down you just head to the shops and get another; here, it has a domino effect of stress, anxiety and debt. Scripture speaks into everything with a message of order, peace, and love. Andy: Some people in the scheme would say they’re poor, others wouldn’t. When we use this term, what we think and expect might not actually be present. The Bible has a bias towards those in society who are outcast and left out – which is often the poor. Doing church planting here, we’re trying to connect with people who, as a church and denomination, we’ve not been connecting with. That’s sad because when you look at our history, it’s what we’ve been very good at. There is an emphasis in the Scriptures to care for the poor. For example, when Paul was approved by the Jerusalem Council, the one thing they asked of him was to care for the poor. It’s good to remember, though, that people sometimes get offended by being called ‘poor people’, and we are wary of using that term.

Chris Davidson in Merkinch Free Church

Andy: Even though I am from Dundee, not being from this part of Dundee still makes you an outsider. It’s great having people from the area to help you get integrated, who know it well and get you connected. We hear comments like, ‘no one’s ever taught us this before…we’ve never heard this before’ – it’s really encouraging. There’s an openness to the gospel and hearing about Jesus, the problem is that nobody’s sat down with them before to talk about the Bible and the gospel. It shows the need for church plants in schemes.

What would you like to say to the Free Church? Andy: Let’s have more planting in schemes. We have good opportunities to train planters just now, bringing them in at early stages of the plant to learn what is involved. I would encourage people to think about this and be involved. Let’s go back to 1843 and our history, to what the fathers of the Free Church did when they started. Forty-nine percent of the population live in schemes. It’s really hard but it’s great. Our biggest need here is to have mature Christians involved – we need people mature in their faith who can get alongside new believers and non-believers. Chris: Thank you for the support we’ve received and for people’s prayers. It is a big ask and challenge because this is long-term, multi-generational work. We need partnership for the long-term. We plant in such varying places because we need one another. We’re needy in schemes ministry but we’re not without skills and resources that the wider church needs as well. •

What does a typical week look like? Andy: Monday to Saturday is out on the frontline for evangelism. Sunday is for building up Christians (even though non-Christians come to the Sunday service). We have a drop-in café on Tuesday and Friday, and an addiction recovery group on Wednesday. We also do a lunch for senior citizens once a month with a Bible talk. In addition, we have a youth club in the evenings and I do football chaplaincy with Lochee United. I play football on Wednesday nights, and through the week I do three one-to-ones, one with a non-Christian and two

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WORLD NEWS

AMERICAS AFRICA EUROPE ASIA AUSTRALASIA BLACK CHURCH LEADERS REACH OUT IN GRAND RAPIDS Following the fatal shooting by a police officer of Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year-old black man, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on 4 th April, local pastors have been organising community events aimed at promoting both healing and justice. Demonstrators gathered outside the Grand Rapids Police Department after video footage of the incident was shared online. The officer who shot Mr Lyoya has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. 'We think that our faith perspective is critical in this hour,' pastor Jathan K. Austin told a press conference. ‘Not just to discuss policy change, which is necessary, but to also discuss the spiritual and faith dynamic. We must continue to keep our trust in the Father so that people don’t lose trust in this time because of the heartache, the pain.’ Joseph D. Jones, a city commissioner as well as a pastor, told Religion News Service that he wants to improve relations between the police and the community by looking at causes of socio-economic inequality while also addressing training for officers. •

UETS PRESIDENT SHARES HIS EXPERIENCES FROM BUCHA Ivan Rusyn, President of Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS), has given an indepth interview to Christianity Today in which he shares his experience as an eye-witness to the violence perpetrated in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, where he lived before Russia’s invasion. Rusyn has sheltered in either the seminary or a safe house in Kyiv since the early days of the war, and continues to assist with delivering essential supplies and evacuating fellow-citizens from the devastated suburbs. He describes to CT the death and devastation he has seen as he continues to support those who need help. ‘Every apartment has been broken into. In some they even put a knife through the family photos… Because an enemy – a killer – was in my apartment, I felt like it is not my own. I don’t care about things that I lost; I have peace in my heart. But the hardest thing is to come to terms with the Russian soldiers walking around my home. ‘I found that in such a stressful situation, I could mobilise myself to act. When I come back to our base, when I see the photos and read reports – I don’t know if it is okay to say this – but many of us are crying every evening. But when I return to Bucha to help, I’m okay. ‘One of our graduates has been arrested, and we still have no idea where he is. But his son-in-law, taken at the same time, was found in a mass grave in Motyzhyn. Yesterday was the funeral, with a proper burial. ‘One lady came to me, and I noticed her hands. She said they are cooking over firewood. Her husband was killed, and she buried him right at the entrance to her apartment.’ Rusyn is convinced that his experiences, and those of his colleagues, will make the theological education they deliver in future more authentic. But at present, he is exhausted. ‘Our emotions are not as strong [compared to the early days of the war]. We speak more slowly and quietly. Maybe professionals would say we are wounded psychologically...It is like being frozen. It is destructive. It is constantly thinking and recalling the suffering you have seen. It remains with you, and I am afraid it will not go away soon…My whispered cry to God is to intervene. ‘I want to say I see God’s hand at work. Here in the safe house, I can. But when I go back to Bucha tomorrow, can I say it to the old woman? Can I tell her that God is working in her life? Theologically, I believe he is. But in front of such suffering, I lack the strength to communicate it.’ • Read the whole interview online via this link: bit.ly/Rusyn

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INTERPRETING SPEECH IN FINLAND Judges in Helsinki’s district court have dismissed hate speech charges made against a member of the Parliament of Finland who tweeted out Romans 1:24-27, and a Lutheran bishop who published a pamphlet by the same politician entitled ‘Male and female he created them’. The court found that Päivi Räsänen’s intention was not to harm or insult LGBT people but rather to defend her own view of the biblical position on family and marriage. The judges decided that Räsänen’s writing contained both factual statements and value judgements which could be considered offensive, but that they were not ‘incitement to hatred’ and therefore were not against the law. The court also stated that it is not the role of the judiciary to determine whether a particular interpretation of scripture is correct. While Räsänen has praised the court’s decision as a victory for free speech and freedom of religion, she does not expect the ruling to end the matter, and is assuming that the case will ultimately be taken to the European Court of Human Rights. •

SACC CONDEMNS ANTIIMMIGRANT ATTACKS The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has called on the government to act after Elvis Nyathi, a migrant from Zimbabwe, was killed by anti-immigration protestors in Diepsloot, a township near Johannesburg where many people from other African countries live. Migrants in Diepsloot have ‘repeatedly suffered from violent attacks by anti-migrant vigilante groups,’ according to Amnesty International. In recent months, protesters in Johannesburg have demonstrated against undocumented migrants, calling their actions Operation Dudula (‘drive back’ in Zulu). The Council of Churches’ Secretary-General, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church, wrote that ‘the South African Council of Churches is in despair at the horrific occurrence at Diepsloot, Johannesburg. ‘We extend our deepest condolences to the Nyathi family, and hang our heads in collective shame that things have come to this. ‘Is this how we should be known as South Africans, a country that prides itself on the culture of ubuntu-botho [shared humanity]? ‘We call on the law enforcement and justice system to bring to book the killers of Elvis Nyathi and ensure that the full might of the law applies.’ Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town and president of the SACC, added, ‘Our ubuntu through your killing is being butchered in Diepsloot and many parts of the country. We are one, regardless of colonial boundaries, all created in God’s image.’ Earlier this year, the SACC called for a national discussion on foreign nationals working in South Africa. Last month, the Council set out plans for a National Indaba [conference] on Non-South African Persons in our Society and Economy. Consultation with civic groups, individuals and the government is ongoing, in advance of a forum at the end of June. Bishop Mpumlwana concludes, ‘Whatever grievances or opinions anyone may have about non-South Africans of whatever category in our society and economy, there is a way to address those in a structured manner that does not involve mob lynching resulting in death.’ •

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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN CHINA: INTERNET RESTRICTIONS TAKE EFFECT Last month, The Record reported that the government of China had enacted new restrictions on churches’ use of the internet, banning the sharing of religious content online without an official licence to do so. Release International says that Early Rain Covenant Church in Chendu, Sichuan has already been censored under the regulations. The issue appears to have been an attempt to post on the messaging and social media app, WeChat, making reference to the classic medieval devotional The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis. Members of the church were sharing book recommendations, but trying to publish the word ‘Christ’ triggered WeChat’s filters and prevented the post from being made. ‘The Chinese authorities appear to regard social media as a threat to the state,’ writes Release International CEO Paul Robinson. ‘This is the latest measure to control freedom of expression and limit religious freedom. ‘This Draconian regulation is intended to curtail any Christian activity online. It effectively criminalises any online presence from churches that cannot in all conscience come under the control of the atheist state. And yet the Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of faith, which is the foundation stone of every human freedom.’ •

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Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children... God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. Hebrews 12:3-7, 10

CONSIDERING JESUS’ ENDURANCE AND OUR FATHER’S DISCIPLINE I hope you and your church had a blessed Easter as you celebrated our Lord Jesus’ death and resurrection. Over these past months we’ve been considering chapter 12 of the Letter to the Hebrews, and passages that tie in with it from the rest of the letter. We’ve thought about fixing our eyes on Jesus’ faithfulness and self-sacrifice, and prayerful work for us. Now we come to the next instruction that the writer gives the church: ‘Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’ It’s another call to reflect, this time on what it means to be faithful in suffering. You can see from the top of the page that the writer talks quite a bit about endurance, opposition, hardship and discipline. Now, this is a reflections page, isn’t it? So reflect on those words. How do you respond to them — perhaps with negativity, or anxiety, or fear? Our writer acknowledges in verse 11 that ‘no discipline seems pleasant at the time,’ so negativity is quite natural! It’s important to be honest about the hardships we face; if not, our reaction can become superficial, and we miss out on the deeper reality of suffering, which is this: Jesus endured it and the Father uses it for our good. I get the impression the writer to the Hebrews was pretty honest when it came to the tough experiences Christians can have, and that opens up one of the most comforting and encouraging parts of his letter. It seems these Christians were experiencing hostility from the nonChristians around them (see an example in chapter 10, verses 32-34). Imagine getting this letter at a time when you feel belittled and mistreated, and hearing in chapter 12, verse 3, that your Lord, who has rescued you from your sins and is ruling from God’s right hand, also suffered belittling and mistreatment. Far from being marginalised, they were in honourable company! To endure hardship as a Christian is to share in Jesus’ sufferings — something he will acknowledge on the last day. Jesus endured suffering, but the Father also uses suffering. ‘Endure hardships as discipline,’ the writer says. ‘God is treating you as his children.’ More so than in our culture today, in the ancient world having legitimate children (sons in particular) was essential for passing on your farm. To ensure they inherited it and stewarded it well, fathers would discipline and train up their sons. Though they wouldn’t enjoy it at the time, the children would grow up to see the benefit as they inherited the land and the harvest that came with it. Just like Jesus, we have become sons of God, inheriting with him all that his Father has — the ‘righteousness and peace’ (verse 11) of his kingdom on earth. And it’s personal, too. ‘God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.’ That sharing is back to the idea of inheritance, but more than that, the writer tells us that ‘without holiness, no one will see the Lord’ (verse 14). God wants to see us and wants us to see him. Holiness is the door into that fellowship, and discipline the road to it. However difficult the suffering you and I face in our Christian walk, it is not because God is an absent Father, but because more than anything he wants us to be with him. What kind of opposition has your church family faced over the years? How can you as a fellowship reflect on what has taken place — and the hardships you are experiencing right now — and see in those things a way to share with Jesus and grow in the Father’s holiness? Let’s take these reflections into the month ahead of us, putting them into practice until we reach the end and stand victorious alongside Jesus the faithful, in the presence of our Father who has trained us up to inherit from him and be with him. May God bless you richly this May. • The Rev. Sean Ankers is minister of Loch Ness Free Church (Glenurquhart & Fort Augustus)

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REFLECTIONS REFLECTIO Photo by Meriç Tuna on Unsplash

BY REV. SEAN ANKERS

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THE PROPHETS BY DONALD MACKAY

And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained what was said in the scriptures concerning himself. (Luke 24:27)

to have a message but do not have one. Moses offers a simple test of the genuineness of the predictive prophet: see whether his prediction comes to pass – if not, ignore him. The case of Balaam son of Beor appears to be unique: he was given true revelations while remaining an ungodly and dangerous character. The story of prophecy in Israel goes back as far as the patriarchs. Moses was the prophet par excellence. But when Joshua, in alarm, warned him that others seemed to be encroaching on his prerogatives, Moses exclaimed: ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!’ (Numbers 11:29). Here the issue was not prediction but skill in judgment and administration. We hear nothing about prophecy in the time of Joshua or the judges, except that Deborah, a leader in Israel, was a prophetess and a poet. Samuel was another giant of the prophetic order. He arrived at a time when the word of the Lord was rare: ‘there were not many visions’ (1 Samuel 3:1). Like Moses, he enjoyed a rare intimacy with God, and was able to convey the will of God to the people of Israel, whom he led for upwards of twenty years. He was instrumental in choosing and anointing the first two kings of Israel, to whom he acted as spiritual adviser.

Frieze of Prophets, East Wall, Boston Public Library. John Singer Sargent (1890-1895)

For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21)

prophets occupy a vital place in Scripture. They form a chain stretching all the way from Abraham to Malachi and beyond. The revelation vouchsafed to them stands as the foundation of the faith, of the apostles and of the Christian church. Of course the prophets mentioned in the quotations above are the prophets whose works form part of the Old Testament canon. But there is a much wider class of prophets recognised in Scripture, although not sharply defined, from which the canonical prophets stand out like mountain peaks. It is the purpose of this article to shed some light on this wider category of prophets and on their functions. he

EARLY PROPHETS Prophets have arisen in all ages and cultures. They are people who have received a message, often but not necessarily about the future, which they are concerned to pass on to others. They may be eloquent literary figures, or they may be nonentities. The picture is complicated by the fact that there are false prophets — those who claim

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COMPANY OF PROPHETS There is a puzzle about Samuel’s relationship with what seems to be a new phenomenon in the life of

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the nation of Israel — the emergence of a school of prophets. Samuel himself was a priest and carried out a range of priestly functions throughout his career. But he appears at one point as the leader of a group of ecstatic prophets with musical gifts near his home at Ramah (1 Samuel 19:20). It has been surmised that these were Samuel’s disciples, but we really know little about them. The notion of a guild of prophets, however, is a persistent one, and recurs at various points in Israel’s history. After Samuel, a succession of prophets served as royal advisers — or consciences — among whom were Nathan, Gad, Ahijah and Shemaiah. Curiously, both Gad and Nathan are mentioned in connection with the liturgical singers in David’s court, reinforcing the impression of a musical side to the prophets’ witness. David himself is described as a prophet, and the book of Psalms is full of Messianic prophecy. A notable revival of prophetic activity occurred in the northern kingdom, just as one of the worst kings of Israel came to the throne. Ahab was a deplorable character who led the northern tribes into a disastrous alliance with Tyre and Sidon and their god Baal. But God raised up a prophet who was in every way a match for Ahab — Elijah the Tishbite. He left no chronicle or written work of any kind, but he witnessed at the royal court and wrought miracles, leaving an indelible mark on Israel’s history and becoming the beau idèal of prophecy for centuries to come. At the same time there was an upsurge of ‘folk prophetism’ in the northern kingdom, seemingly independent of Elijah. Obadiah, Ahab’s chief minister, told Elijah of 100 prophets whom he had kept from Jezebel’s clutches — implying that there were a great deal more than 100. In the time of Elisha, Elijah’s successor, the prophets formed a growing community and appeared to look to him for leadership. What form their witness took we do not know. After Elisha there was a string of prophets in both northern and southern kingdoms, ready to critique or denounce the reigning monarch.

A passage of particular interest occurs at Isaiah 8:16, where the prophet seems to instruct his ‘disciples’ to seal up his testimony, presumably for a future generation. This has given rise to speculation about a prophetic school whose responsibilities were (a) to preserve the prophet’s writings (b) to release them at the proper time — namely, on the return from Babylon when the nation needed the encouragement of Isaiah 40 and following. However that may be, it indicates that Isaiah was not alone in his prophetic witness. Jeremiah and Ezekiel were more isolated. The Minor Prophets are so called because of the lesser bulk of their writings, not through their insignificance. Daniel was much in the Lord’s mind throughout his ministry. Each of the others had an incisive word to say to his contemporaries and sometimes to other nations. In all cases their message was headed with ‘The word of the Lord [or the oracle] came to...’ Amos tells us, ‘I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but the Lord took me from tending the flock and told me “Go, prophesy to my people Israel”.’ (Amos 7:14-15). That seems to have been the way in which the call came to most of these men of God. Prophecy did not cease with the closing of the Old Testament canon. We read of several New Testament characters with the marks, and even the description, of prophets — for example Simeon and Anna, Barnabas, Silas and Saul, Agabus and the four daughters of Philip the evangelist. The book of the Revelation is a predictive prophecy in the fullest sense.

PROPHECY TODAY? Some would say that prophecy, in the Old Testament sense of authoritative declaration of a new message from God, has not ceased and is validly practised even today. Paul certainly recognises prophecy, but when he is discussing it with the Corinthian church one feels that he is dealing with something different from the Old Testament variety. He views it as a gift to which all should aspire — superior, but in some ways similar, to speaking in tongues. He would have no more than two or three prophets speak in church, following which the rest should weigh up what is said, which sounds like ‘critically examine’ (1 Corinthians 14:29). While prophecy is valued as a revelation, it is to be under the control of the prophet in a way that Old Testament prophecy was not. We ‘prophesy in part’ (1 Corinthians 13:9). Whether prophecy, as distinct from teaching, continues as a meaningful part of worship today is arguable. What is not open to dispute is that the era of the prophets has come to an end. It has left behind a rich heritage of faithful witness and an essential component of the body of Christian doctrine. •

WRITING PROPHETS With Isaiah a new phase begins, of the writing prophets. Not that the prophet himself necessarily wrote, but there was someone to record his words for posterity. And what a legacy they have left us! The three Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel) have certain elements in common. One is the volume of their writings, far outstripping all the others. Then there is the record of their call to a special ministry, and of the personal cost to them of fulfilling it. And there is the breadth of their message. Each of them spoke to the nation of Israel, first in tones of denunciation, but ultimately of comfort and a glorious future. They also took in the surrounding nations and their destinies. They had much to say about personal salvation and the means of its achievement, even though a great deal was hidden from them.

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Donald Mackay is a member of Knox Free Church, Perth

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BLYTHSWOOD CARE BY FIONA ROBERTSON

est known for our shoe box appeal at christmas time, blythswood care’s work is needed and goes on

throughout the year.

The work started as the Blythswood Tract Society in 1966. The charity got its name from its beginnings in Blythswood Square, Glasgow. With the Lord’s leading and provision, our focus has deepened and extended to touch the lives of people in the UK and overseas through our education, community action and gospel outreach projects and activities. Blythswood’s work supports people in need through running foodbanks in Scotland; it extends to Eastern Europe, providing a home for vulnerable young men, running after-school programmes for disadvantaged young people; it continues in Africa with Christian literature sent to students and churches; in Asia, we support gospel outreach missions and provide help and education for women and children in the red light district of Navi Mumbai. We also respond to disasters across the world. More than £500,000 was raised within 6 weeks of the launch of our Ukraine Emergency Appeal. This amazing love and generosity from supporters has aided our project partners in Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Hungary who are working with people in, and fleeing from, war-torn Ukraine. Blythswood’s work continues 56 years after it started as the need certainly continues. Poverty and want that was present before COVID and the outbreak of war in Ukraine has certainly not been lessened. Needs have been exacerbated, difficulties deepened. Can you join us in helping to transform lives through Christian care for body and soul?

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BLYTHSWOOD CARE SUNDAY On Sunday 26th June we are inviting churches to partner with Blythswood, to pray for our project work in the UK and abroad. We so value prayerful support for the work and would love to share information and specific prayer points about the work with you. It is also an opportunity to give financially as a church if you felt that appropriate on the day. We would encourage you to get your children’s church involved; we have resources available to help with that. Contact Mairi via email on mairi.ferrier@blythswood.org or call 01349 830777 for a resource pack and prayer points. We would be delighted if you would partner with us in prayer.

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DAY OF PRAYER FOR BLYTHSWOOD CARE

GREAT GLEN HIKE 16TH & 17 TH SEPTEMBER 2022

MaTiFo at Shutterstock

We are looking for walkers to join us on a hike from Laggan Locks to Fort William, which forms part of the Great Glen Way, a total of 22 miles spread over two days. Overnight accommodation options are available.

Ruslan Huzau at Shutterstock

Wednesday 29th June is an opportunity to have a focussed full day of prayer for Blythswood, uniting praying supporters across the world. Whilst you are at work, school, home, or at your mid-week service, we would very much value your prayers for our people and our projects. Prayer isn’t just important, but vital to our ongoing work. Over the last two years and throughout the pandemic, we have seen the goodness of God, and answers to prayer, time and time again. Our Day of Prayer for Blythswood Care Guide has 12 points of prayer, for the people and projects, that can be used through the day, or at certain times of the day, encouraging and guiding us all in specific prayer points. By partnering with us in prayer, you are very much part of the Blythswood family and we would be so grateful if you could join us on both Sunday 26th June, primarily with your church, and Wednesday 29th June throughout the day, to pray for, and support, our projects. Please call Mairi on 01349 830777 or email mairi.ferrier@blythswood.org to receive your Day of Prayer Guide for yourself, your friends, or church group.You can find out more by visiting our website blythswood. org/prayer-diary. Thank you for your prayerful support. There is a registration fee of £180 for a one night stay and £280 for a two night stay, this covers all costs of the event including accommodation and food, but excludes drinks with meals and transport to the start of the event. We are asking each individual walker to raise a minimum of £350 in sponsorship, which will go direct to our project in India – Cornerstone Trust, who run a Women and Child Development Centre for women who have been trapped by human trafficking, and exposed to violence, deception and coercion. If this is of interest to you please visit our website www. blythswood.org/events-for-you for more information, or contact Elma on 01349 830777 or email elma.mackay@blythswood.org

JOB OPPORTUNITY FUNDRAISER Blythswood is a Christian charity, with a mission to transform lives through the impact of education, community action and gospel activities. Our projects take place in the UK and throughout the world, where we have a network of established and trusted partners. We’re looking for an experienced fundraiser with proven achievements in income generation. The ability to build relationships and to inspire and motivate major donors, support groups and volunteers is essential. You will also work to raise awareness of the charity through meetings and events and speak about our work at churches, schools and groups, enthusing all age-groups about Blythswood’s mission. Based in the Central Belt of Scotland, this full-time position requires flexible working and commitment to the objectives of Blythswood Care. Closing date for completed applications is Friday 3rd June 2022. For an application form and job description please visit our website blythswood.org/current-vacancies or contact Ebbie or Barbara on 01349 830777 or email personnel@blythswood.org

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FOOD FOR FELLOWSHIP Tell us about yourself. My name is Anne Fraser. I’m married to Alan and we have lived in Muir of Ord for 13 years. We have four children and five grandchildren. I was brought up in the Free Church manse in Tain in the fifties and sixties. I grew up very conscious of the church’s involvement in mission work at home and abroad. The ladies in Tain Free Church would meet together once a month and they were updated with any news from overseas missionaries and any need for prayer. (This was when the WfM was called Women’s Foreign Mission Association.) On these nights, they always had a cup of tea and a time of fellowship, as well as a ‘bring and buy’ table, where they raised funds for mission projects. As kids we’d love when Mam would come home with some of Joey’s famous WfM tablet! I remember when I was in primary school, helping the ladies to pack tea chests with clothes to be sent out to South Africa. We often had missionaries whom WfM had supported staying in our home. Early memories include James and Hughie Macintosh, working in Colegio San Andres, Lima, Peru. They didn’t take milk in their tea! Such a strange idea to me as a child. I also remember Dr Sloan from the Leprosy Mission, as he brought a film projector (a movie), rather than slides! Some of you reading may remember them. How life has changed! I remember being present at the farewell service of the late Betty (Elizabeth) MacKenzie, in Fearn, before she left for her teaching post in Colegio San Andres. I would have been about ten years old at the time and thought that maybe I’d go there too when I was older. Little did I realise that within eight years I’d be given a proposal of marriage from a guy who was preparing to go to Colegio San Andres as a science teacher! After graduating as a Home Economics teacher in Edinburgh we married and spent 14 years in Lima. Our plans to be there for longer were turned around when we were advised to return home due to our youngest child showing developmental delay with severe learning difficulties. The following twenty years were spent on the Isle of Lewis. Looking back, I can see how the Lord was involved in orchestrating every aspect of my life and the WfM has played a huge part in it.

where we worshipped. Paseos, or outings to the country, were great food-sharing events. Peruvians know how to picnic in style — no sandwiches, but huge pans of lovely food! It was a great time to get to know people better, as some would share something of their problems, difficulties and encouragements as we all strove to know Jesus better and learn how he would have us live our lives daily. The pandemic has curtailed so many activities, especially relating to getting together over a cuppa or meals. It is lovely to look forward to being able to resume such activities. Ferintosh and Resolis congregation, where we worship, had for a number of years held a congregational lunch twice a year. Recently, the after-service cuppa started again and people are taking advantage of spending time together. Sometimes searching questions are asked as someone is seeking to understand God’s dealings with them. We have been blessed in having several new families move into the area and join us in worship, and again, what better way to get to know each other than over some food? We have been created physical and spiritual beings, with all our senses including taste and smell to relate to one another and to God himself. We have six Bible study groups in the congregation, which provide an invaluable time for learning more about how God relates to us as we build up trust with one another. We count it a privilege when people come to our home. Recently, we were able to host Aviel Sela of International Mission to Jewish People, who is a Ukrainian Jew and works in Jerusalem. He had been invited to speak at our WfM meeting. His daily life is so different from ours, working in a totally different culture, speaking Hebrew and Russian daily. Thankfully he can converse in English, and so we had a lovely time of fellowship as we shared some of the ways in which God is so meaningful to us and how we can meaningfully reach out to others with the gospel. What’s your favourite recipe and why? I don’t really have a favourite recipe, but Fruit and Nut Truffles have become a popular choice of late, and one I concocted myself, inspired by a commercial product. It is nutritious and ticks the boxes for glutenfree and dairy-free, but is also popular with those of us who eat most things. My truffles were recently very popular at the WfM planning day in Perth where the committee met for the first time in two years. What a joy to be back together again! •

How does food play into fellowship in your church? In Lima, it was an exciting challenge to learn how to prepare different and new recipes. Peruvians love food, and we experienced many wonderful times of fellowship over a meal, often prepared by teachers in the school, or in the homes of folk in the congregation

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The beauty of this recipe is that it is very adaptable. You don’t have to be accurate with the measurements but you do need to have access to a food processor or blender. Ingredients • 200g cashew nuts, walnuts or pecans (or mixed) • 250g pitted dates • 100g prunes/apricots (optional) • 125g dried cranberries • 1 tablespoon (approx) jam, or honey or fruit juice/cordial • Grated chocolate, coconut or cocoa to roll truffles in • Petit four paper cases, approx. 30 depending on size of truffles

Method • In a food processor, grind the nuts to resemble fine breadcrumbs. • Add in dates and cranberries (and any other fruit) and blend well together until the mixture looks uniform. • Add enough jam or desired ingredient to bind the mixture together. • Form balls the size of a walnut and roll in grated chocolate, coconut or cocoa. • Place in paper cases.

Best kept in the fridge and will last several weeks if they get the chance. Enjoy!

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Let’s say £100 million – more than you need to replace your old banger and fix your leaky roof. What would your spending priorities be? There are tough decisions when you’re rich. I want to explore just one problem facing any wealthy Christian. How do you support your church? Would you say to your congregation, ‘Your money worries are over. I will cover all expenses.’? Surely the challenge of stewardship is an important part of everyone’s faith? If I were rich, my wealth would not remove the responsibility of every believer in my fellowship to respond personally to the requirement to give as the Lord has enabled. But financial pressures on some local churches are overwhelming. Impossible, humanly speaking. Our newfound wealth can be used wisely. The challenge is to give a substantial donation that will make a big difference without discouraging the multitude of committed sacrificial givers – to identify how to give so that the result is the extension of the Kingdom of Heaven, not the discouragement of any believer from giving. If I were rich, there would be two ideas at the top of my list of the many things I’d want to do. First on my list would be the Church’s pension scheme. (I am, after all, a member and beneficiary!) Until the 1970s, the Church regarded retired ministers as entitled to a share of the weekly collection just like working ministers. In the 1980s the Church started to save up toward a funded scheme. In the 1990s the law changed, and the Church’s arrangement became untenable: the Church had to make its pension provision fully funded or face substantial tax disadvantages. The scheme has now been replaced but the current shortfall in the old scheme is about £4 million. So I would probably donate £4 million. Handing over money to be swallowed up in the black hole of a pension fund deficit would not cause discouragement to give at congregational level but would free up about £400,000 each year in the central budget, enabling the Church to fund gospel work it currently can’t. Second on my list would relate to a different pressure. The Church is growing, a matter of delight to all of us. As church plants develop, they hire buildings for meetings and community work. Eventually, the congregation’s desire for their own church building grows to the point where the need is irresistible. Of course, some can do inventive things like developing a house or acquiring an old church building cheaply. But for some the only option is a new building, likely costing in excess of £1 million. New congregations can grow using rented space. But they often reach a point, when perhaps 80 people are regularly worshipping, where the usual range of community-based activities that enable the congregation to become part of the local scene just cannot be developed in the rented space. The congregation may be self-financing, meeting its own costs and even putting a little aside each year toward a building, but to raise enough to build a church or even to fund a mortgage deposit is impossible, and can be so discouraging that growth evident through the first few years grinds to a halt. The denomination needs an injection of perhaps £10 million to provide a source of low-interest loans based on security that will inevitably fall short of what commercial loan companies require. So I’ve now spent £14 million of my newly acquired wealth. In the 1960s and 1970s, buildings in church plants were acquired using a ‘three thirds’ system. The congregation had to find one-third, but could initially borrow some of that from the denomination. The denomination provided a grant of a third. The final third came as an interest-free loan. This all cost the denomination dearly, but church extension had a high priority in the budgetary thinking. There were lots of variations allowed in practice, with a commendable ‘can do’ spirit. Today we are heading towards a problem caused by success. As new congregations grow and continue to be blessed by God, they will mostly, hopefully, reach the stage of needing better accommodation. Several are already at that stage. The Church’s trustees have some funds and do what they can, but their resources are too limited for the task. Where is God in all this? Have I given the impression he is irrelevant to high finance? All the Church’s income exists because our folk respond in expressions of Christian stewardship. The burden of this article is to challenge those who can provide exceptional funding, either by themselves or as part of a syndicate, and help them to give creatively. The rest of us should not only give as much as we can (which lots of us do, I know) but should also pray that God will help us all find a solution to the problems outlined. Providing funds to maintain the comfortable ‘at ease in Zion’ church existence many of us have enjoyed for years is no longer an option. God is blessing us as a denomination and we have to respond appropriately. •

©Pogonici- stock.adobe.com

upposing a relative died and left you millions.

Iain Gill served as General Treasurer of the Free Church until 2004

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IF I WERE A RICH MAN

IAIN GILL shares his views

2022

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DONALD A MACLEOD (1949-2021) BY REV. JAMES MACIVER

kirk

session

and

congregation

Margaret, we extend our sincere condolences, with the prayer that God will comfort them in their loss and sorrow. ‘You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.’ (Psalm 16:11) •

stornoway free church were deeply sorry to learn of the death of their elder donald

angus macleod , popularly known as dollie angie , on

24th november 2021.

Donald was born on 26th January 1949 in Garyvard, South Lochs. In 1967, aged 18, he joined the police to begin a career which took him to serve in Paisley, Johnstone, Mull (twice), Girvan, and Helensburgh. He retired in 1997. Donald professed his faith in Jesus Christ in 1974 in Partick Highland Free Church (now Dowanvale Free Church) under the ministry of the Rev Donald Macleod (now Principal Emeritus Macleod). He was ordained as an elder during his time in Mull and served as an elder in the Free Church there, and afterwards in Ayr Free Church, Dumbarton Free Church and latterly Stornoway Free Church. Donald was an exemplary Christian, exuding the qualities of genuine love, faith, humility, and graciousness. He was a committed and faithful elder, always taking an active and caring interest in people, and ever ready to offer his help in both spiritual and practical ways, always in his own unassuming way. He was also an accomplished precentor. Dollie Angie’s passing leaves a great void in our midst, and our prayer is that God would raise up men of his calibre who will be noted, as he was, for their devotion to God and their dedication to the gospel. Donald and Anne married in 1970, and celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 2020. They were blessed with three children, Iain, Catherine and Mairi, and three grandchildren. Donald’s love and support were cherished in the wider circle of the family as well as in the community. To his widow Anne, son Iain, daughters Catherine and Mairi, and the three grandchildren along with Donald’s surviving siblings, Donald, Kenny and

JOHN MACDONALD (1943-2022) BY FARQUHAR RENWICK

at the same time my own grandfather was farming on the neighbouring Inverbroom. After Achindrean it was Aberchalder, near Fort Augustus. At the time of that move, his father bought the house at Munlochy that became the family home for decades, and John found himself attending the local Munlochy school. At the age of twelve he moved on to Fortrose Academy and it was there that he would forge a lifelong friendship with Professor Alasdair Munro. John and Alasdair were of a similar mindset and

ohn macdonald was born on the 15 th august

1943 in

Inverness . His father Willie was a

Black Isle farmer whilst his mother Margaret Munro hailed from Wellhouse near Beauly. The eldest of four in the family, he was followed by Gordon, the late Morag and Graham. John’s father farmed for a time at Leckmelm on the shores of Lochbroom. This meant that John’s first school was Ullapool Primary. He would walk the four miles to Ullapool each day. His father also farmed for a while in Achindrean

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the bond was forged immediately, but he would spend only a year in Fortrose before suffering from kidney failure. He would spend six months in the Royal Infirmary followed by two years of nursing at home. It was the end of his school years. A job opportunity afforded itself to John in the banking world and his father seemed keen that he should avail himself of it. But farming was in his blood, so instead he was sent with Simon MacKenzie (‘Simie the Shepherd’) to tend the flock at Achindrean. It was a lifesaver for John. He was in his element and he would receive the very best of tuition in the art from ‘Simie.’ In1971 he married Catherine Patterson from Barvas on the Isle of Lewis, and they settled down to family life at Leac, near Fort Augustus. Soon Andrew arrived and their hands were full. Sadly, Catherine would succumb to cancer whilst Andrew was at the tender age of three. It was a heartbreaking time. John and Andrew moved back to the family home at Munlochy. In 1984, John married Marion MacIver from Callanish on the Isle of Lewis and soon afterwards Tina came along. They created a warm and welcoming home and seldom a day passed but someone crossed over the door. John farmed from the Black Isle for many a year. A good bit of his work involved wintering sheep, particularly for ‘West Coasters’, but he also ran his own haulage business. He was well known in the farming and business world and was held in the highest of esteem, and rightly so. He was a paradigm for others to follow. His absence in that world will be marked. When my wife and I arrived in Knockbain more than thirty five years ago, John and Marion welcomed us with open arms. They have never faltered. On the days I was at rock bottom and certain it was all over, John would come along and in his own quiet, low-key, unassuming manner he would give great encouragement and reassurance. He was an absolute rock. Of those who were members in the Knockbain congregation when we arrived, John was one of only three who remained. With his passing, it’s down to two. But not only was he a member of this congregation, he served for thirty years as an elder. He was no ordinary elder, he was faithful to a fault, he was the salt of the earth. John loved his family and his family loved him. He loved his church family and his church family loved him. He loved his community and his community, in turn, loved and respected him. The huge crowd that attended his funeral was testimony to the esteem in which he was held. His passing leaves an enormous gap. Eight years ago, John became unwell and was diagnosed with a tumour on his kidney, but he received treatment, got over it, and returned to

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the busy life he was used to. However, about a year ago, John was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. He was told from the word ‘go’ that he would be fortunate to make it to Christmas. In fact, he lived only five weeks past Christmas. John bore his burden with great dignity and fortitude. He and Marion rallied together in the midst of the storm and John started to get things in order. I would visit him and he would tell me he was paying such-and-such a farmer today so that there would be no outstanding bills to attend to when he was no longer here. He approached his end with courage, common sense and commitment to the Saviour he had trusted from his earliest years. If John had an ounce of energy in his body, he used it. Six days before he passed from this world he was out and about in his pick-up. Not that he could do much, as he was ravaged by the illness, but he just wanted to keep on the go if at all possible. The last time I saw him he did something he hadn’t done for over two years on account of Covid-19. He shook my hand, and he did it heartily. Not for a moment did I think it would be the last time, but it was. Did he know something I didn’t know? Perhaps. But one thing we do know, John has gone to be with ‘the Shepherd.’ For him it is far better, but for those who remain, the absence is profound. We offer our deepest condolences to his wife Marion, to his son Andrew and daughter Tina, and to Hannah, Toby, Elennah and Lydia and the wider family circle. ‘Dear in God’s sight is his saints’ death.’ (Psalm 116:15). •

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BOOK REVIEWS Our books this month are a typical spread of those available to Christian readers; we have biography, mission, personal spirituality and the Christian life. We hope you enjoy our reviewers’ thoughts on them. All are available from Free Church Books ((https://thefree.church/shop) BOOK OF THE MONTH 10 WOMEN WHO OVERCAME THEIR PAST DAYSPRING MACLEOD (2022) This is not a book of biographies of interesting people, rather it is a book of very contemporary issues, with insight from interesting people who confronted them head-on. In this way, we learn from the lessons gleaned in the heat of hardship, and see God’s hand in the real-life testimonies of faithful women. Dayspring has chosen 10 issues facing all of us in some way or another today, whether we are struggling with them ourselves, or someone around us is, or whether we want to think through them biblically. These include marriage, eating disorders, sexuality, forgiveness, bereavement and others. In choosing the testimonies of 10 interesting women, Dayspring helps us to see these issues personally, and engage with them so much more richly. However, it is Dayspring’s own insights which I found most useful and thought-provoking as she brings Scripture to bear on these topics, and as she turns the lessons into devotion by challenging and encouraging in equal measure. Each chapter ends with the question ‘Can I bear fruit?’ in the midst of these difficult circumstances. In each case the answer is a resounding ‘Yes’, as the testimonies bear witness. There are further questions for group study or individual reflection, which make this a perfect book for use in women’s bible studies or for one-to-one discipleship. I heartily recommend it. • Anne Norrie, St Columba’s Free Church, Edinburgh

JARS OF CLAY CATHERINE HADDOW (2020) Do you suffer from crippling anxiety or long to help others in their daily struggle with anxiety? If so, Jars of Clay is a very helpful, timely and practical book for you. When experiencing anxiety, it can be difficult to focus and concentrate long enough to be able to read much. However, this book is written in short, manageable chapters, each ending with questions for reflection, making it very readable. Catherine Haddow brings a lot of knowledge, understanding and insight to the reader, not just because she is a chartered psychologist, but because she too has suffered from anxiety, which lends authenticity to her writing. The book explains what anxiety is and how it can affect us, at both a physical and spiritual level. It helps us examine if our anxiety stems from putting our trust in material things, our health, or our relationships – treasuring these things more than God. The reader is helped to understand how ‘The outer manifestations of anxiety reveal the allegiance of our inner soul. We put misplaced trust in things other than God.’ Through highlighting biblical truths and showing the reader how ‘the treasure of the gospel is present and active in every uncertainty we face,’ Catherine Haddow aims to bring us into a greater relationship with God and to treasure ‘the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ’ above all else in order to find deep and lasting peace in Jesus. She reminds us that God ‘will help us because He loves us.’ • Joanna Shearer, Dunblane Free Church

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LOVE YOUR CHURCH TONY MERIDA (2021) I love my church. I love the people in my church. I love gathering together with those who attend my church. One thing many of us learnt through the pandemic was how much we missed meeting together on Sundays with our churches. We missed hearing from God’s word together. We missed the chat after the service over coffee. We missed seeing all the different people who make up our church family. But if I am painfully honest, there were times when watching church online from the ease of my own home was comfortable. I would wear what I wanted, make a really nice coffee, and I didn’t have to have awkward conversations with anyone else. In those times, I need reminded of the goodness of the church and a bigger vision of what the New Testament shows us about Christ’s church. I found Love your Church by Tony Merida the reminder I needed. In the book, Tony Merida unpacks eight ‘glorious privileges of being part of the church.’ I love the fact he calls each of these characteristics a privilege. So often we think of attending church, serving in church, and the roles we have at church as a duty or something we tick off a list. Instead, this book helps us see what a joy it is that we get to do these things as part of the local church family we are part of. Tony Merida writes so that we’ll ‘be thrilled about being a part of local community of believers.’ This would be a great book to use in the context of a one-to-one. The chapters are readable, short, and full of practical tips to discuss. There is section of questions at the end of the book which would be excellent to use to stimulate conversation after reading the chapters.

Above all, Love your Church is a very timely and helpfully practical book for all of us. Whether we have embraced being back at church or we are struggling to know how best to love our church, this book will help us see why we should invest our time and lives in our local body of believers. • Rachel Sloan, Charlotte Chapel, Edinburgh & FIEC

SALVATION TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH ANDREAS J. KÖSTENBERGER WITH T. DESMOND ALEXANDER (2020) It is good to see that ‘mission’ has been receiving a good deal of attention in books published in recent years. Hopefully, this means that Christians are learning more about the importance of the theology and practice of mission and that preachers are placing more emphasis on mission in their sermons. This new book is primarily aimed at theological students and preachers, although other determined readers will be able to benefit from it. It surveys biblical material relevant to ‘mission’, with one chapter on the Old Testament (by Desmond Alexander) and four chapters on the New Testament, plus a conclusion, by Köstenberger. While this book bears the same title as the first edition (co-written by Köstenberger and P. T. O’Brien and published in 2001), it is substantially a new book written primarily by Köstenberger. Since a lot of material is covered, most passages receive fairly brief discussion. The footnotes, however, are full of references to further reading. Köstenberger provides some explanation of the basis on which passages have been chosen for inclusion in the discussion, but the definition of ‘mission’ adopted remains rather vague. Given the significant discussions in recent scholarship on the meaning (and usefulness) of the term, it would have been good to have some discussion of the definition. Interestingly, Alexander adopts Chris Wright’s definition in his chapter so that creation and new creation are included. Although there is some brief reference to ‘a missional reading of the entire Bible’ and the ‘mission of God’ (missio Dei), there is little discussion of these important concepts. Readers unfamiliar with these concepts will have to look elsewhere for further explanation. While it is understandable that a ‘biblical theology’ would focus mainly on biblical studies, I think the book would have been strengthened by some more engagement with missiological literature. I noted with interest that while the phrase missio Dei is used numerous times in Desmond Alexander’s chapter, it is virtually absent (apart from one reference on page 147) from Köstenberger’s chapters. While Köstenberger is clearly happy to use the phrase, this perhaps indicates a

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difference in emphasis between the two authors. Students of mission will certainly want to read this book and it may be a good starting point for preachers. I think, however, that Chris Wright’s book, The Mission of God’s People (Zondervan, 2010) would still be my recommendation for a survey of the Bible’s teaching on mission. • Alistair I. Wilson, Edinburgh Theological Seminary

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MISSION MATTERS A monthly take on some of the mission work the Free Church is involved in by our Mission Director, DAVID MEREDITH

’m

Is that a correct mindset to have after attending a church meeting? Right or wrong that’s what I feel. Let me tell you the story. I have just returned from a congregational meeting at a small westcoast church. It was one of these out-of-theway places, so small that one of my friends had never heard of the place. The population of the area is only 805 but 8.5% of the population are connected to this church. That’s twice the national average. It has an expansionist vision. Rarely have I come across a congregation with so many connections to the local community. These links are not contrived or manufactured but are genuine and natural. The statistic which was mentioned again and again was not the 25% who attended any place of worship but the 75% who never worship God publically. If we want local churches ‘for’ our communities then this one certainly more than ticks that box. Diversity was clear. What a great mix of accents and ages. There seemed to be a cultivated blindness and blissful unawareness of differences in culture. The unifying person was Jesus and all were connected through him. It was like being at a party with diverse guests, the only unifying factor being that all were friends of the host. Great hosts bring people together. There is no greater party than that which brings with it a gospel feast (Luke 14:15-24). There was a high level of participation. A sense of safe space as folks spoke candidly, encouragingly and respectfully. There were stories of what was happening as well as dreams about what could be. Chatty people were listened to and the quiet folks looked on with interest. No awkward silences as a group of people simply enjoyed each other’s company. You ask me, what creates this culture? In the case of this congregation, the leadership are key.

There are two local elders who are respected and are catalysts for change. Preaching and teaching has been delivered at a high level through what I would describe as ‘contemporary, experimental Calvinism’. What exactly that is deserves a post on its own but basically it is following the Bible, applying the message to our own society and experiencing and longing for the felt presence of God. The status quo is not an option. There was also a high level of awareness of what the congregation is like, both good and bad. There are pastoral teams who ensure that the people are looked after. Local churches are at the heart of God’s mission strategy to reach the world. Seeing the extraordinary potential of hundreds and thousands of community churches across the world is a first step in realising that power. Authentic mission involves a divinely appointed ecosystem of all sorts of churches. We rejoice at large, resourced churches led by unusually gifted communicators. These churches are of God, so be careful not to despise days of large things as well as small. Equally important are our small-toaverage size churches. They have been raised in their communities for such a time as this. The 230-mile journey back home passed quickly as I reflected that I had witnessed a miracle. A group of people huddled in a former petrol station and yet with the potential to see changes in lives. The gospel raises the dead. The conversion of a sinner is a greater miracle than the creation of the universe. •

buzzing !

THE RECORD

MAY

POETRY PAGE ON HIS BLINDNESS BY JOHN MILTON

John Milton (1608-1674) is best-known for his epic poem Paradise Lost, for his influence on modern English literature, and for his role as a civil servant during the interregnum period. It is hard to pin down his theology. Though associated with the Puritans, he seems to have set aside some aspects of Calvin’s thought. Milton lost his sight aged 44. ‘On his blindness’ ‘is built around the implied question, “What does it take to please God?”’, writes Leland Ryken. ‘The entire poem assumes that God requires service,’ but Milton’s blindness means he can no longer serve as actively as he once did. However, Milton realises that God’s purposes do not depend on him. In the final line of the poem, referencing the angels, he concludes that praise and worship are also pleasing service. •

2022

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When I consider how my light is spent, Ere half my days in this dark world and wide, And that one talent which is death to hide Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent To serve therewith my Maker, and present My true account, lest he returning chide; ‘Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?’ I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent That murmur, soon replies, ‘God doth not need Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state Is kingly. Thousands at his bidding speed And post o’er land and ocean without rest: They also serve who only stand and wait.’

PAGES FROM ADAM’S DIARY A Marriage made in Heaven

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

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, some of the names of people and places have been changed or omitted.

THE RECORD

MAY

lthough the majority of asylum seekers

IN NEED OF PAPERWORK

who come from the middle east are men ,

There was a young man her own age attending our meetings as well. He had a heartbreaking story similar to hers, a young life marred by suffering. He had worked since he was seven years old to support an ailing, poor mother. This young woman began to show interest in him, and he in her. One of the refugees whom I had led to the Lord and discipled, a wonderful man of God, served our Lord in that Eastern European city. I was there to work by his side and help in his ministry. He had developed a reputation within the refugee community as a matchmaker. Some said, in fact, that it was his true calling since he brought together so many of the couples we knew. He did not lose any time on this opportunity either. He proposed that this was a match made in heaven, and these two should get married without any further delay. However, neither the to-be bride nor the groom had official documents upon which their marriage could be registered. On top of that, we could not find a minister in an official capacity who was willing to conduct the wedding since they were both in the country illegally. But we felt that this was a turning point in their young and hitherto dismal lives. So we prayed, and then we devised a marriage certificate. I and my friend officiated at the ceremony. Several refugees acted as witnesses and signed the marriage certificate which we had created. We turned a storefront charity shop into the wedding hall, and the impoverished refugees came together like celebrities coming out of Beverly Hills and made the celebration so lavish and so romantic that even Hollywood could have not choreographed anything like it.

there are also some women among them .

The journey for these mostly young women is perilous. From the moment they naively and innocently venture out, unaware of the risks, they are in significant danger from predators. I have heard horror stories of these girls being raped by human smugglers, by other refugees, and by the police and border guards. Once they arrive in Europe, depending upon where they land, they are not any safer. They become targets of criminal gangs, sometimes led by their own countrymen. Some of them do not know how to manage their new-found freedom. Others, in desperation to provide for themselves or earn enough to send money back home for elderly parents or siblings, are entrapped by sex and drug merchants who sell them to brothel houses across Europe, and then they disappear. They already have no identity. They are illegals who are registered nowhere. Such people have a short life. When they die, none but their Creator knows they existed. The Holy Spirit is grieved continually over the evil that men do ceaselessly on the face of this planet. In the course of the last twenty years of serving our Saviour among the refugees, I have come across these girls. Our Lord has snatched some of them as brands from the fire.

IN NEED OF A PHYSICIAN Many years ago, one such young woman was brought into my path. I learned later that she had been an orphan, one of eight children. She was put out of the orphanage and had lived in abject poverty until she met someone who had brought her to Turkey. In Turkey, she was abused by the police. She fled again and eventually ended up on the streets of an Eastern European capital. When I met her, she had come to ask for medicine. I told her that I needed to consult a pharmacist friend in order to get her the appropriate antibiotic. I asked her if she was willing to come back to our evening Bible study. By then, I told her, I would probably have the medication ready to give her. She agreed. That evening after the Bible study, she stayed for the meal and then our small gathering for prayer. She cried the entire time we were praying. Over the following days, she faithfully returned again and again. Then one day, she said to me that she had been thinking about what she had seen and heard. She had been deeply affected by the grace, love and purity she had witnessed among these believers. She wanted to become a Christian. She made a profession of faith and then asked to be baptised.

2022

LIFE TOGETHER To make a long story short, today this dear couple live in Denmark. The Danish authorities accepted the marriage certificate which we had made and, based upon it, the couple were given residency. He has opened a bakery shop, and she is working alongside him. They host a small Christian fellowship in their apartment, which I have attended several times. He has also become an elder in a Danish church. Several years ago, in early December while I was staying with them, he was preparing 17 people for baptism, all asylum seekers like himself and his wife, some of whom they had brought to the Saviour but all of whom they had discipled. Looking back, I often have thought to myself, this was indeed a match made in heaven! •

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MAY/JUN 2022 PRAYER DIARY ‘As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.’ Genesis 8:22 Let us pray this month for God’s world. Please send any prayer requests to Mrs Shona McGuire at seonaid1954@hotmail.co.uk Mon 16th – Wed 18th With climate change being a top priority on the political agenda of many countries, it is important to remember God’s promise to us. Pray for all the projects going on across the world. Pray for indigenous reforestation; for wells and irrigation in desert areas; for windfarms and tidal electricity. Help us all make small changes to our lifestyles to stop waste. God gave us the earth to look after. Pray that we can. Thu 19th – Sun 22nd Since the beginning of time, people have travelled to different countries to seek a better future. Pray for the migration of people. In the New Testament, migration was a key factor in the advance of the church. Paul encouraged people to go out with the message that there was an alternative way to live. Migration was then and is now an opportunity for evangelism. Pray that we would accept this challenge to welcome and mingle with all people. Mon 23rd – Wed 25th Pray for Creation to be put back on the school curriculum. Until we start considering Creation, we are unlikely to spend time worshipping the Creator. Help us to see evolution as an unproven theory and not as scientific fact. Thu 26th – Sun 29th Pray for governments across the world debating rights, freedom of speech, and the vanishing freedom of being able to share ideas with others. Pray for presidents, prime ministers and people in positions of authority to come forward with faith and without fear of losing their jobs. Pray for organisations like the Christian Institute, which gives free help and advice to people who find themselves silenced because of their beliefs. Mon 30th – Wed 1st I was horrified to hear about a young successful female pop star who said publicly that she was addicted to porn throughout her teens. This would have been unheard of 20 years ago but with easy access to websites, porn is all too easy to find. Porn is a cancer in our society. Pray for more supervision and ruling from government bodies around the world. Pray that we would all think carefully about what we watch and what we read and what we say, as it affects who we are.

THE RECORD

Thu 2nd – Sun 5th Let us continue to pray for people worldwide from different faiths. If we had been brought up in a Muslim country with Muslim parents, we would be Muslims. Likewise, if you are brought up by atheist parents in our secular world, the chances are you will be atheist. Let us therefore give thanks for our parents and our upbringing. My son said to me recently, it all starts in the home, and I think he is right. Give thanks if you were fortunate enough to be brought up in a godly home while humbly remembering those who have not, and reach out to them with love. Mon 6th – Wed 8th We thank God daily for a new day yet often waste the opportunities it presents. Time is one of the most precious gifts, as we only tend to realise once it starts running out. Our time on Earth is brief, so let’s try and make it count and get on with the work God planned in advance for us. Eph 2: 10 ‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ Pray for the opportunities. Thu 9th – Sun 12th Dear Lord, help us see ourselves as one people on one planet, regardless of nationalities, and help us unite in having one mission. The whole universe is God’s domain, not just our particular corner. In Matthews Gospel, chapter five, Jesus tells the people to love their enemies. ‘God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.’ In John 17, Jesus after praying for his disciples prayed for those who will come to believe. Pray for the evil and the unrighteous that they will become future believers. Mon 13th – Wed 15th Pray for those people reaching out, starting to believe, moving tentatively from atheist to agnostic. Pray that they would meet the right people at the right time, or reach for the right book and start seeing God’s plan laid out for their lives. Pray for the coincidences that frequently occur when we are on the right path. Life is not just black and white. We all have a lifetime of sinning ahead of us. Yet beyond this world is another world to which we are inextricably linked but which we can only dimly perceive. •

MAY

Saothair-gràidh (A labour of love) LE JANET NICPHÀIL

uair a chì sinn daoine agus beatha shàraicht'

Nach toir seo a-steach oirnn' mar a dh' fheumas sinn gach cnap-starra a thoirt às an rathad air sluagh a tha a' tòiseachadh a' gabhail ùidh ann an nithean Dhè? Feumaidh sinn a bhith ag ùrnaigh airson cridheachan ullaichte, gus an tuit sìol na Rìoghachd ann an talamh math a th'air uisgeachadh le ùrnaighean sluagh a' Chruthaidheir. Nach leugh sinn ann an Leabhar Isaiah na facail-sa, ' Cha bu luaithe bha Sion ann an saothair na rug i a clann.' Is e obair a' Chruthaidheir a th'ann a bhith a' toirt beò, ach feumaidh sinn a bhith le saothair-gràidh, mar a bh'aca-san a bha a'falbh le tiodhlacan às an eilean gu na bochdan ann an rìoghachdan a th'air call mòr fhulang, agus a th'air an sàrachadh. Tha a h-uile duine feumail ann an obair Dhè, agus nuair a bhios sinn a' glanadh timcheall lusan a tha air ùr-nochdadh às an talamh, feumaidh sinn a bhith faiceallach nach dèan sinn milleadh air an t-sìthean a tha a' fàs. Nach eil a' chùis mar sin a thaobh dhaoine cuideachd? Ma tha iad nar coithionalan, a tha a'sealltainn ùidh san t-Soisgeul, feumaidh sinn a bhith faiceallach nar briathran, nach dèan sinn barrachd millidh air na nì sinn de dh'fheum. Tha beatha nan gràs na thòiseachadh ag iarraidh taic agus blàths, mar a dh'fheumas sìthean talamh mu thimcheall a'toirt taic dha, agus cuideachd tha blàths na grèine a' toirt a' bhlàth a-mach.

air a bhith aca san t-saoghal,

ach iad fhathast a' coimhead ris a' Chruthaidhear airson a chumail suas anns gach nì a tha a' tachairt riutha a-bhos, bidh seo glè thric na shearmon do mhòran dhaoine aig nach eil cus ùidh ann an nithean Dhè, agus tha e cuideachd a' misneachadh iomadh bràthair agus piuthar, oir tha an Cruthaidhear a' sealltainn gu bheil Esan comasach air daoine a neartachadh ann an suidhichidhean glè èiginneach. Nach eil seo a'tachairt an-diugh ann an iomadh rìoghachd far nach eil beatha sluagh Dhè cho furast' sa tha e dhuinn fhathast anns an rìoghachd-sa? Feumaidh sinn feum a dhèanamh de na cothroman a th'againn. Tha seo fìor a thaobh slàinte, agus cuideachd feumaidh sinn a bhith a' cumail grèim teann air an dìleab phrìseil a dh'fhàgadh againn. Chunnaic sinn anns an eilean o chionn ghoirid, daoine a' fosgladh an cridheachan gu bhith a' cuideachadh rìoghachdan a bha a'fulang bochdainn de gach seòrsa, agus briseadh cridhe. Bha e àlainn a bhith a' faicinn mar a ghluais an Cruthaidhear cridheachan dhaoine gu bhith a'roinn beagan den mhòran a tha againn mar shluagh. Dh'iarradh sinn gum biodh A bheannachd Fhèin air gach aon a bha air cùlaibh chùisean, a'cur seo air dòigh, agus bidh sinn ag ùrnaigh airson sàbhailteachd agus dìon do na na h-uile a nì an slighe aig àm iomchaidh, gus na tiodhlacan- sa a roinn do na feumaich a bhios ro thoilicht' seo a ghabhail agus a chleachdadh. Nam biodh ar cànan aca, an dùil nach canadh iad a' làimhseachadh nan tiodhlac?

Nuair bhios do Spiorad an làthair gluaisidh na cnàmhan, is seasaidh an-àirde nan armailt ro mhòr.

'Gu cinnteach 's beò Epaphrodìtus bho a làmhan fhuair sinn nithean prìseil, tiodhlacan a sheall cùram 's dìcheall is saothair-gràidh, ìobairt chùbhraidh da-rìreabh.'

Abair deagh thoradh do dh'Àrd-rìgh na Glòir.

•

Bhruidhinn sinn a' mhìos a chaidh, air sìtheanan a' nochdadh a-mach à dorchadas na talmhainn, ach nuair a nochdas iad, bidh mòran glanaidh ri dhèanamh, agus feumar an talamh a dhùsgadh anàirde, gus gach nì a chumadh air-ais iad nam fàs, a sguabadh às an rathad.

2022

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BY CATRIONA MURRAY

POST TENEBRAS LUX E

arlier this year, i wrote a short blog for logos those

wrongly

convicted

witchcraft,

and to apologise to the accused who were not

—

executed for imaginary crimes.

Some people think that this type of thing is just so much flummery; they believe that history is written and finished, and that those of us who seek to hold the book open at an earlier page are mere virtuesignallers. I understand that point of view and even sympathise with it to some degree. Yet as someone who teaches history and, perhaps even more so, prehistory, I see how easily those who are gone become mere caricatures. Or at least something much less than human. This is what allows us to stand in a museum in Cairo peering at human remains and to utter the word ‘mummy’ as easily as we say ‘zombie’ or ‘vampire’. Or to clamber among headstones in a disused cemetery, read the weathered inscriptions and feel very little. Part of the reason is not, I think, our lack of humanity, but our over-abundance of it. These things are a memento mori, if we look at them too closely. The mummy, the long-dead Leòdhasach, the witch, were all once as we are now. Therefore... but no, we close our minds; we push them away and make them other. That way, their fate is their fate and cannot come near us. When I say that this is a mark of excessive humanity, I think I mean that it’s the sign of an unregenerate soul. Why, particularly? Well, it’s perfectly understandable that people should want to cling to what they know. As the beautiful Runrig song, ‘Cearcall a’ Chuain’ puts it, ‘o ach sinn, tha sinn dall, chan eil againn ach beatha’ (‘oh but we, we are blind, we have nothing but [this] life’). Spiritual blindness blurs the horizon beyond which our actual home is situated. Once we are in Christ, we can see that there is indeed something waiting for us — not merely a better country, but our true homeland. That is a different sort of reminder: not that we must die, but that we shall live. And so, the Christian’s attitude to those gone before, and particularly to people who have suffered injustice, cannot be the same as that of the unsaved. We mercifully

"Examination of a Witch" T.H. Matteson (1853) Peabody Essex Museum

know that earlier chapters of the book are not sealed, but are building towards an awe-inspiring conclusion. These ‘witches’ for example, garrotted and then burnt, are surely to us as Abel was to Cain: their blood crying out to us from the earth. Of course, there will be no justice from human courts, regardless of parliamentary apologies or pardons; but as far as God is concerned, the case is still very much open until he brings the verdict in. I believe in the promise of the Gospel, and have every reason to do so. Therefore, I know that those we have neatly labelled as ‘history’ will rise again. At that point, they will meet the perfect justice of God and there will be no wrongs. Until then, though, what will God’s followers in the world say about the persecution of innocent people in his name? The ‘when’ won’t matter in eternity, so let’s put that to one side. After all, Christ was also persecuted by religious fanatics, more than two thousand years ago, and we cannot remove ourselves from that. The accused witches of 16th century Scotland, the refugees from 21st century Ukraine, the African slaves of pre-abolition America, and Jesus Christ of first century Palestine all died for the same reason: because this is a sin-fractured world. Only one conquered sin, and death. He subdued them both and took them captive. We say that we know this, that we believe it, and that it has changed our lives. That being the case, then, surely the Christian response to the tragic, horrific injustices of the past, perpetrated in the name of God, should be no less compassionate than our reaction to present Russian atrocities against the people of Ukraine. It’s easy to condemn Putin, but Kirk sessions hunting, humiliating and persecuting innocent people in some warped interpretation of the Bible? Like the Pharisees who called the Son of God a blasphemer, these men were the same as us. Eternal life doesn’t start when we get to heaven, but the moment we accept Christ into our hearts. As people whose hopes are therefore unending and enduring, how can Christians honestly say that the past is over and done with, just because it makes us ill at ease? •

scotland, in support of the campaign to pardon

THE RECORD

MAY